Given: Toon defence like pub team
Newcastle's fans had to endure three points slipping away due to poor defending
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Monday, 11, Sep 2006 09:28
Newcastle United goalkeeper Shay Given has compared his team's defending against Fulham at the weekend to a Sunday League side.
The Magpies were cruising towards three points when slack marking allowed the Londoners to snatch the win through goals from Brian McBride and Carlos Bocanegra.
A strong defence has never been associated with Newcastle, ever since the attacking hey-days when Kevin Keegan was manager, but the Republic of Ireland stopper admitted the team were amateurish at the back on Saturday.
"If you looked at the Sunday League football around Newcastle, you would not even see the kind of goals we gave away against Fulham," Given told Newcastle's official website.
"I do not want to dig things out or blame any individuals, but we have given one of the best players in the Premiership in terms of heading the ball total freedom of the six-yard box. It just is not acceptable and as a team, we need to improve."
Given has often come to the rescue for Newcastle in the past and has been one of their best players over the past few seasons.
However, he could do nothing to stop the two goals at St James' Park and he insisted the team must draw together, if they are to improve.
"At the end of the day, we win as a team and lose as a team, but it is just frustrating that we have lost in the way we did," Given added.
"We have got time to work on these errors, but we also have some difficult games coming up as well, so now we need men around the dressing-room because we have to go on the pitch and stand up and be counted."
Newcastle travel to Estonia this Thursday for the first leg of their Uefa Cup tie with Levadia Tallinn before facing two tricky away games against West Ham and Liverpool in the league.