Sunday May 24th is Judgment day for Newcastle United. The end of a long, depressing season finally draws to a close with our Premier League status hanging in the balance. Win and relegation is avoided. Lose and we must look to Manchester United to provide a positive result against fellow relegation candidates Hull. The hopes and dreams of fans now depend on 90 minutes at St James’ Park. A final game shootout against Sam Allardyce’s West Ham United. Destiny is as mentioned in our own hands, which from the start is a positive. John Carver has 90 minutes in which to produce a result to appease fans. 2 wins since his appointment offers little room for optimism. I want to look at the game and offer a view on how I feel Newcastle can a battle tactically and come out on top.
West Ham United
West Ham United, under the tutelage of Sam Allardyce have had a season of two halves. Early season form saw them reach the higher echelons of the league, adopting a game plan with tempo and attacking freedom. A stark contrast from a usual Sam Allardyce team. After Xmas however performances dropped drastically, culminating in 3 wins since January 18th. Fans have became aggrieved at Allardyce reverting to his typical philosophy and latest rumors suggest he will be relieved of his duties during the summer.
Below is the starting XI selected by Allardyce during a 2-1 defeat to Everton. I want to analyze this team and examine the strengths and weaknesses.
Strengths
- Organized – Sam Allardyce’s teams are always well drilled and hard to break down. despite showing a 433 system the wide men will trackback creating a more compact, solid midfield defensively. This denys space and passing lanes.
- Physical – Another key attribute of an Allardyce system, many of the starting line up are above 6ft offering a big, physical presence. West Ham utilize the long ball frequently. Having tall, physically demanding players offers problems . Not only in 1st phase when attempting to win the aerial battle, but at second phase when trying to prevent the striker from bringing others into play.
- Cresswell has been in my opinion one of the signings of the season. A £4 million purchase from Championship side Ipswich, Cresswell has adapted quickly to the rigors of the Premier league. Capable of limiting threats because of his speed positional awareness, Cresswell offers a threat offensively one which much be nullified. Having scored against Newcastle earlier this season in a 1-0 win at Upton Park it highlights his potency offensively.
- Players – Loan signings Song and Jenkinson have integrated well into the squad. Large outlays on Valencia and Kouyate have seen West Ham enhance their squad with quality and vigor. Song provides a screen to the back 4, whilst also contributing creatively moving forward. Kouyate whilst still a young player, has shown a great attitude. Runs from deep into the penalty area have seen him score vital goals. His threat comes from his decision making and physical stature. He is not scared to mix it up, yet possess a finesse few people would expect. West Ham have a balanced squad, it should not be taken lightly.
Weaknesses
- Injuries – James Collins, James Tomkins, Andy Carroll, Guy Demel and Diafra Sakho look set to miss the fixture due to injury. Diafra Sakho notably is a big blow. Leading the way in scoring with 10 goals this season. Sakho has been relied upon to find the goals. With Sakho and Carroll missing West Ham have taken 15 goals from their team. Carlton Cole and Enner Valencia have combined for 7 goals between them. Collins, Tompkins and Demel missing, will create a large headache for Sam Allardyce. The defense will be forced to reshuffle. A shuffle in personnel can cause structural deficiencies. Selecting players not 100% accustomed to the position can leave the team badly exposed, something Newcastle can look to capitalize upon.
- 3 wins since Jan 18th has seen West Ham slide down the league table. Gone is the early season vigor and many of the players look like they are going through the motions. individual mistakes and basic errors have seen results and performances slip. Circulating reports Allardyce’s tenure as manager is about to end will do nothing to motivate the team. Song and Jenkinson will be returning to their parent clubs this summer as their loan agreements are finished. Winston Reid is out of contract and by all accounts targeting a move to pastures new. It makes me wonder how motivated this team is to get a result. No professional athlete would go out to intentionally lose a game, but I wonder if many have one eye on a summer holiday. Given the first team squad has not trained all week I would question how motivated they will be for this upcoming fixture.
My thoughts whilst many will think are crazy is Newcastle can win this fixture. Despite John Carver only acquiring two wins since taking over with. With the right approach this game can be won. Below is how I would set out Newcastle to gain the result.
What you will firstly see is a move away from the 433 Newcastle has operated all season. Whilst watching Newcastle I feel the system has offered nothing. We are neither positionally organized now creative and inventive offensively. Offense is slow and lethargic. Opponents easily organize defensively and limit the threat because we refuse to remove the shackles. A delivery into the penalty area will usually see only the lone striker within the penalty area. Given 5ft 10 Perez has been operating that role, deliveries into the area are easily dealt with by taller opposition centre backs.
My System offers a solution. In short it’s simplistic. Football is a simple game. Essentially it’s an adjusted 442 system. I am not a big fan of 442 as I believe its prehistoric and outdated. This however is different circumstances. With a squad lacking confidence it would be better to revert to something players understand coherently. Even the most layman of football fan can instantly recognize 442. 442 offers rigidity and structure. little thought and organization is needed in order to create a fully cohesive unit. Effectively two banks of 4 whilst defending and wide men providing the outlets to two strikers working in tandem offensively. Players understand their role both collectively and individually. Adjustments have to be made to avoid recent failings. Players have responsibilities which I will explain :
Goalkeeper
Tim Krul, despite being a Dutch international Goalkeeper has been very poor this season. He doesn’t instill a confidence. Many erratic performances this season has allowed fans to question whether it is worth retaining his services. My problem with Krul is he doesn’t command his penalty area. Krul is indecisive when dealing with set pieces. Crosses which he should look to claim are avoided. Being a shot stopper is not enough to constitute a good, modern day goalkeeper. Kruls distribution is also a key weakness. Since his Debut against Palermo, Kruls distribution especially kicking has been poor. He has never addressed those weaknesses. As shown against Spurs at White Hart Lane, 2 seasons ago, Krul gave a monstrous display of bravery and skill in keeping a clean sheet. Krul must have the confidence to remove danger. Claiming crosses and remaining focussed at all times will install a sense of trust and relief in his defenders. Krul must distribute well and avoid bringing unnecessary pressure due to poor kicking and service.
Defense
Defense has been a big problem all season for Newcastle. Conceding 63 goals is evidence we have severe weaknesses defensively. Organization appears the main problem. I believe many of these problems stem from selection of personnel. Mike Williamson has been the preferred partner of captain colo for the majority of the season. Williamson, putting it bluntly is not good enough for Newcastle United. Analyzing goals conceded this season and you will see Williamson has played his part in the failure in one form or another. He lacks the discipline to be a great defender. Too many occasions he allows himself to ball watch and be caught out of position. Despite his superior height advantage against opposition forwards he neither imposes himself nor limits their effect on the game. Lacking positional awareness and with very little mobility, Williamson is just not cut out to perform at the very highest level.
Not everything can be blamed at Williamson however. Captain Coloccini has for the most part been a shadow of his former self. In times of crisis you look to your leaders for inspiration. Colo has been not where to be seen. A dismissal earlier in the season at Everton had many questioning his desire to fight for the cause. In order to get a result on Sunday we need to see a notable improvement from the defense. Over the course of the season the defense don’t appear to play in unison. Colo has to control his defense and I feel retaining Dummett alongside him will offer more mobility. I have decided to include Anita. After being deployed at FB against WBA, Anita was one of the stand out performers. He never put a foot wrong all day. Whilst basic and simple in possession, he stuck to his task manfully and delivered a worthy display.
Both Full backs must be encouraged to get forward and offer support to wide men. Newcastle must command a defensive line which limits the impact of the route one, long ball. My theory would be to push to higher upfield. Carlton Cole doesn’t posses the speed to trouble defenders in behind so West Ham will look for him to hold the ball up and bring other into play. Pushing higher up the field is designed to ensure if a long ball is played into Cole he’s playing with a back to goal a long way from any threat and danger. Set pieces are a major concern. Newcastle look vulnerable to conceding every time an opposing set piece is delivered. Whilst many clubs deal the issue comfortably Newcastle turn the issue into a farce. Players must quickly assign themselves to a opponent, not allowing mismatches to be formed and maintain a line which moves together as unison. My idea would be to defend deeper. Allow the ball to be delivered into a dangerous area but have the personnel set up to deal with the incoming delivery. Having players dropping back and looking over their shoulders is not the scenario we need at this moment in time.
Midfield
Midfield has without doubt been the biggest problem at Newcastle this season. You can look at the lack of goals scored and the alarming rate in which we concede but my biggest gripe is in midfield. What does out midfield offer. The majority of the season has seen the midfield become anonymous. Largely due to John Carver’s insistence to play balls long at every opportunity. The midfield has been hugely underwhelming. Defensively the midfield offers no protection to an already vulnerable defense and goalkeeper. Opposition attackers have been able to ghost into the penalty area, unmarked and punish us because of a lack of purposeful marking from players in front of the defence.
My idea is to revert from the 3 we have adopted all season and move to 4. Colback in front of the back four will provide the screen needed. Sitting in allowing the fullbacks to marauder forward and offer Wideman support. Colback is to be a pivot. He must look to collect the ball from defenders and transition from defense to offense. Giving the defense an outlet to move the ball forward is vital. I don’t believe the long ball works at all. Given the physical stature of our strikers they aren’t attributed to this style of game. Colback must also remained disciplined. Too many times this season he has conceded unnecessary free kicks due to being rash. He must think and manage what he sees around him. If there is no immediate risk why upend the opponent? Hold him up and allow Newcastle to position themselves adequately to avert danger. Cabella, Perez and Sissoko will offer threat going forward. All three possess technical ability but it’s now time for them to deliver. Perez on the most part has been the standout performer. Cabella and Sissoko must also produce to a similar level.
Sissoko for the most part of the season is highly infuriating. The size and stature suggests he will be a powerhouse. What we’ve seen is entirely the opposite. A weak, uninterested coward has been on display in recent weeks. Sissoko needs to be aware of what’s around him. Too many times he will gain possession and just run aimlessly in a closed Avenue, squandering possession cheaply. Possession in the opposition half must be quicker more fluent and with purpose. We must look to stretch the play, pull players from their comfort zone and expose space in between the lines. Playing slow haphazardly allows teams to limit the potency. Perez will operate between the lines a find pockets of space but we must ensure he receives the ball. Without possession these thoughts are worthless. In short the midfield has to be disciplined and purposeful. When entering the field of Play Sunday they must look to be the driving force of the team. Disciplined and structured defensively whilst enigmatic and daring offensively.
Striker
It’s easy to see why Newcastle don’t score a lot of goals. The service to the strikers is second rate and that’s putting it nicely. I pity our strikers. They work tirelessly without much gain. Sunday this as to change. I have included a 2 man strike force. I believe working in tandem could bring positive results. Too many times a ball will be played into the channel, a striker will collect it but he will be blocked out and the chance is gone. Two strikers gives defenders something to think about. In one change of personnel you have doubled your potency in the penalty area. Something Newcastle has badly needed. I have went with Cisse and Riviere. Cisse has to start if fully fit. He has offered very little since his return from his ban but he’s our top scorer and provides the most threat. Riviere is my preferred partner alongside him. I feel Riviere get a lot of undue criticism. It’s taken him a little while to settle into the league, but what you find is a striker willing to work hard for the team. I find Carver doesn’t utilize Riviere to his maximum. Riviere is not a target man. He possess a natural turn of pace. We should be looking to deliver balls in behind defenders as opposed to launching them into his direction, hoping he manages to bring the ball down. Cisse can hold the ball up but I would like to see Cisse higher up the field. He occasionally drops to deep looking to help in possession. That’s not Cisses game nor should we want it to be. Cisse is in the team to score goals. Having him play on the shoulder of the last defender is of far more use.
Newcastle can win this game, we must believe. Hope is all we have at this moment. The hopes and dreams of the masses rely now in the hands of John Carver and the players.
