Newcastle looked competent in the first 2/3's of the field but clueless in the final third. West Ham were smart and let Newcastle play with the ball, waiting for the opportunity to counterattack; this they did numerous times, two of which were successful. The 0-2 scoreline is actually a touch flattering to the Magpies. Other than Janmaat, nobody seemed too enthused, even the normally reliable Jack Colback. Newcomers Wijnaldum and Thauvin had very disappointing outings. Siem de Jong and Ayoze Perez were decent when they came on late and probably should see more time in future games.
We really shouldn't be panicking at this point, just five games into the season; plus they are maybe only 2-3 points below what could have been reasonably expected at this point. But they haven't scored since the start of the second half of the first match. McClaren must be thinking about personnel changes and maybe positioning adjustments as well - as in maybe ditching the single striker approach. Way too much pressure for a win against Watford this Saturday.
A Loss Is A Loss
We ask Dennis if an exciting match with awesome goals makes for enjoyable viewing even if your side loses.
I have honestly not thought about this game since the second
it ended. Just completely blocked it
out. And I liked it that way. But duty calls, I suppose...
I guess I’ll start with the good in the hopes that it will
sustain me through the bad. Villa scored
two goals of unusually high quality.
Both Grealish (39’) and Gil (63’) scored their first premier league
goals on lovely shots that curved around defenders and posts. Agbonlahor set up the Gil goal and actually
showed several other instances of good attacking play. Ummm….I guess the rest of the team wasn’t awful? I think that’s the best I’ve got left. This game really boils down to two shining moments
surrounded by a slow motion train wreck.
I don’t think I have ever seen a team as scattered and
disorganized as Villa were for the second half, and especially the final 25
minutes. Every pass was off target,
every touch was too hard or too soft. We
were a step slow to every loose ball and were out of position constantly. Thousands of miles away and 3 hours delayed,
the Leicester momentum was still tangible in my living room. They scored in the 72nd minute,
leaving plenty of time for more. They
scored in the 82nd minute, still leaving plenty of time for
more. And the final goal came in the 89th
minute, as Guzan topped off his horrible day by absolutely destroying Nathan
Dyer, but failing to make contact with the ball and having to watch it trickle
over the line.
This was easily the most painful loss I can remember as a
Villa supporter. They actually showed
some real improvement in quality but managed to make it feel completely wasted. The biggest issue is how much sloppy defense
will be punished. The team has too many
missed passes out of the back and too many times trying to dribble around an
opponent, both of which often lead to good chances for the opponent. The other issue is that Guzan has been
mediocre at best in the past few weeks, including internationally. These issues really need to be addressed so
that any future 2-0 leads at least become only 2-2 draws.
Jose's Naismith Nightmare
 |
| Naismith scores for his hat-trick. Photograph: Ed Sykes/Reuters |
For the goal of the week, we go to the Manchester United - Liverpool contest, also great viewing for the neutral. MUN had a 2-0 lead late in the match when Benteke unleashed a stunner, this week'sYoutubeableMoment to bring Liverpool to within one. But, newcomer Anthony Martial responded minutes later with a tally of his own to end the drama. I can hear the rumblings about Rodgers at Anfield again as Liverpool after consecutive losses.
Noblesse Oblige
We've been down this road before. Us bottomfeeders feel that the upper table teams have a responsibility to take care of business when they face other bottomfeeders. Clearly Swansea and Southampton do not get the concept. Bad enough that the Saints could only muster a draw against West Brom. Worse was Swansea's 0-1 loss to Watford, despite playing the final 27 minutes a man up; it was the Swans' first loss of the year. Tottenham got the memo. Though they took their sweet time, Mason's late goal gave Spurs a narrow 1-0 win over Sunderland. Same for Arsenal, they seemed to cruise past Stoke 2-0.
Another Union Loss
Down 1-2 to the Columbus Crew. Columbus didn't exactly sparkle but then they didn't have to. I look at the roster and think most of the players are good enough but can you be this inconsistent and be considered good enough? With five matches left, the Union are still mathematically in the playoff chase but practically speaking, it's not gonna happen. Montreal have a three point lead after road draws with LA and San Jose plus three games in hand. Speaking of games in hand, the Red Bulls "spent" one of theirs on Wednesday, losing 1-2 to the now first place Revolution. But NY still leads on points per game and has two games in hand; both the division title and the Supporters Shield are attainable.
Chester Blues
It's late November on the Football Manager calendar and as I mentioned at the top, at least these guys are not letting me down. We sit 4th in the EPL table, nine points out of first and two out of second with two games in hand. We've reached the quarters of the league cup after a 1-0 upset at Everton and need one more win to advance out of the group play in the Europa Cup. Biggest issue is disgruntled players who feel they should be seeing first team action. Unfortunately, I'll probably have to transfer list some of them because they are simply too many better players ahead of them. One is the last player left from the roster I inherited as a fifth division side five years ago; but there's no room for sentimentality in this business.
Derby, Derby, Derby
Two London and a Midlands derby highlight the weekend. Saturday gets off to a great start with the Arsenal-Chelsea contest (7:45 NBCSN). That would be the 16th place Chelsea. Still, there's every reason to expect an exciting match. Tottenham face London rival Crystal Palace on Sunday morning (8:30 USA); Spurs would do well to remember the Eagles have been nobody's patsy this season. Witness their narrow 0-1 defeat against Man City last week, conceding the goal in the 90th minute.
I would think Dennis, despite what he says, is really expecting three points from the home match vs West Brom.
I'll be "relegated" to NBC Live Extra for the Newcastle-Watford match. Expect the St. James' Park faith
The Union face a Houston squad that, well, haven't exactly been a dynamo this year. A result would be nice but right now I think these matches should be about preparation for the Open Cup Final on 9/30 and about evaluating personnel for next season. The Red Bulls have a tricky road match against Portland.
Definitely will be relying on dvr and Extra Time replays this weekend as refereeing will have me on the field all day Saturday.
No comments:
Post a Comment