Newcastle (howay) 12.30 Saturday 30th March

BubblesNeverDies

BubblesNeverDies said:

ASLEFshrugged said:

Newcastle have several key players injured with Callum Wilson, Joelinton, Sven Botman, Kieran Trippier and Harvey Barnes all expected to be unavailable at the weekend plus Valentino Livramento facing a late fitness.

However the most significant absence is Nick Pope who has been out since the end of November and the difference without him has been noticeable.

In the 14 PL games Pope started they won 8, drew 2, lost 4, conceded 14 with 6 clean sheets and they were 6th, just seven points off the top spot

Over the last 14 PL games (13 with Martin Dubravka, 1 with Loris Karius) they've won 4, drawn 2, lost 8, conceded 34 (30 Dubravka, 4 Karius) with 3 clean sheets, leaving them 10th and seven points off 5th place.

Fun facts: Dubravka has played us 6 times, conceded 12 and has never kept a clean. In addition the last time we didn't score at St James' Park was 26 August 2017

Well, after all that, it's obviously a LOSS.

You can't say I didn't warn you all (on the first page of this thread no less).

thornburyiron

Holding our own? We were being totally overrun straight through the midfield and had no answer to it. They missed 3 or 4 fairly easy chances at 3-1. We were nowhere near having any kind of control.
The team didn’t give up and if Philips had done his job we would probably have got the win. The second penalty gave them belief they could get it back.

alderz

I think the second one was a penalty, personally. Stepping across a player is allowed, and Phillips dawdled and kicked kicked into Gordon’s leg. To me, it’s Phillips lack of urgency that is to blame, not Gordon or the VAR.

The first penalty was offside. I have no idea how that wasn’t given offside, and that’s the decision I feel aggrieved by.

As thorn says, we were being overrun in midfield so I don’t have an issue with making a more defensive sub to sure things up. My issue is that Phillips is clearly not up to it, and if he ever will be again it won’t be before he leaves in the summer. It’s been a dreadful signing, and I would much rather have brought on someone like Johnson from our current squad, and tbh I’d have preferred we kept Fornals to step in and work in midfield then Phillips.

claretandbluesky

I have to sadly agree about Phillips, I was so excited and really thought the club did a great job in securing him but something is wrong. I have no idea of course but from the outside his confidence looks shot and I wonder if the step out of Leeds into probably the best side in Europe was too much mentally, Pep obviously saw something he didn't have confidence in once he arrived as he barely got a chance. On paper we looked the perfect opportunity but the start he got off to probably compounded his problems. I think the best outcome for him if they wanted to take a chance would be for Leeds to get promotion and Pep to allow him on loan or sell him there, his price has certainly dropped now.

I think it's easy to not recognise the mental demands of the modern game and most not up to it have probably been weeded out by the time we see them in a first eleven. We look at Rice and he's mentality is superb alongside his ability, hence why he has captained at club and International level at such a young age, but then you see the Morrisons of the world with an obscene amount of natural talent and yet a flawed mentality that holds them back. By all accounts Phillips is one of the nicest players you could meet so I really hope he can resurrect his career. It would be a shame for it to be over so young, although if it is I am sure that City contract will have made sure he isn't worried about his finances.

Regard yesterday I do agree him taking that touch instead of clearing was what brought the problem upon himself. I suspect however we can blame Pep for that and that's the difference between sides like City and most others, Pep would expect them to have the ability to retain possession in those circumstances and not just clear, and would probably have given him a rocket for hoofing it, even if they were 3-0 up at the time.

PrestonHammer

Big Nose makes no attempt to win the ball, all he does is block Phillips from clearing it, that to me is not the same as him trying to win the ball and then fouled in the process. Should never have been a penalty.

buffybegood

To my mind, once Gordan is between Phillips and the ball, he's allowed to shield the ball, therefore you can't kick him. I know it all happened very quickly, but that's my interpretation, and I suspect that's how the officials saw it.

buffybegood

Warning, some abusive language in this clip:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/mA4bXNcy2_8

Given his form, he must be shot mentally, and although the abuse he's receiving in this clip is poor, I don't think his reaction will endear himself to many at the club.

Yeoldhammer

I would just send him back.

claretandbluesky

one thing for sure is he is never playing for City again. They have reached that time of year when they hit top gear. Arsenal are having to park a bus and can't get the ball. They need to break them down however and that's not easy.

alderz

buffybegood said:

Warning, some abusive language in this clip:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/mA4bXNcy2_8

Given his form, he must be shot mentally, and although the abuse he's receiving in this clip is poor, I don't think his reaction will endear himself to many at the club.

I think he’s come across as a good guy since I’ve seen he’s been here, and honestly to me it just reflects really poorly on our fans. I don’t get how you can call yourself a supporter and give abuse to your own players. Booing is one thing, but standing by the bus giving abuse is out of order.

claretandbluesky

Absolutely, I know all clubs will have their own section of fans that are sub-optimal shall we say, but we do seem to have more than our fair share it seems. Anyone can see the guy is struggling and it's not an attitude problem, the exact time the fans need properly support a player. Cheer his name more clap him more. It's Moyes job to use him or not but when he does we need let him know we are behind him.

buffybegood

I agree it reflects poorly on those fans, but a very poor reaction from him imo. It's quite likely than not everyone there was giving him abuse, so he's bang out of order imo; it's really not a very good look from one of our players.

Bazshuayi

Yes, dont kick a player when he's down. Also, if you're on loan with a club, reacting to the morons isn't the best choice! Perhaps that'll seal him not wanting to come to us (unless something miraculous happens where he and the fans endeard themselves to each other)

Bazshuayi

I missed the game, saw the score (and the times of the goals etc) and couldnt bear to watch highlights

buffybegood

I guess Phillips, should he play again, only needs an OG and something like this to really complete his loan:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/68704147

BubblesNeverDies

alderz said:

I think the second one was a penalty, personally. Stepping across a player is allowed, and Phillips dawdled and kicked kicked into Gordon’s leg. To me, it’s Phillips lack of urgency that is to blame, not Gordon or the VAR.

The first penalty was offside. I have no idea how that wasn’t given offside, and that’s the decision I feel aggrieved by.

Last night, Lineker and co. tried (but failed) to compensate for the lack of analysis on Saturday's MOTD, jokingly remarking that Newcastle got one or two lucky decisions. Shearer of course just smirked.

BubblesNeverDies

alderz said:

It’s been a dreadful signing, and I would much rather have brought on someone like Johnson from our current squad, and tbh I’d have preferred we kept Fornals to step in and work in midfield then Phillips.

I agree, and therein is Moyes's stubbornness exposed yet again. Having pursued KP for so long, he can't and won't admit that he's blundered with the signing.

thornburyiron

How many managers have you heard say they made a mistake signing a particular player.
He admitted on Saturday that putting Philips on to shore up the midfield didn’t work out.

MrsGrey

I'm sure it would really help improve things if Moyes told the press he regrets signing KP.

I suspect that would be a sure fire way to lose the dressing room.

BubblesNeverDies

He doesn't have to tell the press. I meant admitting to himself that he's made a mistake.

thornburyiron

How do you do that without others finding out but at the same time letting them know.

BubblesNeverDies

thornburyiron said:

How do you do that without others finding out but at the same time letting them know.

Have you never admitted to yourself that you've made a mistake without broadcasting it?

All Moyes has to do is not pick KP again to demonstrate that he was a bad signing.

mike

Being curious i went on to one of the Leeds United forums and surprisingly quite a lot of them said they wouldn't have Phillips back and there was also quite a few who didn't even rate him when he played for Leeds.
Personally i have always thought the guy was overhyped.
https://www.motforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=36152&start=1960

buffybegood

I always thought he was a fairly decent player, but nowhere near as good as Rice. Being out of the game, as he effectively has been, for 18 months has led to a complete loss of match sharpness and that hospital pass from Zouma started a downward spiral of his confidence to go with that lack of sharpness. He's half a second off the pace, whether physically or mentally or a combination of both, and you just haven't got that time in the PL.

buffybegood

A bit more on the Phillips post match reaction. The guy who posted the clip was stood there with 3 kids, and maintains the only abuse Phillips received prior to his gesture was one bloke calling out "useless":



It's a long watch, but the basic description of what happened is in the first 6 minutes.

Bazshuayi

Well whoever buys him at the end of the season can thank us for loaning him and making his price plummet

PrestonHammer

On Kalvin Phillips, if people want to wait around for an hour and a half just to give him abuse, then they deserve to see the finger.

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

buffybegood said:

A bit more on the Phillips post match reaction. The guy who posted the clip was stood there with 3 kids, and maintains the only abuse Phillips received prior to his gesture was one bloke calling out "useless":



It's a long watch, but the basic description of what happened is in the first 6 minutes.

Can't help thinking somebody who goes to the extent of making a YouTube video about it is really keen for the attention. Which doesn't help their credibility in my book

buffybegood

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes said:

Can't help thinking somebody who goes to the extent of making a YouTube video about it is really keen for the attention. Which doesn't help their credibility in my book

It's from a West Ham channel, so they're obviously looking for hits as they are with any of the regular content they put out, but I don't think that means that he's making it up.

MrsGrey

But it's edited and presented in a certain way, which can be to monetise hits, push an agenda etc. It's not news, so no obligation to be unbaised, or truthful, or give context.