Tag Archives: Football

Forget Mariappa, the signature Newcastle must now secure is Captain Coloccini

February 1, 2012 philib57 Leave a comment

With the January transfer window meandering to a close last night, Newcastle fans are today breathing a sigh of relief at making it through without losing any of their major assets. However, the failure to bring in much needed defensive cover is, for some fans, a cause for concern. With the club unable to reach an agreement with Watford on the valuation of central defender Adrian Mariappa, the centre back position looks worryingly threadbare should the likes of Williamson and Coloccini join Steven Taylor on the sidelines for an extended period of time. James Perch, many people’s man of the match in the FA Cup defeat to Brighton, is of course able to fill in at the centre of defence for a few games, but over a prolonged period of matches it is surely essential to have a natural centre half, someone who knows the position and is not learning it as they play. These concerns are certainly valid, and should not be dismissed lightly.

Nonetheless, the fact remains that, second half capitulation against Fulham notwithstanding, Newcastle’s centre half pairing of Williamson and Coloccini is up there with the best in the league, an effective combination of aerial prowess and guile. Against Bolton, QPR, and most notably Manchester United, they have looked almost impenetrable. It is Coloccini, though, a leader on and off the field, who has impressed most this season. Before injury ruled Steven Taylor out for the rest of the season, and brought to an end his partnership with the curly-haired Argentine, Newcastle had one of the tightest defences in the league, conceding only 8 goals in 11 unbeaten league games. Coloccini was at the centre of everything good defensively. Imperious against Everton, undaunted under the usual aerial bombardment away to Stoke and even faultless in a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City – with 2 of City’s 3 goals coming from the penalty spot, after a clumsy challenge from Hatem Ben Arfa and a handball from Ryan Taylor, whose earlier mistake also led to City’s first.

Fabricio+Coloccini+Newcastle+United+v+Manchester+n0uBmnzGiOWl — Coloccini has been one of the league's most impressive defenders so far this season

What has also sometimes gone unnoticed is the way in which other players’ performances seem to have been raised when playing alongside Coloccini. Ryan Taylor is the perfect example of this, having excelled at left back early in the season, despite openly admitting to not being a natural in the position. This showed at times, with the versatile midfielder often caught out of position or making silly mistakes. These rarely proved costly, however, as Coloccini’s excellent reading of the game meant he was almost always there to snuff out danger when it arose. The Newcastle captain’s excellent communication and leading of the line must also have made it easier for Taylor to cope defensively in a position he was learning as he went along.

It is of great concern to fans, therefore, that Coloccini’s contract expires at the end of next season, something which calls to mind a similar situation last year with Newcastle’s star defensive performer from last season, Jose Enrique. A refusal to enter contract negotiations and the opportunity to join a club seemingly on the rise in Liverpool led to his departure in the summer, an outcome that fans will be hoping doesn’t repeat itself this time round. The signs this time, it would appear, are positive. Stories in this morning’s Journal suggest that Coloccini’s agent is due in Tyneside to discuss the terms of a new five and a half year deal. A long contract for a 30 year old, but one that is a just reward for one of Newcastle’s star performers this season, as well as one that offers a potentially high resale value – something that will not be lost on the owner. If such reports prove to be true, and Coloccini signs on for the long term, then Newcastle may have made their shrewdest signing yet.

Demba Cisse shaking hands with Alan Pardew

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Pragmatic Newcastle United show that January need not be a time to fear for clubs outside the ‘big 6’

January 28, 2012 philib57 Leave a comment

31^st January 2011. After a relatively successful 30 days of the January transfer window, which had seen no departures and the signing on a permanent basis of the mercurial Hatem Ben Arfa, as well as the loan signing of the unpredictable, though undeniably talented Steven Ireland, all seems well. Fast-forward 24 hours to the morning of 1^st February, and a feeling of shock, anger and above all fear pervades the atmosphere at St. James’ Park. Terrace favourite Andy Carroll, wearer of the iconic number 9, focal point of the attack and top goal scorer had been sold to Liverpool – no one had come in to replace him. Newcastle, it seemed, had fallen victim to a peril of the January window that will be all too familiar to supporters of teams outside the ‘big 6’ – bigger clubs sniffing around and snatching up your team’s best players, leaving the squad significantly weaker and demoralised.

As it transpired, a strike force consisting of Best, Lovenkrands, Ameobi and the far from marquee signing Shefki Kuqi was enough to keep the team in the division comfortably – though this is thanks mainly to the goals of Kevin Nolan, and the close-knit team spirit fostered under his captaincy. However, in the immediate aftermath of the Carroll sale this did not seem a likely occurrence. It may seem bizarre in hindsight, with Newcastle flying high in 6^th place in the Premier League at the time of writing, but there was at the time a genuine feeling amongst many supporters that relegation was a genuine possibility, and that £35 million for Andy Carroll did not represent a good deal if there were not enough goals scored to keep the team in the league. As more than one observer pointed out, “you can’t play a £35 million cheque up front”.

It turned out, however, that Liverpool struggled to play a £35 million player up front, as

Andy Carroll looking miserable — The former Geordie number 9 has found life difficult at Liverpool so far

Carroll found it hard to regain fitness and form in the second half of the season, making only 7 appearances in the league for his new club, scoring only 2 goals. He has continued this poor form into the current season, making 20 appearances but scoring just 2 goals in the league, and the fee paid on the much hyped ‘DEADLINE DAY’ looks ever more ridiculous with each passing game. Contrast this with Newcastle, who, far from being weakened by his departure, have in fact strengthened their squad, investing the money in the summer on shrewd buys such as Demba Ba (free), Yohan Cabaye (£5 million) and Davide Santon (£5.3 million). Ba in particular shows the folly of Liverpool’s spending, a free transfer who has scored 15 goals in 19 league games, including a memorable volley in the 3-0 thumping of champions Manchester United.

Going into this season’s January window, however, it seemed the same story – prolific Newcastle striker leaving for a bigger club – would be the outcome, with Spurs manager Harry Redknapp first revealing a mysterious ‘release clause’ in Ba’s contract, then doing his best ‘Brucie’ impersonation in a bizarre press conference in which he encouraged journalists to go higher or lower in guessing how much Ba could be bought for. It is Newcastle, though, who have played their cards right so far. Having decided against taking a £7 million gamble on the fitness of Modibo Maiga, Alan Pardew and Chief Scout Graham Carr secured the signing of long term striking target Papiss Demba Cisse for £10 million. Of course, there is no guarantee that he will prove to be an instant success, but given the way in which Carr’s other signings have taken to the Premier League, there is no reason why the prolific Senegalese can’t maintain the form he has shown in a struggling Freiburg side so far this season, scoring 9 goals in 17 games for a team languishing in 17^th place in the Bundesliga.

His 22 goals in 32 games last season suggest this is a player who can make all the difference in a side ambitious to continually improve and push on in the second half of the season. “We don’t just want to be happy with where we are – we want to keep improving”, said Danny Simpson in an interview with the Journal, and signings such as Cisse give Newcastle the ability to do just that. If Demba Ba can maintain his pre-African Cup of Nations form and gel with his fellow compatriot then there seems no reason why the club can’t grab a Europa League place come the end of the season. In addition to the signing of the number 9, much needed defensive cover is seemingly on the way as well, with Pardew adopting the sensible tactic of dipping into the championship for an affordable squad player – gone may be the days of seeing 5 ft 10 James Perch toiling at centre half against 6 ft 4 strikers, as was the case against Norwich earlier this season.

With 4 days still to go until the end of the window, there is, of course, still time for one of the bigger clubs in the league to swoop for one of Newcastle’s best players, but what the club has demonstrated is that when approached pragmatically, this month which is usually approached with dread by teams outside the top 6, can in fact be a time of excitement for fans, and an opportunity to genuinely strengthen the squad.

Valencia scoring a header against Arsenal

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Talking Points, Arsenal v Manchester United (22 January 2012)

January 22, 2012 Spoughts Leave a comment

Was this Arsenal side stronger than the 8-2 one?

This side is as beset by injuries as the 8-2 one, with 11 first team players unavailable for Arsenal. Two center backs, Johann Djourou and Thomas Vermaelen, were playing in the full back positions, with Djourou particularly being exploited during the first half. This lack of conventional right-back essentially allowed Manchester United to break again and again down the left hand side throughout the first half, culminating in Valencia’s goal. Nico Yennaris, despite his lack of first team experience was clearly the right change to make at half time, as, at the very least, he is a conventional right back.

Scapegoats

Arsenal’s most common scapegoat last season, during the time of Almunia, Fabianski et al, was the goalkeeper. Now that Wojciech Szczesny has clearly established himself in that position, with the impeccable save against Nani in the first half an example of his quality, the defence has once again been called into question. Is this just an excuse for lack of quality around the pitch? Simply put, Arsenal may not be good enough when compared to their rivals to mount a serious title challenge. The supposed weakness of the defence can be put into doubt by the performances this season of men such as Koscienly. He looks like a completely different player, and he may be one of the more improved players in the Premier League, year on year.

Even After Last Season, Man Utd are not stronger

The ‘big signings’ of the summer have disappeared, Young lost in the ether, De Gea displaced as Ferguson’s first choice keeper. Even after last year’s victory with an apparently sub-par side, Man Utd have not improved significantly, allowing rivals to catch up, or alternatively in the case of Manchester City, become the stronger side. Wayne Rooney seems to have spent this season learning how to become a more effective screaming machine as his form continually tails off, despite FIFA’s insistence. Both of Manchester United’s goals can be attributed somewhat to weaknesses in the Arsenal side, such as Arshavin’s lax defending, rather than clear strength in this Manchester United side.

Something has to be done about atmospheres

The response to Valencia’s goal inside the stadium was not palpable. Fans mock the Emirates for being particularly quiet, but away fans can create an atmosphere anywhere. Nothing doing from the Manchester United fans. Even though the aesthetic of the Emirates looks wonderful on television (“what a fantastic shot that is” post-match referring not to on pitch action, but a helicopter view of the stadium), it is clearly not conducive to an altogether entertaining and unique match-day experience. The game still remained in the balance as the side of the stadium the cameras face emptied almost completely.

Will Oxlade-Chamberlain be another Theo Walcott?

The example of Oxlade-Chamberlain shows how important positional awareness is. Much like his Arsenal counterpart, Oxlade-Chamberlain has bags of pace, but this matters not if you’re never where your team mates expect you to be. He came into the game much better after 25 minutes, possibly due to his team mates becoming more aware of his runs. He must be considered the first choice back-up to Gervinho as the African Cup of Nations roll on, especially after his substitution appeared to be the turning point that led to the opposition going ahead. Fans are now completely aware of Arshavin’s inadequacy, even if Wenger might not be.