*** NEWCASTLE v SPURS *** Carling Cup Match Thread

[bomberH]

Also, i thought Charlie had a good game at RB. He seems sort of slow, but confident in what he can do. Also made a blinding saving sliding tackle.

Let's hope Pompey and their fans are even more disillusioned than we are and make it -15 for their week...

 

[yanno]

We were much more compact in CM, but we need Luka Modric as one of those 3 CMs if we're going to play like that away from home.

JJ, O'Hara & Zoko all competed very well, and Jamie took his goal confidently, but the snail-like tempo of our passing was due to the balance of that CM. They all needed 2 or 3 touches of the ball, before looking up and moving it. Against that, once Modric is fit, he should be able to play with any two of those and inject some pace and tempo into our passing.

Personally, I'd boot Zoko out (his passing seems to get worse and worse) and play O'Hara as the deepest of the three.

 

[rich75]

fuck it , we won, doesnt matter that we played like a toilet, we won.

 

[Wellspurs]

At work tonight, did Chris jump up when we scored?

 

[spursfan1991]

Good win tonight, good defensive performance which was helped by Gomes who just comes out and takes everything. Very unlucky to have conceded late on.

Ohara's performance was very good, didn't do anything spectacular but he was tenacious and was very happy to get dirty. Exactly the type of player we have been missing recently. I hope he can do this on a consistent basis.

COYS

 

[liberty]

Yeah I mean it's difficult to take much from a game so dull. We didn't liven up until Dos Santos came on. I also thought Lennon was quite lively if not a little aimless with his running most of the time - but finally, a good ball from him for Pav's goal!

I find it hard to make positives. Against any other Prem team we'd have struggled to get a draw no doubt.

It's difficult to see on TV but the commentator said that Pav was working very hard up front when he didn't have the ball. So some of the vision in midfield was lacking.

It was also noted by one of the commentators and I agreed, is that our midfield was extremely slow in getting the ball released. No real pass and move. Without this we're crippled. Our defence can only defend so much and our strikers can only make so much movement. If the midfield isn't moving fast enough and chanelling the ball correctly then the rest of the team may as well give up now.

 

[Partizan]

Jenas was nowhere near as bad as everyone is saying. He drifted in the second half, but in the first he was one of our best. What I've noticed from him is that he's a good passer, and he showed that today whenever he actually had an outlet, but that's exactly the problem with our team, we can't provide that because we are too damn static. This seriously improved when Giovani and Fraizer came on. Despite how shit Newcastle were, we did a good job keeping possesion in the 2nd half, in which Modric was particularly good at. To summarize, it was a decent performance where the best performances imo came from both CBs, Pav and above all O'Hara

 

[joey55]

When you look at our next 5 fixtures, we really could build up some momentum now. Pompey are looking dreadful at the moment and after that we've got, Wisla, Stoke, Hull and Bolton. We could end up winning 5 in a row.

 

[Stelladrinker]

I also thought Lennon was quite lively if not a little aimless with his running most of the time

:lol: Have you not seen him play before?

 

[MattyP]

Well that was one of the most boring matches I have ever witnessed with us struggling to do anything against a team with no manager and no crowd.

But don't worry we can always sign some more attacking midfielders with no real position and then spend the next few months playing them 'out of position' while trying to find out where they actually played. That will at least provide some entertainment.

We won. When was the last time you coukd say that against Newcastle, especially in Newcastle.

We didn't have to be at our best against them. Save it up for when we play a decent team.

You're like the black bit of a duracell battery - always negative.

Come join the copper coloured tops and be a bit positive.

 

[PT]

When you look at our next 5 fixtures, we really could build up some momentum now. Pompey are looking dreadful at the moment and after that we've got, Wisla, Stoke, Hull and Bolton. We could end up winning 5 in a row.

Wooooaaahh Joey!! :grin:

 

[milkman]

Anyone else see the Ar5ena1 emblem fly across the screen on Sky Sports 2 at 64 minutes in the match??

 

[joey55]

I wouldn't mind if we signed Owen in Jan. His contract runs out at the end of the year, so he wont cost much.

 

[guy]

gomes was brilliant! he collected everything that came into the box

saves us so much danger before it happens

 

[Teemu]

Just like to point out, one clear chance for Pavlyuchenko in 3 games, one goal. The guy just can't miss. Goal machine supreme. The new Pele.

Ok I exaggeratea tiny bit, but genuinely he has had one real chance and he took it well. We moan at our strikers, particularly Bent, for not getting involved, but if the midfield is content just to pass it around between them with no incisiveness whatsoever, what are they supposed to do? I thought RomPav did well today really, his work rate was very good, and he did look more confident after his goal, even trying something ridiculous in the corner which inevitably failed!

 

[joey55]

Wooooaaahh Joey!! :grin:

To be fair when i looked at the fixture list at the start of the season I predicted 12 points from the first 5 games.

 

[talkshowhost86]

Just like to point out, one clear chance for Pavlyuchenko in 3 games, one goal. The guy just can't miss. Goal machine supreme. The new Pele.

Ok I exaggeratea tiny bit, but genuinely he has had one real chance and he took it well. We moan at our strikers, particularly Bent, for not getting involved, but if the midfield is content just to pass it around between them with no incisiveness whatsoever, what are they supposed to do? I thought RomPav did well today really, his work rate was very good, and he did look more confident after his goal, even trying something ridiculous in the corner which inevitably failed!

It's been the same for Bent this season. When he's had chances he's scored most of them.

Our problems remain in the midfield but if they sort it out and create some chances then our strikers are good enough to put them away.

 

[Teemu]

You're like the black bit of a duracell battery - always negative.

That's why they call him Kodak.

It's been the same for Bent this season. When he's had chances he's scored most of them.

Our problems remain in the midfield but if they sort it out and create some chances then our strikers are good enough to put them away.

Yup exactly, I think we just got too used to have Berbatov and Keane dropping deep and being the main creative outlet in our team. Pav and Bent aren't like that, but they are both good strikers and if they get the service they'll get lots of goals.

 

[MattyP]

Anyone else see the Ar5ena1 emblem fly across the screen on Sky Sports 2 at 64 minutes in the match??

Yep, I saw it, wound me up as much as the stupid commentary.

I was done purely for those spurs fans who did what I considered and turned the sound down.

 

[Bakez]

We won. When was the last time you coukd say that against Newcastle, especially in Newcastle.

We didn't have to be at our best against them. Save it up for when we play a decent team.

You're like the black bit of a duracell battery - always negative.

Come join the copper coloured tops and be a bit positive.

Every day was a wonderland when Jol was here. I was positive then. I am just telling it how it is.