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

Three Points: Manchester City Loss

Three angry rants from Newcastle United's depressing 4-0 loss to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium:

Over before it started?
There's no shame in losing at the Etihad, where Manchester City has only suffered one defeat in 15 Premier League outings this season. However, the timid nature in which Newcastle laid down for the defending league champions was, plain and simply, embarrassing.

The largest share of the blame must fall on Alan Pardew, who clearly sent his team out with a mission to stifle their free-spending hosts. Once City broke through Newcastle's deep-sitting defensive wall late in the first half, there was realistically very little chance of a comeback.

But let's also not excuse those actually wearing the black and white jerseys. Sitting deep and defending resolutely can look like a fine strategy when players are doggedly closing the opposition down, diligently tracking runners and swiftly striking on counter attacks. Newcastle's players seemed to lack the belief that they could go toe-to-toe with City.

You could argue that it's Pardew's job to motivate his team. Sorry, but I'm not buying that in this case. These are professional players we're talking about. Six of Newcastle's starting XI have played at the international level (and that's not counting Steven Taylor, who's yet to appear for an England 'A' team). They shouldn't need motivating to take on the defending Premier League champions.

Enough of Obertan
Pardew opted for Gabriel Obertan instead of Sylvain Marveaux on the right of Newcastle's 4-2-3-1 formation, presumably so the French speedster could provide width and track back to help fill-in fullback Danny Simpson. Obertan responded with one of his worst performances since joining Newcastle two summers ago, and Pardew correctly subbed him for James Perch at halftime.

At this point, we've seen enough of Obertan to conclude that he's simply not consistent — or mentally strong — enough to regularly start for a team that wants to challenge in the top half of the Premier League. Obertan didn't do much to assist Simpson defensively, and failed to get on the ball much at all (it must be said that Newcastle's other wide forward, Yoan Gouffran, also failed to make himself a factor).

If Obertan remains on Newcastle's roster next season, he must be viewed as a fringe player who can start cup matches. That might be harsh to say about a player who's still only 24, but he's yet to prove that assessment wrong.

Danger still lurks
When Newcastle edged past Stoke earlier this month, Pardew opined that his team was safe from relegation. We tended to agree — after all, Newcastle was nine points clear of the bottom three.

After Saturday's results, Newcastle's position doesn't look so secure. Pardew's troops are just three points off the bottom three in 15th place with seven games to go.

Realistically, Newcastle should be able to pull away to safety. The schedule doesn't look overly daunting — home games against Fulham, Sunderland, Liverpool and Arsenal remain, as do trips to West Brom, West Ham and QPR — but it's still a stretch at this point to proclaim Newcastle safe from the drop. Considering how poor United has been on the road this season, the pressure falls squarely on the next two home games.

NUFC Eyes US Return, But Where? Make Your Pitch

American fans of Newcastle United are awakening this morning to a report from dependable Miles Starforth of the Shields Gazette that the club's 2013 summer preseason plans appear to be revolving around the United States. No specific destinations are mentioned, but the challenges of the previous US trip in 2011 are recounted, including sweltering temperatures, declined visas and exhausting domestic travel. We can assume - well, hope - that the next American trip will focus on destinations grouped more closely together and in regions where the summer climate is more likely to resemble a sauna rather than a blast furnace. Pittsburgh could be in play, as a proposed match against A.C. Milan last summer at Heinz Field of the NFL's Steelers fell through at the last moment with promoters expressing optimism it could happen in 2013. But nothing is certain until the official announcement, as we've learned.

Until we find out more, we invite fans in the US and elsewhere to comment below on where Newcastle United should land in the States this summer and why. This Wisconsin fan is rooting for a Chicago visit, in a major transport hub next to a vast, cooling lake. The hot dogs are on me.

McManaman Decision Complete FArce

It's official: the English FA has decided that Callum McManaman's horrific tackle on Massadio Haïdara would go completely unpunished. Showing a commendable level of respect for the integrity of the sport, the FA decided that "avoid[ing] the re-refereeing of incidents" is its primary concern, rather than the safety of its players. After all, if "at least one of the match officials saw the coming together," and deemed it not worthy of punishment, it must be a fine challenge, horrifying video replays be damned.

From an American perspective, the FA's failure to act is downright laughable. It gives referees a patina of infallibility, ignoring the fact that they, like everyone else in the world, are capable of mistakes. All four major stateside sports incorporate replays into the decisionmaking process, and are the better for it. The two most physical - (American) football and hockey - use video review for exactly the process the FA refused to: doling out retrospective punishments for dangerous play.

At the same time, the FA runs a campaign trying to get players and managers to show more respect for match officials. But when pressuring referees during the match is apparently the only recourse available, this campaign is hopelessly undermined. The best way to get teams to respect referees is to honestly recognize their limitations and give them help in making decisions, rather than sweeping human error under the rug. 

By claiming that McManaman cannot be punished under the rules, the FA sets an extremely troubling example for young players, including McManaman himself. Quite simply, tackles like the one on Sunday have no place in the sport. But with no punishment, and plenty of encouragement from Wigan owner Dave Whelan, McManaman doesn't get that message. When league play resumes next weekend, he's liable to do the same thing. After all, he "went for the ball and took it clean as you like," according to Whelan and, implicitly, the FA. Why not?

That's perhaps the most disturbing part of this whole debacle. The FA essentially talked itself into a corner, demonstrating that it doesn't care one bit for player safety. No one came out to condemn the tackle; to do so would admit that Mark Halsey and his crew didn't properly see it, and therefore it should have been punished via video review. Instead, protecting the agreement with the referees was deemed more important - even if it puts those same referees under more scrutiny from players and fans when they inevitably get things wrong.

When the National Hockey League faced a spate of head injuries in early 2010, it changed the rule regarding hits to the head during the season in order to protect players. If the FA honestly thought that rules were the issue, it could have done the very same thing during the international break. I'll even write the statement for them.

Because of a lack of clarity surrounding the rules for retrospective punishment, the FA called an emergency meeting with the game's stakeholders (the Premier League, the Football League, the Professional Footballers’ Association, the League Managers’ Association, Professional Game Match Officials Limited and the National Game). At this meeting, it was agreed by the parties that the safety of players at all levels is paramount. 

Therefore, the policy regarding retrospective action has been revised, effective immediately, so that video replay can be used to evaluate cases in which match officials did not clearly witness the nature of a challenge. After reviewing the replay of Callum McManaman's challenge on Massadio Haïdara on 17 March 2013, it was concluded that the challenge met the criteria for "excessive force" under FIFA Law 12 and warranted a red card. McManaman has been issued a red card and three-match suspension for this incident.

Was that so hard?

On The Air: Whalin' On Whelan

Time for another redoubtable I Wish I Was A Geordie podcast, and on this week's edition the blustery blogsters take on the assault-and-robbery at Wigan and Dave Whelan's pathetic post-match commentary therein. We also filet the FA, get ballsy on Halsey and...well, nothing really rhymes with McManaman, but you know. Plus: What is it about Europe and Newcastle? Click below to listen, or visit our iTunes page to download, rate and comment. 

 

I Wish I Was A Geordie 2013-12

From Sédhiou to St. James': An Interview With Cissé

With growing confidence as a lone striker on the pitch and two dramatic match-winning goals in added time last week, Papiss Cissé is recapturing the form that made him a Premier League sensation after his January debut for Newcastle United last season. But Cissé's focus is just as keen on another goal: Improving lives in his economically challenged home region of Sédhiou in Senegal.

This season, in conjunction with Cissé, the Friends of Sédhiou aid organization he funds and the One World Futbol Project, we're conducting the Score For Sédhiou campaign that allows our readers to donate extra-durable, never-need-inflating soccer balls (as displayed by Cissé at right) to children and schools in Sédhiou. In the process we've become curious about what life was like for Cissé in Senegal and how he was able to travel the long road from Sédhiou to stardom in the world's top soccer league. So we asked him. Here are his answers. And if you'd like to join the effort to help Sédhiou's youngsters follow in Cissé's path, click the Score For Sédhiou badge at upper left.

I Wish I Was A Geordie: What was it like to grow up in Sédhiou and how did you get noticed there as a soccer player?

Papiss Cissé: Sédhiou was my hometown and I enjoyed it there very much. The people are very friendly, like one big family. I learned to play football in the street with my friends, it was what we loved to do. The organized football that we played was in the summer when school shuts down. They organise a seasonal tournament and you are put into teams and play every day. Over the two weeks I won eight trophies and played very well. Someone spotted me and asked me to play for a team called THIES. From there I ended up at Dakar (Senegal's capital and largest city), and then progressed from there.

IWIWAG: What are your goals for helping your home region via the Friends of Sédhiou organization?

Cissé: The biggest problem is a lack of resources in Sédhiou. That is with medical equipment, educational needs, and also with sporting facilities and equipment for kids to play safely. I feel I have a duty to help, and I have done everything to help them over the years, and now the Friends of Sédhiou are helping me raise awareness and access some of the things that Sédhiou really needs. We really hope that together over the next few years and beyond we can make a difference.

IWIWAG: How important is playing soccer to the well-being of children in Sédhiou and across Senegal?

Cissé: They love it. For them, like me, football is their best friend. They have nothing else to do really, and football becomes everything for them. They have dreams, but there are so few places to play properly, even organized teams struggle. There are six teams for every pitch, and finding the chance to practice and play is so difficult. The very best players in the area play for a regional team called UCAS. Even they struggle for kits and equipment as well as facilities. And they are the very best, so for children it is almost impossible to get equipment. But they continue to play football in the street as I did, as it is the thing they love the most.

IWIWAG: Do you think the future will bring more soccer stars from Sédhiou in your footsteps?

Cissé: There is too much quality in Sédhiou and Senegal for it not to happen. But there are fantastic players who will never get the opportunity to show what they can do. If they are given the chance, and we hope to help with this, then absolutely, they are good enough to become stars, and can play in the best leagues.

That's our interview. Thanks, Papiss, and we look forward to sending the youth of Senegal some new soccer balls to play and dream with this summer!

Three Points: Wigan Loss

Three rapid-fire responses to Newcastle's 2-1 loss to Wigan, which saw Massadio Haïdara stretchered off with serious knee and thigh injuries:

Haïdara horror, Halsey's errors

There's really no way around it. Callum McManaman's studs-up challenge into Haïdara's knee is a red card every day of the week, and referee Mark Halsey flat-out missed it. Halsey also failed to spot the world's most obvious handball on the corner which eventually led to Wigan's match-winning goal. Every set of fans feels aggrieved by the officials at some point during the season, but Halsey's mistakes today were particularly awful.

The match result means little in the context of Newcastle's season, but the injury to Haïdara certainly casts a pall over the day. Early reports seem every bit as grim as they did when Hatem Ben Arfa broke his leg in October 2010. Haïdara had shown himself to be quite a promising player, and hopefully this injury won't irrevocably ruin a career that appeared to be getting off to a fantastic start. 

Santon responsible for goals at both ends

Wigan's first goal followed an awfully predictable pattern for Newcastle fans, in that once again it was Davide Santon at fault. Santon failed to clear a cross from McManaman that eluded Arouna Koné and eventually found Jean Beausejour. Over the first half of the season, you could have easily made a case that Santon was the club's top performer. But as the rest of the team has rounded into form, Santon's defensive lapses have multiplied at an alarming rate. 

Nonetheless, he made up for his gaffe with a well-taken 72nd-minute strike, his first professional goal. Given the power and placement of his right-footed shots, it was only a matter of time before he scored. And at the time, it appeared that his goal had set Newcastle on a course to escape the DW Stadium with at least a point, and perhaps even three.

Pardew's formation experiment continues

Earlier this year, Alan Pardew played around with formations too much. From week to week, and even within matches, there appeared to be no consistent strategy, and it contributed to the club's poor start to the season. Since the January transfer window, players' roles had settled. Everything changed today. But this time, an experimental look nearly paid dividends.

The Newcastle attack lacked bite once again for most of the match, despite having plenty of the ball. So after bringing on Shola Ameobi in place of Yoan Gouffran, Pardew shuffled the deck completely, moving Santon and Jonás Gutiérrez into wingback roles and pushing James Perch deeper, into a back three with Steven Taylor and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa. Santon's advanced position meant he was in the right place to score the leveler, and Papiss Cissé missed just wide after being fed by Ameobi's low cross. 

With a rare two-week break before the match at Manchester City, let's hope for good news on Haïdara, as well as Newcastle's less seriously injured players. Even a relatively deep squad has started to wear thin over the last couple weeks.

Three Points: Anzhi Makhachkala Win

Our three pithy takeaways from the massive, last-instant victory at St. James' Park Thursday over Anzhi that put Newcastle United in the final eight of the Europa League:

More than a goal

Papiss Cissé's header ending the match off a breathtaking serve from Sylvain Marveaux is what anyone who saw it will remember. But Cissé had what might have been his best all-around match in black-and-white, creating a passel of chances - four according to one unofficial Twitter tally - while looking secure on the ball and staying patient off it. There wasn't much more you could ask: After a run of wasted opportunities, Cissé scored on the only two decent chances he had all week, according to Alan Pardew's count after the match. "He does a good shift for us as well, apart from the goals," Pardew said. If that's a harbinger of things to come, Newcastle could be headed upward even without Hatem Ben Arfa, who was ruled out Friday for the rest of the season needing hamstring surgery.

Not-so-itsy-bitsy Spider

Speaking of muscle pulls, it looked bleak for Newcastle United when Yohan Cabaye was forced off with a groin strain midway through the first half, at a moment when Anzhi had virtually all of the play. In his place entered Jonas Gutierrez, who at stretches this season has shown little product for his admirable work rate. As it turned out, Newcastle's form improved through the rest of the match, thanks in no small part to Jonas' jitterbug in the middle, well controlled on this night. It will have been tempting for journalists to write that the Magpies were saved by a red card, but that's an injustice to a squad that finished the first half with 59 percent possession, perking up before Anzhi went down to 10. Marveaux also turned in a solid all-around evening, providing additional hope that Newcastle might keep thriving in Ben Arfa's absence.

Stevie wonder

If Steven Taylor has had a more impressive performance at Newcastle you'll need to refresh my memory. He functioned almost as an alternate goalkeeper during Anzhi's early barrage, and went on to sweep up a fair amount of debris left by linemates who had shaky outings; a relieved Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa opined after the match that Taylor should be called up by England. If Ryan Taylor goes over the wall, at his best Steven Taylor is the wall. Perhaps this is merely what Saylor looks like when he gets far enough from an injury to be himself. If so, chalk up yet another positive sign for the short- and long-term future of a club that suddenly finds itself among a European elite.

 

Three Points: Stoke Win

Three quick takeaways from Newcastle United's 2-1 win over Stoke City at St. James' Park:

Score one for Pards
Alan Pardew has taken his share of criticism during Newcastle's tumble down the table this season — some of it fair, lots of it unfair. But even Pardew's most ardent critics have to give him his due for this victory.

Newcastle had just tied the game at 1 when Pardew replaced Cheick Tiote and Davide Santon with Sylvain Marveaux and Massadio Haidara in the 74th minute. Haidara helped with United's spacing in attack by offering a left-footed option on the left flank. Marveaux gave Newcastle a clever passer in the final third, and the diminutive Frenchman eventually set up Papiss Cisse for the winner.

Fans have often clamored to see more of Marveaux this season, but this may be the role for which he's best suited — as an impact sub when Newcastle is pushing for another goal against an opponent that's putting large numbers behind the ball. The chief problem with starting Marveaux is that he's most effective playing centrally, which means Moussa Sissoko would need to drop deeper alongside Yohan Cabaye. But when it's chasing a goal, Newcastle has to throw numbers forward anyway.

Keep calm and carry on
It's all well and good to show some fight — in fact, that was something Newcastle all too often lacked during the first half of the season. But you still have to keep your composure.

Newcastle repeatedly danced the line between aggression and brainlessness on Sunday — from Tiote's reckless tackle that gave Stoke a penalty, to Cabaye's late tackle on Glenn Whelan that should have been a yellow card, to Cisse's needless kickout at Marc Wilson.

At times, United seemed unable to handle the concept of a scoreless match against a team that, on paper, it should be able to defeat at home. Cisse, in particular, was frustrated to the point of volitility, continuing an irritating trend. No doubt his season has been a trying one, but if he keeps putting his hands on opponents' faces (as he did to Ashley Cole against Chelsea) and kicking at defenders following challenges (as he did to Wilson on Sunday), it's only a matter of time before he's red carded.

Backed into a corner
Really, this could be written after any match this season: Newcastle is absolutely, positively terrible on corner kicks (and set pieces in general, barring free kicks that are within range of goal).

To some degree, United's failings make sense. Cisse isn't a physical striker who's going to trouble big center backs in the air. Steven Taylor and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa are capable in the air, but they're 6-foot-1 and 6-foot, respectively. Moussa Sissoko (6-2) adds height in the midfield, but he has yet to show he's a threat to score in the air.

The more vexing part of the problem is the delivery. Cabaye is widely regarded as one of the best passing central midfielders in the Premier League, and he showed again on Sunday that he knows how to strike a ball. Yet time after time, his set piece deliveries fail to beat the first man or end up harmlessly dropping into the opposing goalkeeper's arms.

I'm not going to claim to know enough about the intricacies of United's set piece strategies to propose a solution. But clearly Pardew, his coaching staff and Newcastle's scouting team need to do some thinking and tinkering this summer.

Three Points: Anzhi Makhachkala Draw

Three quick takeaways from Newcastle United's scoreless draw in Moscow:

Ugly but effective
Newcastle has made a habit of grinding out the necessary results throughout its Europa League campaign, and Thursday was no different.

The match wasn't entertaining in the slightest — no doubt the artificial surface didn't help matters — but a scoreless draw puts United in the driver's seat going into next week's second leg (of course, Metalist Kharkiv was in this exact position last round).

Newcastle maintained a compact shape and defended intelligently, and Anzhi's only real chances were a pair of drives from Samuel Eto'o.

Unfortunately, United wasn't nearly as impressive in pushing forward. With no legitimate striker in the lineup thanks to Papiss Cisse's illness and Alan Pardew's reluctance to start Shola Ameobi on fake grass, Newcastle was predictably without a focal point in attack. Too often, the midfield was overcrowded and United's miniature team had little room to maneuver.

Gabriel Obertan was a tease once again, getting into good positions but failing to create anything tangible. His opposite winger, Sylvain Marveaux, was largely anonymous, while Hatem Ben Arfa looked rusty on his return from injury. Moussa Sissoko was oddly subdued.

Yanga-Mbiwa the anchor
On a day Newcastle fans learned that Fabricio Coloccini could miss up to seven weeks with two broken bones in his back, they were at least treated to an impressive performance from the man who figures to replace him in the starting lineup next season.

Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa bounced back from a less assured showing at Swansea by commanding the backline and winning ball after ball. His ability to bring the ball out of the back adds another dimension to Newcastle's game, although he'll have to pick his spots.

The mobility of Yanga-Mbiwa and James Perch, a somewhat surprising pick by Pardew at center back, also took pressure off fullbacks Danny Simpson and Massadio Haidara.

Competition at left back?
And, speaking of Haidara, the young Frenchman once again impressed on the road in Europe. He added width and a speedy option on the left flank when United was in possession and looked confident for the most part when defending.

The 20-year-old only has two games under his belt, so we shouldn't yet get carried away. But if he keeps this up, at some point he deserves a look in Premier League play — particularly if Davide Santon can't bounce back to the form he showed earlier in the season.

One of Newcastle's problems going forward this season has been a lack of width, and Haidara could help solve that.

Let's Play Two: Lineups For Anzhi And Stoke

(Edited at 9:19 am EST to reflect correct travel roster. See my initial thoughts and corrections below.)

When we last helped Alan Pardew manage his roster for a European trip, all eyes were on the imminent return of Hatem Ben Arfa. Two weeks later, Ben Arfa is still not back from his hamstring injury. But he's virtually guaranteed to play a part in either tomorrow's visit to Moscow or Sunday's home match against Stoke. Who else should Pardew include in his starting lineups? Let's step in the manager's shoes once more.

vs. Anzhi Makhachkala (in Moscow): With Fabricio Coloccini ruled out because of the artificial surface at Luzhniki Stadium, Pardew has one big decision to make - play or rest Davide Santon? Given the performances of Massadio Haïdara and Danny Simpson against Metalist, I'd save the slumping Santon for Sunday. Hopefully Steven Taylor and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa have worked with Rob Elliot on their backpasses, which were a persistent problem on Saturday against Swansea.

In the midfield, Pardew's claim that the Moscow turf favors Newcastle's technical players would seem to favor Vurnon Anita over Cheick Tioté. We've yet to see a three-man midfield with Anita and Cabaye in holding roles, and this may be a great time to try it out. Moussa Sissoko will continue to reprise his number 10 role. He may well need a rest at some point, but with the club's focus on making waves in Europe, that rest shouldn't come tomorrow.

The continued inconsistency of Papiss Cissé has seen some fans calling for Shola Ameobi to start. True, Ameobi does seem to reserve his best work for Europe (and Sunderland), but he's still generally more effective as a 30-minute player. The big question mark up front is obviously Ben Arfa. No one truly knows his fitness situation except the coaches and trainers, but it would be awfully surprising to see him start. Expect Sylvain Marveaux and Jonás Gutiérrez to flank Cissé instead, with Ben Arfa on for Marveaux on the hour in virtually any match situation. He's just as useful as a counterattacking outlet as he is when Newcastle is chasing the game.

edit: Eagle-eyed alanthedog963 correctly points out that Cissé and Gutiérrez didn't travel to Moscow. With the forward options already limited by Yoan Gouffran's ineligibility, it's surprising that Cissé wouldn't make the trip. That means it'll be Ameobi up front for sure, and a very big decision to be made about Ben Arfa. If he's fit to play 90 minutes, I'd certainly start him. If he's not - and he probably isn't - Gabriel Obertan isn't an awful choice, with Ben Arfa to replace either he or Marveaux in the second half.

vs. Stoke: Having rested Santon and Mathieu Debuchy against Anzhi, both fullbacks should be back in the lineup at St. James' Park, with Taylor and Yanga-Mbiwa probably playing both matches. Coloccini may be back in the mix, but there's no longer a need to hurry him back from injuries because of the depth at center back. Besides, the Taylor/Yanga-Mbiwa pairing is probably best equipped to handle Stoke's air-oriented attack.

Tioté has continued to let his hair do the talking in recent weeks, putting in another good performance against Swansea. With the fouling element of his game erased by an early yellow card, he played under remarkable control in the second half, showing some nice passing ability and movement as well. He and Cabaye should dominate a fairly pedestrian Stoke midfield, helped by the size, strength, and speed of Sissoko. If that trio plays as well as they did on Saturday, it could be a very long afternoon for Tony Pulis and company.

Pardew has been willing to start Cissé twice a week in the past, and if he shows no ill effects from Thursday's match, he may as well play again. The additional match time may help sharpen him up. The second-half chance he missed against Swansea is one he'd really like to have back, as it's exactly the setup he wants - no time to think, the ball coming to him for a half-volley. 

Sunday's match should also see Ben Arfa return to the starting eleven. He absolutely embarrassed Stoke at St. James' Park last season and can do just as much damage this year. With Yoan Gouffran starting on the left wing, Newcastle has a mobile front three that can terrorize any defense. If the public address announcer reads out Cissé, Ben Arfa, and Gouffran in the starting lineup Sunday, the stadium will erupt.

My suggestions - take notes, Mr. Pardew (edited to reflect travel roster).

vs. Anzhi (4-2-3-1): Elliot; Simpson, Taylor, Yanga-Mbiwa, Haïdara; Cabaye, Anita; Marveaux, Sissoko, Obertan; Ameobi.

vs. Stoke (4-2-3-1): Elliot; Debuchy, Taylor, Yanga-Mbiwa, Santon; Cabaye, Tioté; Ben Arfa, Sissoko, Gouffran; Cissé.