Toon Player Ratings Vs Charlton (h)
By HTT On Sun 29 Oct 2006 |
Toon player ratings and analysis following United’s 0-0 draw against Charlton Athletic at St. James’ Park yesterday tea-time with manager, ref and opposition ratings too.
Harper - 6
Harper had nowt to do all game other than catch, throw, kick and punch. Keeping a clean sheet is always a bonus for any ‘keeper, especially a Newcastle United one so two in a week is good going for the stopper who must feel the impending return of Shay Given grow with every game now.
Carr - 7
I thought Carr was excellent at both ends; defence and attack. He had a superb game and has played very well at times this season, usually followed by nightmarish follow-up performances mind so look out for that one! He linked up brilliantly with Nobby throughout, showing great determination to get forward and most of our better moments came down that flank. In defence he bailed Moore and Bramble out twice from what I can recollect and his distribution was excellent at times too.
On this single performance alone he looked like a quality full-back who can both defend and attack. I’ve also noticed this season a calmer and more thoughtful Carr who instead of growling and scowling at everything and everyone in that pent up Mr angry way of his, is talking with team-mates more and pointing and cajoling all the time - good stuff. My man of the match.
Moore - 6
The Australian had a comfortable game up against the two Bent’s for the most part, winning everything in the air, stepping up and generally holding the back-four together with his assured play. But once Charlton started to get a bit adventurous and pushed up he made one or two avoidable mistakes that could have proved costly on another day. Still, you are going to get tested in a game and you’re going to slip up now and again, it is how you react that is important and while some players collapse into a bag of nerves (like Bramble), Moore never did. The sign of a player playing with confidence, if not a great deal of ability. No nonsense would be the best way to describe his performance.
Bramble - 6
For Moore read Bramble but with one or two crunching tackles, a tad better on the ball and more involved in play further up the park. However Bramble also made one or two slip ups that could have caused serious problems. Other than that though he followed on from his performance against Pompey in midweek.
Babayaro - 5
Up against speed merchant Rommedahl, Babayaro looked to have the better of him, especially in the opening quarter, but as the game wore on the Dane was getting more and more joy down our left and had a switched on N’Zogbia and centre-back pairing not been as alert as they all were, we would have been in serious trouble because Baba was constantly ball watching, being dragged out of position and didn’t win many tackles despite lunging at the ball once or twice. At the other end he got forward well and tried to link up with play but Duff and N’Zogbia in particular ignored many of his runs as they looked to take on Charlton by themselves far too much when in possession themselves. Tidy on the ball going forward at times.
Solano - 6
In the first half Nobby was the architect of play and everything good about Newcastele more often than not went through him as he popped up centrally, on the right or diagonally in between their two centre-backs. Him and Carr were working that right-flank brilliantly and got through as a combo a number of times. As the game wore on however and Charlton changed tactics, Nobby was clearly getting tired and bogged down in the game and with it our play suffered. Subbed for Milner with 7 minutes on the clock.
Butt - 5
I thought he was excellent against Pompey, very effective, but against Charlton he didn’t make much of an impact and despite working hard and putting himself about, he was the odd man out at times. We needed some craft in there and in Butt we didn’t get that which to be fair isn’t his game and is perhaps telling just how short of quality we are in that area.
Parker - 5
The Skipper started off in an all-action style having two efforts on goal within a short space of time and as ever he was putting in tackles, winning them and getting us started again. But as the game wore on he become less involved and played a conservative game when we needed high tempo and forward drive. Whether that was down to an injury niggle he seemed to pick up or not remains to be seen. A quiet game thenm from Parker against his old club.
N’Zogbia - 5
Defensively N’Zogbia had a good game, filling in for Babayaro and always tracking back and working hard for the team but in attack he was a bit of a headless chicken and kept trying to take on one man two many and when he did find space he either took the wrong option or his end product wasn’t good enough.
He did send in one excellent cross he had no real right to though and he did force a save from Carson late on but overall he was a bit hit and miss. Playing in a stop and start fashion isn’t doing the youngster’s game any good however nor his confidence. The N’Zogbia of last season would have went passed his man and direct to goal instead of cutting back and dawdling on the ball all the time as he has been doing for most of this campaign.
Rossi - 5
In the rain midweek he had a very good game but up against big, strong and well organised defenders out to keep a clean sheet to pick up much needed League points he looked like the player he is - inexperienced and raw. That said his movement was excellent throughout and he’s quite sharp, but his first-touch was heavy and at times he tried to take a few extra steps too many and you don’t get the time in this League to do that.
Plus points: He had a couple of efforts at goal and hit the bar when it was easier to score so he wasn’t anonymous which is a worry for any striker. Negatives: Leading the line he lacks the know-how and strength so it really is a tall order to expect him to fulfill that role. Overall: Good movement, sharp, surprisingly good in the air and clearly talented but lacks presence, experience and needs to improve his first touch. While I wouldn’t say it was wrong to play him (we aren’t exactly well off in that area are we) whatever the plan was it didn’t work.
Duff - 6
Listening to and reading the various post-match reactions there seems to be a split of opinion regarding Duff’s performance. Some thought he had a storming game while others thought he had a hit and miss game. Me? I fall into the latter camp if I’m being honest with myself. While it is true he carried a threat and got in and behind them at times and also saw the whites of their ‘keeper’s eyes enough to test him with shots, his end product and finishing was woeful it has to be said.
He also tried to do too much, basically hogging the ball at times or dilly-dallying on it which allowed them to get their shape in order, to get back or to halt any momentum we had built up. It was frustrating watching him and you could tell by the expression of others it was just as frustrating playing with him.
Many of Rossi’s excellent runs went begging as he simply didn’t get played in and when he did it came behind him, above him or got cut out, or play was so condensed Rossi himself got squeezed out. Duff is clearly a talented player but at the moment I feel his pace is his only weapon and we need more from him than that. We need goals and assists and some consistency. I’m being critical I know but he is one of the best wingers in Europe on his day and was bought to do two specific jobs - set others up and make the net bulge himself. He’s doing neither.
Subs
Milner - N/A
Ridiculously brought on with 7 minutes to go didn’t allow him any time to get into the game much less make an impact. He’s another one who isn’t benefiting from playing one game, being dropped the next and whenever he has a fine game like on Wednesday he never seems to stay in the side in the follow up match.
Boss
Roeder - 4
Roeder went with a 4-4-1-1 formation with Duff allowed to roam which in the first half was holding up quite well, we were getting joy out of it, but once Charlton changed things themselves and started cutting off Duff and in particular our right-flank we should have changed things ourselves because from there on in we were just plodding to the final whistle in an aimless fashion and we were actually in danger of conceding a goal at one point as we dropped back deeper and deeper.
Nobby clearly hasn’t the stamina to play twice a week for the majority of the minutes on the clock and needed brought off for Milner after an hour when he began to tire. N’Zogbia also needed brought off for Luque who could have went up front with Rossi, moving Duff to the left flank. But we continued with the same system and by the end we were huffing and puffing and ran out of steam.
Had the game went on another 20 minutes we’d have lost it because Charlton were using the ball better, certainly they were more economical with it and Darren Bent’s pace and movement was beginning to tell, as was Rommedahl’s influence. We lost it basically, the plot, the midfield battle and up front we ran out of ideas - all while Roeder sat in his dugout motionless and seemingly bereft of ideas. Not to worry though because we played well and he was pleased with the performance and result.
Well sorry Glenn but I wasn’t and nor were 48,000 plus others as the booing at the end quite clearly demonstrated. Charlton for large parts were bloody awful and were offering nothing. In the end, however, they cruised to a comfortable and quite easy 0-0 draw. We on the other hand showed a distinct lack of drive and energy after the hour mark and this is becoming quite a worrying trend under Roeder just like it had become under Souness, starting well and then fading badly. Luckily for us we didn’t capitulate but had Bent’s effort at goal went in - following a Bramble slip - or Hughes’ effort not screwed inches wide following slack marking, I don’t think we had enough up front to get back into it.
Indeed we didn’t look like we had a goal in us all game, even when on top. We had plenty of efforts at goal but none were what you’d call golden opportunities, and this is a worry and just why we are where we are. Forget the defence, they can defend when they want to but when there is nothing up front as there hasn’t been all season, the ball will always come back towards our own goal and we’ll always concede goals without a strikeforce to pin back the opposition. Times are bad and we are desperate!
Ref
Mike Dean - 6
He had a fairly easy game to officiate, no real bad tackles or nasty moments to deal with. The one big moment he had to call - Duff’s tumble - he got right. It wasn’t even a foul never mind a penalty.
Opposition
Charlton - 5
They came for a point and left with a point but in the end they fancied all three and at times tried to score the goal that would have got them a win. Overall though they were very poor, yet well organised and hard working, and that’s what will see off this Newcastle team who despite all our possession and pretty football in the midfield, didn’t really do enough to seize full control of match.
At no time were they hanging on or desperate, they had a comfortable game for me and their own performance says an awful lot about us. Charlton are one of the most average side’s in the League but I can’t see any gap in quality at all between them and ourselves at this moment in time - save some bigger names and even bigger earners!
If we can’t see off a Charlton, who can we see off? The failure that was our transfer window is costing us big time and is totally unacceptable. To go into a season with a half-fit Ameobi, a 33 year-old midfielder passed off as a striker, a 19 year-old bairn and a midget striker fresh to our country and way of playing the game is absolute criminal from both club and manager. Yet ever so bastarding predictable!
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Who gave Carr a 7 against Charlton??? He’s been a disgrace all season! Shephard out!!
Sent in on: November 1st, 2006 at 11:34 am
I thought we played well against Charlton and if we’d taken our chances could of had it wrapped up at half time. I agree that we should of made substitutions much earlier in the match, but if we keep playing like that then I think results will start to go our way.
Sent in on: October 30th, 2006 at 12:56 pm
Reading this site is like reading our own site 3 years ago - when you appointed Roeder I said on one of your fansites that it was a terrible appointment.
He has no management skills and cannot spot a player if it bit him on the arse, when he was in charge at West Ham, he had a falling out with Di Canio and refused to play him even though we were struggling, don’t get your hopes up - leopards dont change their spots.
Sent in on: October 30th, 2006 at 12:46 pm
John, I wont criticise your opinion, you’re entitled to it. HTT, I’m with you. I see trouble ahead for us if we don’t start to score goals soon (forget the cup matches, it doesn’t matter if we score 20 in each of those, it means nothing to our current premier league status). Currently my only real source of hope for this season is that Watford, Sheffield Utd & Charlton are probably less likely then us to put together a run of form at some point. I do think that as long as chances are being created, eventually someone will start to score… but how long can we wait?
Please continue to call a spade, a spade in your reports.
Sent in on: October 30th, 2006 at 10:00 am
For me Roeder has to go. Tactically he has no imagination what so ever. As a manager it is your job to pick the team, set out the tactics and whilst the game is playing make changes and adapt to the way of the game.
Roeder can’t do it, his first sub came in the 84th minute about 20 minutes too late, you could see at about the 65th minute after we had our second half flurry that ideas were running out on the pitch and players were tiring, right then Milner should have been on for Solano and N’Zogbia should had been off with Luque pushing up front and duff hitting the left wing.
However Glenn sits there doing nothing but just hoping something will happen, well I’m sorry but that’s not how it works. Bobby was known for grabing resluts by making astute changes at the right time, under Roeder we may aswell not have a bench, as for Luque I feel for him, after scoring 2 goals against Liverpool’s ressies and then scoring within a Spanish regional game he has to sit on the bench the whole game watching miss after miss.
Sent in on: October 30th, 2006 at 4:16 am
John, I say what I see. While you argue “had Shearer or Owen been on the pitch playing…” I can argue “had we replaced those players properly in the transfer window…” - means nowt!
The fact of the matter is this: We failed to beat the bottom placed side AT HOME and are now in 17th place and could be bottom this time next week.
We have 8 points from 10 and if we use that kind of form over a 38 game spread we are in deep deep trouble.
When you are struggling (as we most certainly are) you need to beat those teams around you and win your home games, we just aren’t doing that.
If you want me to paint a nice picture for you, I’m a canny drawer so send me an e-mail, I’ll even sign it.
Seriously, I won’t lie in my reports so as not to upset anyone who can’t accept criticism of the club, players and team.
Where are we heading in your world John? Can we get out of this? How do we get out of this? I’m all ears.
Sent in on: October 29th, 2006 at 10:45 pm
Typical slag off Newcastle bull that I’ve come to expect from posters on here. We created chance after chance and always tried to attack. Our lads worked their nuts off trying to win the game but do our brain dead ‘fans’ appreciate it? Do they hell! They’d rather boo instead/ We’ve lost two of the greatest Centre forwards that England has ever producded. If either of them had been playing yesterday Newcastle would have won two or three nil then you lot would have been talking about how good we were and how we kept another clean sheet!
Loyalist football supporters?! Do me a favour!
Sent in on: October 29th, 2006 at 10:23 pm
Harper- 6 Not much to do all game, simple game, no mistakes, nothing spectacular.
Babayaro- 6 Not one of his worst games, not at a fan of him but not as bad as last season, although bad.
Bramble- 5 Overall a good game but one moment of madness through a slip nearly again cost us, got to be dropped, too unreliable.
Moore- 7 One of our better performers, defended well, handled the two Bent’s upfront very well, no nonsense defender, consistent if not amazingly talented.
Carr- 7 Fairly decent game, attacked well and defended well, needs to keep this level of performance constant, then I’ll be happy.
Solano- 6 Had a good game in the first half but midweek game took a lot out of him, Milner should’ve come on for him.
Parker- 7 Injured but never gave up, good tackles and controlled the game, especially first half, our only player who looked dangerous, except Duff.
Butt- 4 Man of the Match? I can not believe he was voted for as man of the match, barely touched the ball.
N’Zogbia- 6 Fairly decent game, but was careless in posession at times, needs more games and he’ll get last season’s form going.
Duff- 8 I must have been watching a different game to everyone else, I thought he was brilliant, good runs, beat defenders, but could’ve had better end product, one of his best games in black and white. MOTM
Rossi 6- Made runs and a couple of nice touches too, missed a sitter though, we’d have won had it not been for his miss.
Subs
N/A All came on too later to make an impact.
Referee- Mike Dean- 4 Not impressed, easy game to referee, got simple freekick decisions wrong, he clearly does not like NUFC.
Roeder- 2 Could not have got it more wrong if he tried, I lost a lot of respect for him after today, due to not putting on Luque or Milner. Nice man, poor manager, didn’t have a clue what to do when any one watching the game could tell a substitute was needed.
Sent in on: October 29th, 2006 at 8:48 pm
This was my fifth game of the seaon, having just become a season ticket holder for the first time (I’ve supported the Toon since the days of Ron McGarry, Dave Hilley, Alan Suddick etc. in the mid-50s).
Whilst generally supporting your ratings & that of Omar, I would say that after watching yesterday’s game, I would say that the manager’s tactics appear to be way off the mark. Lack of height was evident in the forward line vs Charlton - too many wingers, defenders expected to nod corners or free kicks in - why didn’t Roeder bring on Taylor or Ramage on to play alongside Rossi for the last 15-20mins to add some height at the front?
I, for one, want to see someone with height at the front for part of these games, to give the team an extra dimension to seek an answer to the goal drought.
Man of the match? Certainly not Butt, maybe Duff by a short straw, or Zog, as they appeared to be the only ones hungry or keen to do something to rescue 3 points…..
Sent in on: October 29th, 2006 at 8:38 pm
I don’t usually agree with the player ratings that N.O produce but on this occasion I felt they were very much in line with my own thoughts.
As you said, opinion was divided about Duff and I tend to think he was a bit more than a 6 but your points are very fair regarding him being wasteful at times.
Definitely agree about Carr as well, I thought he had a very solid game and definitely not for the first time this season as well.
But most importantly it’s good to see so many people seeing that Luque should have gotten a chance and yet again didn’t. If it frustrates me immensely, god knows how he must feel.
Under Roeder one thing is crystal clear to me: No matter how desperate he is for a striker, no matter how well Luque impresses in the reserves/training, no matter how much sense it makes for us (the fans) to play Luque, he won’t be played.
Sent in on: October 29th, 2006 at 8:27 pm
Harper: 7-10, keeping a clean sheet when you’re in the Newcastle goal is always hard to manage, but he got 2 in the last 2, go for a hat-trick Steve!
Babayaro: 6-10, plain old Baba, poor peformence, Bernard hasn’t been fit for 2 months now, isn’t it time for him?
Bramble: 5-10, good start to the game, but he had one of those Titus Bramble moments that “almost” cost us the whole game, lacks concetration.
Moore: 6-10, not effective, past his best and not Newcastle United material, needs to improve if he’s to beat Taylor and Ramage for a first team player.
Carr: 5-10, as always, poor, bad at the back, and very poor crosses into the Addicks area, also needs to be replaced!
Parker: 6-10, ever since Roeder gave him the “free role” we haven’t seen the old Parker, he is not making those trade mark tackles, and an average peformence overall.
Butt: 6-10, Man of the match, don’t think so, he was as Parker, average, but at least he ran the whole 90 mins and gave a decent showing.
Solano: 5-10, still not fully fit, needs to play in a role with less running (AMC will be good for him), he can benefit us with his passing and long shots.
Zoggy: 7-10, full of running, looked livley but had a slight injury that didn’t allow him to play with his full peformence, had a nice shot saved late.
Duff: 6-10, moving nicely (just like Martins) missing 2 or 3 sitters (just like Martins), Glenn Roeder should really think before deciding to play him as a striker, this is NOT Football Manager.
Rossi: 6-10, still don’t see a point in giving a chance to a bright prospect that IS NOT OURS, we need to give OUR players some chances, he missed a sitter in the first half.
Milner: 5-10, too little time,nothing much to do.
Roeder: 3-10, Duff as a striker, while an actuall stirker (Albert Luque) sat on the bench watching, and strangley enough keeping Luque on the bench for the whole game when all the player needed was 30 minutes to finish the game and give it to us! Someone should teach him how to use his good players, instead of placing the likes of Shola Ameobi, Titus Bramble, Martins on the first team sheet with Steven Taylor and Luquw sitting out, he should really reconsider his tactics before the club reconsider his postion.
Warm regards
(Edited for reading comprehension)
Sent in on: October 29th, 2006 at 7:48 pm