Kwan

We are at our best full tilt and attacking. It's not that great defensively and we get our fair share of pastings but that's what you take until you get better defenders. A back line of Okore, Vlaar, Bertrand and maybe Lowton isn't terrible. A solid defensive mid would help us. That's two or three signings away from a back line that looks good on paper but until then we should attack We will not move forward playing shitty McLeish football

Weimann played like shit because he was tracking back for 90% of the game instead of attacking dedenders. Holt played like shit because he's shit and you shouldn't play two target men. Everyone else played like shit because they barely crossed the half way line. Can't believe the defense of this McLeish style

The only one they could've done better on was Mulumbu's. I'll concede the other two to just good play by the other team. Vlaar cut out a few similar passes earlier in the game but you can only stop it so many times

Gardner and Bowery starting tonight for u21

I disagree. We could have definitely broken them down and got at them since they are a possession side. We struggle against teams that park the bus. We can exploit a team that likes to try and pass it around. At least an attempt to try and win the game is needed. What we saw against Everton was just pathetic

I don't see why playing negatively is seen as something that should NEVER EVER HAPPEN. Like, we should go into games and just play attacking football all day long because we cannot possibly be negative. There's a time and a place for it. Chelsea had something like 37 shots against West Ham, but mainly from long range and rarely troubled their keeper. The result? West Ham gain a valuable point which could well keep them up. Imagine them playing attacking football and getting hammered 8-0 like we did last season? Could well put them down. That's the decision you have to make in football sometimes. I'm not saying we were "right" to do this against Everton, but they are a possession-based team which holds the ball and passes their way through - much like Arsenal, but less gifted. Our tactics worked perfectly for 45 minutes to an hour, we managed to take the lead and soak up most of their attacks. Surely this is defending well? Even if you don't like it, it's playing well in a defensive context. Football isn't just about attacking. The point is that we got rid of McLeish because we didn't want to see boring, 8 defenders, suffocate the game football. There is a time and place for it but if we want to be something other than relegation fodder then we CANT play like that. It's ridiculous. So unless we WANT to be the west hams and Tony Pulis sides of the league, we should almost never set out like that. It's everton not man city ffs.

It's a complete fallacy that we defended well or had the game under control. We defended because IT'S THE ONLY THING we were trying to do. It's like the crystal palace game against arsenal. They had 6 back defending but would you call it good defending? Not really, it's just playing negatively. WWasn't one of the points of getting rid of McLeish was that we wouldn't have to see a team set up defensively and try to steal a point? It's utter madness to think setting up 532 was the "right" thing to do

Lol it is NOT a 352. We do not play it like a 352 at all.

I'm keeping the faith. But no reason at all to line up like we did

No reason to play 532 at all

Guzan Bacuna Vlaar Clark Bertrand Westwood KEA Delph Helenius Weimann Benteke

I understand the sentiment but let's not pretend our academy produces a lot of stars.

Take note Lambert. It doesn't matter how many you have in the back. They will break you down

Probably not a red but enough to not get it overturned

It's fine tailoring to your opponents. But you can't tell me facing Everton is a more daunting task than Liverpool. We could have still played the ddiamond. Lambert just McLeished it instead

In an emergency situation, I'd take him over Bowery. But I don't think we're going to see eye to an eye on it so I'll leave it at that

Holt is decent cover for Benteke. But they should NEVER play together.

I just don't understand why Lambert does this. It's just Everton ffs. A good team but not a team where we act like they're Barcelona. I don't like Lambert MK. 2. Incredibly negative in cases where they need not be. We have seen this midfield play and nor be overrun against Liverpool and west brom. Just let them get on with it. I can't imagine the players like being backs to the wall for 90 minutes.

Pretty interesting table. Spending over the last 5 years http://www.themag.co.uk/assets/Newcastle_United_Spending_Last_5_years.png

Albrighton couldn't do Gabby role in the system. But shift weimann up top with Bacuna in the hole and KEA at right mid for the diamond would've been perfect. Alas, we went for McLeish ball instead

They were tired because they had to run end to end on the pitch because they defended the majority of the game. I didn't see Everton tiring and they only had one extra day. It was shit idea and tactics from the start

But when have we actually got turned over when playing proper and attacking with close to our first XI? Maybe you van say Fulham (though he did the whole two target men insanity again). THEY CAN PLAY. He just has to give them a chance,

Every time he sets up with a 532, its a message to his players,"I have no faith in your ability to hold on to or pass the ball. Go out there and maybeeee we will get a result if we happen to nick the ball."

No one is ignoring the good performancs. But why wouldn't we play the way we did when we performed well? Don't give me the whole adjusting to each team. There wasn't one good reason we couldn't play the diamond and set out to attack. Instead we do an homage to McLeish

The one bad performance was easily avoidable