Match Day Thread Newcastle vs West Brom

Class? kidding aren't you?

 

WORLD CLASS!

 

Rice is another guy simply not good enough with the ball to play in midfield. They can do a job there but that's it.

We have very definitions of class clearly

Proper midfielders who have played for us it would be acceptable to use the word 'class' with:

Speed, Solano, Rob Lee, Batty, Cabaye, Hamman, even Emre for all he couldn't be arsed half the time - proper midfielders who have culture with the ball. Now I know you can't possibly think Hayden could race with those types! He literally wouldn't get a kick. As he doesn't when we play better teams. He might run round a lot and put a foot in, but using the word 'class' to describe his midfield play is bewildering. I am putting this down to Ashley dampening your expectations.

 

You are kidding.

 

No because you are comparing wingers and attacking (or attack minded) midfielders with a CDM/CB the only ones applicable there would be Batty and possibly Hamman. Batty - while I'm probably a bit young to remember much of him I certainly don't recall him spraying Shelvey type passes around, from what I do remember though he'd break up play and give a simple ball and was fantastic at it, much like Hayden. Case in point -

*Please note him getting a kick vs better teams.

Put it down to me being able to take an objective point of view while watching players and what they bring to the team while remembering where we are as a club (you might call that Ashley dampening expectations). Hayden isn't Kante or Khedira - but then if he was he wouldn't be playing for us would he? Name me a better English defensive midfielder currently playing. Not a Cabaye, Speed, Lee, Solano type but a Batty/Rice/Tiote type.

 

Batty did manage this one - Newcastle United 1996/97 Top3 goals (David Batty, David Ginola and Alan Shearer) - YouTube

But coming back to the point re Hayden - I'd agree about him as an English DM

 

Kalvin Phillips

Then there's the likes of Rice, Henderson, Dier, anyone really

 

That’s Ashley dampening expectations.

 

I'd take Hayden in front of any of them.

 

So you prefer him in a more attacking role then.

 

Does your guide dog agree?

 

Phillips is class

 

Hayden is good at what he does when he is asked to do what he is good at. It isn't rocket science. The problem we have is that too often we have asked round pegs to fit square holes. It's been the case throughout much of Ashley's time at the club, going all the way back to Pardew and his use of anybody at left back.

Hayden has excellent defensive qualities, more than good enough for where we are as a club. He is unlikely to ever make it into a top four team, but we're a long way from a top four team.

 

Batty is possibly one of the technically gifted footballers to play at Newcastle since the early 90's. The guy had true class. His passing ability in terms of not giving the ball away is some of the best I've seen. If you read bits from the coaches at the time, he was exceptional. He had this ability, similar to your likes of Scholes, Xavi, to play the ball in any direction accurately with a little flick.

I wasn't comparing him to those players however (its not even a conversation with Hamman and Batty if we were getting into defensive midfielders - its a completely different level of player). It matters not what your position is or the type you are. Class is a word used to describe the way you go about it, down to the very way you address a ball when passing it etc. Hayden is way way short of having that attached to him.

Nah I'll stick with my original assertion that Mike has dampened your expectations. You seem a bit confused too. I'm not sure what our current standing has to do with someone being class or not?

As for naming a better English defensive midfielder? Current options are horrific, one of our big problems. Jordan Henderson is better than him. Eric Dier is better than him. Declan Rice is better than him. I'd have Lewis Cook ahead of him. I don't rate any of those players as 'class'.

Tiote had more class and ability than him. I'd actually say Hayden has performed better for the club though. Take one season out of Tiote's time here, he was ****e the rest of it largely. Rice you could compare Hayden to, but Rice has a better all round game and is certainly better with the ball.

Take our opinions out of it and lets look at people within the game who know better than us. He was available for transfer for the best part of a season and a half. His rumoured fee was very low in today's market. He was not fancied by anyone. Not even your likes of Crystal Palace. That alone says he is not ever going to be better than a lower end PL midfielder. One club might get it wrong, but not all 20.

I will say however I think he might be a good centre back when he finally realises he's not good enough to play PL midfield.

 

3 word summary please.

 

Talking **** again





...probably - couldn't be arsed reading it

 

Suck my chebs

 

Looks like Bruce might be the last manager to beat Bilic at WB. Huge rumours he is being sacked today. Even after last nights draw.

 

I don't really know what these promoted clubs expect. Its not likely he was hugely backed, they've come from a lower division for a reason, he's trying to do things the right way and they were happy enough when he got them promoted. Sums up the modern game and the arseholes involved in it.

 

Yup, Rafa is 10/1 favourite at the moment, but I doubt that will happen. Lots of rumours that Allardyce is taking over.