Andy Carroll is in the starting eleven tonight at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster for tonight’s important game.
But Chris Hughton still makes three changes to the side which drew at Bristol City 2-2 on Saturday, with the surprise inclusion of captain Nicky Butt and utility player Ryan Taylor, who both get starts.
As expected, Tamas Kadar is also handed a start in central defense alongside Fabricio Coloccini, and this is the Hungarian’s 8th start and 15th appearance for the Magpies.
Ryan Taylor comes in for Jose Enrique, with the Spaniard named among the substitutes – and we have to wonder if Jose’s hamstring is again worrying him.
Chris will want his strongest possible side out next Monday night against Nottingham Forest, which could be why the Spaniard is rested tonight. Danny Simpson and Fabricio Coloccini complete the back four.
There is no Leon Best in the side which suggests Hughton will play a 4-5-1 formation with Nolan playing just behind front man Andy Carroll.
The defense has been giving away too many goals recently, and this seems an attempt to batten down the hatches against an in-form side, and we’ll have to hope that players like Carroll, Nolan and Guthrie, not to mention Jonas Gutierrez, can get some goals tonight.
Mike Williamson, who has been training with a cast on his broken hand, is not included on the substitutes bench, and as expected young Ben Tozer is there in case we have any defensive injuries.
At the moment we have Mike, as well as Fitz Hall and Steven Taylor out injured, but hopefully Williamson will be available for Monday night’s titanic game against Nottingham Forest.
And finally Joey Barton indeed returns to the Newcastle bench for the first time since September, and could well be given a run-out sometime in the second half.
Howay The Lads!!
TEAMS
Doncaster: Neil Sullivan, James Hayter, Gareth Roberts (c), John Oster, James Chambers, Martin Woods, Shelton Martis, James O’Connor, Bill Sharp, Dean Shiels, Mark Wilson
Subs: Ben Smith, Jordan Mutch, Jay Emmanuel Thomas, Sam Hird, John Spicer, Adam Lockwood, Sean McDaid
Newcastle United: Steve Harper, Ryan Taylor, Fabricio Coloccini, Tamas Kadar, Danny Simpson, Wayne Routledge, Nicky Butt (c), Danny Guthrie, Jonas Gutierrez, Kevin Nolan, Andy Carroll
Subs: Tim Krul, Jose Enrique, Joey Barton, Leon Best, Fabrice Pancrate, Nile Ranger, Ben Tozer
Referee: Keith Hill
Attendance: tba
128 comments so far
Turkish Magpie
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:07 PM
Comment #81Like all the clever puns lads 😉
Now who’s gunna deliver the knockout blow?
Bucks mag
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:07 PM
Comment #82GeordieMeerket – Nice 1.
Steve_48
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:07 PM
Comment #831 Newcastle 38 44 80
2 West Brom 38 34 75
3 Nottm Forest 39 22 70
4 Leicester 37 11 61
5 Swansea 39 3 61
6 Cardiff 37 16 58
costello91
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:07 PM
Comment #84bucks mag: we missed our cue!! haha 😛
Macedonia toon
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:07 PM
Comment #85Carol 1:0 c’mon Newcastle be united
Steve_48
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:07 PM
Comment #86Is Carroll a left hooker or right hooker?
Steve_48
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:08 PM
Comment #87TFFT
boater
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:09 PM
Comment #88ahhhh pheeeeew lucky there. They could open up nicely now though for us…
3-0 – nolan and r taylor with his obligatory settler.
boater
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:10 PM
Comment #89how many now – 15? real jaw dropping stuff from carroll!
Bucks mag
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:12 PM
Comment #90That “whey yer knaar” song is mint.
Taken over from the eieieioo one.
Rich TOON Bristol
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:13 PM
Comment #91get butt off for barton!
Shot Bru
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:13 PM
Comment #92Steve48 if things stay the way they are that means we only need to win 3 more games and draw one to gain promotion.
Turkish Magpie
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:14 PM
Comment #93Steve- He’s a left footer
Shot Bru
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:15 PM
Comment #94Carroll will be punching above his weight in the prem.
Rich TOON Bristol
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:16 PM
Comment #95sounds like were dominating, we need to kill the game off now before we lose momentum
boater
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:16 PM
Comment #96Rich Toon – that could be pretty cavalier at 1-0 up away. get another maybe then get barton on.
boater
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:17 PM
Comment #97steve 48 – he’s a southpaw.
Toonmania
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:18 PM
Comment #9814,850 attendance at keepmoat 3,200 geordies
Great support for the team away from home again 🙂
Turkish Magpie
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:18 PM
Comment #99Barton’s coming on i think
Steve_48
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:20 PM
Comment #100Well he is 6′ … 😉 the air must be thinner up there
Shot Bru
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:20 PM
Comment #101What!!
Steve_48
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:20 PM
Comment #102Right come on lads, the number of minutes before Barton gets a yellow card is…..
costello91
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:21 PM
Comment #103guthrie off??? wat ?
chris6033
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:21 PM
Comment #104what happened when AC scored? did team mates go to him??
Tom4Nufc
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:21 PM
Comment #105Why Guthrie off? It should be Butt or Nolan!!!! Ohwell play well Joey!
Toon-Army
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:21 PM
Comment #106guthrie off barton on. 🙂
Rich TOON Bristol
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:21 PM
Comment #107looks like a like for like swap then, hope barton doesnt force danny out the starting line up for the remaining fixtures tho (unless he has a blinder now! lol)
boater
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:21 PM
Comment #108Guthrie replaced. Hope this isn’t a sign of things to come,,, he was never gonna play both of them away though.
Rich TOON Bristol
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:22 PM
Comment #109have they said if theres any signs of this “op” that AC had yesterday? cast or anything???
Tom4Nufc
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:26 PM
Comment #110AC is wearing gloves apparently.
Toonmania
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:26 PM
Comment #111no carrol is wearing gloves, but no sign of a cast on
Toon-Army
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:26 PM
Comment #112how is barton doing any1??
boater
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:27 PM
Comment #113wonder if CH is secretly a bit gutted Barton is back now. He has stretched his comeback date to almost breaking point. Divven’t need to fix what aint broken, and guthrie has come into his own as playmaker recently. Shop window stuff for the summer departure mebbes??
Steve_48
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:27 PM
Comment #114Tom4Nufc – it’s so that when he goes to bed tonight be doesn’t become a bigger w*nker than he was on Sunday
will die for the toon army
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:28 PM
Comment #115THere is only one bAD BOY bARTON
will die for the toon army
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:32 PM
Comment #116The Bristol-Bansley game is on fire.
Steve_48
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:40 PM
Comment #117Pappin now
costello91
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:40 PM
Comment #118yesssssssssssss
MacToon
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:40 PM
Comment #119Good win and a well earned 3 points.
Well done Carroll, goals like that are now worth £millions.
Shot Bru
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:40 PM
Comment #120Great result!!