I Wish I Was A Geordie - The Blog of Newcastle United in the US

On The Air: Not Wiggin' Out

On this week's I Wish I Was A Geordie podcast, the three blogsketeers provide group therapy for each other and the world following Newcastle United's evisceration at Wigan. Also: Is there hope against Chelsea? When is a formation not a formation? Would we feel guilty cheering for Newcastle against our favorite MLS clubs (if we had them)? And what does it all mean, anyway? Click below to hear the latest episode, or visit our iTunes page to listen to all our podcasts, rate them (5 stars recommended) and subscribe.

 

I Wish I Was A Geordie Podcast 3

 

An Ill-Timed Stinker

No one saw this coming.

Sure, Wigan had already begun its traditional late-season surge. But Newcastle United entered Saturday's match at the DW Stadium on the back of six straight wins and with dreams of Champions League football spurring them on.

A 4-0 demolition at the hands of the Latics has put a slight dent in those hopes, even though Newcastle still began Sunday in fourth place (a Spurs win over Blackburn would change that). Any chance of overtaking Arsenal for third - as unlikely as that may have been - looks gone, though.

This defeat wasn't about team selection, formation or tactics. Wigan was just better. It dictated play, connected passes and simply outworked Newcastle. The passing numbers made for ugly reading from a United perspective. Wigan completed 444 of 510 passes, a whopping 87 percent success rate that speaks to how lackadaisically Newcastle defended as a team. United completed 322 of 387 (83 percent), but didn't find its passing rhythm until after the outcome had been decided.

Newcastle's late flurry of scoring opportunities made the final chances created tally - 8-7 in favor of Wigan - look respectable. The key difference was the quality of Wigan's chances - the only stunner of their four goals was Franco Di Santo's inventive chip.

Some fans ripped Alan Pardew for switching to a 3-4-3 alignment after Victor Moses gave Wigan a 2-0 lead. It's hard to argue that any formation change would have made a difference at that point, but Pardew's decision had sound reasoning. Wigan's use of the flanks was causing Newcastle problems, so moving Davide Santon to the right and having he and Jonas Gutierrez operate as wingbacks should have reinforced United's exterior and allowed it to match up with Wigan. It didn't really matter. Nor would have changing to a 4-4-2, 4-5-1 or any other formation you can dream up.

That's mainly because Wigan's movement was remarkable, with Di Santo, Moses and the reborn Shaun Maloney doing to United what Papiss Cisse, Demba Ba and Hatem Ben Arfa have done to opponents of late. We can only hope Pardew noted Moses' performance, considering he will have a year left on his contract this summer. Maynor Figueroa, playing on the left of Wigan's back three, was another standout and repeatedly got forward (his 91 touches were bested only by central midfielder James McArthur) to combine with left wingback Jean Beausejour.

While Wigan worked the ball, Newcastle was impatient in possession early on. Too often players opted for balls over the top, which allowed Wigan to establish control of the game. I can't help but wonder what might have happened had Newcastle patiently knocked the ball around in the opening 20 minutes.

Instead, United produced one of its worst performances of the season, made all the more aggravating by the timing. In reality, Newcastle was probably due a stinker after six straight wins. If the club was at the point where Champions League qualification was an expectation, then that sort of thinking wouldn't be acceptable. But it's not. Considering Newcastle still has a shot with three games to go, it's hard to be too angry - even after a stinker.

Mythbusters: Newcastle United Edition

Nothing irritates fans of a club more than watching the national press "analyze" your team by citing a string of assumptions, generalizations, and mistakes. Of course, there are only so many hours in a day to watch soccer, even if you are getting paid to do just that. (That being said, I would put my co-blogger Bob up against any English journalist in that category, and he has a day job.) Yesterday, the crew over at the Guardian's Football Weekly podcast threw out a few common fallacies about Newcastle United, and I thought it only fair to offer some corrections. Feel free to share these with the well-meaning but misinformed Premier League observer in your life.

Sean Ingle: "They are sort of slightly flat track bullies."

Ingle came with stats in hand, showing Newcastle seventh in points per game against teams currently in the top half of the league. Things can change quickly on that front, with matches against Chelsea, Manchester City, and Everton still on the slate. As host James Richardson pointed out, it is difficult to say that Newcastle simply beats up on bad teams. After all, Alan Pardew's bunch have taken four points off Manchester United this year. There are a couple of fluke games in the mix as well. Is that 3-0 loss to Chelsea, where Peter Lovenkrands started, and Steven Taylor and Fabricio Coloccini failed to finish because of injury, really useful in evaluating the current state of the club?

James Richardson: "It is a great team. Shame it's all going to be sold off unless they make the top four."

This was likely supposed to be tongue in cheek, but the Football Weekly panel seemed to take it as gospel. Despite his other mistakes as owner, there is not much evidence that Mike Ashley ever felt compelled to sell players. He certainly has not made Newcastle a selling club since its return to the Premier League last season.

Which of the players sold since summer 2010 were mistakes from a football point of view? Andy Carroll, who had a half-season of success in the league, and who Liverpool would happily offload to the first team offering a third of what they paid for him? Jose Enrique, who had one year left on his contract and failed to see the long-term project starting to be built? Serial headache Joey Barton? Kevin Nolan, currently polarizing West Ham fans, who would look absurd in the current Newcastle squad?

Even without a windfall of Champions League cash, it is difficult to imagine any key players being sold without a Carroll-like offer being involved. Well, there might be one exception...

Philippe Auclair: "Cisse needs Ba. Ba does an awful lot of work for Cisse to have the freedom."

Newcastle's front three have been an absolute nightmare for recent opponents. Demba Ba has been key to making the formation work, despite poor performances against Swansea and Bolton. But without watching Newcastle extensively, it is easy to misjudge what kind of player Papiss Cisse is. He has scored in bunches while leading the line, so he's often characterized as a poacher.

But he has not just played off the shoulder of a center back. In fact, he and Ba have switched roles for substantial parts of each game, and Cisse played a beautiful pass from the left wing to help create Newcastle's third goal on Saturday. If Ba did decide to leave Tyneside in the summer, it would be a shame. He is a good player, and has worked extremely hard as a left-sided forward. But Cisse is far from one-dimensional, and Ba isn't irreplaceable on the wing, as my colleague Tom pointed out in our first podcast last weekend.

Auclair again: "Pardew's got to rely on a team that has almost been the same team, we know that, since the beginning of the season."

Auclair mentioned that the defense has had injury problems, so I can give him a pass on that. But the attacking side of the team has been far from constant. Cisse, after all, made his first appearance for Newcastle in February. Ba failed to score in any of Newcastle's first five matches, and started only one of them. To the irritation of many supporters, Gabriel Obertan (and briefly Ryan Taylor) were keeping Hatem Ben Arfa out of the starting eleven until March. Cheick Tiote and Yohan Cabaye were out simultaneously for a brief spell, and Tiote has had nagging injuries all year.

The front six against Stoke included the first-choice player in each of the six midfield and forward positions. The Swansea game was the only other one in the current winning streak where that was also the case. So Pardew has not even had "the same team" during the recent charge into fourth place, much less since the beginning of the season.

With a European appearance now guaranteed, no doubt Football Weekly will be scrutinizing Newcastle more closely in the coming weeks and months. The staff generally does a good job, and meant to praise the club in this segment, but made a couple of mistakes. (And if anyone from the Guardian wants some Americans to talk Newcastle one week, you know where to find us.)

On The Air: Stoked For Europe

On this week's I Wish I Was A Geordie podcast, the boys from the blog take on Tony Pulis' delusions, Yohan Cabaye's re-emergence, Papiss Cissé's hair-raising encounter on Tyneside, the potential (or lack thereof) for a American transfer to Newcastle United, and why wine tasting may never be the same for Barca fans. Click below to listen, or visit our iTunes page to hear all our podcasts and subscribe.

 

I Wish I Was A Geordie Podcast 2

 

Does Jonas Fit In The 4-3-3?

Alan Pardew finally gave in to our formation wishes. Thanks to the stellar forward play of Papiss Cisse, Hatem Ben Arfa, and (until very recently) Demba Ba, we have had plenty to praise. But the birth of "the Trinity" has coincided with an injury crisis for the rest of the team. With so many players in unfamiliar roles, it hasn't been clear what Pardew has in mind for the midfield and defense. 

One of the bigger mysteries going into the summer is Jonas Gutierrez. The 4-3-3 doesn't seem like a great fit for a wide midfielder - especially one who only scores against Wolves. His emergency stint at left back reminded everyone of his woeful outings in defense for Argentina. During the pre-Cisse days, Jonas was sometimes effective spearheading a three-man midfield. That may still be an option, especially with the club involved in four competitions next season.

Newcastle has been linked with several central midfielders over the last few weeks, most recently Gylfi Sigurdsson. Though only 22, Sigurdsson may never be more in demand, which would make him a distinctly un-Newcastle signing. With plenty of other needs, especially in defense, it may be better to keep Danny Guthrie and hope Mehdi Abeid and Haris Vuckic are ready for more playing time. Vuckic, in particular, could develop into a similar sort of player to Sigurdsson if he puts his injury woes behind him.

Assuming no major signings - never a bad idea where Newcastle is concerned - Jonas will likely be converted into a holding midfielder in the 4-3-3. The injury-laden squad has forced him elsewhere, but against West Brom and Swansea, we have seen what he offers in the role. He reads the game well (5 interceptions in each match), can pick out a pass (watch the buildup to Cisse's first goal against West Brom), and with his running and penchant to draw fouls, is superb at controlling the tempo of a match.

Gutierrez can also help draw the best out of Yohan Cabaye and Cheick Tiote. His defensive responsibility allows Cabaye to push up to the edge of the 18-yard box. From there, Cabaye is ideally positioned to take a long-range shot or split the defense with a pass. He provides a perpetual outlet for a ball-winning midfielder like Tiote, and covering support for Tiote's occasional forays into attack.

Even with the move to 4-3-3, there will still be a regular place in the side for Tyneside's favorite superhero. Let's hope he decides to take his mask on Newcastle's European odyssey next season - just in case he needs it.

Summer Return to U.S. Looks Unlikely

Looks like there was something to those rumors of a summer trip to Philadelphia for Newcastle United after all.

The Newcastle Evening Chronicle reported today that Newcastle was indeed in talks with Major League Soccer to serve as the opponents for the league's All-Star game on July 25 in Chester, Pa. But, with United's preseason schedule dependent on what European competition it qualifies for, Newcastle couldn't commit. So MLS instead opted for Chelsea, which will surely bring some of that legendary Stamford Bridge atmosphere to PPL Park (that's sarcasm in case you couldn't detect it).

So it's looking less and less likely that Newcastle will be returning to the U.S.

In other news, 19-year-old Australian center back Curtis Good begins a 10-day trial with Newcastle today. Hopefully his time in Newcastle is more memorable than Mark Viduka's.

On The Air: Carroll's Head, Ba's Brain, Perch's Dream

You've asked for it, literally and figuratively. Now we've gone and done it. I Wish I Was A Geordie is on the air with our very first podcast. Thrill to the sound of real-time opinions and analysis about "soccer" in our unedited, distinctly non-English voices. In the wake of Newcastle United's Europe hopes glancing off Andy Carroll's head to within four points of reality, this first installment includes a forecast of the season's climax (note that we predicted top five for Newcastle in *September*), a capsule psychoanalysis of Demba Ba, and a surreal vision of Perchinho's potential future. Click below to listen, and watch the blog for more information on future episodes, including special guests and how to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. Howay.

I Wish I Was A Geordie Podcast 1

Newcastle's Champions League Dreams Rekindled

Thomas Vermaelen's last-minute winner at the Emirates Stadium last month should have been the death knell for Newcastle's top four hopes. The team seemed to be swooning from its season-long stay in the dizzying heights near the league's apex. It was as the pundits had been predicting all season. Newcastle United was a surprising team, with a few talented players, but finishing in seventh place was about the best fans could hope for.

But in this most improbable of seasons, Alan Pardew and his squad have once again failed to read the script. With five games to go in the season, it is basically a three-team scramble for fourth place, and the Champions League glory that comes with it. A look at the combatants:

Tottenham (59 points, +19 goal difference)

A show of hands: who honestly thought Newcastle would catch Spurs in the table after getting embarrassed at White Hart Lane in February? Two weeks later, Arsenal throttled their North London rivals and ended any hopes of winning the league. Since then, it has been a downward spiral for Tottenham. A vocal subset of the fans are through with Harry Redknapp. He doesn't seem enamored with the supporters either, hinting that outside pressure forced him to change formations for Monday's loss to Norwich. The last five games look easy on paper, with Fulham the only opponent in the top half. Of course, the two Easter games were supposed to be easy ones as well.

Chelsea (57 points, +18 goal difference)

After a very lucky escape against Wigan on Saturday, including a goal by the very offside Branislav Ivanovic, Chelsea fell behind Newcastle two days later. The departure of Andre Villas-Boas has not done much to help the Blues' inconsistent play, as the weekend results show. But the bigger issue for Chelsea may be fatigue, with semifinals in both the FA Cup and Champions League sandwiched around their next two Premier League matches. Newcastle was supposed to travel to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, but that game has been moved to May 2, the second of three league tilts for Chelsea that week.

Newcastle (59 points, +8 goal difference)

During the Red Sox World Series run in 2004, pitcher Curt Schilling would walk around in a T-shirt that said, "Why Not Us?" That's exactly the attitude that has propelled Newcastle forward in the last few weeks. Unburdened by media hype and financial pressure, Pardew has built a tight-knit group with several excellent players in the starting eleven. And even when some of those players have been missing, once-ridiculed reserves like James Perch have produced match-winning performances. 

Unlike Tottenham or Chelsea, Newcastle's leading lights are in world-class form. How much would either be willing to pay for Papiss Cisse or Hatem Ben Arfa right now? The schedule will be difficult: Manchester City and Chelsea will likely still have something to play for, and Everton is on its annual end-of-the-season tear. But this team has had so many chances to fold throughout the season, and each time seems to come back more determined than ever.

Liverpool can do Newcastle a huge favor tomorrow. A win in the FA Cup semifinal would virtually guarantee a place in the Europa League and set up a dream scenario. Five games, nothing to lose, and the Champions League beckoning. Why not us?

Ben Arfa Bails Out Ba, Pardew

Newcastle United was careening toward a dull and disappointing draw against lowly Bolton. The post-match talk was going to be all about Demba Ba's angry reaction to being substituted and Alan Pardew's surprising decision to ditch the 4-3-3 formation for a 4-4-2 alignment.

Cue Hatem Ben Arfa. And with one mazy run and composed finish, the Frenchman saved the day, paving the way for a 2-0 win and igniting serious Champions League hopes.

Had it not been for that pulsating 10 seconds, it's hard to see how Newcastle would have emerged with anything more than a point from a match any reasonable observer would expect it to win, regardless of Bolton's recent improvement.

Instead, Bolton was the team that created more chances (6-4) and total shots (9-8). And, while Newcastle outpassed its visitors (315-for-401, 79 percent, compared to 282-for-376, 75 percent), Bolton had more passes in the attacking half and final third. They also had the game's two most clear-cut scoring opportunities before Ben Arfa's goal, but Chris Eagles and alleged United summer transfer target Mark Davies both failed to apply the finishing touch.

Newcastle slightly won the possession battle (51-49), but a good chunk of that possession was of the meaningless variety. That explains why Fabricio Coloccini had the most total passes (49) of any United player. His fellow central defender, Mike Williamson, was third with 42.

In general, Newcastle looked sleepy and out of ideas in the final third. It's tough to say how much of that had to do with the formation change - you could also say it was the second game in four days, though Bolton had an even tighter turnaround - but Pardew certainly opened himself up to questions based on the way the 4-3-3 had performed. Perhaps the lack of possession at Swansea swayed him, but home against Bolton is a much different match.

There's also the slightly cynical theory that reverting to the 4-4-2 was done to placate Ba, who was clearly unhappy after being removed in the second half at Swansea. I'm not sure I subscribe to that - Ba looked quite good on the left side of the front three against West Brom and Liverpool - but playing a 4-4-2 does obviously position him in a more central role. It didn't produce a different result on Monday, though. Ba had one of his more anonymous games as a Newcastle player before Pardew wisely removed him in the 64th minute.

His reaction - he blatantly avoided shaking Pardew's hand as he came off - was silly, particularly considering how well the club has done this season. Pardew defended his striker in his media session after the match, but Ba's behavior - combined with the images of him not celebrating Papiss Cisse's second goal at Swansea - paints him as a selfish player who cares about his individual performance first and foremost. I don't think that's the case - Ba claimed on Twitter after the Swansea match that he wasn't unhappy - but it's a logical conclusion that many observers would draw, fair or unfair. And it's an unnecessary distraction for a team that's pushing for a Champions League place.

Let's not go overboard, though. Plenty of players have done exactly what Ba did. Plenty of them merely allowed a period of frustration to get the best of them. Plenty of them straightened themselves out and made fans forget about it with their subsequent play. Based on Ba's track record, you'd be foolish to think he won't be able to get past this slip up and his current nine-game scoreless streak.

And he has Ben Arfa to thank that it wasn't the major talking point in the wake of Monday's game. Ben Arfa certainly knows a thing or two about disagreeing with a manager. But Pardew's careful handling of Ben Arfa early in the season - something that frustrated more than a few fans - is looking more brilliant with each passing game. Ben Arfa is now working to win the ball back, being efficient in his passing and selectively picking his spots to dribble past players (according to Opta, he became the first player in the Premier League this season to attempt seven or more dribbles - defined as an attempt by a player in possession of the ball to beat an opponent - and complete all of them). More importantly, he's winning games for Newcastle. 

And with Newcastle tied for fourth with five games to go, there's no telling how important that magical moment will prove to be.

Move Over Messi: Comparing Cissé With The World

Not long after Papiss Cissé's ball-bending, mind-bending second goal in the victory at Swansea, I ran across something embedded in a post on the Toronto-based Soccerworld blog called the Castrol EDGE Rankings, billed as "the world's first 12 month rolling rankings system based on the actual performance of every football player across Europe's top five leagues." The post featured a statistical comparison through February of the top six forwards in the Castrol rankings. It was entitled "Why Messi Is Number One." When I saw those stats and that title, I laughed. Because Cissé, since arriving in the Premier League, is blowing Lionel Messi and the other strikers on the Castrol list out of the water.

Let's add the obvious disclaimer: Cissé has had only eight appearances thus far in England. But let's also disclaim the disclaimer: Eight appearances isn't that few. Cissé now has more than 20 percent as many minutes in the Premier League as Messi had at the time of the ranking in all competitions this season. Statistically, 20 percent is a large sample - large enough to draw fairly confident conclusions about the whole, just as only five matches were enough to draw fairly confident conclusions about this season back before Newcastle hadn't "played anyone yet." Nothing is certain, but it would be surprising, after nearly 600 minutes, if Cissé's performance thus far turns out to be a fluke. Especially when his performance has grown steadily more impressive throughout those minutes.

The numbers turn more astonishing with every match. Cissé, after converting the only two official chances Newcastle managed all day against a Swansea club doing its best Arsenal impression, is netting a seemingly impossible 43 percent of his scoring opportunities. Messi ranks first in the world at 30 percent - nearly a third behind Cissé's current rate. Were Cissé to maintain that over anything close to a season, it would likely be the most incredible display by a striker in soccer history. Cissé, Messi and Mario Gomez are the only strikers in the five major European leagues hitting the target with two-thirds or more of their shots, and as we've noted before, shot accuracy appears to be the primary mark of a world-class striker. Overall Cissé is scoring slightly more frequently than the Barca star's 1-per-68-minute pace that prompted Pep Guardiola to say last month, "Messi's the best, he's unique. There's no one like him."

We shall see if Cissé can keep up this pace or anything like it. This much is certain: What we've seen so far from Cissé, not just in terms of goals but his total game, ranks with any striker, any time, ever. Here's hoping everyone associated with Newcastle United, from the fans to the management to the Senegalese strike partner who has had to cede a significant share of the ball and spotlight to this remarkable talent, fully appreciates what is transpiring, however long it lasts.