Sam Allardyce has recalled Turkish star Emre, Aussie striker Mark Viduka and Czech defender David Rozehnal for the derby clash at the Stadium of Light today.
Nicky Butt (suspended), Jose Enrique and Claudio Cacapa are the players who make way, and it looks like Charles N’Zogbia will operate at left-back in place of Enrique.
Alan Smith drops back into midfield where he is joined by Emre, Joey Barton and James Milner. Michael Owen will be captain for the day, as Geremi again starts on the bench and Michael will be partnered by Mark Viduka in attack. Still no place, even on the bench, for Shola Ameobi, a local Newcastle lad.
It looks like Smith will be out on the right wing and Milner out left, with two attacking midfielders in Barton and Emre – looks like a strange team to us. Not much defensive strength in midfield – wasn’t that one of our faults last week?
For Sunderland, former Newcastle player Michael Chopra starts up front alongside Kenwyne Jones, and Carlos Edwards also returns to the Sunderland side following injury.
TEAMS
Sunderland: Craig Gordon, Nyron Nosworthy, Ian Harte, Danny Higginbottom, Paul McShane, Grant Leadbitter, Ross Wallace, Dickson Etuhu, Carlos Edwards, Michael Chopra, Kenwyne Jones
Subs: Anthony Stokes, Liam Miller, Darren Ward, Danny Collins, David Connolly
Newcastle: Steve Harper, Steven Taylor, Charles N’Zogbia, Abdoulaye Faye, David Rozehnal, James Milner, Alan Smith, Emre, Joey Barton, Michael Owen, Mark Viduka
Subs: Jose Enrique, Oba Martins, Geremi, Habib Beye, Fraser Forster
Referee: M Atkinson
Attendance:Â 48.000 sell out
142 comments so far
Pete
Nov 10, 2007 at 1:26 PM
Comment #1lets f****ing kill em
nightfall
Nov 10, 2007 at 1:28 PM
Comment #2http://eurosport.yahoo.com/pollresult.html
nightfall
Nov 10, 2007 at 1:32 PM
Comment #3sorry…wrong link: “Who has been the worst signing of the season?” vote and check the results…
http://eurosport.yahoo.com/football/
nightfall
Nov 10, 2007 at 1:37 PM
Comment #4wtf is sam doing? n’zogbia as LB? smith as AMR? “the Bull” not playing? and smith our captain? wtf?!
Ed Harrison
Nov 10, 2007 at 1:41 PM
Comment #5Maybe Smith will start in central midfield with Emre out on some wing??
nightfall
Nov 10, 2007 at 1:42 PM
Comment #6emre is to slow to play on the wing
ToonKing
Nov 10, 2007 at 1:43 PM
Comment #7I think your mistaken Ed 🙂 , Emre will be on the left and Milner on the right with Smithy and Joey in the middle. And that’s one though center middfield for the scum to get past.
3-0. …….whit out even breakin’ a sweat. 😉
Ed Harrison
Nov 10, 2007 at 1:45 PM
Comment #8Look like Smith and Barton are midfield with Alan playing defensive midfield.
Ed Harrison
Nov 10, 2007 at 1:46 PM
Comment #9toonking – looks like you’re right – boy I feel nervous.
Ed Harrison
Nov 10, 2007 at 1:47 PM
Comment #10back at HT with report – HOWAY THE LADS!!!!!!
Bobby Ollox
Nov 10, 2007 at 1:56 PM
Comment #11Not playing with much cohesion , but at least we have taken the sting out of the game, crowd quietening down.
Obafan
Nov 10, 2007 at 1:58 PM
Comment #12A few comments IMO;
positives: no Enrique, Emre starts
negatives: Taylor plays, Beye on the bench, Smith on the pitch and Oba again on the bench
We need Oba to score goals, what does BS have against him; I don’t understand it? And Smith is playing all the time without producing anything good in all those games (favourite of Ashlay that’s the reason why he always plays)…
Steve_48
Nov 10, 2007 at 2:00 PM
Comment #13Bobby, let the adrenaline subside, first 10-15 will be scrappy at best
Bobby Ollox
Nov 10, 2007 at 2:02 PM
Comment #14where the hell was our right back there ?
Hog
Nov 10, 2007 at 2:03 PM
Comment #15TV ANTS NOT WORKING!! HOW CAN I WATCH?!
Obafan
Nov 10, 2007 at 2:05 PM
Comment #16First attempt on goal. Where the f**ck was Taylor, that was the guy he has to mark. Get him of the pitch, man, he will make a mistake again that will cost us a goal; I’m sure of it.
Hadrian
Nov 10, 2007 at 2:06 PM
Comment #17bobby , i was screaming the same thing .
was that the mackems left back or left mid with the shot ?
Steve_48
Nov 10, 2007 at 2:06 PM
Comment #18@ Hog – Any proxy settings in there? Close all other running applications as well
Obafan
Nov 10, 2007 at 2:07 PM
Comment #19Tv ants works by me. Fantastic tackle by Faye.
Steve_48
Nov 10, 2007 at 2:07 PM
Comment #20Great thru ball to Owen, shame about his timing there, defo 0-1
ObaFan2
Nov 10, 2007 at 2:09 PM
Comment #21Hard first 20 mins
channel 2 TVAnts best so far
http://myp2p.eu/broadcast.php?matchid=1808&part=sports
Hadrian
Nov 10, 2007 at 2:10 PM
Comment #22playing some nicer football along the ground aswell , losing possesion abit , but thats gotta be down to time together .
i like smith when he plays one touch football , but out on the wide that seems daft , he’s not got much of a cross on him .
we seem up for it , lets just hope for no more mistakes , havent been confident all week comming in to this . hope im proved wrong .
Bobby Ollox
Nov 10, 2007 at 2:11 PM
Comment #23Get him sent off – he cant talk to the ref like that ! pop eyed little turncoat get.
ObaFan2
Nov 10, 2007 at 2:13 PM
Comment #24lol @ Chopra played Zog 🙂
sparetheman
Nov 10, 2007 at 2:15 PM
Comment #25What’s this obsession Allardyce has with playing Smith out of position? For the life of me, I can’t understand it.
Bobby Ollox
Nov 10, 2007 at 2:16 PM
Comment #26Four players on Jones to bring him down- I think he looks dangerous
Bobby Ollox
Nov 10, 2007 at 2:17 PM
Comment #27this is it
Obafan
Nov 10, 2007 at 2:18 PM
Comment #28Owen should have took that one on the volley, fantastic ball in by the Zog.
Craig Allen
Nov 10, 2007 at 2:18 PM
Comment #29I don’t like the look of this lineup …
ObaFan2
Nov 10, 2007 at 2:19 PM
Comment #30Yeah Jones been a good find by Keane
Zog been best for us in 30 mins
Hadrian
Nov 10, 2007 at 2:19 PM
Comment #31the more i see of zoggy the more its looking like he could be one of the world class greats in a couple of years , skill , strength , great passing and crossing , lovely long range shot and steady enough finishing ….. why the hell is he at left back ? 🙂
if its to catch the mackems offguard and let him push up its working i suppose .
Bobby Ollox
Nov 10, 2007 at 2:19 PM
Comment #32yaaaaaaaaaaaahhh
ObaFan2
Nov 10, 2007 at 2:22 PM
Comment #33We’ve actually defended, shame we’ve had 2
Steve_48
Nov 10, 2007 at 2:24 PM
Comment #34Taylor is a fish outa water at RB, too many mistakes already, not even tracking back with the unwashed left hand side players running bloody riot
Hog
Nov 10, 2007 at 2:29 PM
Comment #3573% Possesion Sunderland’s. Not Good.
Eve
Nov 10, 2007 at 2:30 PM
Comment #36Oh God. At this rate Sunderland will score first.
Steve_48
Nov 10, 2007 at 2:31 PM
Comment #37@Hog: That was only the last 5 minutes man, still need this more on the turf that in the air for me, then our ability to feed into the box will overcome
Dalston
Nov 10, 2007 at 2:32 PM
Comment #38midfield, midfield, our problem has always been in the midfield, all the players look confused, no shape, lots of frustration.
Hadrian
Nov 10, 2007 at 2:33 PM
Comment #39that 73% flatters the mackems really , dont like speaking to soon tho so ill give my judgement on the lads after the match .
ObaFan2
Nov 10, 2007 at 2:35 PM
Comment #40Faye n Zog been best in a hard derby game.
better play by toon than in recent games