Newcastle have made a great start to the league this season, with 7 points out of their first 3 games.
And the team are in a rather high position of 6th in the league, and will move up to at least 4th position with a win tonight, behind only the two Manchester clubs and Chelsea, probably the best three teams in England this year.
We don’t expect Newcastle to remain in such a high position in the league as the season progresses, but you never know of course, and we hope the lads can stay out of relegation trouble this season, and continue to be in the top half of the table.
The injury situation seems to be clearing up at Newcastle quickly, with Slovenian Haris Vuckic and Frenchman Hatem Ben Arfa the only players not available tonight.
However, the mercurial French International should be ready to participate in the 3rd round of the Carling Cup at Nottingham Forest a week tomorrow, and that’s great news.
The other big question about the starting eleven is whether new boy Davide Santon who will wear the number 3 short, will take up his position at left back, since Pardew may not believe he’s played enough in practice with his new team mates yet.
As soon as he was signed, the 20 year0old was off to captain the Italian U21 side, and only returned to Newcastle last Thursday, but it will depend on how he’s looked in training since he returned.
But we wonder how he communicates with his team mates, since he doesn’t yet speak English.
We’ll assume he’ll not start tonight (but we hope he does), and we think this could be the side that Alan Pardew goes with tonight:
Krul
Simpson Coloccini (c) Taylor (S) Taylor (R)
Obertan Tiote Cabaye Gutierrez
Best Demba Ba
Subs: Harper Santon Perch Ferguson Ameobi (Sh) Lovenkrands Gosling
It shows how strong that bench is, when there’s no place for Sylvain Marveaux, Danny Guthrie, Alan Smith or the impressive local youngster Sammy Ameobi.
And we have to think James Perch will be on the bench as cover across the back four, and particularly at center-back, in case Steven Taylor or Coloccini are injured (heaven forbid).
The keys to the game for Newcastle are that the defense again displays good fortitude, and even though they may be under severe pressure at times, they don’t crack.
Also, we have to hope that Tim Krul keeps up his wonderful form in goal, and Tim has been simply outstanding for Newcastle this season so far, and the 23 year-old has certainly gained some points for his club.
And one question that is very topical is whether our two strikers, Leon Best and Demba Ba up front, can get the goals for the club.
We think they can, and it’s a terrific opportunity for both strikers to show what they can do for the club.
Leon Best seems to rise to the occasion when he gets his chance on Tyneside, and we are becoming big fans of the Irish striker, and think that Demba Ba just needs his first goal for the club, and then he should be okay from that point forward.
We’d also like to see Davide Santon play some part tonight, and he’s already a big favorite with the fans, and to get such a top young player at the club is a real coup for Newcastle, and will help in January and next summer to attract other good players to the club – we hope.
We’ve all been able to complain about how the Board were unsuccessful in getting a new striker in, on the last day of the transfer window, but now we have this squad until the end of the year, and they will be the ones to make Newcastle successful until January rolls around.
And of course we’ll support the lads big time , as always.
All in all, this will be a good test for the team tonight, and with good spirit and decent form, the lads should be able to get something out of the game tonight, and that will be good enough for us.
Howay The Lads!!
78 comments so far
Incentino
Sep 12, 2011 at 1:57 PM
Comment #1It’s important to get a win to keep the momentum on our side. Howay the lads!
CorToon
Sep 12, 2011 at 1:57 PM
Comment #21st
CorToon
Sep 12, 2011 at 1:57 PM
Comment #3DAMN
niffnoff
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:00 PM
Comment #4CorToon is butthurt.
Harpers injured. Elliot on bench. So that’s why he’s there method in the madness eh…
Toon_Jock
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:00 PM
Comment #5T-Minus 6 hours and I’ll be there supporting our lads tonight!!! can’t wait….
HWTL
AshtreeKid
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:02 PM
Comment #6Colo speaks Italian apparently so that would be a big help for settling Santon in
ToonAndy
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:17 PM
Comment #7The strongest possible team we could field tonight would be….
———————————-KRUL———————————
SIMPSON———SAYLOR——-COLLO———–RAYLOR
————————-TIOTE—–CABAYE————————
OBERTAN————–MARVEAUX——————-JONAS
———————————BEST———————————–
SUBS:
SANTON
PERCH
FERGUSON
VUCKIC
GOSLING
BA
AMEOBI
niafron
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:18 PM
Comment #8Bonjour messieurs.
Personaly, i would have Marv on the bench.
The new Ranger’s Motto: “Do something stupid or die trying!”
50 cents is probably the price we will sell him…
niafron
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:19 PM
Comment #9@Toon Andy
Not bad, especially in away game. Preffer Ba to Best however.
Penalty-Spot
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:22 PM
Comment #10Arrrghhh not sure who I’d start given the choice. On balance I think your team choice is about there but I hope (all going our way) that it will look like this by the end of the game…when we’re 0-3 of course 🙂
Krul
SANTON, Colo, Taylor, Raylor
Obertan, Tiote, GOSLING, Guitierrez
Best, SAMEOBI
AshtreeKid
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:24 PM
Comment #11toonandy, you I would move cabaye forward stick raylor in alongside tiote and put santon in at left back
andre29
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:25 PM
Comment #12TONIGHT WATCH NEWCASTLE ONLINE ON http://premierstadium.yolasite.com/stjamespark.php 5 STREAM HQ
Penalty-Spot
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:27 PM
Comment #13AshtreeKid @11. I thought about that….Might work as its a bit more defensive and we are away at Joey Barton…
AshtreeKid
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:31 PM
Comment #14think it would be a good option for away games, plus I think we need to keep raylor in the side for his set pieces but in all honesty we know he’s not a left back
geoff777
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:31 PM
Comment #15@ToonAndy
Interesting team selection.
@PenaltySpot
Can’t see Sammy starting but as an impact sub he could be very good.
Marveaux, HBA, Gosling, Vuckic when they are all fit selection is going to be tricky.
My only concern is that Obertan may be a fast Jonas.
WWJBD
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:32 PM
Comment #16I am going for a 2-1 win tonight (Tony if ur out there that’s my prediction haha)
I think it will be scrappy but our luck will hold out though SWP and (THERES ONLY ONE) Joey Barton will cause us a lot of trouble and should get a goal
niafron
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:32 PM
Comment #17Cabaye is definitively not (and never was) an offensive midfield.
So this is really a defensive choice if you get a Raylor-Tiote-Cabaye midfield.
Burni
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:35 PM
Comment #18good to see ur geordie is still there Ed!
“The other big question about the starting eleven is whether new boy Davide Santon who will wear the number 3 short”
I CAN NOT WAIT FOR TONIGHT AND IM NOT EVEN SORRY FOR SHOUTING!!!!!
Ollieh51
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:36 PM
Comment #19Niafron – Didn;t he manage to get 15 in a season they other year?
He’s like a more forward thinking Essien and has a monstor shot on him?
Milking Mikes' bulging pockets
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:36 PM
Comment #20Barton is cack and we’re going to demolish them!
niafron
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:37 PM
Comment #21Want to see Obertan. He really imrpoved against Fulham. Mainly in defensive aspects.
And i disagree, i think he can play in a very different way Guttierez do.
geoff777
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:39 PM
Comment #22@Niafron
I think we’ll be looking to keep a clean sheet most games with two fairly defencive CM’s.
Then have fast wingers and strikers (HBA soon) to counter attack away from home.
At home the NUFC fans will need to accept a back-pass isn’t negative but a tactical move to keep possession and build another attack.
If the crowd boo back-passes then players are just going to hump it forward.
nden85
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:40 PM
Comment #23Don’t understand why its taking Marvuex so long to get in the team, he said he was fit when he joined us and i’ve not heard of him getting injured so what’s the delay? he played 120 mins against scunthorpe didn’t he?
~~San-Toon~~
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:40 PM
Comment #24Cheik Tiote to get atleast 1 yellow today. Due to Joey Barton’s Theatrics.
Penalty-Spot
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:42 PM
Comment #25Judging our recent 1st half form I reckon we need a defensive field to begin with 😉
I do hope we come out fighting from the start tonight. Not in a Barton sense, we’ll leave that to him.
Wonder if he’ll crock any of our players?
onlyoneshearer
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:43 PM
Comment #26bit nervous about tonight, i think qpr are probably the strongest of the promoted teams and the signings they made at the end of the window are only going to strengthen them, especially barton!!
We should start 4-4-2 though ba and best give them a chance to build a partnership up.
howay the lads
Hemel Mag
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:44 PM
Comment #27Bloody hell, Ed’s on speed or something today:
TDS I’m there tonight mate- had to get tickets in the away end though 🙁 We’re directly below the toon fans though so careful who you’re gobbing on 😉
I’m hoping i can drop the stewards a drink and get moved- it’s worked before so fingers crossed.
Anyone know the best pub for away fans I’ve seen on one QPR forum either walkabout or Oneils in Shepards Bush? Any thoughts?
Penalty-Spot
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:47 PM
Comment #28@26. Jealous. It’s the pub for me. Still Bloody excited though. More so than any game bar Mackems this season. Have even arranged to start work late tomorrow morning so I can cope with celebratory headache.
niafron
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:49 PM
Comment #29@Ollieh51
Cabaye can score goals. Which is precious. But he’s a defensive Midfield, no doubt about that.
He scored cause he got a good shot, and also, In Lille, he was the man who shot penalty.
Hemel Mag
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:57 PM
Comment #30Penalty – Spot. Me too mate except i have an earlt start tomorrow, not that I’ll let a little thing like that stop me. It’ll be worth it if we have a decent result though. HWTL
The Carnivorous Badger
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:58 PM
Comment #31Cabaye is deep-lying, not defensive, there’s a difference. It won’t get into the box etc like Nolan, but he’ll be creative from the middle of the pitch.
AshtreeKid
Sep 12, 2011 at 3:03 PM
Comment #32niafrom, I would go with them three myself, just my opinion, nice and solid in the middle and able to break with pace with wingers and best
Ollieh51
Sep 12, 2011 at 3:04 PM
Comment #33@ Niafron – I think for us he’ll get about 5 this season.
he is deep lying and the ball carrier but I think it’s more the efforts that he can drive in from the edge of the box etc that he’ll get as well as penalties and set pieces.
@ Hemel Mag – I’m in the away section and I’ll be pi55ed if we don’t have a sell out bearing in mind how hard they’ve made it for us to get tickets these days.
Hemel Mag
Sep 12, 2011 at 3:10 PM
Comment #34Ollieh, same here mate, I don’t mind going in the home end if that’s the only option, I can understand the membership thing but if you’re wanting to go as a family etc it’s a pain in the A**E only being able to buy one ticket per member
TOONARMY4LIFE
Sep 12, 2011 at 3:13 PM
Comment #35ToonAndy nice team!!!
Ollieh51
Sep 12, 2011 at 3:15 PM
Comment #36@ Hemel Mag
100% agree. It’s horrific trying to arrange it with a group of mates too.
Don’t knwo why they have made it so difficult, have the club had complaints from memebers saying that they weren’t able to get tickets?
If they have then it’s probably only for the bigger games but they’ll sell out fast anyhow.
Hemel Mag
Sep 12, 2011 at 3:20 PM
Comment #37Ollieh- I’m not sure mate, I think it’s more to do with what happened at the Darlington game- typical over the top knee jerk reaction imo.
Gonna set off now there’s some beers with my name on them. Enjoy the game all
Toon Toon
kevymartins
Sep 12, 2011 at 3:25 PM
Comment #38Right cheik this out…
______Krul________
raylor__saylor__collo__santon
marveaux_—-Tiote___cabaye____jonas
___________-___obertan________
_______________best
or swap marveaux for obertan and fire ba infront of best
AshtreeKid
Sep 12, 2011 at 3:28 PM
Comment #39kevy what about jonas behind the striker as he did well there against chelsea last season
leazes upper ( moved to the gallowgate )
Sep 12, 2011 at 3:31 PM
Comment #40@toonandy. vuckic out with broken hand. replace him with sammy and that would be my team