Bad news today that Steven Taylor will in all likelihood miss another game against Wigan Athletic at home tomorrow, because of his groin injury.
Seb Bassong - will play central defense tomorrow
Manager Joe Kinnear seems willing to bring in Seb Bassong in central defense, which is the Frenchman’s favored position, and where he’s played well for Newcastle in the past.
If he does play there, it will be his first Premier league start at center-back, but he did start there in the Carling Cup game at Coventry, and had an excellent match in that amazing game, which we finally won in extra time.
Unfortunately, it appears that Steven Taylor has not made a complete recovery from the groin injury which had him miss last Sunday’s defeat by Fulham at Craven Cottage. Claudio Cacapa came in for the game, but had a bit of a nightmare match, and was partially responsible for both the goals Newcastle conceded.
Taylor has already pulled out of the England Under-21 friendly with the Czech Republic at Bramall Lane on Tuesday night, and is now setting his comeback date to be Chelsea at Stamford Bridge a week tomorrow.
Kinnear was asked today who would play if Taylor couldn’t make it tomorrow and he told the Evening Chronicle:
“Bassong will play. It’s as simple as that.”
That puts some doubt into the side again tomorrow, but Sebastien can do himself a lot of good by playing a solid game, alongside Coloccini, which he’s done before and has often looked a classy young player. Again Argentine Fabricio Coloccini will be an important leader at the back, for the Magpies tomorrow.
And as expected Joe Kinnear will keep faith with Ameobi and Martins to start the game up front tomorrow, as he said:
“It will be Ameobi and Martins. Why shouldn’t it be? They have both scored goals and worked their socks off in our past few games.”
“But Michael Owen will be involved at some stage tomorrow.”
Tomorrow is a must win game for us, and now Bassong becomes an important cog in the Newcastle wheel, but we expect the lad to play his socks off tomorrow.
Comments welcome.
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38 responses so far ↓
1 Matt // Nov 14, 2008 at 6:11 PM
Thank god he’s not playing Cacapa!
2 Big Dave // Nov 14, 2008 at 6:12 PM
Im glad that bassong is playing as i think Cacapa had a terrible game at Fulham but to be honest i think it was a one off that he played so bad
2-1 for the toon
3 Matt // Nov 14, 2008 at 6:16 PM
It really wasn’t a one off. I’ve watched him in most of the games he’s played and he simply can’t head the ball properly. He never gets a good connection and has this awful habit of letting it bounce over his head rather than heading it back to the keeper or off the pitch. It’s cost us a number of goals and I’m not even counting the crazy dipping head he tried at fulham.
4 Ever seen a mackem in Milan? // Nov 14, 2008 at 6:27 PM
Why did we sell Faye to Stoke :{ He is the better centre back and he can head a ball. Poor management by whoever sold him.
5 Tom_Toon // Nov 14, 2008 at 6:47 PM
So we finally get to see our best CB pairing
6 Tom1664 (XiscoIsAPirate) // Nov 14, 2008 at 6:47 PM
I think he fell out with members of the coaching staff or something…
7 Shot Bru! // Nov 14, 2008 at 6:50 PM
About time too. It will give us a better balance in the heart of defence having a left and right footed combination. I just wish he would play Owen tbh.
8 Benn.. // Nov 14, 2008 at 6:51 PM
Beye .. Coloccini .. Bassong .. Enrique
Is in my view the strongest back four anyway..
Given
Beye .. Coloccini .. Bassong .. Enrique
Jonas .. Butt .. Barton .. Duff
Shola .. Oba..
Subs. Harper.. Guthrie .. Owen.. Ranger.. Kazenga Lualua.. Tozer.. Kadar..
What You Think??
9 CHUCK // Nov 14, 2008 at 6:57 PM
Once bitten I guess, yeah think Bassong has a future, athletic with pace and good technique,all he needs is good coaching and experience.
Glad to see Ameobi included, he deserves to play following his recent outings, where he has given a 100% effort.
Would like to see N`Zogbia included, adds a bit of pace, plus he gets the occasional goal.
Would also like to see Joey try the DM role instead of Butt, who lacks pace .
I certainly believe that Jonas,N`Zog. and Duff could cause confusion by interchanging midfield positions, each being able to play accross the midfield .
Soh ! Heres the team for this week Joe , now pay attention !
Given
Beye-Coloccini-Bassong-Enrique
Joey
Jonas- Duff- N`Zogbia
Shola- Martins
Owen on in the final minutes
Guthrie ” ” ”
Butt ” ” ”
Ranger, give him a run out if we are well ahead in the final minutes.
10 Benn.. // Nov 14, 2008 at 7:05 PM
Chuck.. Looks Good. Maybe Swap Duff and Jonas.. Around. Give Jonas a free role.. could cause lots of problems fro wigan..
11 norman // Nov 14, 2008 at 7:25 PM
i wud send cacapa 2 the mackems we dont need anybody with his lack of pace /bassong will show that he is a player that will shine and be a star of the future
12 aggi // Nov 14, 2008 at 7:30 PM
Bassong is the next Thuram
13 cause I got the girth // Nov 14, 2008 at 7:39 PM
best central pairing we have!
14 Graham // Nov 14, 2008 at 7:42 PM
Aggi – thats a bit like saying ‘Ameobi is the next Henry’.
I was gonna put forward my cripple of a grandad ahead of Cacapa, but if Bassong plays then i’m happy. I’d still have my granda on the bench infront of Cacapa though.
incase you think im being a bit hard on Cacapa, my grandad has had both his legs lopped off at the knee and lost 3 fingers in due to frostbite at the north pole. He still wouldn’t manage to head a ball off his own defenders back and into the path of the opposition striker!
15 Nick // Nov 14, 2008 at 7:44 PM
Bad news !!! I don’t think so.
16 tripp // Nov 14, 2008 at 7:54 PM
Chuffed about Bassong. Canny photo of Sebastien BTW, Ed. The only thing missing is a caption saying “BRAAINS! BRAAAAAAAINS!!”.
17 listie // Nov 14, 2008 at 8:24 PM
I think the Fulham game was the nail in the coffin for Cacrapa, thank god JK has seen the light
18 Tom_Toon // Nov 14, 2008 at 8:26 PM
..
19 BIGPEAOVTHEWEAB // Nov 14, 2008 at 8:55 PM
cacapa is pure U.S sack him sell him just dont ever play him again
pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
20 Darling27 // Nov 14, 2008 at 8:58 PM
Spot on Benn!!! I’d pick the same line up. Even though i’m not a big Nicky Butt fan he’s still start.
21 THE BEAT. // Nov 14, 2008 at 9:00 PM
i,m glad seb is in for cacapa,bassong should have played sunday and we might not have been third bottom going in against wigan.
22 Robby Bobson // Nov 14, 2008 at 9:47 PM
Bassong should play anyway. He gets the job done.
Taylor stands out more with his theatrical clearences. but is poor on the ground and is somewhat of a liability. Whereas Bassong is a good all round centre back…who will go out there and do his job unnoticed as all good centre halfs do.
23 tywell // Nov 14, 2008 at 9:53 PM
Good to see Bassong get a start, Cacapa love him as a professional but ever since that game against Pompey he aint look the super defender he actually is….
My line-up s i would want it but will probably be this one below it…
Given
Beye Colo Bassong Enrique
Jonas N’Zogbia Barton Duff
Ameobi Martins
But this will be the line-up:
Given
Beye Colo Bassong Enrique
Jonas Butt Barton Duff
Ameobi Martins
I just wanna see Zoggy get a run out he is our most dangerous player especially when he gets that free space in front of him he actually has the idea to do the one thing defenders hate RUNNING AT THEM no one else in our team really beside Jonas will do that Duff dosen’t do it enough think he feels he lacks the pace… Get Zoggy in the side please he has the flair we need….
24 oba9afemi // Nov 14, 2008 at 10:44 PM
Bassong has been very good for us when he has had his opportunities and i was shocked when cacapa got the nod over him against fulham.
Can deffo see him and coloccini working very well together.
Still think we may leak a goal but we shud win this despite our injury list
25 Frankieboy // Nov 14, 2008 at 11:43 PM
To be honest I think Colli and bassong are our best pairing and time will prove i am correct.
Taylor will have to make do with the bench and providing cover for those two when required.
26 Frankieboy // Nov 14, 2008 at 11:47 PM
Cant understand what anyone sees in Duff by name and by nature would have Zog in every time.Duff is the weak link going forward.
take note of how many times he gives the ball away and is responsible for our play breaking down…he is a nightmare.
27 brutooooon // Nov 14, 2008 at 11:48 PM
Bassong at centre back…wohooooooooooooo
our best CB partnership this season. This might work
28 vic // Nov 15, 2008 at 12:57 AM
butt and barton are too slow.
GUTRIE and NZOGBIA in the middle
given
beye colo bassong enrique
jonas gutrie nzog
martins owen ameobi
3 strikers against wigan !!!!!
RANGER for the last 30min after 3:0
29 Jon // Nov 15, 2008 at 2:41 AM
Finally we’ll see Bassong and Coloccini together in the heart of defence. I’m looking forward to it.
30 Sav // Nov 15, 2008 at 2:47 AM
Could have told JFK that before the Fulham match and saved us 3 points like, but whatever.
Are Zaki and Heskey both out anyway?
And Sib is loaned out so, we could mevvies field Owen and Ranger at centre-back….?
31 Jinal // Nov 15, 2008 at 4:10 AM
As much as Cacapa is to blame for the errors against Fulham, I feel bad for the lad. Poor guy. It would suck to be in his shoes.
32 Desmond - DesmondBlog.com // Nov 15, 2008 at 7:48 AM
Just go out and get Seb Larsson, James McFadden and David Wheather to fill in Newcastle’s weak spots.
Given
Beye Colo Taylor Enrique
Barton
Jonas Guthrie (no Butt pls) N’Zogbia
Owen
Martins
33 figsdad // Nov 15, 2008 at 7:58 AM
dont care should play Owen drop shola..
34 african-kenyan-ronniezog // Nov 15, 2008 at 8:13 AM
CHUCK-If bassong is playing then we gonna kill the latics
am sure not less than 4goals or what do u think
35 AO // Nov 15, 2008 at 8:16 AM
The first relegation 6 pointer of the season.
36 AO // Nov 15, 2008 at 8:21 AM
ERRR . . . according to Joe Kinnear! I don’t know in which dimension he is referring to but the one we all exist in this statement just makes him look foolish! I feel let down a little by someone I used to think was an old skool Yid!
Yeah, all those European competitions won by . . . Newcastle ? ? ?
Newcastle haven’t even ever won the league cup, and only ever got to the final once . . . in 1976! Spurs have won it 4 times & are the joint 3rd best team ever in that competition.
We are also the 3rd most successful team ever in the FA cup behind Manchester United & Arsenal & above Liverpool, 3 of the so called ‘big 4′.
We’ve won the competition 8 times, the last time being in 1991. Newcastle have won it 6 times but the last time was in 1955!
Newcastle have won twice the number of titles we have with 4 to their name but their last title was in 1926-7 while ours, a year in which we also were the first team ever to do the double, was in 1960-1.
Don’t even get me started on Europe! UEFA probably don’t even know where Newcastle is ! The best Newcastle have ever won in Europe is the ‘Inter Cities Fairs Cup’ (basically the early version of the UEFA cup which we ourselves have won twice & once been runners-up since its inception in 1972 & were the first team EVER to win it in its current guise, a team that Joe was in!) & they did that only in 1969!
I could go on but I’m actually starting to feel sorry for Newcastle now. Poor old Joe Kinnear, he’s having delusions of grandeur! He’s obviously knows all this stuff as he played most of his career at Spurs under the great man Bill Nicholson so all I can summise is that Joe is Jealous. He must be wishing he was back at the Lane instead of stuck up North in England’s nether regions!
They do have a bigger stadium, I’ll give ‘em that . . . but not for long!
37 magpie6699 // Nov 15, 2008 at 8:44 AM
Did somebody say something? For god’s sake DON’T rise to this or we’ll have endless to and fro postings of utter crap on this website for NEWCASTLE fans. IGNORE AND IT MIGHT GO AWAY!
38 theres only 1 koey barton // Nov 15, 2008 at 8:48 AM
my team would be
given
beye colo bassong enrique
spiderman barton guthrie n’zogbia
ameobi martins
think well get a point the day hope notas really need 3 points
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