Newcastle need a win tonight against WBA at St. James’ Park.
That would give Newcastle 30 points from their first 17 league games, which is an excellent total for this time of the year.
Newcastle will be able to field almost their strongest team, but we do expect James Perch to start alongside Fab Coloccini in the middle of Newcastle’s defense, although if the game warrants it, we could even see Mike Williamson get a run-out in the last 15 minutes or so.
Yohan Cabaye is not available unfortunately, as he will be serving a one match ban for picking up his 5th yellow card in Saturday’s 0-0 draw against Swansea.
And young Haris Vuckic could get a start tonight, although Frenchman Mehdi Abeid is also available, and both 19 year-olds were substitutes last Saturday, which tells us they have been impressive in training.
Dan Gosling is also unavailable, and will serve the second match of his three game suspension for being sent off at Norwich.
This is the team we expect Alan Pardew to pick for the game:
Krul
Simpson Coloccini Perch Santon
Obertan Vuckic Tiote Gutierrez
Best Ba
Subs: Elliot Williamson Taylor (R) Abeid Ameobi (Sa) Ameobi (Sh) Ben Arfa
Ben Arfa could get a start either on the right wing, or in place of Leon Best up front, and the impressive young Sammy Ameobi could get a start in place of Obertan out on the right wing.
And we suppose we could even see Mike Williamson start tonight but he is still a bit short of match practice, and we’d be surprised is he does get a start.
Ryan Taylor is expected to be fit again, but we expect him to be on the bench, after 20 year-old Davide Santon has looked very good in the last couple of games, and now what Davide needs is a string of games in the first team.
The keys to the game seem fairly straight forward.
Newcastle need to be as strong at the back as they were on Saturday against Swansea, and hopefully can even get a second clean sheet in a row.
That feat has been achieved only once this season, and happened to be the in the first two games at home to Arsenal (0-0) and away at Sunderand (1-0 win).
Up front we have to hope that Demba Ba can get on the goals trail again, although he again looked sharp on Saturday and was very unlucky not to score.
Leon Best is also due a goal, and has been stuck on three goals for the season for a long time now.
It would also help to get an early goal, especially after toiling for 90 minutes on Saturday, without being able to score.
As expected former Middlesbrough James Morrison is definitely out of the game for WBA due to a hamstring problem, which forced him off late in the game at Blackburn.
Cameroon international Somen Tchoyi – who scored a hat-trick at Newcastle in the final game of last season – will miss his second successive game due to his wife recently delivering a baby.
So he’ll not score against Newcastle tonight – thank goodness for that.
We need a win tonight, it’s just as simple as that.
Howay The Lads!!
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138 comments so far
GeordieGerman
Dec 21, 2011 at 1:40 PM
Comment #1Kris // Dec 21, 2011 at 1:35 PM
GeordieGerman – I love you
This is not a dating site. 🙂
GeordieGerman
Dec 21, 2011 at 1:43 PM
Comment #2“Cameroon international Somen Tchoyi – who scored a hat-trick at Newcastle in the final game of last season – will miss his second successive game due to his wife delivering a baby.”
Long delivery that is.
toonincheek
Dec 21, 2011 at 1:46 PM
Comment #3Williamson could get the nod tonight.
Probably not fully match fit but he should be OK for a game we can expect to dominate and it brings him back into things gradually.
Assuming we are in control after 60mins (although not wanting to tempt a repeat of last year’s game), how about giving Tiote a rest after an hour and giving Abeid a run-out?
WWJBD
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:01 PM
Comment #4Tonight won’t be a push over West Brom have a very good front 2 in Odemwingie and Long plus Brunt is very good
Don’t see us losing but I can see drawing but hey ho 2-0 Town win! Besty and Ba goals
LewSpi
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:03 PM
Comment #5Pardew is a lover of perch, can’t see Williamson coming in until he’s in pristine condition.
Indian Magpie
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:03 PM
Comment #681 st minute winner by BA in a 1-0 win
ARFA
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:04 PM
Comment #7then ben arfa still on bench..mmm
gorgonzola
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:04 PM
Comment #8Ben Arfa not starting? This is borderline ridicule of the man…Why did he come to SJP? Honestly why?
Hatem
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:10 PM
Comment #9gorgonzola, especially after Pards said he would definitely feature, we all want him to start and Best, as much as I admire him looked way off the pace last week. It doesn’t make sense.
Indian Magpie
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:10 PM
Comment #10pardew was an ordinary player, he likes the likes of perch etc
gorgonzola
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:11 PM
Comment #11This is looking worrying to say the least I reckon this lad could leave come Jan….hell I would if I was wearing a no. 10.
martoon
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:12 PM
Comment #12I honestly think Pardew is not sure where to play Ben Arfa in a 4.4.2 system which he likes to play. Pardew perms 2 from 3 for the front 2 of Ba, Best & Shola and does not trust HBA in centre mid because he does not track back etc. and Ben Arfa himself has said he does not want to play on the wing.
Indian Magpie
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:12 PM
Comment #13best looked ordinary against Swans, HBA looked decent against the mancunian clubs. pardew its cold wake up smell the coffee
WWJBD
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:16 PM
Comment #14Am starting to understand where Ashley spent the Carroll money its on all these managers we have knocking about
stevep
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:17 PM
Comment #15Can’t understand why people keep banging on about HBA, he’s done nothing in the games he’s played his season but lose the ball – reckon we won’t see the best of him until back end of season
however he will get more space against a team like west brom as they like to attack and make an open game of it so tonight could be perfect opportunity for him.
Pards ahs already said his stats aren’t up to the mark yet ( training and games)
gorgonzola
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:19 PM
Comment #16Can’t understand why people keep banging on about HBA, he’s done nothing in the games he’s played his season but lose the ball
I think you are a moron ….
Indian Magpie
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:19 PM
Comment #17if i were HBA and and i was not a NUFC fan, i would leave NUFC
Zangwill_Ho
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:19 PM
Comment #18Ben Arfa
Ben Arfa
Ben Arfa
Indian Magpie
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:19 PM
Comment #19OliverKayTimes Oliver Kay
Breaking: John Terry WILL face criminal charges over alleged racial abuse of QPR’s Anton Ferdinand
1 minute ago
tdt
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:19 PM
Comment #20I see J.Terry is being prosecuted for racially abusing A.Ferdinand, what a tool.
the_besty_show
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:23 PM
Comment #21we dont need a win, a win would be nice, if we dotn win its not the end of the world
toonincheek
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:24 PM
Comment #22Ben Arfa done nothing? Wake up.
OK, so he hasn’t found the form he showed in the couple of games before his injury, but he was playing wide then – more space to work in.
And he did create something out of nothing against ManU, winning a penalty, even if that decision was a bit fortunate for us. He still created the situation out of nothing.
jayphoto
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:24 PM
Comment #23where has this idea that Ben Arfa played well against man utd come from?? he did nothing in that game! Fair play he won us a penalty, but it was never a penalty in a million years and he’s over ran it! He played a 7/10 against Man City and thats it! Against Chelsea he was a 3/10!
Indian Magpie
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:26 PM
Comment #24ben arfa will not get fit sitting on the bench
jayphoto
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:26 PM
Comment #25he’d get fit if he’d play some reserve games…..
toonincheek
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:27 PM
Comment #26Indian Magpie @10
I think your post is pathetic.
GeordieGerman
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:29 PM
Comment #27Handbags out?
Indian Magpie
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:32 PM
Comment #28@26 toon in cheek,
it was a trivial statement, not to take seriously
Hatem
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:32 PM
Comment #29We need him to get fit
fgb224lbs
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:39 PM
Comment #30Ben arfa may well have looked good against the Manchester clubs but by equal measure he looked decidedly average against chelsea and norwich
martoon
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:40 PM
Comment #31IndianMagpie – I normally like your posts but got to disagree with @10. A lot of the top managers were only average players – a different skill set needed for each. Two good examples at opposite ends of the spectrum are SAF and Steve Bruce (I’ll let you decide which ends).
Indian Magpie
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:41 PM
Comment #32@fgb224lbs @30
against nowrich?????????
okay if you say so.
Indian Magpie
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:42 PM
Comment #33martoon
see post # 28
BOOM BOOM THE 1ST
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:43 PM
Comment #34ha ha good one indian mag he he he
shearerno9
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:44 PM
Comment #35hold on lads…. your all going a bit over board, there seems to be a few little problems with ben arfa and if pardew thinks he shouldnt play then so be it… who are you to question it and why slate the man who was destined to be englands manager a few weeks back??
some people on here need to calm down, honestly after a win – were all booking flights into europe and trying to get money together for the champions league final, and after a loss – its sack the board with the london manager and get ready for a season in the championship
ilovetoon8788
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:44 PM
Comment #36anything less than 3 points today is a total disaster for our season.
BeeGuy
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:45 PM
Comment #37WBA scored most of their goals in fist 15 minutes and between 52nd & 59th minutes. So start with good defense and build on that as the halves progress.
Conan The Destroyer
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:52 PM
Comment #38Lots of Dribble on here today!! Some of the S..t some of you go on about, is embarrassing..
drongo
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:53 PM
Comment #39rambling a bit here – but my favourite set up / system out of any PL team I have ever seen was the ManU with Tevez / Rooney / Giggs / Ronaldo as an attacking 4some built around scholes & fletcher in the middle. The 4 attackers didnt have any positions – they could all play in any of the 4 traditional roles of left/right wing CF and ACM – and any variation of the above. Made them impossible to track and mark (they naffed it up swapping Tevez for berbatov who is a classic no 9)…
I would love us to be able to do the same. We have the strength in the middle 2 to do it.
HBA, Jonas, Ba all have the imagination and technique to pull it off – but there is 1 spare spot there – I was hoping that is what Maiga was being looked at for.
Conan The Destroyer
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:54 PM
Comment #40shearerno9 completely agree with you..