From My Seat: Newcastle (A)

All the way to Newcastle in sunlit freezing conditions to cheer on the team that has just put in two dismal, lacklustre performances leaves me wondering if we are truly born a Blue, does it include a touch of hereditary insanity?

The teams appeared on social media and were pored over and my mate Big H dryly said, "Robles, Alcaraz, McCarthy and Kone. Hell, we have got the Wigan spine!" This did not fill him with seasonal cheer so I suggested it was probably best not to dwell on it... well not yet anyway.

The manager made seven changes, one through suspension, three through injury, two dropped to bench, one only fit enough for a half hour and Barry was captain. On paper, it didn't look too bad... but the worry was could they play the Martinez way? as understanding would surely be lacking with such an upheaval. We would get an answer in the fullness of time...

I thought we looked a lot better in white socks and the socks paid off within five minutes when a sweeping move saw Alcaraz find McCarthy who fed Coleman down the right who put in a decent cross that was swept home by Kone with some aplomb. As the goal reception was going on, I thought, aah the Wigan spine strikes. It was a good finish and Kone did what Lukaku doesn't do — he made ground to get across his man to fire home; a proper striker's goal.

We are 1-0 up away from home and you would think we would be buoyed by that and push on... but no, it was back to the old way of being fearful of conceding so go deep. It's a hard job to sit on a 1-0 lead by letting the opposition have all the ball and rely on spasmodic breakaways and on 11 minutes we had a warning when an over-hit ball went into our area and the keeper seemed mesmerised until the last second when he sprawled and got fingers to it and diverted for a corner. It looked comical but scary at the same time.

On 15 minutes we gave ourselves a clue of how we should be playing when Baines hit an early ball forward in the direction of Kone who made good ground to get in front of his man and control the ball on his chest and was about to lay it off to Eto'o when he was fouled and we got a free kick. It came to nought but that passage of play showed to me at least the type of play the players out there were comfortable with and for once the Martinez philosophy should have gone by the board to at least give us a better chance of picking up points, if only until his first choice players are fully fit and firing. But no... (sighs).

20 minutes gone, it seemed all Newcastle with us defending a little on the frantic side and our attempts to play out often stalled on a misplaced pass, much to the chagrin of many of those assembled in our corner of the ground. We were playing like a patched-up team with a one-goal advantage that seemed very fragile. We did muster one fine counter that produced some joined up footy but Coleman in his exuberance went early and was offside.

McCarthy got booked as Newcastle were going for it and they forced a couple of corners courtesy of McGeady giving the ball away in the first place that caught a few of our players up field and expecting better from the Irishman. Cisse appeared to throw a punch or elbow into Coleman's face but ref took no action (later slow-mo showed it was a red card offence).

We attacked again on 30 minutes and, would you believe it, McGeady gave the ball away again and Newcastle broke on us and forced a corner which Robles somehow got away for another corner which was sent high toward the back post. Distin seemed not to go for it or maybe misjudged it; anyhow a Newcastle player pulled it back from the by-line and Cisse netted (turns out he should not have been on the field to score that one).

We had our first corner on 35 minutes which saw a Kone header go well wide and running up to the break we did have a little spell the best of which was when McGeady was afforded the chance to cut and shoot — he did — high and handsome. Right on the death of the half we almost conceded when Distin dallied and a Newcastle man got in a shot that got blocked up into the air and Robles caught it. He got a cheer for that.

Half-time: 1-1, and the chat was how we had let ourselves down after getting the first goal and then trying to defend, thus letting Newcastle get their confidence back instead of us going looking for another. Also many were commenting on how poor Distin and McGeady were playing and McCarthy just not himself. This was borne out when the teams reappeared; Barkley replaced the out-of-sorts McCarthy.

The second half started as the first ended with Newcastle on top and attacking. They seemed to know that if they closed us down fast we would make mistakes by not being able to play the passing-out-of-defence game when under pressure and this was demonstrated after just 5 minutes of the half when a surge down the middle by Barkley only resulted in a corner. If he had got his head up he may have seen a killer pass but corner it was and Baines took but it came to nought.

Newcastle went down our end and from a diverted shot Robles had to sprawl once again and fingertip away for a corner which we managed to clear to McGeady. He started a break but with our players streaming out he carelessly gave it straight to a Newcastle man; one pass and Perez slotted through Coleman's legs. We are 2-1 down and the same player is the root cause for both so it was no surprise that on the hour mark Mirallas replaced him.

Baines, who was at least showing some form and drive in an unaccustomed position got down the left, twisted and turned his man, cut inside and from the edge of the box laid one back into the path of Eto'o who contrived to almost clear the very high stand. That was a chance. We now had a spell of attacking that was littered with basic mistakes and players who train together every day playing like strangers with no-one seeming to know what the other might do.

On 70 minutes, a ball came into our box and Barkley laid it off perfectly for Colback to score it was just a pity they were on opposite sides. 3-1 down and the faithful yet again being tested for patience.

The manager tried swopping Kone for Lukaku and with 20 minutes to go some fans had enough and left their perches. Newcastle seemed happy with 3-1 and had men behind the ball and challenged us to find a way through whilst always looking for a quick break themselves. On 84 minutes, a free-kick in our half was booted up to Lukaku who controlled well and laid it back to Baines who fed a peach of a through pass for Mirallas to take in his stride and go on a one-on-one with the keeper and coolly curl it past him and into the net. Suddenly we are back in with a shout.

From now until the end, with 5 minutes added, it was frantic and Mirallas had a curling free-kick go just wide and Coleman had two good runs down the right but wasted them both due to bad decision-making. We were giving it a right go but each time we went for it we seemed to make a mistake and hand the ball back to Newcastle and then had to charge back to defend and we nearly paid a price twice. The whistle went and although a bit of grumbling from the fans quiet disappointment seemed to reign.

MotM — Baines

That defeat makes it four out of the last five which for fans is just not good enough, certainly not for a top-four finish! But the only people who can turn it around are the management team and the players. I wish them the wisdom of Solomon. If I was in any position to have a say in what should be done I would have to recognise all the injuries we have had plus extra Europa games and suspensions and urge the manager to suspend the close passing in the box and play with a system that the players are more comfortable with, thus letting them make us hard to beat. Especially since I saw the stat that says we have shipped more goals than all the other teams in the Premier League except QPR.

That must tell him something is wrong in the defending department as most goals are from mistakes while players are in the box. It has to be said we don't have Barca world-class players so let's not try to play like them but instead play like Everton. Tough and hard to beat yet silky enough to create goal chances and take our share... in fact, that was our style when the School of Science first opened in the sixties and it was good enough to see us through the golden years in the 80s. It was indeed joined-up footy.

Roberto, perhaps a word with Joe Royle could pay dividends as I am sure he could help you mould the players you have at your disposal into a pattern of play to suit them rather than a philosophy and gain the results that players of their calibre deserve.

Still, Hull next and I am sure many of us will be going there with no more than an open mind — here's hoping.

Happy New Year to you all.

UP THE BLUES

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