Newcastle United v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[garyshawsknee]

Does Heskey have a clause in his contract where he has to play when 100% fit?

Comical at the back again.

I know he's an easy target,but Emile must have a portfolio of photos of managers in uncompromising situations,that the only way he continues to get games.

[Stu]

I'm sure I've just seen Villa play some good football in that match and create some good chances, but you'd never know it from the reaction most people.

Why can't you point out the good bits as much as you do the bad bits???

Because the bad bits cost us the game. They outweigh the good and the result is all that matters.

[themossman]

Thought Krul was the deciding factor today, we would've won this if not for him.

That's true but we also would have won if we hadn't shipped 2 goals again. Only ourselves to blame.

[Toronto Villa]

I said at the time that we would be the architects of our own downfall and so it proved. Giving the ball away as much as we do will only let you get away with it for so long. Irrespective of who we have on the bench or on the pitch we give the ball away. It is literally killing us.

[Vanilla]

Tactic = 66 mins - bring on Heskey, take draw.

Losing Ireland had an impact, but Gardener should have been brought on for him, or at least for N'zogbia. The bringing on of Heskey on 66 mins sent out a negative message to everyone within the ground, as the tactic purely was: bring on Heskey = take draw.

With citeh at home next week as well, we will no doubt drop points again.

There was an article in the Mail on Friday citing the manager as saying that he doesn't want the season just to be about survival. Well, what else will it be?

[Billy Walker]

The root of our problems is the defence.  A complete rebuild is required and some genuine talent needs to be brought in.  The amount of times our defenders create needless problems for the whole team is beyond frustrating - is it down to coaching or they genuinely not up to it?

[themossman]

Yep another season of uncomfortable survival. And based on relying on 3 other teams not to get their shit together as well.

[Goldie.7]

''Stephen Ireland apparently told the manager to 'f**k off' which resulted in him getting taken off at half time and Barry Bannan coming on. It is positive, if true, because players are now telling the manager what we all think and again, if true, it is a horrid signal to everyone associated with the club''

Could be bollocks who knows?

[Vanilla]

I'm sure I've just seen Villa play some good football in that match and create some good chances, but you'd never know it from the reaction most people.

Why can't you point out the good bits as much as you do the bad bits???

Because the bad bits cost us the game. They outweigh the good and the result is all that matters.

Exactly. The results at the end of the season don't read: Newcastle 2 Aston Villa 1 (but Villa had some good bits).

[CJ]

The root of our problems is the defence.  A complete rebuild is required and some genuine talent needs to be brought in.  The amount of times our defenders create needless problems for the whole team is beyond frustrating - is it down to coaching or they genuinely not up to it?

I think they're genuinely not up to it. Houllier (for all his faults) spotted it pretty quickly and if he hadn't had his health problems we'd have a completely different back 4

[Mister E]

The most worrying thing for me to the end of the season is that we have to score 2 goals a game just to get a win or draw.

Interesting, yes.
When McL was appointed the assumption was that we'd have a miserly defence but be boring and limited up the field. In fact, we've played quite attacking formations and been poor at the back.

The question in my mind is whether this defence will be reliable enough for us not to slip back into the drop-zone. Given the next few games, if we concede poor goals like the ones today we could get sucked into a relegation battle.

Hutton was probably one of our best defenders today; says it all, perhaps.

[Olof's Beard]

N'Zogbia was starting to give the ball away, I can actually understand the substitution.  People will not accept it but Heskey actually played well when he came on and helped us crank up the pressure.  It said on the commentary here that Ireland went off with an ankle knock.

We are so frustrating at the moment because we have talent and we have potential but we concede so many goals and have bad spells in games and get punished.

Clark needs a rest, he's been found out a bit in midfield and we could do with Herd coming back.  Gardner was excellent when he came on.

I thought Hutton was our best player today and has improved a lot.

[Stu]

Apparently ''Stephen Ireland apparently told the manager to 'f**k off' which resulted in him getting taken off at half time and Barry Bannan coming on. It is positive, if true, because players are now telling the manager what we all think and again, if true, it is a horrid signal to everyone associated with the club''

Could be bollocks who knows?

Probably is bollocks, but its what I want to say to the useless wanker.

Doesn't help the team though, if its true then I'll be worried about team morale, which is clearly already brittle.

[PaulWinch again]

Gardner should have been on much earlier and should start next week but he won't.

[Nev]

Cowardice from the manager again, and the continual selection of the chuckle brothers beggars belief.

The most scandalous thing of all is the cost and effort to get to Newcastle by the supporters is rewarded with a manager who is frightened of his own shadow. I like AM but if he continues to manage in this manner he is doomed to spend his career pissing about at the lower end of the leagues no matter how ambitious he claims to be.

Shame.