Match Preview/Stats/Thread: Manchester Utd v Newcastle Utd
By Tyne-Talk
August 15 2010
Newcastle United travel to Old Trafford for the two team's first game of the 2010/11 season. With Manchester United looking to get off to a good start as their main rivals Chelsea stormed to the top of the league yesterday with 6 goals, Chris Hughton's men will be seeking 3 points to get their season off on a good footing.
Whilst Manchester United may have had a better pre-season result wise, Chris Hughton took the opportunity to bring in new talent and allow the younger squad members an opportunity to show why they should get a place in the team this season.
Newcastle United will be without new signing Dan Gosling who is expected to be out through injury (knee) until Christmas and Steven Taylor whose dislocated shoulder required surgery in pre-season keeping him out until October. Also sidelined are Leon Best and Danny Simpson who are both recovering from ankle injuries; Midfielder Alan Smith is also a doubt after picking up an ankle injury.
Manchester United start the season with several long term injuries, Owen Hargreaves, Anderson and Rio Ferdinand are all struggling to recover from knee problems.
Andy Carroll will begin the season wearing the No.9 shirt whilst it is likely that James Perch will start after a promising pre-season, but defender Sol Campbell is not expected to be fit for the opening game.
Fact: Newcastle United's last Premier League campaign started against Manchester United at Old Trafford which ended in a 1-1 score.
Fact: Newcastle United's last win at Old Trafford was in February 1972
yeah, got to play em sometime, lets show some fight and make sure we can take something positive into the next games we play, even if a win/draw is hard to imagine
I don't think subs are needed. Just better concentration & communication. Routledge & Perch both thought the other had the ball carrier and just shut off before the pass into the box that led to the second goal-pathetic. It was a single moment that opened up the defense and nullified all the disciplined defending that was done before it.
For most of the half, we've played pretty well. The defending for the second goal and Carroll's miss from the corner are the difference in this game. And this is the Manchester United team that had Chelsea chasing shadows for long portions of last Sunday's game. Just sayin'...
Easier said than done but we are giving the ball away too cheaply. Right side isn our weakest but cant blame them to much. Thought Carrolls was harder to miss but at least he got the chance.
Poor decision by the ref on Barton and think the booking has affected him a bit.
Keep it the same and would like to see Loven on for Smith.
Scholes has been quality, and we should have had somebody on him. Thought the toon may have learnt the lesson from the Chelsea v Man U match, where he was involved in everything
Well ive seen us a lot worse down there. We looked together and parts of the performance should stand us well for the season.
I thought we were decent through the centre but were let down by the flanks. Jose and Rout were very poor but not having a go. End of the day it is probably the hardest match of the season apart from possibly Chelsea away.
Perch started shaky but did ok towards the end. Williamson was good against a good forward line.
Carroll was full of running but will need better service.
Perch seemed to be drawn in to the centre too often for my liking which gave Evra and Nani lots of time and space down the left hand side which wasn't helped by Routledge not tracking back loads. Though Perch did improve in the 2nd half.
Thought Coloccini looked much more assured than he did the last time in the Premiership, clearing up other's mistakes whilst being solid.
Carroll won a lot in the air and put himself about a bit which was good to see, should have scored that early header, but we seemed to beat them in the air a lot from the corners and crosses we did manage to get in.
Was just 90 minutes of them having a lot of possession really, think 2-0 would have been the right result.
I've seen us play much worse at Old Trafford with a better squad and come out embarassed from there, but there were some positives to take from tonight.
Sky Sports' love affair with Giggs and Scholes @#$%& me off more than anything else tonight. I know they're good players, but you don't have to ram it down my bloody throat.
In other news, I think there's grounds for optimism. There seemed to be more fight in the team than the one that got relegated, and we let in the same amount of goals that Chelsea did against them. We still need some quality service down the wings, Jonas seems to have left his final ball in the second half of last season, and Routledge didn't provide any real good crosses either. Some strikers and wingers please Mr Hughton.
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It wasn't a good performance by the toon, but as other said I think there are some positives from it. Carroll looks a threat against possibly the best team in the league, so he will get goals against some of the weaker teams. Colo and Williamson looked solid, and even though we conceded 3, they look like they could control some of the forwards in this league.
Routledge lacked the touch and final ball today, but not going to jump down on him as everybody can have a bad game. Wasn't one of Jonas and Enrique best games but then everybody can have a bad game.
Thought Barton did ok, Smith lacked the pace a bit, but was always willing to get in front of the ball. Nolan struggled at times to support Carroll and would be interesting to see with Lovernkrands pace if the flicks on will get him chances
Thought we tried to pass the ball around at times, and when we did and got into space I thought we looked half decent, but then we came under pressure and went the easy ball over the top for Carroll with no support.
Against the weaker teams hopefully we can try and pass it around and create Carroll with chances on the floor rather than in the air. Corner wise I think we will get a few as Carroll creates good space
Agree with you about Nolan v. Loven, TTID. Carroll won several flicks which a forward with pace may have gotten on to. Then again, with Nolan and Carroll in we won a lot of high balls-even against this defense.
Smith is off the pace-getting Guthrie back into the side should help with that.
Hard to take too much away from this game. We barely saw the ball. Howay, bring on the next one.
Nolan needs to take more chances when there is a 5 man midfield and push up. Saying that thought either Smith and Barton need to do the same to cover the space that Nolan will leave.
We need to add pace in the midfield. Really like Guthrie but he lacks pace as well.
Guthrie isnt the fastest its true. But I think he is quick thinking in his passing and can hold onto the ball far better than Smith. Not many clubs have just clubbers playing the holding role. Most can put their foot on the ball as well.
tunyc Agree with you about Nolan v. Loven, TTID. Carroll won several flicks which a forward with pace may have gotten on to. Then again, with Nolan and Carroll in we won a lot of high balls-even against this defense.
In the air, I'd take Lovenkrands over Nolan. He's taller, jumps better, and rarely misses a header. Where Nolan surpasses Lovenkrands is in traffic. Nolan has a nicer first touch and a cooler finish. But if we can't control possession and start probing the box, then Nolan's advantage is lost.
I hear you about Loven's height but winning high balls in deep areas necessarily means doing so in traffic. Vidic was all over Nolan on Monday. Not sure Loven would have been able to do anything about that. But I'm all for giving him a look.
A 3 man midfield with Smith, Barton and Nolan more than likely will struggle, as they lack pace, yes they will get stuck in and have a go, but the only way it can work with those is getting the ball out quick to the wings and stretching the game.
Nolan needs to push further up the pitch, which means either Barton or Smith need to cover the pitch quicker. I think having Lovernkrands as the attacking midfielder role would work, as it will add the pace and still makes us play 4-5-1
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