Assistant manager Chris Hughton recalls Geremi and Alan Smith to the Newcastle United midfield, for the visit of the reigning European and World Club Champions, Manchester United.
Former Man Utd and Leeds United player Alan Smith is starting his first game of the season for Newcastle, having returned from a six-month layoff in January with an Achilles injury.
Nicky Butt, who picked up a knee injury during Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at Bolton, is still named as a substitute, while Shola Ameobi drops down to the bench, after an unimpressive display on Sunday. However, neither Viduka nor Carroll replaces him up front.
There is no place even on the bench for Mark Viduka, as Hughton looks to play five across the midfield, with probably Oba Martins the lone striker up front.
It could also be that Lovenkrands will play up front with Martins, to provide more of a goal threat to the excellent Manchester United defense, which has conceded just 11 goals in their 26 league games so far this season.
Steve Harper, the longest serving player at the Tyneside club, and who recently became the number one goalkeeper, captains the Magpies, who will have an unchanged back four as expected, with 18 year-old Kazenga LuaLua also on the bench tonight.
For the Red Devils, goalkeeper Van Der Sar, Ronaldo, Berbatov, Rooney, local Wallsend-born Michael Carrick, and Ferdinand all start, with the bench packed with Anderson, Ryan Giggs, Ben Foster, Paul Scholes, Jonny Evans, Carlos Tevez, and 19 year-old youngster Richard Eckersley
This will certainly be a difficult game for Newcastle, and it looks like Hughton is betting on packing the midfield tonight, and hopefully winning the 50-50 balls.
It’s time for heroes for some of the lads in those famous black and white stripes – that’s for sure.
We’ll be back at the end of the game tonight.
Howay The Lads!!
TEAMS
Newcastle United: Steve Harper (c), Steven Taylor, Jose Enrique, Fabricio Coloccini, Sebastien Bassong, Geremi, Alan Smith, Jonas Gutierrez, Ryan Taylor, Peter Lovenkrands, Oba Martins
Subs: Tim Krul, Claudio Cacapa, David Edgar, Shola Ameobi, Nicky Butt, Andy Carroll, Kazenga LuaLua
Manchester United: Edwin Van der Sar, Patrice Evra, Rio Ferdinand, Cristiano Ronaldo, Dimitar Berbatov, Wayne Rooney, Ji-Sung Park, Nemanja Vidic, Michael Carrick, John O’Shea, Darren Fletcher
Subs: Anderson, Ryan Giggs, Ben Foster, Paul Scholes, Jonny Evans, Carlos Tevez, Richard Eckersley
Referee: Steve Bennett
Attendance: tbc
411 comments so far
nufc1818
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:00 PM
Comment #41LOVENKRAAAAAAANDS!
OMG NOOOO WAY!
HAHAHAHA
SMUG VAN DER SAR!
Soren
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:00 PM
Comment #42Oba close.. We look very dangerous on counter attack with Oba and Loven.
dub sea
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:01 PM
Comment #43decent link
http://atdhe.net/live-tv-4314.html
hitman
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:01 PM
Comment #44stoke 1 up
Soren
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:01 PM
Comment #45You took my words Widowmaker 😀
OHurley
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:01 PM
Comment #46Please God, send the Mags a victory today and also- please God, let the feet of our enemies fall off their legs (esp. Rooney and Ronaldo)
nufc1818
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:03 PM
Comment #47im just so happy we have broke that smug t**ts record 😀 hahahahahahaha!
Tom1664
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:04 PM
Comment #48Even if we lose – we an all take heart from the image of Van der Sar crying like a baby.
OHurley
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:05 PM
Comment #49How is our marking on Rooney? He seems to be getting a lot of shots. I’ve got a live feed of the game on my phone, but no video or audio:( just text.
nufc1818
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:05 PM
Comment #50guys im not watching the match will you tell me about the goal?
hitman
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:05 PM
Comment #51twatttttssssss
geist
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:05 PM
Comment #52s**t
Toon_Factor
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:05 PM
Comment #53Booooooooooooooooooooo, seen it coming
Marty-Toon
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:06 PM
Comment #54Crap,rooney
Soren
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:06 PM
Comment #55Hmm… 1-1
dub sea
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:06 PM
Comment #561-1 stunning rooney goal
nufc1818
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:06 PM
Comment #571-1 🙁
Widowmaker
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:06 PM
Comment #58Oh no…Sorry for saying this but I was thinking Shay would have saved that one.
OHurley
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:07 PM
Comment #59God, I hate Rooney………. who the F is marking him???
ObafemiMelinswe
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:07 PM
Comment #60F faoaegdjo
OHurley
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:07 PM
Comment #61casper the friendly freakin’ ghost?
hitman
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:08 PM
Comment #62carnt watch iraqi goals theres about a 10 second lag.lol
reillers
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:09 PM
Comment #63Was about to say we were getting carried away being so smug..no need, yet again we’ve conceded straight after scoring a goal. Well done lads. FFS.
hitman
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:09 PM
Comment #64tell you what it is,someone needs to teech oba two touch footy like.
Widowmaker
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:10 PM
Comment #65One thing that I found very positive is that Jonas seems very willing to take the shots by himself in this game. Hopefully he will get us a winning goal! Come on Jonas!
dub sea
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:10 PM
Comment #66they look dangerous….but we are playing well in their half….
square
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:11 PM
Comment #67boo man city.. c’mon villa
Soren
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:12 PM
Comment #68We seem much more fighting than at Bolton, which is nice to see.
sirjasontoon
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:12 PM
Comment #69All I want is passion…started well tonight good passing,standing proud and fkin having a battle.
TOON !
hitman
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:14 PM
Comment #70anyone watching SSN,id love to climb in the tele and give ian payne a slap.lol
square
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:15 PM
Comment #71anyone tired of watching already. ill take this score line.
argh bloody boro give the spuds some fyt will ya
Toon_Factor
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:15 PM
Comment #72This is the worst ive seen Man U play
dub sea
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:17 PM
Comment #73shit spurs 2-0 up….hoping for a draw there
ObafemiMelinswe
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:18 PM
Comment #74off air :/
Marty-Toon
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:19 PM
Comment #75Toon factor
We are actually playin well guys give the guys some credit
They are workin hard to shut them down.
Even when we play well we are gettin criticised
Toonmadtom
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:20 PM
Comment #76how we playing
RyanToon
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:20 PM
Comment #77anyone got a decent stream plz
square
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:20 PM
Comment #78should show ronaldo the byline not inside!
Soren
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:21 PM
Comment #79If you have sopcast try channel 6029, at least it works but the commentators are japanese or chinese or something.
It Could Be Worse...We Could Be Spurs -DC-
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:21 PM
Comment #80nooooo stream gone and we’re playing so well…
someone plz share a decent stream