Newcastle vs Stoke

[Andrew 4748]

24 minutes ago, The Fish said:

 

Aye, that should be enough to deal with most of the league and will only really come unstuck against the top sides, but we would have struggled against them anyway. 

 

You think our young team will struggle where more experienced heads might deal with pressure better? I mean, Lascelles seems a good captain and players like Hayden and Clark seem to have their heads screwed on right, but could their youthful exuberance see us come undone in the future?

 

That stoke side had no lack of experience, Fletcher and Allen in central midfield quite possibly have more PL games than our starting 11. 

[Tom 14011]

What a bell end Joe Allen is by the way

 

That said, a lot of Stoke players were playing acting at the slightest touch. Yedlin couldn't believe it when Shaqiri flung himself to the ground after making the slightest contact.

 

I suppose they're a lot like Mark Hughes as a player, loved a kick but couldn't take one back without mega twist. 

[Andrew 4748]

42 minutes ago, Tom said:

What a bell end Joe Allen is by the way

 

That said, a lot of Stoke players were playing acting at the slightest touch. Yedlin couldn't believe it when Shaqiri flung himself to the ground after making the slightest contact.

 

I suppose they're a lot like Mark Hughes as a player, loved a kick but couldn't take one back without mega twist. 

 

I love the ridiculous regularity with which Hughes flips his shit at handshakes.

[Tom 14011]

He's a doyle like.

 

Remember him throwing his coat in the air when we lashed them a few years back. Might have been Boxing Day  

[Howay 12496]

57 minutes ago, Tom said:

What a bell end Joe Allen is by the way

 

That said, a lot of Stoke players were playing acting at the slightest touch. Yedlin couldn't believe it when Shaqiri flung himself to the ground after making the slightest contact.

 

I suppose they're a lot like Mark Hughes as a player, loved a kick but couldn't take one back without mega twist. 

Was just about to say the same about Allen, part of it was obviously because he was getting bossed by a 21 year old lad but he's also a total bellend. 

 

Aye that Shaqiri dive was absurd  the commentator on mine was full of excuses for him "ooo yeah it's a painful one, he clipped his achillies clearly and he reacted a step later as that's when he felt it" erm nah pal the fat gnome took about 4 steps before hoying himself over. 

 

Its fantastic to see all these sides that were supposed to easily brush us off spend half their time trying to have our players sent off (see Shaqiri on Clark) and diving about as the frustration at being unable to break us down sets in. 

[Tom 14011]

Shaqiri is a nob like, clearly a brilliant player but an utter embarrassment  

[Howay 12496]

Aye, it was fairly clear from the off that any chance they had would come through him. Sort of player you'd love on your team but fucking hate him when he's against your lot. 

[The Fish 10856]

1 hour ago, Andrew said:

 

That stoke side had no lack of experience, Fletcher and Allen in central midfield quite possibly have more PL games than our starting 11. 

 

Cool cool cool, but I wasn't meaning that experience wins out every time, just that we've a young side and when shit gets real I wonder if they'll have the resilience, the mental fortitude to cope with the pressure. 

[Tom 14011]

Just now, The Fish said:

 

Cool cool cool, but I wasn't meaning that experience wins out every time, just that we've a young side and when shit gets real I wonder if they'll have the resilience, the mental fortitude to cope with the pressure. 

 

The better the start we make the less the pressure  

[Tom 14011]

12 minutes ago, Howay said:

Aye, it was fairly clear from the off that any chance they had would come through him. Sort of player you'd love on your team but fucking hate him when he's against your lot. 

 

Yeh he's class like. However I feel like we haven't been playing street smart for years.

 

Often feels like we're on the wrong side of gamesmanship but we haven't been clever enough to know when to do it ourselves.

 

Doesn't help when refs rock up to St.James' Park determined "not to be swayed by the crowd" and end up giving far too much to the other team as a consequence.

 

[Andrew 4748]

7 minutes ago, The Fish said:

 

Cool cool cool, but I wasn't meaning that experience wins out every time, just that we've a young side and when shit gets real I wonder if they'll have the resilience, the mental fortitude to cope with the pressure. 

 

We got pegged back and managed to come through alright.

[Rayvin 5219]

4 minutes ago, Tom said:

 

Yeh he's class like. However I feel like we haven't been playing street smart for years.

 

Often feels like we're on the wrong side of gamesmanship but we haven't been clever enough to know when to do it ourselves.

 

Doesn't help when refs rock up to St.James' Park determined "not to be swayed by the crowd" and end up giving far too much to the other team as a consequence.

 

 

I wonder this quite often. Crowds seem to be able to influence refs for many teams - except ours!

[The Fish 10856]

8 minutes ago, Tom said:

 

The better the start we make the less the pressure  

 

Absolutely.

 

1 minute ago, Andrew said:

 

We got pegged back and managed to come through alright.

 

One swallow and all that. 

 

I'm not criticising the team at all, just mentioning the fact we've one of the youngest squads in the league and the youngest captain, and wondering if that youthfulness will struggle when the pressure piles on. 

[Rayvin 5219]

Just now, The Fish said:

 

Absolutely.

 

 

One swallow and all that. 

 

I'm not criticising the team at all, just mentioning the fact we've one of the youngest squads in the league and the youngest captain, and wondering if that youthfulness will struggle when the pressure piles on. 

 

It might well do, but as long as we stay up, it's probably a good thing for them to experience.

[Tom 14011]

If you go to Goodison Park the only sound you'll hear is the crowd trying to sway the ref and they get away with it.

 

Twats.

[Howay 12496]

4 minutes ago, Rayvin said:

 

It might well do, but as long as we stay up, it's probably a good thing for them to experience.

Aye, I think a lot of them took a lot of confidence from getting the job done under heavy pressure last season as well. I think Lascelles, for example, has looked far better in the PL than he did last season in the championship, part of it is likely because he's not carrying an injury like he supposedly was for a lot of last year but I think a good amount is down to his experience from last season. 

Edited September 18, 2017 by Howay

[adios 717]

4 hours ago, The Fish said:

 

Thought he might have been picked ahead of Gamez/Manquillo because of his height and experience in the Premier League? I thought Stoke looked like they were targeting the left back position with their attacks, maybe? 

 

 

Aye, I think it became evident soon after kick-off why Mbemba was the right choice.  Was it that Diouf on their right?

[The Fish 10856]

6 minutes ago, Rayvin said:

 

It might well do, but as long as we stay up, it's probably a good thing for them to experience.

 

 

I'm probably just overly cautious, but I can't help think we'd benefit from a Daryl Murphy/Kevin Nolan/Old Head type.

[Rayvin 5219]

3 minutes ago, Howay said:

Aye, I think a lot of them took a lot of confidence from getting the job done under heavy pressure last season as well. I think Lascelles, for example, has looked far better in the PL than he did last season in the championship, part of it is likely because he's not carrying an injury like he supposedly was for a lot of last year but I think a good amount is down to his experience from last season. 

 

Aye, true enough. I have a lot of time for Lascelles, and he'll benefit enormously in terms of his self belief if he's able to guide us through a high pressure scenario as the season goes on (not that I want one!) They're young, but the more they experience now, the better they'll be. They've experienced winning and the pressure of staying at the top with last season, and now they'll have a different experience from this season.

 

Either way though, it's nice to be able to believe in them.

[The Fish 10856]

Just now, adios said:

Aye, I think it became evident soon after kick-off why Mbemba was the right choice.  Was it that Diouf on their right?

Aye, Shaqiri spent most his time over that side as well. 

[Rayvin 5219]

1 minute ago, The Fish said:

 

 

I'm probably just overly cautious, but I can't help think we'd benefit from a Daryl Murphy/Kevin Nolan/Old Head type.

 

I know what you mean, and will probably wholeheartedly agree with you if things take a turn for the worst, but as it stands were doing well and picking up points (admittedly with little real pressure). If we can keep that up, we'll make any problems we encounter later in the season less significant. If we can just get to January without the wheels coming off...

[Tom 14011]

18 minutes ago, The Fish said:

 

 

I'm probably just overly cautious, but I can't help think we'd benefit from a Daryl Murphy/Kevin Nolan/Old Head type.

 

Does Rafa fill that role from the touch line?

[David Kelly 1245]

I thought Joselu had a pretty decent game actually.  I know he's a striker and paid to score goals but I thought his all round play was good.  And as others have said, he's getting into the right areas.  If he keeps on doing that he'll score a fair few just by law of averages.

 

Merino is a joy to watch.  He just looks like a proper footballer.  If he keeps up the way he's going and keeps adapting to the league, there's going to be a lot of teams interested in him.

 

Whilst in no way am I suggesting that Ashley didn't screw Rafa over this summer, not signing someone like Perez might actually be better for us.  We saw with Thauvin that having a player who doesn't want to play for us does us no good.  Perez always seemed to want to go back to Spain so he quite possibly would have been a massive waste of money.  The squad we have now want to be here and do well for the club.  It's great seeing that after some of the players we've had in recent years.

[Tom 14011]

Joselu was compared to Mista over the weekend.  

[rogerbarton 24]

This group of players remind me a bit of the squad we had last time we got promoted. A likeable, hard-working bunch who want to play for the club. We out-performed expectations then and we seem to be doing the same again. Give me Atsu over a disinterested Thauvin, or Yedlin over Janmaat in his last season.

 

Joselu's an interesting one. Like many others, I've been really impressed with his all round play. But I think he has an edge on someone like Mitro, who I also think contributes a lot to the team in general, because he's got this knack of getting into scoring positions. All the best strikers seem to be able to find space and get into the right areas. With Mitro, he doesn't very often seem able to do that. I guess time will tell with Joselu, but the early signs are at least encouraging.