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Newcastle United – Needing A Defence To Match The Attack?

12 years ago
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Newcastle United started strongly and finished almost irresistibly.

If only we had a defence to match our attack; where Ba, Cisse and Ben Arfa look as potent as any in the premiership.

Too often the defending is desperate and when it cracks it is catastrophic – as it was at Fulham, Spurs, Wigan and home to Chelsea.

These bad results are reflected in a poor goal difference which in a tight group at the top could have been crucial.

I could and would have been worse but for Tim Krul’s blocking and shot stopping. Mike Williamson’s lack of pace and Colo’s physical shortcomings often see them defending frantically, bobbing about like corks in a stormy sea before being submerged.

Two typical examples of their weaknesses were against Wigan; Williamson was outjumped by the much smaller Voctor Moses and Coloccini miskicked a clearance straight to the same player, costing us the first two goals.

At home to Stoke we could also have been two goals down due to Colo’s slack marking if it hadn’t been for Stoke’s poor finishing (as Tony Pulis pointed out post-match) before riding out easy winners thanks to the strong finishing of Cabaye and Cisse.

We have seen a similar pattern in other games where we have been outplayed but scored great goals from only a few chances, such is the brilliance of finishing by Cisse, Ben Arfa and Demba Ba (earlier in the season).

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