Post-match thread - Newcastle v Aston Villa

[Deano's Mullet]

Just woken up and i still cant believe it happened. The one crumb of consolation  is that unlike the 7-1 last season i dont have to work with half a dozen of the geordie bastards.

[Breezeblock]

Nope, Sorry Troy but after sleeping on it i'm still so angry I could just shit a live pitbull terrier.

[Malandro]

Agree with you Troy. Yesterday, I believe, was a total freak result.
We looked like we would do the same to them in the early stages. These things tend to happen when a club is in chaos.

We lost our manager a short time ago, we need a new one very soon or this season is going to just be a write off (League wise)
But well said, I'd have been happy enough with a point.

[amfy]

Having slept on it, I can consider that we had little time this week, with the Europa game on Thursday, to sort out the massive changes needed to how the midfield operates with Ireland instead of Milner. This is where, in retrospect, taking him and some of the other "rested" players to Vienna might've been a good idea.
There's time to look at this now and hopefully sort out something that works.

[villajk]

This is where, in retrospect, taking him and some of the other "rested" players to Vienna might've been a good idea.

I said exactly that out in Vienna when the team was announced.  Some players, Luke Young, Ireland etc, need match experience and that game could have done them the world of good.

[Mr Diggles]

But, having slept on it, the result is that we've dropped at least a point. One. And that's what the league is based on - points. If we miss out on a CL spot at the end of the campaign on goal difference, then I'll be pissed off.

I agree with most of your points in the cold, unemotional light of day, but I can't believe we'll be anywhere near the top 4 at the end of this season, and I thought that long before MON left. I don't even think we'll finish in a Europa League place.

Anyway, with regards to the result yesterday, it was just a perfect storm. A newly promoted team, well up for it, with hardened professionals (especially in the central midfield, each of which was on the fringe of the England squad/team at some point in their career), a number of inexperienced players on our team, a caretaker manager, a couple of woefully out-of-form players in key positions (Dunne, Warnock, Carew), a debut by a player lacking full fitness... I could go on. Fair play to Newcastle for not letting off on the pace at all (goal difference will likely be very important for them come the end of the season). It was just a really bad day, made worse by the fact that it was on TV. Having seen how organised FUlham were against Man Utd, I kind of wish Hughes had still been available. Damn that O'Neill fellow, he really shafted Villa with the timing of his departure.

[PaulTheVillan]

We now know for sure that a midfield pairing of Petrov and Ireland doesn't work a

That is ridiculous and I stopped reading there.

You have decided that already after watching 1 game.

How many times has Ireland even trained with his new team mates?

When was the last time Ireland completed 90 minutes? I'm sure he's just short of match fitness.

[Matt C]

So it wasn't all a terrible dream then?

Crap.

[CheeriOneill]

It was only sleep not Class A drugs. I am still well pissed that we could lose and lose in that way to what will turn out to be one of the worst teams in the league.

There may have been a couple of selection issues but even so we should have had more than enough. Most of us would have picked exactly that side and more importantly so would MON.

Stop kidding yourselves that he would have put NRC and Davies in the side as he rated neither, the rest are injured.

Its one game but showing such a lack of effort, desire, bottle or spirit is a disgrace!!

[BannedUserIAT]

So they seem like a pair of crunching hard-men to you? the kind of combination that can stop the opposition midfield in their tracks - cuz that's what they were put there for.

Sorry, Paul, but when Alan Smith can walk past you, there's something wrong. Petrov is more a holding player than a hitman.....get the loose ball, run it out of defense....get the attack rolling. Ireland is a creative player that should be receiving the ball from Petrov much further up the pitch.

Together, in front of the back four is not a good combo especially when you're in the process of being brutalised by a physical team. 

[TopDeck113]

Having slept on it, I think Villa are guilty of bringing back to the Premier League an abberation from which we'd had a merciful break since the Shearer-led relegation:  the delusional Geordie football fan.

[cheltenhamlion]

I resisted posting yesterday.

A few things jumped out at me though. We miss Gabby more than any other player. We would either have crucified the preposterous high line they were playing defensively or they would have to have sat a lot deeper and given us more room to play with. The sooner he is back the better.

Kevin MacDonald just talked himself out of any hope of the job full time yesterday. We need to make an appointment, it needs to be the right one, but we cannot procrastinate over this. Otherwise, we risk letting the season go down the kermit as soon as it has started.

We are still at least one midfielder and a forward light at the minute and this needs to be addressed rapidly.

Yesterday we were weak. Weak in midfield, weak in the air. We need tougher players. I don't want to lay into the kids but Clark was shown up for being a kid at times yesterday.

We can all handle a defeat, even a crap one. But to give up so completely and so early in the piece was unforgiveable.

The attendance on Wednesday will be interesting.

[Irreverent ad]

The problem I keep coming back to is that we have had 2 of these defeats in approx 10 league games (Chelsea). What lessons have been learnt from the first time? What actions were taken last time?

It seems to me we have a soft streak in the team.

[Risso]

Just woken up and i still cant believe it happened. The one crumb of consolation  is that unlike the 7-1 last season i dont have to work with half a dozen of the geordie bastards.

By some bizarre twist of fate, I work with two of the bastards, and you can imagine what my desk looks like this morning.  Fuckers.

[Stu]

What it will have done is destroy the notion that playing the kids will negate the need to strengthen. On another thread i said those that are looking to NRC have short memories. We need a quality defensive midfielder and a centre forward that can hold on to the ball, the midfield of Petrov and Ireland can't possibly work, don't get me wrong Irelland will be an asset but not in the role he played yesterday. The main concern for me is a new manager, KM is not qualified to take over a top six prem side, the need for an experienced manager who has operated at the top level is critical.

No no, it'll be fine. The players know and respect KMac.

Seriously though, you're absolutely right, we need a top manager in and quick. No doing things on the cheap, no appointments from within. Appointing KM just feels like such an 'Ellis' appointment.