Just finished watching the game. Firstly I think Newcastle have managed to make a very organized and talented team and it showed yesterday. The way they organize themselves off the ball and press with different intensity is impressive. There is no wonder why they are at a very comfortable position this season, and with Demba Ba the role of the poacher might well be back to football.
As for us, I think its wonderful that the team managed to come from behind to score. However having said that, we have been poor throughout the match even when Stevie was on. There isn't enough intensity in our attack, and we are clearly passing and not moving. The only players who did that were Gerard and may be Glen and Agger. I'm just saying this because I am sensing a bit of over-reaction by the forum and I want us to keep our feet to the ground; we are still not good enough to get 4th I'm afraid.
A note on Carroll; I have been shouting about this in the striker-partnership thread...Carroll is not a Heskey, he's a Llorente. The problem was not a lack of service as many suggested. The problem is that, without Gerard, we are using him wrong. We use him as a pivot for Suarez to run on to the ball. However that is not the way to play him as Gerard showed us all last night. So I'm hoping Kenny will change the way he uses Carroll in the team.
A final note on chances: This perspective that we have been playing better and making chances and it is just bad luck is not true imo. You can see in the match against Newcastle, we created three chances; two for carroll (one he miss controlled and the other hit the bar) and one for Gerard which he scored. We can't talk about Bellamy's second goal and say that this was a chance created. We can't even describe it, despite the fact that it was on target and that it went in), as a dangerous ball.
The clearest example is in the Black burn game: we had 27 shots in that match according to Football 365 editorial after the game. However while you were watching, how many times did you feel we truly threatned the goal? it's probably the goal, Carroll's chance and Agger's chance (both were in the final 30 seconds). A return of a goal for these chances is a very good one (the problem is we are not creating enough of them), or else Barcelona will be the unluckiest team in the world...they miss three one on one chances every match.
unlucky is in 2008 against Fulham when we hit the bar four times and the Fulham keeper made two saves from inside the six yard box and we end up winning 1-0 only, that is unlucky. Stewart Downing, Charlie Adam and Suarez combining to mishit 12 shots, that is just poor. and it needs to change.
EDIT-- MoM: Skrtel