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Negative Newcastle Roll Over For Manchester City

11 years ago
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Manchester City 4 Newcastle United 0
Saturday 30 March 3pm

Can you remember many times that playing negatively has ever done Newcastle any favours?

I can recall the odd match such as fighting draws against Arsenal when Dyer scored and away at Chelsea in the relegation season but rarely does it serve any useful purpose.

Speaking of Gabriel Obertan…what possible use is he?

There seems to be a pattern of him playing dismally and getting dropped, then a month or two later he is suddenly back in the team, I know we had injuries today but I despair when I see him on the pitch.

You could say that United did ok for forty or so minutes but I think it was as much down top City’s acceptance of their neighbours having already won the title, than anything Newcastle contributed.

Having said that, the defence stood up well as the midfield dropped right back on top of them, giving City every encouragement to camp around our box and you just knew the incisive pass would come at some time.

While Newcastle aimlessly hoofed it forward to zero effect, Cisse did strike the post from an acute angle from a lovely Anita floated pass.

That though was about it before the game was over as a contest, Obertan failing to get back on his man whose low cross was met by Tevez at the far post with Elliot maybe not making the best effort to try and intercept, though the damage was probably already done.

That was Newcastle’s negative tactics beaten and Silva then found space to lash in a second on the stroke of half-time.

Perch for Obertan saw Newcastle start the second half brightly and a couple of half chances were topped by a Cabaye/Sissoko one two that our captain put inches past the post.

City of course then go up the other end and get a cheap deflected goal from a corner and it is four with over twenty minutes left, Elliot beaten by Toure at his near post.

A defeat was possibly predictable but Alan Pardew may reflect on the negative tactics that were almost certainly only going to bring on that one outcome.

Full match report to follow.

Manchester City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany (Garcia 74), Lescott, Clichy, Barry, Toure, Silva (Sinclair 83), Nasri (Aguero 71), Tevez, Dzeko

Newcastle United: Elliot, Simpson, Mapou, Taylor, Gutierrez, Anita, Cabaye (Bigirimana 74), Gouffran (Gosling 63), Sissoko, Obertan (Perch 46), Cisse

Unused Subs: Harper, Good, Marveaux, Campbell

Ref: Neil Swarbrick

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