The Selection Question: A Conversation

Since Selection has been a hot topic recently with the addition of some new players, RKW and I decided to sit down and talk about what the best course of action might be. Tell us in the comments what you think about what your Starting XI would look like.

Robert: So we've already set the stage in previous posts: Hughton has brought in several players, but the ones we already had have been doing some good work on their one. Obviously James Perch is somebody that was added early in the transfer window and has been contributing already, but what about these other guys who have never put on a Newcastle jersey before? Where do you put them? Who do you sit so they'll have room to play?

RKW: Well I guess the easiest way to approach the topic is to start with a Starting XI. As it is right now I think our best 11 on the field looks like this:
|------------------------------------Harper----------------------------------|
|-------------Perch---------Colo------------Willo-----------Jose-----------|
|-------------------------Barton------------Nolan---------------------------|
|-----------Routlege----------------------------------------Jonas-----------|
|------------------------------------HBA-------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------Big Andy-----------------------------------|

I realize this leaves us without a Defensive Midfielder, but I think you have to see if Barton and Nolan can do the work without getting in too much card trouble.

Robert: I think your omission of a defensive midfielder is interesting, but let's get to that in a second. Right now I see that HBA is the only new guy to crack your Starting XI, and you've bumped Nolan back. Is this more a result of what you think HBA can do, or a referendum on Nolan's work in his current position?

RKW: Well, everyone has been so good it's hard to pick on performance. So it's really more of where I think the great skill set of HBA can be best worked into our system. As he said recently, he wants to be the guy supplying ammunition to Andy. I like that idea very much, and I think he can do more in the middle than out on the right.

Robert: What do you think of this idea of sitting Barton since he already has several cards, and going from there once you've seen what you've got in these new players?

RKW: I like the fact that we have enough flexibility to have a quick replacement for Joey when he does serve his suspensions, and believe me he will. But, I don't like the idea of benching him like you would a basketball player in foul trouble. He's played so well and seems to have adjusted his attitude to avoid the outburst problems of the past, and I don't want to give him any reason to think we aren't 100% behind the new and improved Joey Barton - well, except for the mustache, we were glad to see that go.

Robert: No doubt. I've been thinking about this a lot, and I think I agree with you. If Joey were to sit now, it would almost be as if Hughton were doubling his suspension, since we seem to be in agreement that he will reach that suspension threshold. Might as well get some games from him while we can. What I'm struggling with the most is that I don't think he should sit, but really, who should? If you move Alan Smith out, you lose that defensive presence that you need in midfield as a result of Jose Enrique and Joey Barton (and occasionally even James Perch) creeping up toward the goal. Tiote is a defensive midfielder as well, but I see him more as a guy who can spell Smith when he needs it, rather than as a pure replacement. You can't replace your captain, so as much as it pains me to say it, maybe Routledge is the guy who needs to take a seat to make room for HBA. What do you think about that?

RKW: I see the whole midfield as a liquid entity. I think you go all offense now, but it's really an experiment, isn't it? If Barton and Nolan can't defend well enough or we see Barton getting carded for ticky tack stuff, we'll have to reevaluate. I see Tiote/Smith as a switch out based on the needs of the game. If you need that physicality that Tiote is said to bring then you go with him, but if you need the pace and crafty-ness of Smith you go with him. As long as Routledge keeps playing like he is I can't see him being on the bench. But if he does have a rough spell, Barton can play out there, then you can get that defensive MF back in the game. I guess my point is you have to at leas try out the all offensive MF since our back 4 have been playing so strong.

Robert: Speaking of the Back 4, do you think Campbell should get some playing time this Saturday? I think I'd like to see him come in as a late replacement, and for whom would obviously depend on the game situation. What are your thoughts?

RKW: I don't give him the starting job yet, not with Colo and Williamson playing so well, but I would like to see him in relief of someone. He's fit and I think that means he should get some time. If everything goes right on Saturday I think we could end up seeing every one of our new players, at least all the uninjured.

Robert: I was thinking the same thing, though I would be prepared not to see one of them since Andy Carroll may need a sub. I'd like to see him play 70 or so minutes, and in a perfect world, we'd have a comfortable lead at that point and can put Shola or Lovenkraands in there to play out the rest of the game. With that in mind, here's my Starting XI:

|---------------------------Harper-------------------------|
|------Perch---------Willo----------Colo-------Enrique-----|
|------------------Barton------------Smith-----------------|
|--------HBA---------------------------------Jonas---------|
|--------------------------Nolan---------------------------|
|-------------------------Carroll--------------------------|

As I said, Shola or Peter would be ready to come in for Carroll, with Routledge also coming off the bench to replace HBA if it looks like the offensive chemistry is lacking. Tiote could come in for Smith, or Campbell could replace one of the defenders if their form is off. Obviously you want to be flexible with your subs, but I like trying to keep as much chemistry going as possible and I think this would accomplish that. Anything to add?

RKW: Well, we agree on the 4-4-1-1.

Robert: Yes, I would think that Hughton would want to keep the shape that has worked so far.

RKW: Routledge has been soooo good though. Ugh, this is a problem every manager wants to have. If I really think hard about what I believe Hoots will actually do, I think he'll stay with the starting 11 that have been so good over the first 3 games, and take a look at the new guys if and when we get the game under control.

Robert: I certainly wouldn't fault him for it. Sometimes you have to rely on the people that have gotten you where you are. If that were to happen, I would hope that the supporters would demonstrate some patience. It's really tempting to get out those shiny new toys and see what they can do, but if the same XI is going to be effective, I see no reason to change a winning formula.

RKW: Yeah, I'm right there with you, but I do think that if The Toon Army doesn't get to see Hatem Ben Arfa at St. James on Saturday there might be a riot. The game is almost sold out save for 700 seats the Seasiders can't move, and you have to think those folks want to see some of that flashy midfield work that has HBA all over the Youtube Highlight Video.

Robert: Very true. I have to believe, though, that winning will go a long way toward quelling any sort of personnel protests. The bottom line is that if the result is right, we'll all be singing Hughton's praises on Sunday, no matter who he puts out there.

RKW: Agreed, 3 points will buy our patience. I really do think Hoots will send the same 11 out there, and I really do think that that 11 will be up 2-0 at the half. That will give us the whole second half to see the stylings of HBA.

Howay the Lads!

Tactical Match Review: Week 3

Going forward, we will be publishing two match reviews each week: one pretty soon after the match that will mostly concentrate on the story, and one at mid-week that will mostly concentrate on tactics. Since we had a two week break, we held the first mid-week review until today. We of course solicit your suggestions on how to improve this and other features here at CHN.

Going into this week's match against the Wolves, Chris Hughton didn't have very many decisions to make. His squad had just gotten done thrashing Aston Villa 6-0, so there was little question that he would trot out the same Starting XI and the same formation.

In the 4-4-1-1, funneling crosses into the middle is key. You won't see the Magpies take very many shots from strange angles, and this week was no exception. Nearly all of the 13 shots taken were close-range shots from the middle of the box created by long-range crosses from the outside. Unfortunately, the only ones getting through were coming from the right side, as Jonas Gutierrez and Jose Enrique were completely shut down on the left by Kevin Foley and Jody Craddock. Wayne Routledge, on the other hand, was extremely dangerous. His pace was troubling to the Wolf midfield and defense, and he came very close to connecting with Kevin Nolan twice. Routledge and Nolan were supported by Joey Barton who overcame several malicious challenges to be an offensive threat as well. Also supporting effectively was James Perch, who himself swung an effective cross to Andy Carroll that he was unable to get a good touch on. Carroll was a bit of an enigma. His goal on the Barton set piece made up for his egregious miss toward the end of the first half, but one can't help but wonder if it should have been a final of 2-1.

Defensively, The Toon were solid once again, save for the one lapse that led to Sylvain Ebanks-Blake's spectacular goal. There's not much to say about Steve Harper; the only shot that Wolverhampton got on target was the aforementioned goal, and there's not much you could have expected Harper to do in that situation. Perch did his best to play the ball, but with a striker to his right you can understand his hesitancy to get in front of the shot. It does seem that Mike Williamson might have been a tad bit out of position, but I think you can chalk the goal up to Ebanks-Blake simply exploiting a small gap. Aside from that momentary lapse, the only other moment that seems to stand out is the Perch tackle in the box that wasn't called. It was a risky move that paid off, but it wasn't necessary and he would do well to avoid dependence on the referee's generosity in the future. It should be mentioned that Alan Smith did well in support. He won several 50-50 balls and made key tackles down the stretch.

Passing Triangles

My Man of the Match: #7 Joey Barton
Best Passing Percentage: #10 Wayne Routledge (32/34)
Best Shooting Percentage: #4 Kevin Nolan (3/4)
Most Interceptions: #17 Alan Smith (4)
Most Successful Tackles: #6 Mike Williamson (7)

Thinking About The Chelsea Draw

Yesterday, United drew Chelsea in Round 3 of the League Cup, suffering a setback in their hopes of advancing. The Magpies have faced Chelsea 4 times in LC competition, losing all 4 matches, including most recently in the 5th round in 2006-07. Since Chelsea is the class of the Premiership at this point in time, I don't expect a different result this time around. But if you'll allow me to blow some smoke, I've got a couple of reasons why you shouldn't write that L on your fixture list in permanent marker.

Not so fast - The Magpies haven't been eliminated yet.

First, check the fixtures for both teams. For one thing, Chelsea has a total of 2 days less than NUFC to rest up. The Toon plays on the 18th and the 26th, while The Blues are forced to play on the 19th and 25th. This makes it more likely that Chelsea plays their scrubs. Look also at the quality of opponents following the match: Chelsea is going to rest up for a showdown with Manchester City. Newcastle has the fortune of facing Stoke City - very fortunate indeed.

Chelsea will be quite happy to overlook this game, and I'll be okay with it if Hughton tries to topple the giant by throwing out a more hearty lineup than the one we saw in Accrington. Many don't care about the League Cup, but the little bit of confidence that could come from a positive result would be well worth having a player or two play multiple games in a week. This team is still facing questions about being Premiership-ready from the press, so you have to take any chance you get to put those concerns to rest, if only for the psyche of the players.

Am I predicting a win at Stamford Bridge? Certainly not. However, this game is more winnable than it appears on the surface.

QuickPost: Video of NUFC vs. Wolves Goals

Vpod Videos of both goals from Saturday's draw at Wolves.

Match Review: Wolves 1-1 Newcastle

Goals:
Ebanks-Blake, 43
Carroll, 62

MotM: Joey Barton

Yellow to Perch, Nolan, Carroll, and Ameobi

Referee: Stewart Atwell

Attendance: 27,745











Rosters courtesy of premierleague.com

When the Premier League fixtures were announced and the Toon Army got a look at what it might look like to be a top flight team again, a three-tiered test at the outset of the season became quite evident. The Magpies were to start away against one of the Big Four, then at home against a mid-tier team that did very well for itself last season, finishing Top 6, and then away against a fringe relegation candidate. Supposedly this three-game stretch was going to let all of us know where we stand in the Premiership, as if you can ever tell anything from three games.

A loss, a draw, and a win through those 3 games would have sat just fine with me if you would have asked me at the outset, and it turns out that's what we got. It just so happens that the lopsided win came against an Aston Villa squad that seems to be struggling to find its identity, and the draw came against the Wolves, a team that it seems may have been written off unfairly by many.

So what do these results through 3 matches mean? Are we an upper-tier squad challenging for a spot in Europe? Certainly not. Are we a top half team, as the table seems to currently suggest (pending the rest of the weekend's results)? Don't forget, there is plenty of football left to be played. Are we fighting to stay out of the bottom 3? I'm inclined to think not, but a draw against the Wolves falls somewhat short of a confidence boost. The answer surely lies somewhere in between the last two options, which I think most Magpie supporters should be satisfied with given where we just came from.

Talking Points
* Are you disappointed in the result or happy to get out of there with a point?
* Happy with the Starting XI? What about the substitution (Ameobi for Carroll at 80'?)
* Carroll's card for dissent - fair or foul?
* Worried about Carroll's misses yet?
* Who had especially good form? Who had especially bad form?