Newcastle vs Aston Villa (please, please win) Match Thread

[pipe]

I feel sorry for the supporters who took time off work, travelled up there and paid to watch our team of couldn`t care less tossers

[oldtimernow]

Brian does this remind you of 69 all over again, spend a lot to end up going down?

[brian green]

I feel sorry for Tony Xia.  All the dozens of millions he has forked out to see a team that looks like the first eleven people to walk down the street.

[four fornicholl]

Bruce Out. Somebody explain why not, I double dare you.

[frank black]

It amazes me how we make the simple look so difficult.

[brian green]

Very much so OT. 

[The Edge]

Very much so OT.

What do we do to players? How many have walked through the door with a big reputation? What have we done to Hourihane? Came here with the best stats in the league then promptly disappears. How the fuck do we do it?

[AvFc4eVeR]

Bruce Out. Somebody explain why not, I double dare you.

Because RDM was given until we were actually in drop zone.....


...... hang on a second.

[The Fish]

The game was all yours until an obviously unfit Gayle was replaced by Mitrovic. I think you were set up to handle balls being fed for a mobile striker to run onto, but when our game plan changed to use Mitrovic as a target man for the other players to pivot off or hit with crosses, your defence needed to follow 3-4 runners centrally and wide instead of the 1 across the back line.

Until we got the ball to stick up there you were getting a lot of joy down your left through Kodjia and seemed to be playing with confidence and intent. We hadn't managed a shot (on or off target) until Gouffran scored. When the 1st goal went in (after an ugly scramble) it was noticeable that Villa heads dropped, and that it came just before half time so you had little time to re-establish your control of the match.

2nd goal was coming, and I think 2-0 was probably a fair reflection of the game. You've definitely got the quality to be much higher than you are, it's just character and confidence imo.

[JD]

The game was all yours until an obviously unfit Gayle was replaced by Mitrovic. I think you were set up to handle balls being fed for a mobile striker to run onto, but when our game plan changed to use Mitrovic as a target man for the other players to pivot off or hit with crosses, your defence needed to follow 3-4 runners centrally and wide instead of the 1 across the back line.

Until we got the ball to stick up there you were getting a lot of joy down your left through Kodjia and seemed to be playing with confidence and intent. We hadn't managed a shot (on or off target) until Gouffran scored. When the 1st goal went in (after an ugly scramble) it was noticeable that Villa heads dropped, and that it came just before half time so you had little time to re-establish your control of the match.

2nd goal was coming, and I think 2-0 was probably a fair reflection of the game. You've definitely got the quality to be much higher than you are, it's just character and confidence imo.

That's a reasonable assessment of both the game and Villa's season.