Archive for tag: Long ball game.

Do Newcastle play the long ball game and does it matter?

September 14th, 2011 | 78 Comments |

Newcastle United's alleged long ball game.
Long ball game?
With recent accusations of Alan Pardew’s alleged long ball tactics, I wanted to ask the question: do Newcastle United play the long-ball game and does it matter?

After England’s 1-1 draw against the United States in the 2010 World Cup Franz Beckenbauer had this to say:

“What I saw from the English in their 1-1 draw against the United States had very little to do with football.

“It looked to me as if the English have gone backwards into the bad old times of kick and rush. I am not sure if the England coach Fabio Capello can still change much there. The English are being punished for the fact that there are very few English players in the Premier League clubs as they use better foreign players from all over the world.”

Beckenbauer had the last laugh too of course because we subsequently crashed 4-1 to Germany, but is his general damnation of the long ball game valid? And I ask because there have been a few questions lately about Newcastle’s game plan and whether or not Alan Pardew prefers the long ball game. (more…)