The interesting thing these days with every Newcastle game is what the starting line up will be and it’s no different for tomorrow’s game with Reading at the Madejski Stadium.
Barton, Emre and N’Zogbia are all fit again although Viduka will not be risked for the game until he gets some training in.
With the good win on Monday night Sam is confident Newcastle have good opportunity to pick up all 3 points tomorrow afternoon but again this will depend on the performance of our defense which is looking better with each game. However it’s now 6 games since we kept a clean sheet and that’s Sam’s biggest goal for the Reading game – to keep a clean sheet. If we can do that we’re pretty certain we can get a goal or two from our boys.
On the Reading side – Steve Coppell, after deploying a five-man midfield in last week’s 4-2 defeat at Blackburn Rovers, Coppell has blamed himself for the result. Steve has confirmed he will revert back to a more familiar 4-4-2 formation.
Leroy Lita, Brynjar Gunnarsson and Kevin Doyle all impressed as substitutes against Blackburn and could be rewarded with starting spots. Captain Graeme Murty has recovered from a bout of sickness, while Ibrahima Sonko should start after returning from a lengthy injury absence against Blackburn.
Newcastle will head to Berkshire after successive home wins against Everton and Spurs, but Newcastle have not won away since the opening day of the season at Bolton. Allardyce could stick with the starting eleven who beat Tottenham 3-1 on Monday night, with Charles N’Zogbia having recovered from the illness which forced him off at half-time. But we think Sam will find a place for Alan Smith up front and we’d like to see the following team start:
Given
Beye, Cacapa, Faye, Enrique
Milner, Emre, Butt, N’Zogbia
Smith Martins
Subs: Harper, Rozehnal, Geremi, Barton, Owen
That’s the team we’d like to see start but we think Sam will somehow find a starting position for captain Geremi. It may also be a surprise that Owen starts on the bench but if Smith plays, we think Martins deserves his starting place. He gave an excellent display on Monday night, when he scored a wonderful opportunist goal just before the break, a very important goal. It’s as simple as that. Also, look how strong the Newcastle bench is – unbelievable.
Sam could also spring a surprise by starting Joey Barton. We think Smith up front is a good move because the last time he started up front with Martins he played excellently as a target man, and held the ball up very well.
As we’ve already stated we are big admirers of Reading and their manager Steve Coppell and clubs like Reading are what makes the Premiership tick. We’re sure it’s going to be a cracking game but we still think we can get all 3 points and think we’ll score 2 goals and hopefully keep a clean sheet for a change. So 2-0 is our prediction and out we biased – of course we are 😀
You can go to the Newcastle United Forum to express you opinion on the team selection and scoreline until the game, and comments after the game.
Comments are also very welcome here and that includes comments from the Reading fans too, on your perspective of the game and the result.
19 comments so far
roscoe
Oct 26, 2007 at 12:18 PM
Comment #10-2 toon!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rich
Oct 26, 2007 at 12:34 PM
Comment #2Reading 1 Newcastle 2! I think wel come from behind to win this one.
true
Oct 26, 2007 at 12:45 PM
Comment #3If Sam believes playing for the shirt is key then he has to start with Owen and Martins to drop either would send out a contradicting message, and smith needs to learn that booking will result in him giving his shirt to another player, smith has to now win it back or another player give it up.
we will see….
George
Oct 26, 2007 at 12:50 PM
Comment #4Fingers crossed i think we may well win this one 3-1, with Barton, Oba and any other scoring.
hadrian
Oct 26, 2007 at 1:19 PM
Comment #5can see sam going 4-3-3 ,
————-shay—————
beye—faye—cacapa—jose
—geremi—butt–smith—–
milner—————-zoggy
————-oba—————–
not the team i like personally , but i think he’s going tobe gunning for a clean sheet with the confidence in oba pulling down a long ball to steal the game for us .
and in all fairness i couldnt care less about what we look like playing away if we can get a result .
barton still need a bit more time on the ball imo , not the lads fault but he didnt look to confident comming on against spurs .
can see sam having emre and owen on the bench and bringing them on ala everton if we need a goal .
we have the team tobe able to switch it up when needs must , as much as i hate to say it , i think a dirty long ball game is the way to go for away days . and unless the other teams have a porche marking oba im sure he’ll get them , he’s starting to look really strong on the ball for a small guy , kicking and punching the spurs defence was great to watch .
evildick
Oct 26, 2007 at 1:20 PM
Comment #6i hope we can win this, but i’d take 0-0 over a defeat – obviously! but it would be classic newcastle to go and lose this one, it doesn’t seem to matter who’s in charge we have a habbit of beating the good teams and struggling against the readings, derbys etc. and it all evens out to another trophyless season with a just above average finish in the league.
please prove me wrong sam!
Hammy
Oct 26, 2007 at 1:38 PM
Comment #7Reading haven’t been the greatest this season after a tremendous run last term….
after the Lord Mayors show I’m afraid…….I can’t see Coppell getting the boot but I could see him resigning as I don’t think he’s mentally tough enough for a run of bad results.
Newcastle however are improving as a squad, not pretty at times but a tough team to beat these days…….
The toon to win by the odd goal…….
Dunc
Oct 26, 2007 at 1:54 PM
Comment #80-1 Toon.Martins
aaron d
Oct 26, 2007 at 2:11 PM
Comment #9i’ve put a £10 on newcastle to win 2-1 faye first goal score 230-1. fingers crossed.
aaron d
Oct 26, 2007 at 2:11 PM
Comment #10i’ve put a £10 on newcastle to win 2-1 faye first goal scorer. 230-1. fingers crossed.
Bill f
Oct 26, 2007 at 2:34 PM
Comment #11Hammy reckon you’r right classic first new season then the sh*t the fan when other teams sus them out. I wouldn’t be too surprised if we didn’t thrash them. Can’t see them doing another Derby.
Brisbane Mag
Oct 26, 2007 at 2:38 PM
Comment #12Ed, I’m going for a 0-2 win for Newcastle also…….
We must win, must be positive and believe in BSA! He’s doing a great job in such a short period…….
leo
Oct 26, 2007 at 2:40 PM
Comment #13i agree with hadrians team but my team would be
Given
Beye, Cacapa, Faye, Enrique
Geremi, Emre, Butt, N’Zogbia
Smith Martins
Subs: Harper, Rozehnal, Milner, Barton, Owen
Andy T
Oct 26, 2007 at 4:57 PM
Comment #14I think we will win this one. The main reason is that big Sam has put his money where his mouth is (which is substantial to start with) and has benched players who have not performed. The biggest difference between this and other previous away matches against average premiership sides is that this time the players motivation has nothing to do with the opposition and everything to do with keeping their starting position.
Personally I think because of that he can’t bench Owen – he played well against spurs and but for a fine save by their keeper would have got on the score sheet as well (just looked at the official site and seen that Big Sam is saying Owens goals may be key to away wins – so really sticking by that one now 🙂 ). So my prediction for the starting lineup would be
Given
Beye, Cacapa, Faye, Enrique
Geremi, Emre, Butt, N’Zogbia
Owen, Martins
Bench
Harper, Rozehnal, Barton, Milner, Smith
(which I think is an unchanged side?)
Personally I’d prefer to swap Milner for Geremi (possibly Barton for Emre too), but apart from that, its a pretty good team with a strong bench.
Keep Oba
Oct 26, 2007 at 5:05 PM
Comment #15I dont know what the score will be…but how Reading looks this year I would imagine there will be more than 2 goals in this game. Reading has been leaking goals this year more than usual…especially that 7-4 portsmouth game. Of course I just want a win…1-0, 6-0, or4-3 will all be nice as long as we get the 3 points.
Alex
Oct 26, 2007 at 6:35 PM
Comment #16I hope he starts with the same team that played against spurs ,nobody deserves to be dropped after that performance.If we start with that lineup then i predict 1-4 win.Martins hat trick and Emre the other goal.
Whitey
Oct 26, 2007 at 7:03 PM
Comment #17—————Given————-
Beye–Cacapa–Faye–Enrique–
Milner–Geremi–Butt–N’Zogbia
———Smith—–Martins———
1-3 Newcastle
Smith to get his first for the Toon
Martins to be dissapointing
Geremi to get his first
Owen to score the third.
Aussie Toonfan
Oct 26, 2007 at 11:47 PM
Comment #18I think the starting team should be reward from the spurs game the dominated them in the first half and deserved the lead…
The line up for Reading:
Given
Beye Faye Cacapa Enrique
Geremi Butt Emre N’Zogbia
Martins Owen
Subs: Harper Rozenhal Barton Smith Milner
Me thinks 3-0 to the toon Reading look short on confidence and goals…
Scores Owen 2 and Martins they will tear reading apart i hope!!!
Sinead
Oct 27, 2007 at 12:49 AM
Comment #19I don’t know, Reading can be very dangerous the backline needs to be solid, they can’t afford to give the likes of Kevin Doyle or such any room at all, cause he’ll just cause mahem up front. And they can’t afford to give away too many corners cause he’s lethal in the air. He can score from anywhere and he only needs a second of space.
He scored two goals from the bench last week in thirty minutes, so with a start a near certainty this week, with the goals starting to come now his partnership with Dave Kitson could be a key part of this game.
Doyle is a tenacious, persistent lad who will run his heart out. He will fight for every scrap. Give him an inch and he will make things happen.
If the defense isn’t awake tomorow then their forwards could rip them apart. But Shay knows all about that, he’s seen Doyle do it so many times turn a game and score, usually with the head a lot of the time against the flow of play. Stephen Hunt’s also out to get him..LOL.
Their defense hasn’t been great though, it’ll probally the team who wins the fight in the midfield then we shouldn’t have a problem but still I see a draw. 0-0. As much as Reading can score on counter Newcastle can be just as threatining especlially with Reading’s defense being a bit dodgy. Maybe 1-0 to Newcastle. But that’s only if the ball is cut off from Doyle who’s beggining to find the back of the net more and more.