The fact that Newcastle have 6 central midfielders missing today with Faye, Geremi, Butt, Barton, Emre and Smith all missing for different reasons, tells the story of the first half.
Bolton are winning the midfield battle and are seeing far too much possession, from a Magpies viewpoint.
David Rozehnal and and Charles N’Zogbia are not dominant in midfield, and Bolton ate getting the better of them. Also, Newcastle are giving the ball away when they do get possession, which hasn’t helped things.
Newcastle are not moving the ball quickly enough, and there have been no real chances for either team in the first half.
Keegan will probably want to change things around at half time, and perhaps Duff’s greater experience would see him employed better in central midfield. The Zog could then switch to the left wing. But Bolton Wanderers have to had far too much possession in the first half for Newcastle’s liking.
Bolton are working very hard, and playing well as they crowd Newcastle when the Magpies do get the ball. The back four for Newcastle are playing very solidly, with Enrique again catching the eye. Jose looks confident and strong on the ball. This boy looks a good future prospect.
Charles N’Zogbia is not having a very good game so far, but Newcastle can still win this game but need to shake things up in the second half. We also seem to have no penetration up front, and the fact we have scored just one goal in our last 4 league games, which we have lost, is also showing though in the first half. A goal for the Magpies would lighten things up, and electrify the capacity crowd, who have been very patient in the first 45 minutes.
Gaining control of central midfield, somehow, in the second half will be the key to winning this game.
Comments welcome.
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67 responses so far ↓
1 MattyDread // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:10
Get Shola off and put big Andy on.
2 ObaFan2 // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:11
The commentator on star sports channel is a complete prat, every chance he gets he’s calling the team and the fans!
Duff aint on his game yet but Megson has got his team well organised and working hard.
Defense looking better !
3 thelongshanks // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:12
i agree with ameobi/carroll switch id say intro of lua lua on 60/70min will be good.
4 Howie // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:12
shola looks like he couldnt care. a shame emre is susoended perfect game for him
5 MattyDread // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:13
Who thinks we should of had a penalty?
6 Howie // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:14
not a peno for me on either occassion
7 trojan615 // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:16
roza is out of his depth . . . . shola looks terrible . . bring on carrol / lua lua
8 smc894 // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:17
Someone put the ball at Owens feet.
9 Latex // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:17
We’re really struggling, I don’t even know where I’d start from. The midfield needs to come alive, it’ll be a shame not to take all 3 points on KK’s first match back, a real shame and the players have only themselves to blame (at least so far).
Rozenhal seems to have found his true calling.
10 smc894 // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:18
Roz is playing well for mine.
11 ObaFan2 // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:18
Shola’s big chance and he’s blown it but our midfield is working hard but creating little and giving the ball away too easy but hey we’re still in it and we’ve got major problems with people missing.
Let’s see what effect the team talk has !
12 smc894 // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:19
PS Nolan is a twat
13 JJ // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:19
Ameobi has looked better than Owen.
14 Pete // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:20
Deffo not a pen on owen, and the handball would be harsh. So no, no real pen calls so far.
Performance is rusty, but slowly you can tell that they might be getting into gear.
Enrique is best player atm in my opinion, with ameobi slower than a sloth at starting something alongside owen. However, we should all know by now that ameobi has a knack of scoring goals from nothing randomly.
Im sure second half will pick up. 2-0 to the toon is my prediction
15 MattyDread // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:20
I’m sure KK’s half time team talk will motivate the players for the second half! But honestly I do think we’ll come good this half.
BTW JJ- I really can’t agree with that. Ameobi hasn’t looked better than anyone on the pitch. Including the ref.
16 Steve_48 // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:28
Promising period of attack, looks like the hair-dryer might have been out at half time…
Agree with all comments above lads, just seem to lack the cutting thrust we’d all like to see.
Crowd sounds awesome tonight
17 phoonCK // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:28
i can hear KING KEV ranting off in the dressing room. the team just lacked ideas and cant seem to make ONE decent attack move, let alone the flowing attacking football that KING KEV wants newcastle to play..
KING KEV will have much to do, after the team was left in turmoil by the Souless Souness, and from then onwards its ‘down’..
hope to see a better 2nd half.
HOWAY the LADS
18 Kevin // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:29
Seems like N’Zogbia is realizing he’s got to be the stimulus for a win tonight. Hope he keeps pressing - he’s one of the few who’s looking fantastic.
19 phoonCK // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:29
but oh well, just not KING KEV’s luck to lose so many players in Beye, Faye, Martins, Geremi, Butt, Smith, Viduka and Emre..
Howay the Lads!!!
20 phoonCK // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:29
Carr’s doing well. decent performance. just take off Ameobi and put on either Caroll or Lua Lua..
21 Nev // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:30
bring on lualua and troisi … both are attacking players who will both be making prem debuts and want to make an impact !!
22 MattyDread // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:32
This ref is a joke
23 Pete // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:32
Dirty by nolan there. Also, i have changed my mind, ameobi is poo. Slow and doesnt seem to want to score today.
24 ObaFan2 // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:32
Ref should be wearing white too fgs !!!!!
25 Pete // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:35
btw i thought mike ashley said he was gonna stop wearing the toon shirt and start getting down to business?
26 MattyDread // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:37
Pete I think he just meant he wasn’t going to sit amongst the fans.
27 MattyDread // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:37
Bloody Ameobi. Take him off.
28 phoonCK // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:38
Ameobi’s SHIT!!!
29 Stevey // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:38
Nolan is dirty as hell
30 Steve_48 // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:39
THAT WAS BLOODY BRILLIANT, SOULDA HAD A PENALTY
Attacking football on the ground through the middle
Brilliant!
31 Pete // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:39
oh right, makes sense matty. and yer, someone else wudda finished that….darned ameobi.
Edit : nah that wasnt a pen steve lol, good tackle actually
32 MattyDread // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:42
Stece_48 I hope you’re not referring to the Ameobi chance.. he played for the penalty, it was a great tackle and never a penalty! But the build up was good…
Lol yeah Pete
33 Stevey // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:43
I like how Given has been playing the ball to feet
34 ObaFan2 // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:43
Curl him Campo?
35 Obafan // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:43
Rozehnal is really playing a good game as CDM. Come on guys break that wall down.
36 Steve_48 // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:44
The dodgiest perm in the Prem,
37 Die hard toon // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:44
Rozenhal look good in the middle of the park way better than Smith
38 MattyDread // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:46
He needs to make a change I reckon
39 phoonCK // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:50
Ameobi, SHIT and DIRTY!!!! Owen is soon disappearing.. or did he even turn up? Roz is doing VERY well and N’Zogbia is getting more involved now..
Newcastle finally starts to PLAY football
40 Pete // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:50
lol, ameobi is battering mitchelik…
Seriously tho, sub him KK
41 ObaFan2 // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:53
If only Milner could cross !!!!!!!!!
42 Steve_48 // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:53
Come on Milner, 3 attempts to get a corner….
43 Pete // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:55
boolton have made 3 subs….lol, injure a few bolton players!!!!
kdding, but milner is dissapointing me btw guys
44 ObaFan2 // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:56
Good Lualua
45 Kevin // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:57
Lua Lua looks VERY positive - Owen looks tired. If there’s a goal it’s going to have to come from midfield or a set piece
46 ObaFan2 // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:59
ooohhhhhhhhh
47 Tom_Toon // Jan 19, 2008 at 18:59
ameobi is better than owen. a disgrace to give him the armband.
48 Steve_48 // Jan 19, 2008 at 19:01
Ameobi: great play acting again mate
Come on lads last 5
49 phoonCK // Jan 19, 2008 at 19:04
a draw is a gd start for KING KEV’s era, considering he’s had so many 1st team players unavailable and had to field Roz in mid, Carr on right back, Ameobi in attack, Lua Lua coming into the fray etc.
i would say a draw isnt a bad start..
50 Stevey // Jan 19, 2008 at 19:06
Ameobi? Are you kidding me? He’s spent more time on his ass than on his feet
51 Steve_48 // Jan 19, 2008 at 19:07
Good job Shay turned up tonight
Hope the fans are forgiving tonight and the boo boys remain silenced
52 ObaFan2 // Jan 19, 2008 at 19:09
Ref absolutely terrible!
Defense had a good game, Roz in mf ok?
GG considering.
53 Nev // Jan 19, 2008 at 19:09
was that sam allardyce in disguise ?
54 Howie // Jan 19, 2008 at 19:12
not the result i was expecting but i had put some dosh on the 0-0 after all the hysteria
55 MattyDread // Jan 19, 2008 at 19:12
You’ve got to admit Bolton came with a game plan and it worked. What we’ve just witnessed is exactly what a game involving Bolton is all about. They aren’t interested in playing football. Their tactics were epitomised when Mcann left the pitch (eventually). He’ll always be a Mackem as far as I’m concerned.
56 Vitorbarbosa // Jan 19, 2008 at 19:14
We played well. The result is the only thing lack from this match. We controlled the 2nd half, without doubt but well, we aren’t creating much. Honestly, I enjoy watching the team played today compared to previous matches.
Maybe we lack of something…. confidence, creativity? I don’t know….
57 Howie // Jan 19, 2008 at 19:14
shockin tactics by bolton. at least keegan will realise we need a creative figure in midfield
58 smc894 // Jan 19, 2008 at 19:15
Once Keegan had a chat to the boys at the half we started moving forward and looked promising in parts of the play. If you want to judge Keegan on this performance coming into the job midweek with 6 central midfielders out you can f*%k off for all i care. Nothing lost nothing gained moving onto next week with atleast a squad to choose from hopefully.
59 phoonCK // Jan 19, 2008 at 19:15
well, at least we stopped at 4lost on the trot right? its a gd start, look at the positives.. clean sheets, missing 1st team players, bolton came with a plan to destroy the party and not play football, we dominated, we attacked, we PLAYED football..
KING KEV’s the Special One, but not GOD and will not have instant result. be patient. i believe this is the time to start believing..
~am stil in KEEGAN WONDERLAND
60 Die hard toon // Jan 19, 2008 at 19:15
Ameobi was crap stop playing for a PK. The team look like there were getting in gear as the game went long anyway Keegan only had 2days with the team
61 nufc9mad // Jan 19, 2008 at 19:16
tom_toon ur so full of shite like, how is ameobi better, u always come out with crap advertising players, and saying things totaly diffrent to reality jsut so ur diffrent to other people.
62 Howie // Jan 19, 2008 at 19:18
this season is a write off in my opinion. as soon as we get to 40 points this season i will be happy and then concentrate from the follwoing season
63 Vitorbarbosa // Jan 19, 2008 at 19:22
I have never thought our team will be threaten by relegation until this season. Everytime when we started badly, I know, we still can move up the table and achieve respectable position. But under BSA, the worry really came to me. We never play football except in a few matches, and don’t seems convincing at all.
Thank god. If today’s performance is the benchmark, 40 points is not a problem at all. Don’t write the season off, because this might be the beginning of a great era. An era started not when it’s at the top, it’s started at the bottom. Though people only remember great times, but hard work is being done in difficult times.
64 dragoner // Jan 19, 2008 at 19:56
owen put more effort into this one, but again looks rusty, he is supposed to finish half chances, thats why we got him
65 smithy // Jan 19, 2008 at 20:16
Newcastle 0 Bolton 0
LOVE IT JUST LOVE IT
LOL
66 Julie Foudy // Jan 19, 2008 at 22:12
Is it just me or does Keegan look like Dustin Hoffman, LOL?
67 Alan // Jan 20, 2008 at 5:49
Ameobi WAS much better than Owen. a little off the pace, but that’s to be expected considering this was his only first-team action all season. i can count on one hand number of times Owen touched the ball. Shola was busy, and i think looked promising if he can get another game or two in…
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