Chris Hughton has said he will have no problems packing his midfield for Newcastle United’s trip to Cardiff City on Sunday.
Nicky Butt – could return on Sunday
Chris has limited choices when it comes to his attacking options with Peter Lovenkrands unfit, Shola Ameobi out with a foot injury, and Argentine Gutierrez also injured.
With Kevin Nolan and Danny Guthrie having scored four goals in the last three matches, Hughton is not concerned about a lack of creativity, since he believes he has that in his midfield already.
Chris told the Evening Chronicle:
“What we do have are lads in midfield capable of scoring goals.” “Danny Guthrie is a good striker of the ball.”
“Kevin Nolan is used to being in those positions.” “Nicky Butt is a big, big player and Alan Smith has been doing a great job.:
“If you are able to create more from midfield then even better.”
Nolan has looked a different player in the second division so far this season, and of course he is loving life on Tyneside right now.
Guthrie is staying true to his word as he vowed to work his socks off this season to get Newcastle back to where they belong in the Premier League. He has scored two goals already this season, as many as he got all of last season
Hughton added:
“What we have are players who can play in those advanced positions.” “They enjoy getting into those positions.
“Once they do that they give us opportunities to create and score goals.” “That’s what they are doing at the moment.”
We have top central midfielders in Butt, Nolan, Smith, Guthrie and Barton, and it seems to us Chris is trying to work out a system that can accommodate them, because they are all a class above the Championship, from what we’ve seen so far.
Comments welcome.
16 comments so far
Spitfire
Sep 8, 2009 at 1:21 PM
Comment #1Quite ironic as it was the midfield that was the root of the problem last season
Eaststander
Sep 8, 2009 at 1:23 PM
Comment #2Newcastles strength comes from the fans.
Mag_Laad
Sep 8, 2009 at 1:29 PM
Comment #3Eastander
Us fans don’t actually play the football so it doesn’t really. All we do is sit in the stands either cheering the team on or going absolute ackaa over the slightest mistake. You sit in east stand haven’t heard out from there like haha Gallowgate place be!
tdt
Sep 8, 2009 at 1:33 PM
Comment #4—————-Harper——————-
Simpson–S.Taylor–Collo–Enrique
—————-Smith(c)—————–
———-Butt——-Gutherie———–
Nolan—————————-Barton
—————Ranger——————-
Thats the best way 2 use all the Midfields that are senior players. I’d like 2 c lualua and vuckic come into there 2 change things after an hour or so. along with Lovenkrands.
punk skunk...
Sep 8, 2009 at 1:34 PM
Comment #5Spitfire,
i know mate, how ironic!..
…What a turn up!..
Mag_Laad
Sep 8, 2009 at 1:37 PM
Comment #6Nicky Butt should never have his name anywhere near a team sheet.
Trent Toon
Sep 8, 2009 at 1:41 PM
Comment #7Spitfire // Sep 8, 2009 at 1:21 PM
punk skunk… // Sep 8, 2009 at 1:34 PM
I disagree, the main problem was the whole team…
The defenders couldn’t defend, the midfielders couldn’t pass and the strikers couldn’t score, its as simple as that… The only people doing their job was Harper and Given…
but the point is that the midfeilders were certainly not the root of problem last season!!! I would blame it more on the defence…
boater
Sep 8, 2009 at 1:49 PM
Comment #8Trent Toon. No mate that’s dumbass reasoning.
Spitfire- spot on. When you concede lots of goals your defense is in question, when you fail to score – it’s your attackers. When you are just abject at everything look at the midfield.
Logically Houghton should be looking past Butt, his absence has coincided with a rejuvenation in the football… not the only reason obviously but it’s hard to imagine why we would have him back in – when we have the experience, the tackling and the passing – ahem,,, from the other senior midfield lads as mentioned. If houghton can refrain from crowbarring in his undroppables I will be impressed but TDT’s prediction of 5 central midfielders in one side is worryingly close to what Houghton will go with.
Ashley Hole
Sep 8, 2009 at 2:38 PM
Comment #9Harper
Kadar S Taylor Colo
Gutherie Nolan Butt Smith Barton
Caroll Loven
Attack Attack
Ashley Hole
Sep 8, 2009 at 2:40 PM
Comment #10Simpson Taylor Colo
Whumpie
Sep 8, 2009 at 2:44 PM
Comment #11Nah – Butt won’t be sharp yet. Leave him out for the first hour, bring him on if we’re ahead and need to shore up a lead.
I’d start with:
————-Harps
Simpson – S.Taylor – Colo – Enrique
R.Taylor – Smith – Guthrie – Lua Lua
——–Nolan/Carroll – Ranger
Dammit. We just don’t have any decent, fit, experienced wingers, do we?? Not one!!
Whumpie
Sep 8, 2009 at 2:46 PM
Comment #12I’d leave Barton out for two reasons:
1. He’ll get sent off and/or injured anyway
2. He was pants at Leicester and usually is. He only gets talked up by some because for some reason they like the bad boy thing.
Although he’s got a lot to learn I’d rather put Lua Lua on and get him some experience PDQ so we don’t have to rely on Barton. And for chrissakes, get some wingers on loan!!
dave 1961
Sep 8, 2009 at 3:32 PM
Comment #13i feel the same about Barton & also believe that people make to many excuses for him, we always seem to do this on a recent stay in hospital, i ended up with a drunk to the right of me & a drug addict to the left of me, across there was a 96 year old man, ex army that had fought in world war 2, he was accused by the doctors & a couple of the nurses of being a bed blocker and only going to hospital because he was lonely. just five minuets before that the drug addict & the drunk were caught smoking out the window, what do you think was said to them, you naughty boys back to bead, even though they were clearly in their 50’s. and then the nurses & doctors took exception to me, when i inquired why its so bad to block a bed but OK to smoke in a no smoking area, & subject me a non smoker to their bad habit’s and also that the drunk had urinated on 2 beds the previous night. i was then vilified when i informed them that if either one of them p**sed on my bed, they would find them at the bottom of the window. i don’t usually have harsh words with medical people but just now & again do gooders get right up my nose. i was quite happy that my taxes were supporting the old lonely soldier, but the drunk & drug addict are just parasites, and no i’m not a drunk nor do i take drugs, i think it was a diabetic ward. just in case its any interest.
pondering
Sep 8, 2009 at 4:06 PM
Comment #14hmmm
baro
Sep 8, 2009 at 10:55 PM
Comment #15—————————-Krul——————–
——–R.Taylor——–S.Taylor——-Colo___
–Guthrie—–Smith——Nolan———Jonas—
———Ranger——-Vuckic—–Ameobi——–
premier
Sep 9, 2009 at 9:12 AM
Comment #16The Entertainers packing their midfield for a trip to the mighty Cardiff!!