Monday night’s game will be a vital one for Newcastle and it looks like it will be beamed around the world live on TV.
Oba Martins – we expect him to start on Monday
While we still have Mark Viduka and Alan Smith out injured long term, Martins, Gutierrez and Beye are now back from injury, although we think Monday night may come a little too soon for Gutierrez.
But we should be able to field a strong side which we expect to be as follows:
Given
Beye Coloccini Taylor Bassong
Duff Guthrie Butt N’Zogbia
Xisco Martins
Subs: Harper Cacapa Tozer Geremi Enrique Gonzalez Ameobi
We are assuming Gutierrez will not be risked for this game but will be ready for our next game at the Stadium of Light and Sunderland. We also prefer Bassong at left back to Jose Enrique and more good solid games from Sebastien could have him starting at left back for a string of games.
We also haven’t heard too much from our Uruguayan International Ignacio Gonzalez, and Physioroom.com has him out with Achilles Tendinopathy until 20th October, but some of the other players on Newcastle’s list are actually back – so we’re not sure if Ignacio is available for Monday evening.
If he’s OK he will probably will start on the bench, with Butt and Guthrie in central midfield.
A slight alternative to the above side is Geremi on the right wing and Duff up front in place of Xisco – but it’s good that Kinnear now has some choices to make, and our bench will be a little stronger too.
We prefer Xisco to Ameobi, only because Shola has played poorly almost every time he’s played this season, and we think Xisco is a safer bet for Monday night. It’s getting important for us to start picking up points in the League, and while we are still 3rd bottom, we are only 3 points away from 13th position, so it’s still very early in the season.
Joe Kinnear has had a couple of weeks with the players not on International duty, so it’s almost been like a mini pre-season for Joe, and we’re sure he’s used the time to full advantage.
If Joe can get the win, then his standing with Newcastle fans will immediately rise, and that’s also what Joe wants – so he can get back in the game full time – as manager of some club.
We look for the lads to go all out, and give everything they’ve got in this game, and if we can also approach the form of the last 45 minutes at Everton, we have to be in with a good chance of winning this game, even though Manchester City are a very good side.
But so are we when we have some of our best players back.
Let us know what you think the team should be – comments always very welcome.
43 comments so far
Turkish magpie
Oct 18, 2008 at 11:04 AM
Comment #41@gg7
wt u mean we’re goin to do man city?
When i wtched the betting show they have us
Newcastle 1-2 man city
for the everton game i guessed the score correctly with the 1st scorer correct to!
i’m saying Newcastle 2-0 Man city
1st scorer-Duff
Turkish magpie
Oct 18, 2008 at 11:07 AM
Comment #42Has any1 noticed we’ve been the last scorer in the game since hull!(i mean in evry game the last goal of the game was newcastles)
hull-xisco
West ham-owen
Spurs-owen
Blackburn-Owen
Everton-Duff
Obafan
Oct 18, 2008 at 11:52 AM
Comment #43Turkish Magpie
What do we buy with the last scorer of the game? 1 point out of 12 and elemination out of the CC.
And like others mentionned; AMeobi came on at Everton and was a constant treath for the Everton defenders. Giving the 2-3 on a plate for Zog, but he was unlucky.
So why not give him a start?
Given
Beye – Collocini – Cacapa – Bassong
Duff – Butt – Guthrie – Zogs
Martins – Ameobi
I pick Cacapa, cause he played a good game at Everton. But I think Taylor will play alongside Collo.
I hope for a good result.