Our best 11 v mags best 11 ... and benches if yous can be bothered

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Zinedine Kilbane said:
Obviously everyones starting 11 will be different but I have selected my preferred starting 11 and what I think is the mags strongest 11. Both are playing a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Stating 11

Krul v Pants .... Draw - Too close to call, both decent keepers, neither great at kicking

Janmaat v Yedlin... Janmaat - great attacking, not so much defending, haven't seen enough of Yedlin to judge
Mbemba v O'shea.. Draw - Mbemba looks a good buy but O'shea has the experience and is mostly reliable
Colo v Kaboul... Colo - Comfortable on ball and reads game well, Kabouls start + injury record worrys me
Haidara v pva... Haidara - looks a decent player, pva positioning terrible, good going forward, relies on pace

Tiote v M'vila... M'vila - looks a beast of a player, instantly our best cm, tiote hangs onto ball too long for me
Colback v Catts .... Colback - I like Colback, their best player last season, catts is our worst form cm presently

Sissoko v Lens... Lens - looked quality so far, I rate Sissoko too but as a cm, on the wing Lens wins for me
Wijnaldum v Toivonen - Gini - great player, ola looks decent but I don't think many can argue he's better
Thauvin v Borini... Borini - Thauvin is so skilfull, Borini more direct but edges it with prem experience

Cisse v Defoe.. Draw - Both players know where back of the net is, Cisse has age on side but Defoe still has it

Looks like 5-3 to mags with 3 too close to call, really could have gone either way but we will see over the season. Bookmark this and come back to me then if you like!

Benches - Trying to go as much like to like as possible

Elliot v Mannone... Mannone - Because he has more prem experience, Elliot has always looked an ok backup
Taylor v Coates... Draw - Don't rate either of these, Taylor has experience but Coates is young & may improve
Dummet v Jones... Draw - Jones is better going forward but Dummet better at defending, don't rate either
Anita v Larsson... Draw - Anitas a tidy player but too small for cm, Larsson a grafter but nothing special
De Jong v Rodwell... De Jong - When fit he'll start for the mags, great player, Rodwell has 1 good game in ten
Aarons v Johnson... Johnson - Aarons an exciting prospect but still raw, Johnson if all is well will replace Ola
Mitrovic v Fletcher... Draw - Mitrovic a headcase, Fletcher an alcoholic/walking injury, both good hold up players but who will score more goals? If I had to bet I would say Mitrovic because he will likely play more

So that's 2-1 to mags with 4 draws ... Again too close to call for a lot of them. Might have another think and do another one later without any draws (in the theory that someone has a gun to your head and you have to choose who you want in your squad)
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You are clearly a f***ing mag!
Pants and Krul - draw??? Krul has been awful for the last 2 seasons!
Ginger traitor bastard v catts - Catts is twice the player, granted he's going through a bit of a shit patch but overall he's miles better!
Your judging mbemba after 3 games? Against a player who's played in the premier league for more than a decade and won countless trophies and it's a draw!
 


The mags have got a load of very overrated players that's all I'm saying

Canny fancy names though if that sort of thing gets you going
 
DiscoPants86 said:
You are clearly a f***ing mag!

Your judging mbemba after 3 games? Against a player who's played in the premier league for more than a decade and won countless trophies and it's a draw!
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By that logic would you hang onto O'Shea against the likes of Sergio Ramos and Thiago Silva?

Mbemba looks a massive talent and there's no chance I would pick O'Shea over him :lol: That's before I get to the rest.
 
Edmonton Oilers 99 said:
Catts may have started the season badly but is a way better player than the ginger piss biscuit.
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He's not though, you rarely see Colback having terrible games, with Catts you get at least 5 absolute shockers every season. Colback is way more consistent, a tidy passer, rarely gives the ball away. There's a reason one was called up to England and the other was not, consistency. and Colback is less likely to lose his head or give away stupid penalties.

Give me Cattermole on form, he can be great, but Colback is the one I'd rather have over a season. We produced a good player and let him leave, poor from the club to do that, he may have been intent on the NUFC move but we needed to make it as hard as possible for it to happen.
 
Sima said:
By that logic would you hang onto O'Shea against the likes of Sergio Ramos and Thiago Silva?

Mbemba looks a massive talent and there's no chance I would pick O'Shea over him :lol: That's before I get to the rest.
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What do you make of your other new lads?
Early days and I know I'm hardly objective but it does appear you've overspent for what you've got. I also appreciate they're all young so you've invested in potential.
Wijnaldum, though he looks a tidy player obviously needs service - Perez and De Jong look more impressive in that same position to me.
Mitrovic, even ignoring the disciplinary issues, doesn't look up to the task at all to me, outjumped, out muscled, out thought and out fought everytime I've seen him - a fantastic effort against Man United apart, nothing sticks, his first touch is awful and every move seems to break down with him.
Mbemba does look decent but I think McClaren knows how to set up a decent defensive unit. I dare say that even Williamson would look a half competent defender in a McClaren team. I do think your fans are going a bit OTT about Mbemba mind.
Thauvin not seen enough of him, unfair to judge him on the Arsenal game as he was fighting a lost cause put up there by himself with no one within 50 yards. He doesn't like to track back much though.
 
PeruzziWatch said:
He's not though, you rarely see Colback having terrible games, with Catts you get at least 5 absolute shockers every season. Colback is way more consistent, a tidy passer, rarely gives the ball away. There's a reason one was called up to England and the other was not, consistency. and Colback is less likely to lose his head or give away stupid penalties.

Give me Cattermole on form, he can be great, but Colback is the one I'd rather have over a season. We produced a good player and let him leave, poor from the club to do that, he may have been intent on the NUFC move but we needed to make it as hard as possible for it to happen.
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BIGGEST MYTH IN WORLD FOOTBALL.
 
HutchSafc said:
BIGGEST MYTH IN WORLD FOOTBALL.
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Name me a bad game (from memory) that Colback had that would rival the bad games Catts has had for us in recent times. When Catts is bad, he's really really bad, like a fish out of water, he can be catastrophically awful, and it usually means we lose the game because he does something stupid.

Remember Villa at home under Poyet, the 1-0 loss, we lost that match only because of Catts. Remember Hull in the FA cup, he was f***ing shocking. I like him when he's got his shit together, but my god he can inspire such anger when he loses his head, this is what most of the world sees, the bad Catts, and that's unfair, but he does not help himself sometimes! He becomes a parody of himself.
 
PeruzziWatch said:
Name me a bad game (from memory) that Colback had that would rival the bad games Catts has had for us in recent times. When Catts is bad, he's really really bad, like a fish out of water, he can be catastrophically awful, and it usually means we lose the game because he does something stupid.

Remember Villa at home under Poyet, the 1-0 loss, we lost that match only because of Catts. Remember Hull in the FA cup, he was f***ing shocking. I like him when he's got his shit together, but my god he can inspire such anger when he loses his head, this is what most of the world sees, the bad Catts, and that's unfair, but he does not help himself sometimes! He becomes a parody of himself.
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Norwich away.

Fact is he was bang average in a poor Sunderland side. He had plenty of poor games and his bad ones were really bad because he hid. Cattermole doesn't hide which is why his fuck ups are more noticeable and at times cataclysmic. If he rarely had a poor game he'd be a regular in the England squad.
 
Zinedine Kilbane said:
Obviously everyones starting 11 will be different but I have selected my preferred starting 11 and what I think is the mags strongest 11. Both are playing a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Stating 11

Krul v Pants .... Draw - Too close to call, both decent keepers, neither great at kicking

Janmaat v Yedlin... Janmaat - great attacking, not so much defending, haven't seen enough of Yedlin to judge
Mbemba v O'shea.. Draw - Mbemba looks a good buy but O'shea has the experience and is mostly reliable
Colo v Kaboul... Colo - Comfortable on ball and reads game well, Kabouls start + injury record worrys me
Haidara v pva... Haidara - looks a decent player, pva positioning terrible, good going forward, relies on pace

Tiote v M'vila... M'vila - looks a beast of a player, instantly our best cm, tiote hangs onto ball too long for me
Colback v Catts .... Colback - I like Colback, their best player last season, catts is our worst form cm presently

Sissoko v Lens... Lens - looked quality so far, I rate Sissoko too but as a cm, on the wing Lens wins for me
Wijnaldum v Toivonen - Gini - great player, ola looks decent but I don't think many can argue he's better
Thauvin v Borini... Borini - Thauvin is so skilfull, Borini more direct but edges it with prem experience

Cisse v Defoe.. Draw - Both players know where back of the net is, Cisse has age on side but Defoe still has it

Looks like 5-3 to mags with 3 too close to call, really could have gone either way but we will see over the season. Bookmark this and come back to me then if you like!

Benches - Trying to go as much like to like as possible

Elliot v Mannone... Mannone - Because he has more prem experience, Elliot has always looked an ok backup
Taylor v Coates... Draw - Don't rate either of these, Taylor has experience but Coates is young & may improve
Dummet v Jones... Draw - Jones is better going forward but Dummet better at defending, don't rate either
Anita v Larsson... Draw - Anitas a tidy player but too small for cm, Larsson a grafter but nothing special
De Jong v Rodwell... De Jong - When fit he'll start for the mags, great player, Rodwell has 1 good game in ten
Aarons v Johnson... Johnson - Aarons an exciting prospect but still raw, Johnson if all is well will replace Ola
Mitrovic v Fletcher... Draw - Mitrovic a headcase, Fletcher an alcoholic/walking injury, both good hold up players but who will score more goals? If I had to bet I would say Mitrovic because he will likely play more

So that's 2-1 to mags with 4 draws ... Again too close to call for a lot of them. Might have another think and do another one later without any draws (in the theory that someone has a gun to your head and you have to choose who you want in your squad)
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The 'Gini' comment gives the game away really, but that's a heap of shite tbf.

You're judging Cattermole on current form as being our worst CM - fair enough, so why do you have him in our best XI rather than someone like Larsson - who is at least as effective as Colback.

And if you're judging on form, as Krul has been so poor over the last 12 months or so, would you really say that Pantilimon has been no better than Krul in that time?

And if you're not judging on form, but you're judging on ability, as you've decided that 'Gini' is better than Toivonen, who you regard as only 'decent' after 45 minutes (in which time Toivonen set up a goal), why aren't you comparing 'Gini' with Johnson?

Haidara looks a decent player? Not what any of the Mags I know reckon tbh.
 
PeruzziWatch said:
He's not though, you rarely see Colback having terrible games, with Catts you get at least 5 absolute shockers every season. Colback is way more consistent, a tidy passer, rarely gives the ball away. There's a reason one was called up to England and the other was not, consistency. and Colback is less likely to lose his head or give away stupid penalties.

Give me Cattermole on form, he can be great, but Colback is the one I'd rather have over a season. We produced a good player and let him leave, poor from the club to do that, he may have been intent on the NUFC move but we needed to make it as hard as possible for it to happen.
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Bollocks.
No one is denying Catts has bad games but for the most part he is a very good player. Colback is decent but all too often anonymous. When have you seen him take a game by the scruff of its neck the way Catts can? It's a no contest, no point in discussing further.
 
Teejay said:
Between us we'd have a top-half team. Which is depressing in itself.
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I think it's quite possible that we have a top half team ourselves, this season. I also think, however, that almost any one of the teams that have strengthened this season could, too.

I think that this could be the most interesting premier league season in years cos there are so many players who have come in to more or less every team who we just don't know enough about to see how they'll fair in this league.

I can't f*cking wait to see how it plans out!
 
Edmonton Oilers 99 said:
Bollocks.
No one is denying Catts has bad games but for the most part he is a very good player. Colback is decent but all too often anonymous. When have you seen him take a game by the scruff of its neck the way Catts can? It's a no contest, no point in discussing further.
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Cattermole's problem is he can never have a quietly understated game of football, he has to do something great or do something really shit, there is rarely a middle ground, whereas Colback is certainly not always a stand out player but he quietly goes about his business in an effective way, it's a more subtle style, a bit like Carrick, you don't notice him a lot but he's always there keeping things ticking over. It took a long time for Carrick to be appreciated. I just wish Cattermole was capable of a few more games like Carrick has, no need to be the big hero, just do your job effectively. Cattermole's biggest problem is he wants to be the leader all the time, but he brings no calmness or reassurance to anybody when he gives the ball away in bad places and gives soft penalties away. He wants to the man to make that decisive challenge, but sometimes you need to be smart and know that there's no need to climb all over someone in the box. He has a lot of flaws to his game unfortunately.
 
PeruzziWatch said:
Cattermole's problem is he can never have a quietly understated game of football, he has to do something great or do something really shit, there is rarely a middle ground, whereas Colback is certainly not always a stand out player but he quietly goes about his business in an effective way, it's a more subtle style, a bit like Carrick, you don't notice him a lot but he's always there keeping things ticking over. It took a long time for Carrick to be appreciated. I just wish Cattermole was capable of a few more games like Carrick has, no need to be the big hero, just do your job effectively. Cattermole's biggest problem is he wants to be the leader all the time, but he brings no calmness or reassurance to anybody when he gives the ball away in bad places and gives soft penalties away. He wants to the man to make that decisive challenge, but sometimes you need to be smart and know that there's no need to climb all over someone in the box. He has a lot of flaws to his game unfortunately.
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Although I would never try to compare them in terms of talent, your comments on Catts could be about Roy Keane. His recent form has been poor and you're allowing that to cloud your overall opinion of him.
And Colback is nee Carrick either!
He's decent and I would rather we'd kept him mind.
 
Keyser Soze said:
Everyone on here is always going on about the mags being 'obsessed' with us - thank god it's not the other way round ................................... oh hang on ....
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What would football be without rivalry?

Edmonton Oilers 99 said:
Catts may have started the season badly but is a way better player than the ginger piss biscuit.
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How many goals did they score last season? And how many games did they both play? I would like to see some stats to back our opinions up. What about passes ie. key passes/assists/pass completion % .... I think Cattermole would come top only on tackles/interceptions made. If we have M'vila as our DM and they have Tiote then Catts role in the team is diminished. Colback offers more further up the pitch than Catts.

Again it's just my opinion but personally if I was a manager and I had the two of them in my squad I would pick Colback without hesitation, especially even more so now considering Cattermoles horrendous form.
 
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Strange comparisons for me, some very dubious overrating of Newcastle players.

Anyway here's my quick squad.

Pantilimon
Janmaat O'Shea Mbemba PvA
M'Vila Larsson
Lens Wijnaldum Borini
Defoe​
 
Why are the players that haven't got your approval for the starting XI not even considered for the bench btw?
 
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