Some surprisingly good news today is that Jose Enrique and Joey Barton are both fit, and start for Newcastle United today against Stoke City.
Newcastle Manager Alan Pardew has made 3 changes to the side which was beaten by Everton 2-1, a long and painful two weeks ago.
Jose Enrique surprisingly passed the fitness test on his hamstring injury today, and Pardew has put out a decent side to try to combat Stoke’s aggressive style of play.
Sol Campbell, whom Pardew said he was considering to combat the Stoke aerial assault, gets a start in a good looking Newcastle side.
Steven Taylor is back on the bench, and the front two are Peter Lovenkrands and Shola Ameobi, and no sign of Leon Best, who unfortunately picked up an injury in training on Thursday, so that’s bad news.
Young striker Nile Ranger is back on the bench along with Shane Ferguson and new striker Shefki Kuqi.
Jonas Gutierrez is also on the bench, and we’re not sure if he would be available to come on in the second half, if needed.
For Stoke City, Begovic returns in goal in place of Sorensen.
Newcastle could play in a 3-5-2 formation today, presumably with Coloccini playing a defensive midfield type of role in the middle 5, as he can play there.
You’ve got to think the lads have been practicing this set-up a lot over the last two weeks, if indeed they do start in that formation.
We need a win today!
Howay The Lads!!
Teams:
Stoke (4-4-2): Begovic; Wilson, Shawcross, Huth, Higginbotham; Pennant, Delap, Whelan, Etherington; Jones, Walters.
Subs: Sorensen, Collins, Fuller, Pugh, Diao, Whitehead, Wilkinson.
Newcastle (4-4-2): Harper; Coloccini, Williamson, Campbell, Enrique; Simpson, Barton, Nolan, Tiote; Lovenkrands, Ameobi.
Subs: Krul, Guthrie, Gutierrez, Taylor, Ranger, Ferguson, Kuqi.
Referee: Lee Mason
323 comments so far
Oleg G
Mar 19, 2011 at 10:48 PM
Comment #321solano // Mar 19, 2011 at 5:43 PM
Lets say we have the worst team in the league (which we don’t).
Lets draw half of the games we have left and loose the rest. We will stay up. But even if all are shite, still, there are some who smell better then others, don’t you agree?
Oleg G
Mar 19, 2011 at 10:57 PM
Comment #322gorskino10 // Mar 19, 2011 at 6:09 PM
I am not saying it will happen or it won’t. I am waiting, and we will see what will happen. No need to guess. These kind of guessing just bring the spirit of me, and you and the rest of the people here down. We are already down about things like today’s game, no need for more.
If you go back and look at any and every of my posts, I hate MA as much as the next guy, and maybe more. But saying things just for the sake of it, for what?
There is constructive criticism, with that I can agree, but cannot base your statements on nothing, but saying them as if they were facts.
I say, lets wait until the summer, nothing we can do about it anyway. And we will see.
About sacking the manager. I think it won’t matter either way. He is not the best and not the worst we can have, stability is obviously better, the question is, how the players are responding to him. In my opinion, and from what we see on the pitch, 50-50, he is not CH that’s for sure.
“its like your his best friend tying to defend him!, that defending him bit was just the same stupid crap ya thrown in your comment.”
-I didn’t understand the last part actually “that defending him bit was just the same…”.
About MA in general. As I see the fans who actually physically there, they don’t have enough power or straight (mental and emotional) for that matter, to do something about him. He will stay until he sells. We are blaming him for ever, and nothing happened. 🙁
solano
Mar 20, 2011 at 9:32 AM
Comment #323Oleg(313)….I’ll take staying up mate(but I won’t be celebrating it -if it happens- as a success like many on here) ……..I don’t actually think we are the worst team in the league…..but we are undoubtedly swilling around in the shite because of a disastrous January window when we could have built upon a surprisingly confident and spirited team……that spirit seems to have disappated and I wouldn’t put my house on surviving…..
As for him selling….I doubt it will happen anytime soon either……even those who can see what is going on can’t bring themselves to stop funding his gambling habits……