Newcastle United v Manchester City Match Report – Pride But No Points

Sunday 6th May 2012 by

Howard Webb gets mixed up and books a City player!

Sunday 6 May 2012 1.30pm

Newcastle United 0
Manchester City 2

Newcastle United went toe to toe with the all but certain title winners and came out second best…but not by much.

A very tight first half saw very few clear chances but some excellent play from both teams, though the main action was in the middle of the pitch as the likes of Cabaye and Tiote went up against Silva and Toure on the sky blue side.

There were a handful of tense moments for us in the first forty five but the clearest chance came from a flowing move which ended with Cisse letting the ball run to Ba who arguably could and should have let it run on again to Ben Arfa. However, Ba tried to work an opening from only ten yards out and the ball rebounded to Ben Arfa’s whose right footed volley was well turned away by Hart.

Whether by accident or design, City were targeting our right side and that was where the likes of Silva’s clever little threaded balls were having most effect.

In contrast our biggest threat was often on the left side through Santon, who was possibly having his best match so far. Nasri causing him few problems at the back and the Italian full-back causing City plenty problems at the other end with his positive runs.

If indeed City go on to win the league then I think it will definitely have been built on their defence. Kompany leads a very rigid back line and with the likes of Barry in  front of them it makes for a solid, if at times less than exciting formation.

Ironically, almost immediately after Nasri was replaced by De Jong the breakthrough was made, Toure finding sapce to curl an effort beyond Krul from around twenty five yards.

The second half had gradually opened play up and from there on there were chances at both ends as substitutions flowed. Ferguson looked lively on the left while Shola again seems to give a different dimension as a late sub that he never gives when he starts.

Some loose play allowed Toure through on goal and as he approached Krul he did an ‘Andy Carroll’, an outrageous dive that would surely produce his second yellow from Howard Webb.

Not surprisingly it didn’t appear and any extra impetus was lost to those in black and white. As an extra cruel twist, Toure made sure on the stroke of ninety minutes and our destiny is not in our own hands.
Fifth at worst and top four if we beat Everton and Arsenal lose and/or Spurs don’t win.

A great season and a standing ovation for the players. You can’t win every week but it is great to see our players giving their all every match.

Newcastle United will never be defeated…but we will lose the odd match.

Newcastle United: Tim Krul, James Perch (Shane Ferguson 74), Mike Williamson, Fabricio Coloccini, Davide Santon, Hatem Ben Arfa (Shola Ameobi 74), Cheick Tiote (Ryan Taylor 82), Yohan Cabaye, Jonas Gutierrez, Demba Ba, Papiss Cisse

 Subs not used: Rob Elliot, Dan Gosling, Sylvain Marveaux, Gabriel Obertan

Manchester City: Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta, Vincent Kompany, Joleon Lescott, Gael Clichy, Gareth Barry, Yaya Toure, Samir Nasri (Nigel De Jong 62), Carlos Tevez (Edin Dzeko 70), David Silva (Micah Richards 85), Sergio Aguero

Subs not used: Costel Pantilimon, Aleksandar Kolarov, James Milner, Adam Johnson

Referee: Howard Webb

Attendance: 52,389

  • Jwaskiw22

    biased of course. you ere alwaysecond best.

    never looked like winning.

    good luck for fourth

  • john wilson

    You forgot to mention you lot were second best throughout.

  • Brontosaurus

    You’re too kind, it could, maybe should have been more. We left large holes in our defence when Coloccini, Williamson and Santon went forward, sometimes all together. When Aguero nearly scored city’s second, they walked straight through the middle, with the 2 full backs playing them all onside. Tim Krul also never looked particularly confident today, and made a load of basic errors in the first half which we were lucky to escape.

    The midfield I felt was fairly good today. Tiote seemed reluctant to get stuck in after his booking, but made a few important tackles. Jonas had one of his best games of the season, and by far the best out of the last 10 or so. We’ve tried him in the centre of the park and at full back, but that didn’t work because he is a winger, nothing more, nothing less. Cabaye also played well and would have picked up more assists were it not for great (and sometimes lucky) defending to make crucial interceptions.

    Up front, we were unable to break through the defence. City were clearly focused on stopping Cisse from getting through, so he was barely able to get a shot in. Ba was dissapointing and seemed more interested in getting himself back on the score sheet than doing what was best for the team. Ben Arfa also played a little selfishly, though not as much as Ba, like he always does, but more than anything he just seemed to be having a bit of an off day.

    I was again dissapointed with what Pardew was doing. He played an attacking line up but for most of the first half we barely tried to launch an attack. City already knew this, of course, because he announced the line up yesterday. Another fault was the teams apparent confusion at what the system in place was, if there even was one. Ben Arfa wasn’t ever really sure whether he was in midfield as a 4-4-2 or up top in a 4-3-3, although Cabaye and Tiote both seemed to stick in the middle. When we went 1 down, Pardew seemed to give up, bringing on Shola and Ferguson. While Ben Arfa had a poor game, he still had potential to have a single moment of magic, which is something we desperately needed. Tiote also needed to come off and was lucky to stay on the field, but Obertan or Marveaux would’ve been better options. Pardew never seems ambitious enough from me and it’s no coincidence that we’ve never won a game after going behind.

    • 2Tone

      I was at the match today to celebrate a brilliant season. Why were you there?? With the insight you’ve just shown I realise why you aren’t  the Top Team manager you think you are. You talk shite.

      • Tone Army

        Well said that man..

        heard a few moaners today & I honestly cannot understand their mentality, how can you not be happy?? we are still realisticaly in with a shout of CL football, we played well today but ultimately were undone by a very capable side, nothing to be ashamed of at all, you (moaners) should be ashamed of your shit support of a team that deserved the roar and the ovation they received from the true fans who fully appreciate what they have seen this season.

    • Alex

       Many awards are handed out at the end of the season. For your post, you’ve just won “2011-2012 – Biggest Load of Tripe Award”.

  • Brontosaurus

    “Fifth at worst and top four if we beat Everton and Arsenal lose and/or Spurs don’t win.”
    Also, we’ll finish 6th if we lose to Everton and Chelski beat Liverpool and Blackburn.

  • Richard

    sapnin my fellow magpie friends.. i think we would be better playing a 4-3-1-2 as i dont think ba is good enough on the wing and i think if u are gonna play them both u have to have them doing the same job or have one as super sub and put someone more creative on the wing.
    something along these lines…

    —————krul————–
    simpson–colo–willo–santon
    —-cabaye–titoe–gutierez—
    ————benarfa————-
    ——–cisse——–ba———–
    or..
    —————krul————–
    simpson–colo–willo–perch
    —-cabaye–titoe–gutierez—
    benarfa—–cisse——santon
    ba 4 cisse to bang in some more :)

    let me know what ya think????

  • Mal

    I thought we put up a gallant performance but City just had that extra bit of class, though if we could have got the first goal it might have been different. The game swung on the substitution when De Jong came on and Toure was moved further upfield – that guy (Toure) is an unbelievable player. Whatever happens at Everton the team, manager and staff deserve tremendous credit for the season they’ve given us although we would obviously have done a lot better if Brontosaurus had been manager. 

  • Al

    I think if guys like you and Brontosaurus were half as smart as you think you are, then there wouldn’t be work for miracle-workers like Alan Pardew.

    Really proud of the lads today.

    As for the Citeh lads – your club may have risen to the top of the English tree without even a hint of dignity or class, but you guys have always had the option of trying to keep hold of yours.

    You remind everyone of the Chelsea fans of 5 or 6 years ago and it is fitting that Citeh have stolen their mantle of least popular club and most pathetic fans.

    The whole country will collectively piss itself if QPR nick a point next Sunday.

  • bb

    Al you r a complete dick  i pissed myself reading your pathetic inferior comments lol

    • 2Tone

      If all you wanted to do was come on to another fans website to show what a complete tosser you are, well done, you succeded. Now f**k off back to Moss Side and shag your sister.

  • Al

    truth hurts for you bb? do you never wonder why the rest of the country is rooting for Man Utd? Piss yourself all you like and put this down to my inferiority complex if it makes you feel better, but I tell you, I don’t know of one Newcastle fan who is envious of your situation however many trophies you amass over the next few years. Lepers!!

  • Peterelittle

    At the end of the day 1 game to go and still with a slight chance of CLF who would have thought it back in August ? what a great season we have had 

  • Peterelittle

    only rooting for Newcastle 

  • Georie

    This season I think our success has been built on not worrying about how much possesion our opponents have but having two quality strikers who will make the most of any chances that come their way – Swansea away the classic example. I thought Demba had 2 clear cut chances which he would have stuck away early in the season – a confidence problem perhaps?

    This season has been amazing and it’s incredible to think we’ll be ever so slightly disappointed to ‘only’ qualify for the Europa League.

    The difference between the sides was that Citeh had a ‘Plan B’ – to bring De Jong on and push Yaya forward as they did against MU - that’s what ultimately won them the game. Unfortunately I think we’re the only team in the top 6 whose first 11 picks itself so some canny buys are needed in the summer. We can’t expect the likes of Cabaye & Tiote to carry us through what could turn out to be a 50+ game season, and Raylor & Gosling unfortunately aren’t the answer. MA has to give AP the backing he deserves after the unbelievable job he’s done this year with the limited resources at his disposal.

    Lets not forget the money that the likes of Citeh & Liverpool have spent on their teams – Toure alone cost almost the same as our entire team and although they were the better side, there wasn’t a huge amount in it.

  • Juniorchubbs

    good performance from the lads

    bizarre decisions from the god forsaken ref

    two good goals from toure who is a beast

    but still, foreign fans coming on here because their own fan sites are pathetic, please get a life

    trololololololol

  • Chris Ward

    I found this the most appropriate article…

    What an utter cock the Citeh fan was in the most current Mag. And he thinks City are the most liked team in the country? Hahah