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Newcastle step up pace

Discussion in 'Spurscommunity Front Page News' started by Geez, Dec 23, 2006.

  • by Geez, Dec 23, 2006 at 8:37 PM

  • Geez Badges? We don't need no stinking badges!

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    MATCH REPORT:

    Source: Telegraph.co.uk

    Petrified by the blistering attacking pace of Obafemi Martins and Kieron Dyer, Tottenham merely succeeded in bolstering Glenn Roeder's burgeoning managerial reputation.

    Considering Newcastle's horrendous injury problems this season, Roeder has done rather well. So well, indeed, that Freddy Shepherd yesterday declared he would not swap his manager for Sir Alex Ferguson.

    After such fulsome praise from the chairman, sceptics might have expected Roeder's side to lose, but this is an improving Newcastle ensemble whose commitment to attractive, attacking football serves as a refreshing antidote to the safety first attitudes permeating much of the Premiership.

    Dyer's return from long-term injury has done much to help Roeder's cause. Finishing has not always been his forte but the midfielder made no mistake with the splendid low shot, directed into the bottom corner, which provided Newcastle with an early lead. Martins' through pass from deep released Dyer after Michael Dawson had failed to cut out a clearance from Nolberto Solano.

    A combination of electric pace and close control enabled Dyer to dodge Ledley King and beat Paul Robinson in front of the watching Steve McClaren. Much more of this, and he might really find himself back in McClaren's England squad.

    Spurs looked in defensive disarray and this was further emphasised when Martins swiftly headed Newcastle's second goal of the afternoon — his sixth in as many games and ninth of the season. The fact that Scott Parker, whose pass cued up the £10 million striker, had looked offside during a preamble initiated by James Milner's centre, failed to prevent the Toon Army from twirling their black and white scarves in celebration.

    Not that Martin Jol's side were quite done. Danny Murphy, who had been promoted from the substitutes' bench when Jermain Defoe dropped out of the visiting starting line-up minutes before kick-off, reduced the deficit after meeting Pascal Chimbonda's cross and seeing his shot deflect off Steven Taylor, flying beyond the wrong-footed Shay Given.

    With Dimitar Berbatov spurning an excellent chance when clean through, Newcastle took a turn at appearing dazed and disorientated before Parker assuaged Geordie nerves by heading them further ahead after Robinson had parried Milner free-kick into a penalty area melee.

    Critics of the England goalkeeper may say that Robinson, who experienced a worryingly unconvincing afternoon under McClaren's gaze, should have held on to that original Milner effort but, clearly benefiting from that coruscating pace injected by Dyer and Martins, Roeder's team were playing some good, slick-passing stuff.

    Even so, Berbatov missed another good chance at the outset of the second half, shooting wide when he probably should have done better. Indeed with Newcastle's on-going injury crisis primarily affecting Roeder's defence — in which Solano played out of position at right-back and 18-year-old novice centre-half Paul Huntington appeared at left-back, Jol's men might reasonably have been expected to give Given a few more frights.

    Infuriatingly inconsistent, Spurs are a real chameleon team, and a few of Jol's personnel belied their expensive price tags and much-vaunted reputations during an afternoon which further enhanced Roeder's managerial street cred.

    Man of the Match: Kieron Dyer: His blistering pace and adhesive like close control make the midfielder at times resemble an electrically powered toy. Scored the opener and petrified Spurs.

    Moment of the Match: Dyer’s opening goal. Scored on the counter-attack it arrived less than a minute after Steed Malbranque had threatened to give Spurs the lead. Moreover the preamble to his unerring low shot into the bottom corner made a mockery of both Michael Dawson’s and Ledley King’s lofty defensive reputations.

    [hr]1[/hr]
    Not pleasant reading but doesn't differ much to what I heard on the radio - "Spurs are a real chameleon team" sums us up at the moment.

    Our next away game is against Pompey on 1st January - let's hope Spurs have the resolution to beat them!
    Geez, Dec 23, 2006
    #1
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Comments

Discussion in 'Spurscommunity Front Page News' started by Geez, Dec 23, 2006.

  1. rouser
    Spurs are a cameleon team in so far as they are a hard team to beat at home...away we don't seem to be quite getting it right.

    We are getting stronger every match...kinda

    Well that's what my rational side says.

    Its a real fucking shame that Defoe got injured..get back soon JD, we need u brother.

    :-|
    rouser, Dec 24, 2006
    #2
  2. Bilko
    Stuffed by Arse and now Newcastle.
    Not impressive, and Toon are looking the better challenger to the big three.I`m not convinced of success anymore-so I guess I`ll just enjoy the games as they come.
    Bilko, Dec 24, 2006
    #3
  3. beejayspur
    This result did not really suprise me, with or without Defoe it was going to be one of those games that we could so easily loose, real Spurs supporters know by now that we always loose a few games that we think we can win, this will hopefully gee us up at home to Villa & remember this still only 3 loses in 20 games.
    beejayspur, Dec 24, 2006
    #4
  4. jackhealy
    I really don't understand why Spurs or any other team should play sugnificantly worse away from home than they do at home. Why should a group of professional sportsmen, being paid upwrds of £20000 a week, play worse because of the presence of thousands of fans cheering for their opponents? It's something we've got used to, and we think therefore that we understand it, but I still find it mystifying.
    jackhealy, Dec 24, 2006
    #5
  5. adamsilver
    I see where you are coming from but it is not a coincedence that this is the same for the majority of teams. The crowd get you to push that teeny tiny extra bit. I don't know why this happens at the very top professional level but it does.
    adamsilver, Dec 24, 2006
    #6
  6. littlemandefoe
    Why does everyone relate this to money now. We loose to Newcastle at their ground...a massive ground might I add...52,000+. You cant expect us to win every game, and we will, ALWAYS, have a bad game sometime during our season. Every single team in the world does. We just need to get behind out boys, cheer them on. We cant go from a team struggling (02-03) to a team challenging for the title in 2-3 years like some of us think. It takes time. Everything does. We've improved greatly, and thats what counts. If we have a bad game, yes, share YOUR opinions, but dont make stupid marks like; Jol out, sell Zokora, give Cerny ago (I've heard that twice). DMD said something similar...have faith and confidence.
    littlemandefoe, Dec 24, 2006
    #7
  7. martins_jolly_babies
    I'm a big Robbo fan, but like any other player he's not above criticism, yesterday he slipped below his high standards, for me, the 1st goal was all to easy, Robbo should have done far better, Dyer only TAPS it in from 20, yes 20 yards, the second i'll let him off for but the 3rd was a routine free kick that he spilled. For me thats what cost us, he's an excellent keeper but like I say, he's not above criticism - cue all the muppets calling me fickle but read carefully what i've put before the abuse begins....
    martins_jolly_babies, Dec 24, 2006
    #8
  8. littlemandefoe
    MJB, I agree with the third goal...He should of done better, but we all know hes only going to come back stronger.
    littlemandefoe, Dec 24, 2006
    #9
  9. davidmatzdorf
    In between which we won five games in a row, scoring 13 goals. Or are you such a moody git that you simply forgot about them? :wink:
    davidmatzdorf, Dec 25, 2006
    #10
  10. davidmatzdorf
    I'm quite surprised that no one has already posted this, but no one has, so I will.

    Newcastle are one of the quickest teams in the league. Dyer is probably the fastest midfielder in England, now that he's fit, and Martins is as fast as Henry. Milner is also pretty quick.

    We also have three seriously fast players in our attacking block: Defoe, Lennon and Jenas.

    Every one was injured and unavailable yesterday. The fastest players in our squad yesterday were Malbranque and King. Not really the same thing, is it?

    It's extremely difficult to play against pace. When you're playing against a team loaded with pace that is also in form and full of confidence, it's even harder. When you have to do that without your own three fastest players and with a last minute change of selection and formation, how can anyone be surprised that we found it hard to cope with Newcastle when they ran at us?

    They played better than we did and they finished their chances.
    davidmatzdorf, Dec 25, 2006
    #11
  11. mawspurs
    Its not the fact that we (or any other away team) play worse, it is the fact that the home crowd lift their team and make them play better. That obviously makes it more difficult for the away side.

    What away sides have to do is be mentally strong enough to deal with the home fans jeering their every move and also the possibility of going a goal down. Heads mustn't drop because if they do all is lost. This is why Jol calls for a top mentality to overcome situations like that.

    We are moving in the right direction but will still have blips because as a team we are still learning, especially with so many young players in the side.
    mawspurs, Dec 25, 2006
    #12
  12. benzekry
    Drogba what a fantastic striker[IMG]
    benzekry, Dec 25, 2006
    #13
  13. tonyc
    Maw,

    Not too sure this argument holds much water, tbh. The Gooners are equiv to us, pretty much, age-wise yet they have performed much better than us, esp. away. Why should they not suffer away like we do? The thing is, for me, we just don't believe. My own view is we are prepared to concede too much tempo, possession and initiative in away games, expecting us to defend for a point at least. 'To dare is to do': we don't dare to 'dare', so we won't 'do'.

    Funny old game, football: you don't score, you don't win. And, atm, we can't stop conceding....

    Tony
    tonyc, Dec 26, 2006
    #14
  14. shelfside
    Add Newcastle to the lengthy list of embarassing away performances where the home team have stuffed us comfortably. Jol is tactically naive in my opinion, if indeed he has any tactics at all which I have my doubts.

    Bolton, Liverpool, Reading, Newcastle, Arsenal. The only away defeat we came out of with a bit of pride was United.

    Lest we not forget those fantastic draws at Blackburn (defensive) and Watford (pathetic).
    shelfside, Dec 27, 2006
    #15
  15. mawspurs
    I take your point about the goons, but you have to bear in mind that Wenger is a much more experienced manager than Jol, and that may well have a bearing on how the younger players perform.

    You make a good point about the daring to do as well, we set out too defensive away from home although at the moment with Lennon, our main attacking threat, out injured its difficult to do much else.

    The best teams will attack away from home and put the home team under pressure. Its learning how to do this without conceding yourself that is the key, even Manure play counter attacking football when required, and Chelski do it as well.
    The trouble is without Lennon and Jenas we lack pace in midfield to do counter-attacking football unless Zokora goes on one of his runs (and I'd like to see him do more of that especially when alongside Huddlestone).
    mawspurs, Dec 28, 2006
    #16

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