As we expected, Newcastle are again unchanged for this afternoon’s game against Wigan Athletic.
This is a test for Newcastle, where they have a chance to prove they can play at their very best against one of the weaker sides in the Premier League, with Wigan Athletic second bottom on just 5 points.
James Perch and Alan Smith come in on the bench for the Magpies, and join Harper, Santon, Marveaux and Ben Arfa.
For Wigan, former Newcastle player Caldwell is at center-back for the visitors.
This is a game Newcastle are expected to win, but they will have to be near their best to get all 3 points this afternoon.
Howay The Lads!!
Teams:
Newcastle: Krul; Simpson Coloccini (c) Taylor (S) Taylor (R); Oberan Cabaye Tiote Gurierrez; Be Best
Subs:Harper, Santon, Perch, Smith, Marveaux, Ben Arfa, Ameobi
Wigan: Al Habsi, Boyce, Caldwell, Alcaraz, Figueroa, Diame, Watson, Jones,Moses, Rodallega, Crusat.
Subs: Pollitt, McArthur, Gomez, Sammon, Thomas, Maloney, Lopez.
421 comments so far
Steve_48
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:12 PM
Comment #81Class run from Obertan, why are we not filling the box?
Sir Alan
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:13 PM
Comment #82Best hold up play is awful- Demba is class.
gorskino10
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:13 PM
Comment #83Wigan looking good for them, Moses and Rod look up for it, our LB/RB already looking fraile.
Thump
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:14 PM
Comment #84Is it just me or is there a bit of complacency sneaking in here? Maybe I’m not giving Wigan enough credit though…
AP's Black & White Army
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:14 PM
Comment #85Being outplayed -.-
ilovetoon8788
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:15 PM
Comment #86im starting to understand why manchester united were willing to let obertan go for just 2 million…
AP's Black & White Army
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:15 PM
Comment #87Thump, you’re spot on.
Steve_48
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:16 PM
Comment #88Yeah we need to step up this pace a lot more, we’re letting Wigan get into the game – dangerous
joppadoni
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:16 PM
Comment #89agreed thumpy-pumpy.. 😉
AP's Black & White Army
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:16 PM
Comment #90Should be behind. Total rubbish, so far.
AP's Black & White Army
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:17 PM
Comment #91Tiote hasn’t won a challenge yet.
Oleg G
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:17 PM
Comment #92Never thought about it but, we don’t have a real playmaker. One that all the balls are going through him. Yeah, Guti, Obe and even Tiote touch the ball a lot, but they are not playing as play makers.
Also, we never seem to open enough options for quick (or not quick) passes. A lot of time players just stand in their places while the one with the ball is looking for passing options.
Where is the coaching team that will fix this problem?
gorskino10
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:18 PM
Comment #93This is why changes are needed, to freshen things up, LB/RB looks just plain aweful, lets hope they can hold out.
gstadt
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:18 PM
Comment #94What are we doing? Wuhan look more threatening
joppadoni
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:18 PM
Comment #95tbf 2 wigan their movements excellent without much else. we need to keep the ball more
AP's Black & White Army
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:19 PM
Comment #96Obertan is sh it!
gorskino10
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:19 PM
Comment #97Terrible cross from Obertan, wow.
gstadt
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:19 PM
Comment #98Wigan I mean 🙂
ToonLegend
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:19 PM
Comment #99getting worried by our lack of numbers in there box
niafron
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:19 PM
Comment #100Our midfield don’t have is usual efficiency. And the team is split in two parts.
Oleg G
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:20 PM
Comment #101All here are disappointed that Wigan are playing better then we thought? Maybe we should be less cocky about our abilities in the blog mates (!?) (4-0, 5-0, 3-0 etc I read here, hope so, but would never say something like that before a game).
Toonbyblood
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:20 PM
Comment #102Improvment from Oba. He’s passing forward. Now needs to pass forward to someone in black and white.
Thump
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:20 PM
Comment #103No man lads, he was aiming at the East Stand – it was a belter cross!
ilovetoon8788
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:20 PM
Comment #104wigan looking good.. more dangrous.
joppadoni
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:20 PM
Comment #105raylors been great so far Gorsy. simmos not done badly either really. cant see a problem in that dept atm. midfields been our problem so far and i cant think when Ba has had the ball
AP's Black & White Army
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:20 PM
Comment #106Fullbacks and chocolate fireguards, springs to mind. Not stopping any ball coming in.
Toonbyblood
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:21 PM
Comment #107Cabaye needs to be more involved.
Thump
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:21 PM
Comment #108@Oleg: I think it’s more a concern about how weak we’re looking going forward. And for what it’s worth, Sky Sports said we could go into third (meaning a 3-0 win) and expected us to paste Wigan – go figure!
gorskino10
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:22 PM
Comment #109Toonbyblood: True 🙂
Wigan winning every 50/50, need to get the ball and keep it for a bit.
Sir Alan
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:22 PM
Comment #110Slag off Obertan as much as you can but Cabaye hasn’t passed to one our players yet!! terrible performance.
Oleg G
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:22 PM
Comment #111Cabaye not holding the ball at all….
No one is helping Tiote (passing options…. again) I sound like a broken record.
toonarmydownsouth
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:22 PM
Comment #112Is obertan playin as sh1t as hes sounds?? Y the hell didnt we start marv or benny
Steve_48
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:22 PM
Comment #113Wigan like to have 11 behind the ball, we need to break out from defence much quicker than this, we’re running out of ideas in midfield, which is why we need some Ben Arfa creativity in there.
joppadoni
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:22 PM
Comment #114now thats a painful challenge…. cabaye should be better than that it was bloody aweful
Steve_48
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:23 PM
Comment #115Bad tackle from Cabaye
niafron
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:23 PM
Comment #116Tough game.
gorskino10
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:23 PM
Comment #117toonarmydownsouth: Not a fan of Obertan, Used to rate him before he went ManU tho.
He looks livly, and moving ball foward which is rare usually passes back.
But his crossing and distribution is poor atm.
AP's Black & White Army
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:23 PM
Comment #118Sir Alan
I agree. We need him on the form he showed against Villa. Was that a flash in the pan?
joppadoni
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:23 PM
Comment #119obertans been fine although not seen any help for simmo. tiote and cabaye have been pretty average and for me thats the problem atm
ilovetoon8788
Oct 22, 2011 at 3:24 PM
Comment #120seriously, obertan is rubbish. no wonder ferguson let him go.