THE Newcastle United FC thread

[Stout]

A good result in a trap game on the weekend, but a gutting exit to the Carling cup midweek. Eh, I'm not surprised, given the changes we had to make, especially on defense. Perch is awful, and we conceded goals. I am not shocked.

 

[Stout]

Well well, a hat trick from Demba Ba and we're 3rd in the table, above Chelsea and just one point adrift of Man U.. I was so stoked (pun intended) to get Ba in the summer. I couldn't believe that such a prolific goal scorer wasn't being chased by the top clubs. He had been hurt, but wasn't any more, and he was had on a FREE TRANSFER!!! Fitting in rather well on Tyneside, fair to say.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Well well, a hat trick from Demba Ba and we're 3rd in the table, above Chelsea and just one point adrift of Man U.. I was so stoked (pun intended) to get Ba in the summer. I couldn't believe that such a prolific goal scorer wasn't being chased by the top clubs. He had been hurt, but wasn't any more, and he was had on a FREE TRANSFER!!! Fitting in rather well on Tyneside, fair to say.

Interesting he was a free transfer. Seems like a player who is in the right place at the right time. Although the penalty called on his last goal was a pretty weak call.

 

[Stout]

Interesting he was a free transfer. Seems like a player who is in the right place at the right time. Although the penalty called on his last goal was a pretty weak call.

Oh, I meant to comment on that. Yeah, it was a weak call--as was the penalty called on the other side minutes before. Crouch gets a bump and falls down like he was shot

The funny thing about the Ba transfer is as follows. We were promised that the Caroll cash would all be spent, and back when we weren't yet doing this well and the fans were hating on the owner, they gave us a list on where the money went. Part of it went into a 'fee' for Ba. But he was a free transfer! We were fed a ****-and-bull statement about several million in 'agent's fees'. Well, turns out that this is a big thing in soccer, and that every transfer also includes an agent's fee. Go figure!

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Oh, I meant to comment on that. Yeah, it was a weak call--as was the penalty called on the other side minutes before. Crouch gets a bump and falls down like he was shot

The funny thing about the Ba transfer is as follows. We were promised that the Caroll cash would all be spent, and back when we weren't yet doing this well and the fans were hating on the owner, they gave us a list on where the money went. Part of it went into a 'fee' for Ba. But he was a free transfer! We were fed a ****-and-bull statement about several million in 'agent's fees'. Well, turns out that this is a big thing in soccer, and that every transfer also includes an agent's fee. Go figure!

What percentage of $0 do the agent's get?

lol

I'll be honest and say I haven't played with them on FIFA12. I'll give them a shot tonight.

 

[Stout]

What percentage of $0 do the agent's get?

lol

I'll be honest and say I haven't played with them on FIFA12. I'll give them a shot tonight.

Yeah, I know, it sounds weird. In our country, agents only get a percentage. In international soccer transfers, apparently, agents require a fee just to complete the deal. I couldn't believe they could get away with that, but apparently it is pretty widespread. Very secretive, too, because the secret fees are never disclosed. I thought it was just my club trying to whitewash the issue, but I heard it from other sources as well.

You'll probably get creamed with Newcastle in FIFA12. They probably have the Magpies set as a relegation-scrapper.

 

[Mathew81]

I was just looking at the upcoming schedule and NUFC play at Man City, at ManU away and home vs Chelsea in their next 3 games. That's rough.

 

[Stout]

I was just looking at the upcoming schedule and NUFC play at Man City, at ManU away and home vs Chelsea in their next 3 games. That's rough.

Definitely! And we're getting injuries at the wrong time too! Thankfully we have a two-week break. Still, we may be too banged up for this coming run. The nice thing is that, with our form and the other teams' form, I'm not intimidated by the Man U or Chelsea matches. We may not win, but I feel those will be winnable, at least. Man City? We'll need a pretty much perfect game to win it.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I was just looking at the upcoming schedule and NUFC play at Man City, at ManU away and home vs Chelsea in their next 3 games. That's rough.

That's absolutely brutal.

 

[Stout]

That's absolutely brutal.

Yes, and add to it that we may be without 3 of our top 4 midfielders and 1 of our starting forwards (not Ba, thank the lord!), and it is even worse. Thankfully the midfield is where our real strength of depth is. If we had that kind of injury problem in defense, we'd be toast. As it is, Gosling, Guthrie, Ben Arfa, Ameobi (Sammy), and Abeid make those losses less brutal. Not better, but less brutal.

 

[Mulli]

Newx vs. Man City this weekend. I heard you can get 10-1 odds on a Newx win.

Should be interesting.

 

[Stout]

Newx vs. Man City this weekend. I heard you can get 10-1 odds on a Newx win.

Should be interesting.

Yeah, everyone's expecting a slaughter, and that's just waaaay off base. We may lose, but it won't be by a large margin. The nice thing is that we're either the best or one of the best defenses in the Premiership (don't know the stats). We have a much better defense than Man U, for instance. It'll be a tough point (or even three points!), but it isn't out of the realm of possibility.

 

[Milgod]

Yeah, everyone's expecting a slaughter, and that's just waaaay off base. We may lose, but it won't be by a large margin. The nice thing is that we're either the best or one of the best defenses in the Premiership (don't know the stats). We have a much better defense than Man U, for instance. It'll be a tough point (or even three points!), but it isn't out of the realm of possibility.

I take it you mean in goals allowed so far as opposed to actual talent.

 

[Stout]

I take it you mean in goals allowed so far as opposed to actual talent.

Way to be smarmy in response there, Milgod. Talent? Simpson and Taylor are certainly outclassed by their Man U counterparts, although Taylor is by far the better free kick expert of the two defensive units. That doesn't count towards defensive talent, though, so he is certainly behind Man U there. As far as the central defenders, I will take the partnership of Taylor and Coloccini any day of the week. Sure, Taylor may be weaker than the central defenders on Man U, but that partnership is solid. And I would definitely take Coloccini over any of Man U's defenders. The guy is amazing.

So yeah, overall, Man U. has the better defensive talent. I don't think you can find anyone other than a homer that would say otherwise. Even so, we HAVE the better defense right now, and we have some solid players back there. Santon will eventually take over for Tayls when he is ready, and we're probably nabbing Pieters to take over for Simpson.

 

[Mulli]

Way to be smarmy in response there, Milgod. Talent? Simpson and Taylor are certainly outclassed by their Man U counterparts, although Taylor is by far the better free kick expert of the two defensive units. That doesn't count towards defensive talent, though, so he is certainly behind Man U there. As far as the central defenders, I will take the partnership of Taylor and Coloccini any day of the week. Sure, Taylor may be weaker than the central defenders on Man U, but that partnership is solid. And I would definitely take Coloccini over any of Man U's defenders. The guy is amazing.

So yeah, overall, Man U. has the better defensive talent. I don't think you can find anyone other than a homer that would say otherwise. Even so, we HAVE the better defense right now, and we have some solid players back there. Santon will eventually take over for Tayls when he is ready, and we're probably nabbing Pieters to take over for Simpson.

I am pretty sure Gunner fans are supposed to be smarmy.

 

[Stout]

I am pretty sure Gunner fans are supposed to be smarmy.

He's a Leeds fan. You can't have more than one team

 

[Milgod]

Way to be smarmy in response there, Milgod. Talent? Simpson and Taylor are certainly outclassed by their Man U counterparts, although Taylor is by far the better free kick expert of the two defensive units. That doesn't count towards defensive talent, though, so he is certainly behind Man U there. As far as the central defenders, I will take the partnership of Taylor and Coloccini any day of the week. Sure, Taylor may be weaker than the central defenders on Man U, but that partnership is solid. And I would definitely take Coloccini over any of Man U's defenders. The guy is amazing.

So yeah, overall, Man U. has the better defensive talent. I don't think you can find anyone other than a homer that would say otherwise. Even so, we HAVE the better defense right now, and we have some solid players back there. Santon will eventually take over for Tayls when he is ready, and we're probably nabbing Pieters to take over for Simpson.

I wasn't trying to be smarmy, honest guv.

I think it might be a 'lost in translation' thing.

The fact that you said better defence would be taken by most football fans in England as meaning you had the better unit of players. I would describe what you meant as a better defensive record.

My main point would be this tough - the scum have played tougher games than you IMO. Not including today you have only really played Spurs (and possibly Villa) who I would consider tougher games. The Arsenal result was great, but you have to look at how crap they started the year. Play them again now and they would put a couple past you.

The scum have played Man city, Liverpool, Chelsea and Spurs (plus a crap Arsenal).
I think your lot have started the season well but it is early days. You first real test was today and that didn't go brilliantly. The fact that you started so well means people haven't been able to take the piss out of the whole 'SportDirect Arena' thing.
I am a Leeds fan (up to 5th after today) through and through. I always like Arsenal to do well because they are not man u, Liverpool or Chelsea.

 

[Stout]

Yeah, then there's the Man City game. Gutting, because we certainly could have drawn or won that game. Hit the post, forcing good saves, missed a free header...just didn't break our way. That cuts both ways though, because they could have had more. Of course, they are one of the best teams in Europe, AND had their full squad. We were missing our star defensive midfielder--did it show?--a starting striker, and a starting winger. I mean, I think Sammy Ameobi will be a star, but he just wasn't ready for this kind of a stage. He's way too young and inexperienced, and it showed.

As for moving forward? Sorry Tayls, but your run should be over. Ryan Taylor has been stellar playing out of position at Left Back, and today he was exposed against a top team. When defending in the box, you keep your hands AT YOUR SIDES. He clearly wasn't trying to make a handball, but when your arms are sticking out before the kick and it goes right into your arm, there is no question--it is a hand ball. He had a wretched game.

Ah well. This was the toughest match on the schedule and I wasn't figuring on any points. At least we didn't lose 6-1 like some scrubs did...oh yeah!

 

[Mulli]

He's a Leeds fan. You can't have more than one team

Oh yeah, got him mixed up with Mathew81.

 

[Shzm13]

-Krul is a beast.
-New castle got an incredible break from the official, no way was that a penalty.
-JH14 is a goal machine.

 

[Stout]

Wow, what a game! We were lucky, got a poor call go our way, and had to hang on for dear life...but I will certainly take it. Not that Man U. didn't have a TON of calls (and non-calls) go their way, but that was never, ever a penalty. Sure, we had put them under good pressure finally after their lucky goal, so we may have just put one in anyway. Heck, we might have buried that corner. Still, even though the ref deferred to the linesman who claimed to see it better, that linesman got it wrong. Dead wrong. Guttierez...man, what an idiot. He knows he's on a yellow, and that we have a big home game against Chelsea next week, AND that we have huge injury concerns...and he still makes that horrible challenge for a red. Ref had no choice there. Screwed us for next week, not to mention that it gave Man U the green light.

I really want to see the press conferences from either manager. Sir Alex will be livid at the penalty, and rightly so, but I wonder how Pardew will play it? A bit tongue-in-cheek, I bet.

Oh, and I cannot STAND that idiot announcer, McManaman, I think his name is? He's just such a huge, snarky jackass. Well, let me tell you, Mr. 'No chance, Newcastle have NO chance'...we got the point, you moron. He tried to backtrack and get all apologetic, but he had already put his jackassery out there for all to see. If I never hear him call another match, it'll be too soon.

 

[Stout]

-Krul is a beast.
-New castle got an incredible break from the official, no way was that a penalty.
-JH14 is a goal machine.

-No doubt, Krul has been massive for us.
-Yeah, no way that's a penalty. Makes up for the ref ignoring the rape of Demba Ba ALL game, though.
-We got INCREDIBLY lucky to get that point.
-Chicharito did nothing but stand there as the ball bounced in off his arm. Credit where credit is due--he did well early in the game and looks a great player--but he had NOTHING to do with that goal. That does not warrant a 'goal machine' comment, but damn, he is good. Hope he chokes vs the US

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Crazy game. Newcastle looked overmatched for most of the game. Horrible penalty. Although from the angle from the assistant ref, it looked like a penalty. Assistants should never call a penalty. Definitely not a penalty though.

I love the Ian Darke/McMananan combination.

 

[Stout]

Crazy game. Newcastle looked overmatched for most of the game. Horrible penalty. Although from the angle from the assistant ref, it looked like a penalty. Assistants should never call a penalty. Definitely not a penalty though.

I love the Ian Darke/McMananan combination.

Nah, McManaman is a punk. He has his biases and rubs viewers' faces in them. So glad he was made to eat his own words.

I will say that sometimes assistant refs must call the penalty. I've seen instances where the ref misses a clear penalty. It is definitely an almost impossible decision to make for the referee then, however, I will agree.

 

[Mulli]

I love Stevie Mac even more now!