New look midfield: Cheik Tiote and Yohan Cabaye in actionAfter the comings and goings of the ‘off season’, some of them obvious,, predictable, profitable and manufactured, it’s safe to say we now have a far more fluid midfield.
On top of the fluidity, we have also aquired a hell of a lot more pace. We seem very midfield focused at the moment, what with the possibilty of Yohan Cabaye being missing for the upcoming Spurs game. We also will lose the services of one Cheik Tiote when the African Cup of Nations swings around in January. No doubt losing his services a week or so before, as he meets up with his Cote d’Ivore team mates.
Both players will definitely be missed whenever they don’t play, whether by injury or suspension, but can we fill the sizeable gaps left? We have midfielders like Hatem Ben Arfa, Sylvain Marveaux, Dan Gosling, Haris Vučkić, Danny Guthrie to come in, not bad stand-ins, if you ask me. We also have versatile players like Ryan Taylor, James Perch and Shane Ferguson to come and ‘do a job’ if we get Davide Santon, Mike Williamson back into the defensive fold. So, as I was saying: We have a much more fluid arrangement from midfield to defence. (more…)
Kevin Keegan: The Entertainer.Speaking in a recent interview (here and here) on his “Entertainers” side of the 1990s, ex Newcastle United manager, Kevin Keegan, suggested that his own “Entertainers” side of the ‘nineties were the vanguard for current attacking teams such as Barcelona, Manchester City and Manchester United.
Speaking on the eve of a reunion last weekend with a Liverpool team who produced a nailbiting 4-3 classic which is still mentioned over fourteen years later, plus an “impostor” in the side who goes by the name of Alan Shearer. The Mighty Mouse started with a classic Keegan quote saying:
“Everybody said at the time we couldn’t win the league playing like that. Unfortunately they were proved right.”
Then adding:
“We should have won it, we just couldn’t get over the line. If you look at football now, Barcelona, Man City and Man United are playing like that now. The centre-backs and full-backs bomb on now and I think if we’d won the league like that, then there would be teams playing like that before now. We were ahead of our time.”(more…)
Happy to wait his turnNewcastle United goalkeeper Steve Harper says he’s content to keep the bench warm for now and has nothing but praise for Tim Krul.
My esteemed colleague recently wrote an article about Steve Harper asking whether he is content playing second fiddle to Tim Krul at Newcastle or whether he may consider moving elsewhere.
And yesterday Steve Harper gave his reply. When asked if he’s prepared to sit on the bench, Harper said:
“Of course. The club made the decision to start with Tim at the start of the season and he has been outstanding. You can’t take that away from him.
“Some games he has been quiet but against Fulham, the cup game against Scunny, and Wolves he was outstanding.
“He has played a big part in the start to the season and I will continue to help him. I know he’s said that. But I will help him as much as I can.
“He is a big player for the future and if I can help get the best out of him then it will only benefit the club.” (more…)
Forgive him his sins?Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley has certainly presided over a good start to this 2011/2012 season, but how – if at all – does this alter our opinion of the man?
We’re over a 5th of the way through the season and sitting proudly in 4th position in the Premier League. Somewhere along the line something has gone right.
Whilst it’s right that the owner of a football club has to take the ultimate responsibility for failure, it’s also right that he receives the plaudits when things go well. So for getting us into 4th place at this juncture I have to say well done to Mike Ashley. It’s well done to the manager and the players too, but the over all architect is Ashley, so he should get the bulk of the kudos for things just as he received the bulk of the tongue-lashing when he got us relegated.
But hold your horses Hughy, I hear you saying, we’re only 7 games in, have arguably played ‘easier’ teams and a lot can wrong. True enough and then I’ll no doubt be back to stick the boot in with everyone else if it all goes pear-shaped. (more…)
Bye bye gosling?I’ve got to admit, when we signed young Dan Gosling from Everton (On a free) I was very happy.
A young creative English player whose career seemed on the up. However after reading the Daily Fail’s article this morning, I’m dismayed to see he might be off to Doncaster.
Dan Gosling, where did it all go wrong?
Is this the trouble with flying high in the Premier League, only yesterday in my Tim Krul blog did I highlight how we can afford to give these youngsters a chance given our league position. Yet we have a bright young English player who wants to go and play his trade in Doncaster?
I feel that young Gosling may be regretting his trip to the Toon, at Everton, who were under resourced, he and Rodwell sent many a tongues wagging about how they were having a positive influence at Goodison. However all I really have seen from him in a Toon shirt is injury and reserve games. I do feel that he is good enough for our first team, which is why I’m so perplexed at this reported move to Donny. (more…)
