Fabricio Coloccini is not ft to take his place in the Newcastle side at Norwich this afternoon.
And it’s a big surprise to us that Danny Simpson and James Perch will be the central defensive partnership this afternoon at Carrow Road.
Where the height or heading ability there?
And it’s all change in the back four as Ryan Taylor moves across to right back and Italian international Santon comes in at left back.
This is a huge opportunity for Davide Santon, and his first league start ever for the Magpies.
We just have to hope that Alan Pardew has drilled this back four and goalkeeper Tim Krul often this week in training.
As expected, Dan Gosling makes his first Premier League start ever for Newcastle, in place of the injured Danny Guthrie and Jonas Gutierrez returns to the left wing in place of Peter Lovenkrands, who drops to the bench.
And another surprise is that Jonas captains side.
As we had expected, Shola Ameobi comes in for Hatem Ben Arfa, and will play alongside Demba Ba up front to give the attack more power.
Shane Ferguson and Alan Smith make the bench, but it’s interesting that Tamas Kadar isn’t even on the bench.
And it’s hardly surprising that Norwich start Grant Holt up front, and he’s an excellent header of the ball.
We will do well if the lads can take something out of this game.
Howay The Lads!!
Norwich City (4-4-2): Ruddy; Naughton, Martin, Whitbread, Tierney; Fox, Surman, Hoolahan, Crofts; Morison, Holt.
Substitutes: Rudd, Johnson, Jackson, Pilkington, Bennett, Barnett, Wilbraham.
Newcastle United (4-4-2): Krul; Taylor (R), Perch, Simpson, Santon; Obertan, Gosling, Cabaye, Gutierrez (c); Ameobi, Ba
Substitutes: Elliot, Ferguson, Smith, Ameobi, Ben Arfa, Lovenkrands, Best
846 comments so far
Rotonda heights
Dec 10, 2011 at 6:10 PM
Comment #841cheers stuart,
I only go on because NUFC means so much to me.
solano
Dec 10, 2011 at 6:12 PM
Comment #842Rotonda @ 834…my one eyed view is a damned sight more accurate than yours. I agree that a good youth and scouting set up is essential to any club, but when it is being used purely as a tool to fill gaps left by the departure of our most profitable players then I have to object. Abeid and Tavernier and a few others are genuinely promising but if you expect them to all dramatically improve and mature at the same time and slot into the first team then you are totally deluded. Pardew knows the game a hell of a lot more than you give him credit for and he has undoubtedly woke up to the fact that he has been used as a Patsy for the incompetents above him. It must be galling that there is a £50m net transfer profit over the last 3 years, yet he is forced into playing crocks, has beens and never will be’s.
Looking forward to January when the “business interests” of Mike take precedence over footballing improvement again?
stuart no9
Dec 10, 2011 at 6:14 PM
Comment #843rotonda . no probs, me too. iam gutted but also angry, these sort of results should never be happening, lets hope it can be corrected and get our season back on track
solano
Dec 10, 2011 at 6:19 PM
Comment #844@841..what does it actually mean to you, Rotonda? If you are happy to see the club be condemned to be a feeder club to the Tottenham’s of this world then I think ambition doesn’t really rank that highly on your list of priorities.
valle
Dec 10, 2011 at 8:11 PM
Comment #845Rotonda… I will mention Pardew in the same breath as Bobby, not because he has archieved as much but because they have both shared the burden of being NUFC managers, and both have delivered above expectations only to be shot in the back by fiddle fans such as yourself.
valle
Dec 10, 2011 at 8:23 PM
Comment #846fickle* ofcourse