In our last 6 Premier League games we’ve gained a solitary point, scored one goal and conceded 14.
There’s a few ways to look at those statistics, but one way to look at them is that Newcastle are due some goals and a win, and that’s what we think will happen tomorrow against Middlesbrough at St. James’ Park. The game has a 1:30 PM KO.
Middlesbrough have done reasonably in their last 6 league games, having won two, drawn 2 and lost 2 for a total of 8 points. They are certainly showing better form of late and are of course through to the 5th round of the FA Cup when they meet Sheffield United away on the 17th February.
Of course our last encounter at the Riverside in the second game of the season ended in a fairly even game finishing 2-2.
This is the 112th league meeting between the two teams. Newcastle have 43, Middlebrough have won 35 with 33 drawn. Middlesbrough are unbeaten in their last five games and have lost just once away from home since October.
Keegan has almost all the squad to choose, from except the injured Peter Ramage. Martins and Geremi, are also still on African Cup of Nations duty, until at least next week.
It also looks like Kevin will not use Faye or Beye tomorrow, after they have only just arrived back from the tournament after Senegal were surprisingly eliminated in group play.
They will both be available for next week’s tough game at Aston Villa, when N’Zogbia will miss that game through gaining his 5th yellow card against Arsenal on Tuesday night.
Mark Viduka is back fit again and Emre is available after his 3 match ban. We think Emre has a good chance to start the game and this is the team we’d like to see Kevin play tomorrow:
Given
Carr Taylor Cacapa Enrique
Milner Emre Butt N’Zogbia
Viduka Owen
Subs: Harper Edgar Barton Duff Smith
It will be interesting to see where Kevin plays Charles N’Zogbia tomorrow, because we think he wants to start Emre. We have Charles preferred to Duff on the left wing, but Kevin may see things differently since Damien has been playing quite well.
He may even start N’Zogbia in central midfield at the expense of Butt and play Duff on the left wing.
We really want a win tomorrow, and we think we can do it. We hope we play attacking play and take it to Middlesbrough from the very first kick of the ball.
Let us know what you think the team should be, plus any comments you have on the game tomorrow.
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36 responses so far ↓
1 andy4kin // Feb 2, 2008 at 18:31
first post!
2 nufctj // Feb 2, 2008 at 18:40
here is my “max attack” 11, if beye and faye are out:
Given
Carr Taylor Cacapa Enrique
Milner Emre Barton Duff
Zog
Owen
3 nufctj // Feb 2, 2008 at 18:41
the friendly giant puts one in!
mackems down 1-0
4 nufctj // Feb 2, 2008 at 18:51
mackems down 2-0
5 Keegan=God. // Feb 2, 2008 at 19:01
Given
Carr Taylor Cacapa
N’zogbia
Milner Emre Barton Duff
Owen Smith
6 Robert from Serbia // Feb 2, 2008 at 19:14
Cacapa looked solid in the past games….i dont know why u judge him…just,we cant expect against Arsenal….they are two class better then our team !
7 craig chisholm // Feb 2, 2008 at 19:23
the defence picks itself. i would not start with viduka but would play duff on the left wing and tuck zog in the hole just behind owen. we need duff. milner, zogs and emre all at their attacking best tmrw. i would drop butt and play barton too. i think all season long sam has been thinking too much about keeping clean sheets and he was all about defence. look at manure, ronaldo, giggs, tevez and rooney are not tacklers at all but christ that team looks good to watch (even if i do hate them). its high time we said bollocks to it and just go for all out attack after attack. tmrw is such as massive game and the recent team stats should say we loose in all honesty. i think though that our luck has to change very soon and with some tough games looming, we need these points. i am going for a newcastle win …. 9 - 1. owen gets his first hatrick for us, zogs will score two and then declare his undying love of us and keegan.
8 John // Feb 2, 2008 at 19:24
mine would def be this one..I think he will play barton and Emre from the interiews this week..Thank god..Please , please , please drop BUTT ..He bring nothing to the team…I hope he makes the big decision and drops milner aswell..Although he is a good player, if you were going to choose between Milner and Duff, it would be duff ever time ..
Given
Beye Taylor Cacapa Enrique
Duff Barton Emre Zog
Owen Viduka/ Smith
9 Whitey // Feb 2, 2008 at 19:25
Given
carr taylor cacapa enrique
duff barton n’zogbia
emre
owen viduka
subs: harper, edgar, milner, smith, carrol or lua lua
10 John // Feb 2, 2008 at 19:27
cracking shout whitey …mine was exact same apart from beye right back..but im sure it will be carr though .
11 toonfan1 // Feb 2, 2008 at 19:31
enrique doesnt look like he will be fit enough to play 2mrw so i think zoggie will play left back.
12 Dunc // Feb 2, 2008 at 19:32
Given
Carr Taylor Cacapa Enrique
Milner Emre Zog Duff
Zog and Duff could be switched
or
Milner Emre Barton Duff
with Zog (unhappily) at LB
Owen and Smith up front
I also wonder if Zamblera is good enough for the bench.
I don’t think anyone at 17 is too young anymore, it’s just a question of being up to it. I think I read on here that he comes highly rated, if so let’s chuck him in as a sub eh?
13 Whitey // Feb 2, 2008 at 19:33
John- I would normally put beye in because i think he is a great right back but i don’t think he can play tomorrow.
14 Dunc // Feb 2, 2008 at 19:36
Craig Chisholm
I’ll have 9-1 as well.
Nice one centurion, like it like it!!!!!
15 John // Feb 2, 2008 at 19:36
ya totaly ..think he should be good for the villa game …I hope that is the team …think Barton would be perfect just sitting and letting emre be more attacking…
Bartons range off passing is 1 million percent better than butt aswell..we might actualy keep possession for a change
16 sparetheman // Feb 2, 2008 at 19:36
It’ll be interesting to see who he goes with now that he has options. I suspect he’ll leave Butt in unfortunately - managers seem to like him even when everyone else doesn’t. Viduka HAS to come in Smith though, surely!
Here’s how I see Keegan picking the side tomorrow (assuming Faye, Beye and Enrique are all out):
Given
Carr Taylor Cacapa N’Zogbia
Milner Butt Emre Duff
Owen Viduka
Subs: Harper, Edgar, Barton, Smith, Ameobi
I’d personally give Barton a try along with Emre though.
17 John // Feb 2, 2008 at 19:39
sparetheman , i hope your wrong about the butt thing…
I really wantto see barton in there instead ..butt is so shite
18 sparetheman // Feb 2, 2008 at 19:40
Yeah, I hope I’m wrong too John.
19 Dunc // Feb 2, 2008 at 19:41
I put this on another page and would like to know what people think. I don’t want to be a Barton basher but I do want players we can rely on.
What’s the crack with Barton? If he is put in the team then how long will he stay in it due to upcoming court appearances and not being able to behave himself?
I would have him in the team as I think the box to box play of Barton is better than that of Faye and Barton can also get stuck in tackling and breaking up play.
I just can’t help thinking-
How long before we have to call on another CM who has been sitting out whilst Barton plays? Maybe we should just give another CM the run of games ,knowing we can rely on them to be both professional and available.
20 Tom_Toon // Feb 2, 2008 at 19:42
Id love it, just love it:
Given
Carr Taylor Capaca Kadar
Duff Emre Barton Zoggy
Owen Viduka
Bench: Harper, Lualua, Edgar (can also play cm), Carroll, Zamblera
Faye and Beye wont be available and even if they are, bench at best (KK desnt know them). I would have said Edgar for LB but id like to see how Kadar does. Butt and Smith are shit, nuff said on that matter.
21 Gordon // Feb 2, 2008 at 20:06
“We” DON’T want Butt in the team!
22 Leo* // Feb 2, 2008 at 20:13
my team is alike many on hear
given
carr taylor cacapa nzogbia
milner emre barton duff
owen viduka
that is if dukes is fit otherwise please give carroll a go.
i would love it if kadar or tozer could come in at left back and free nzogbia to play more upfield but i dont see it happening
23 Leo* // Feb 2, 2008 at 20:14
quite like that team of yours tom_toon like
24 Tripp // Feb 2, 2008 at 20:19
I’m hoping to see barton with emre in the middle. Zogs will more than likely play LB, which is a bummer but probably makes the most sense. Duff and Milner on the wings with the duke and owen up front. If things are going well or Milner is really sucking then I’d say put Lua Lua in. He’s pretty enterprising when I’ve seen him.
25 hanzemre_malaysia // Feb 2, 2008 at 20:45
yeah lets try Barton-Emre pairing in CM (NO Butt in there) for flair attacking & possessions.Hopefully Enrique is fit to start leading to N’Zogbia playing his preferred role in attacking as LM/LW .We’ll win by 3 goals margin 4-1 thats it.
26 gloryhunter // Feb 2, 2008 at 20:54
Oh dear. I’m still being moderated
27 Savic Vladimir // Feb 2, 2008 at 20:57
Given
Carr Taylor Cacapa Enrique
Milenr Emre N’Zogbia Duff
Owen Viduka(Smith)
28 gloryhunter // Feb 2, 2008 at 21:10
Lets hope Tuncay and Downing aint playing, and that there’s still the politics to sort out re Alves. We really need a win tomorrow. Argghhhhhhhhh!
29 PK-Norway // Feb 2, 2008 at 21:13
Given
Beye Taylor Faye Enrique
Barton
Duff Zogbia
Emre
Viduka
Owen
Zogbia and Duff change sides during match..
Harper,Cacapa,Milner,Lua-Lua,Smith
30 Tom_Toon // Feb 2, 2008 at 21:25
Tuncay is injured, Alves cant play but Downing is playing with Mido upfront.
31 ToonKing // Feb 2, 2008 at 22:52
Mido is a peado…
32 AdamCF // Feb 3, 2008 at 1:21
If Enrique isn’t fit definitely play Kadar there.. He’s had a couple of good starts in the Ressies and free N’zog up down the left to attack more.. Plus Charlie has looked a tad ordinary back there of late.
33 AdamCF // Feb 3, 2008 at 2:43
Enrique won’t play.. he pulled a calf (lucky fella). Fingers crossed for Kadar
Bring on the Department of Youth.
34 KKN39 // Feb 3, 2008 at 7:01
Given; Enrique, Taylor, Cacapa, Carr; Duff, Emre, Barton, Zog; Viduka, Owen
then sub Carr w/ Edgar - we’ll need him in defence at some point btw now and end of season anyway, with Ramage out n Roz gone. this lad can make at least Beye’s cover in longer term given chance. Duff should focus on providing crosses and Zog shoots w/ his left foot on the right. ask Emre n Barton to play like Beardsley n Rob Lee when KK was here last time (show them the video!!). tactically n technically it’s perfectly archievable. test LuaLua at expense of Duff later in the game - then Zog on LW n LuaLua on RW. we need to give Milner a break and serious competition in the next few months at least. if we r fortunate enough LuaLua may just provide the spark that may lift the whole team, like exactly what it’s needed from a new signing. lastly Carroll in for Viduka when the Old Duke’s legs r gone at 70th min or so.
35 fairzy // Feb 3, 2008 at 10:18
ed you must be mad leaving duff out your team!
36 Ed Harrison // Feb 3, 2008 at 10:30
fairzy - yes probably - Duff’s been playing very well - but we just wanted to start Charles. But it’s not the first time I’ve been accused of being mad.
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