Three Points: Crystal Palace Whitewashing

Our trio of takeaways from Newcastle United's 3-0 whipping of Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday:

Rampant Debuchery. In his post-match interview Alan Pardew singled out Yohan Cabaye as the club's "X factor," but there was nothing unnameable about the way Mathieu Debuchy ruled his lane front-to-back in another scintillating performance. Debuchy has a long reputation from France as a threat coming forward, but his lapses on defense and the rough edges in his passing game appear to have been rounded off in recent weeks. He runs a lot of interference for Cabaye and Moussa Sissoko and whoever else might be visiting the right side, and he's becoming a steady duel-winner - 6 out of 9 on Saturday. Like the rest of his team, Debuchy appears to be benefiting from a consistent role and developing an identity. This is the player we dreamed he might be when he rode a wave of promise to England, and he might well get better still. Debuchy looks like a star in the making.

Confidence and control. High hopes from a good run of form, an opponent desperate to battle away from the drop zone, poor conditions in a passionate away ground - too often these are the key ingredients in a Newcastle disappointment. Which makes it all the more impressive how United maintained its chokehold on Saturday's match from start to finish. The Magpies racked up 70 percent possession in the first half and 67 percent overall, and while possession can be misleading, on Saturday it yielded a Swansea-esque 576 passes with a sizzling 84 percent completion rate (to Palace's 270 and 67). It wasn't passing for passing's sake, either - Newcastle went for the long bomb when it was there, and made enough promising runs to score another couple of goals. If you judge a Europe contender by the way it puts away inferior competition, Newcastle looked like one Saturday.

A festive holiday table. In case you're wondering whether this club is for real or as good as the Europa qualifiers two years ago, note: At this point of the season that eventual fifth-place club had three fewer points, one fewer goal scored and the same number conceded, with a tougher set of matches left to finish the first half. Last season Newcastle hit its current 30-point mark in March. It's not hard to come up with reasons for the rise in form. This team is generating more chances than any since Pardew's arrival, converting them at a solid clip, and finding steady combinations at the midfield and back that aren't easily picked apart on runs and counters. More than sugarplums ought to be dancing in the heads of Newcastle fans as they drift to sleep this Christmas season.

Comments

[Pedro]

Excellent away performance, and there's no easy ones in the premiership.
If we can replace Shola with a Ba or a Lukaku type player, maybe Gomis (or Cisse of old) then we could seriously have a run at a champions league place.

[cg]

+1 and then some on Debuchy. He has been real class lately.

[Wor Jackie]

All we need for Christmas is Ba

[MNTOONARMY9]

I vote for the yellow kits at all away matches.

I'd like to see us bring in a striker we'll be keeping for more than just a season assuming Remy is a rental. Getting another "good buy" (think 3.5M for Tiote) would be good since there is a fair chance of European football next season and a bit of work in January might make us less harried in the summer.

[JeffC]

Agree, with Pedro, there are no easy ones. But, I for one am glad our Christmas program doesn't include Manu, Arsenal, Everton and Citeh this year like it did last.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RteH-tR9Uvk&feature=youtu.be

[jaeger]

looking ahead to stoke tiote is suspended, keeps anita in the line up.. im guessing we go 4-4-2 with shola and remy up top.. although I throw this lineup into consideration and up for debate, to give some players rest leading up to arsenal which is a huge match.

------------krul
debuchy---MYM---colo----haidara
---sissoko----anita---
HBA------cabaye-------gouffy
-----------cisse----

[M]

I agree that some degree of squad rotation for the visit of Stoke would be prudent... but we should try to replace like for like and avoid disrupting the current balance of the side. We should generally keep the 'Shola/2nd ball randomness approach' for specific opponents or as a 2nd option late in games.

If Jonas is match-fit, I'd stick him in Tiote's place and agree with Jaeger that Haidara deserves a spot. Also, I hope we can find a place for HBA (Gouf or Sissoko on the bench, perhaps?)