Newcastle’s task on Wednesday evening will be a tough one against Manchester United.
Tim Krul – big game needed from goalkeeper on Wednesday
The Red Devils were embarrassed by being beaten at home over the weekend by rock bottom side Blackburn Rovers, and no doubt they will want to put that right at St. James’ Park.
And Alex Ferguson has already said that’s exactly what they will do on Wednesday.
It was only the Red devil’s second home defeat of the season after being blasted 6-1 by local rivals Manchester City and only Blackburn’s third win of the season, and it follows on from their creditable draw at Liverpool, and maybe Steve Keen can turn things around this season.
If Newcastle get the first goal, that could help us big time, and start to put doubts into the minds of the Manchester United players, and we have to remember they have a lot of youngsters in the side this season.
The Manchester United defense has not looked good at all this season, and since they lost Edwin van der Saar, new goalkeeper David De Gea has hardly looked the part, and we expect Danish International Anders Lindegaard to get the start on Wednesday in goal.
Tim Krul is looking forward to the match and in the fixture last season Tim had a great game in that 0-0 draw, and the Dutch International had this to say about the upcoming game today:
“Some people will look at it and say it’s going to be hard, but we’ll be looking forward to it,” “And to be honest, we always play well against them.”
“Last year, we had a 0-0 game at St James’, and we just have to get back to those basics that served us so well.”
“We can’t beat ourselves up about Liverpool. We could have won that game – it was one of those crazy nights.”
“We just have to step away from the game, take it on the chin and analyse it. We’re back at home, we’re at St James’ Park and it will be a different story in front of our own crowd.”
And Sammy Ameobi could get a start on Wednesday, as the news today is that Gabriel Obertan will miss the game against his former club, after picking up another foot injury near the end of the game at Anfield.
The more experienced Peter Lovenkrands could also get a start on Wednesday, and the Danish International, who will become a free agent in the summer, has found it hard to even make the bench these last few games.
Comments welcome.
328 comments so far
geordiejohn42
Jan 2, 2012 at 1:27 PM
Comment #1Ed ..Mcloven is a Danish international NOT Dutch international lol
grumpy_old_sod
Jan 2, 2012 at 1:31 PM
Comment #2We could have won that game! Not from where I was watching Tim!
Jan Stavik
Jan 2, 2012 at 1:39 PM
Comment #3Throw in Best up front, he’ll bully the Manure defence. Honestly I don’t mind Obertan being out, he’s not been playing well for the Toon.
Jail for Ashley
Jan 2, 2012 at 1:40 PM
Comment #4Obertan out injured~going to be tough,reading this blog it doesn’t look like Oba’s got too many fans left,maybe this is the kick up the backside Pards needs to try something different.
jakesome
Jan 2, 2012 at 1:44 PM
Comment #5geordiejohn maybe if your read it properly youd realize ed was right
krul-dutch
loverpants-danish
some people need to start reading this blog for constructive purposes not just to be a d*ck
Graeme
Jan 2, 2012 at 1:47 PM
Comment #6If this had been game 12 after our run of 11 unbeaten, I’d be quite confident we could get a result against Manure, even more than I was at their place.
As we are taking them on having managed 5 points out of last 27, maybe I’m not as cocky as I should be after seeing Blackburn do them at weekend.
I’d be happy with a point the way we are playing at the moment!!!
colwell
Jan 2, 2012 at 1:48 PM
Comment #7I hope Sammy doesn’t start, he looks no where near ready. Pards should just play HBA there, let him drift in etc. If he is on the wing he will have more space and can run at players in the centre he has 2/3 players on him before he gets the ball then loses it.
Jail for Ashley
Jan 2, 2012 at 1:48 PM
Comment #8What’s R Taylor’s best position,I know he’s a right sided midfielder,surely that means he can play on the wing,and Santon a supposed left back can play there,I thought Pards wanted this round pegs in round holes these days,has he got any round pegs in the building and if he has are they over the line yet.
jakesome
Jan 2, 2012 at 1:51 PM
Comment #9on subject krul has been a sensation hes got a colossal kick…..he just needs to learn to aim his kicks and were in business
would not like to see lovern play against manure
if santons fit id like to see start
————krul——————-
simmo—-collo—-willo—–santon
————–tiote——————–
sammy——————jonas/fergie after 60
————cabaye———————
——–benny————————–
——————–ba——————–
i think cabaye would flourish at the tip of the diamond
give him a bit more time to play those killer through balls
WWJBD
Jan 2, 2012 at 1:54 PM
Comment #10A lot of people seem to be ripping on man utd this season yet they are where in the league? And how many have fallen to them this season?
Add to that its Fergys time of year and he is angry, come our match he will have his lads drilled into the floor and breathing fire. If we don’t play like we did earlier in the season we are in for a hell of a night imo
WWJBD
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:01 PM
Comment #11HBA won’t play on the wing, he doesn’t want to play there and Pards doesn’t want him to play there
He is a withdrawn striker
Rotonda heights
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:04 PM
Comment #12couldn’t we give jonas just one go on the right hand side. His final ball is shocking but at least he wouldn’t have to babysit Raylor with santon being very fast if he was finally given a chance in his right spot. Fergie could come in on the left.
Would like to see abeid at some point.
nufc786
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:05 PM
Comment #13could be gosling in RM… if cabaye doesnt get the 3 game ban..
Jail for Ashley
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:06 PM
Comment #14@Graham
I was confident about playing anybody this season till the wheels started to loosen and started to fall off,I know there was a key injury to Taylor and a difficult run of fixtures but the wafer thin squad didnt nothing to help and I really dont think that the Tiote rumour done anything for morale,along with Collo and Simmo stalling on their contracts,and the start of all of it was MA’s timely announcement that the stadium was changing names,I’m not superstitious at all but we’ve never won at the SDA.
Jail for Ashley
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:08 PM
Comment #15Rotunda,
Happy new year the first time I’ve.ever agreed with you.
Rosted Pork
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:14 PM
Comment #16gjohn42@ r u blind wer does ed say loverboy is dutch international 🙂
Rosted Pork
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:16 PM
Comment #17newcastle not in for tomkins. dats wat i heard from a frnd of mine . an even jan verthonghen might not be comeng to sjp 🙁
Jail for Ashley
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:19 PM
Comment #18RP
Years ago my my cousin(who’s a hairdresser) told me she was working with a Dutch girl and when I asked her where she was from,she replied I dunno Denmark somewhere,maybe GJ 42 went to the same school.
chris_g
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:20 PM
Comment #19Off topic, but I noticed on an earlier thread that several people were complaining about the annoying ads that kept popping up on this site.
Just to say that it’s a waste of time asking Ed to do something about it because that’s how he makes his money. All you need to do is install a decent browser (eg Firefox + adblock add-on) and you can get rid of the problem that way.
GeordieJordy
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:24 PM
Comment #20Sorry, i really like Sammy and i want him to do well but i just don’t see anything special about him or anything that he offers to us in a game. He has great speed on him but he is so light on the ball and it is so obvious that when he is on his way, he doesn’t even know what he will do next. Against Man United is not a good idea :/
boater
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:25 PM
Comment #21………………Ba/Shola
……Jonas/Cabaye/Tiote/Arfa
Santon/Colo/Williamson/Simmo
………………..Krul
That’s our best side for this game.
JackButler
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:26 PM
Comment #22I fear a real backlash from Utd on Wednesday, we’ll have to be at our best against them after the Blackburn result.
JakeToon
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:28 PM
Comment #23perfect opportunity to try something different (not that pardew would take a risk!) but think something like this 4:3:3 could work!
————krul——————-
simmo—-collo—-willo—–santon
cabaye——tiote——gosling
ben arfa——best——ba
screw the wingplay which simply isnt working and play it down the middle!! reckon it could work wonders
toony tempah
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:28 PM
Comment #24Surely ryan taylor has to have a great chance ofstrting on the right of midfield. After all santon looks like he is finally coming into the team at left back and although raylor hasnt been the best at defending, his prefered position is right wing and he has set up goals in our last two games with great crosses so he would be my choice.
Jail for Ashley
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:30 PM
Comment #25Boater,
I thought HBA has been told he’s deffo not being played on the wing,tbh thats what I thought he was when he came here,how many teams play a withdrawn striker role.
nufc786
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:30 PM
Comment #26remember gosling can play RM too
JackButler
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:32 PM
Comment #27Any chance of Abeid getting a game on the right? he looked good in pre season but has fallen off the radar since
nufc786
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:34 PM
Comment #28can abeid play RM?
BelfastMagpie87
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:36 PM
Comment #29Im expecting nothing form the Man U game.
Anything we get will be a bonus.
I just hope we dont get tanked 5 – 0 or something… lol
Jail for Ashley
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:36 PM
Comment #30@nufc
JackButler
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:37 PM
Comment #31Abeid has to positions and thats as a right winger and and as a defensive midfielder, I know he’s been away on international duty where he played in the centre role
warwick
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:38 PM
Comment #32Not surprised obertan keeps injuring his tow/foot he’s always pulling out of challenges or leaving his leg dangling like a fairy in an attmept at a tackle.
Jail for Ashley
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:40 PM
Comment #33Typo
@nufc786
since MA got into football a player’s favoured position is of no relevance any more as long as he’s contracted he can play anywhere that he gets told.
JackButler
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:40 PM
Comment #34Think Pardew will go with
Krul
Simpson – Willo – Colo – Santon (if fit enough)
Gosling – Cabaye – Tiote – Jonas
Best – Ba.
With HBA coming off the bench for Best on the hour
nufc786
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:41 PM
Comment #35i think obertan needs a change of position … remember T.henry was a winger but turned out to be a prolific striker……..
JackButler
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:43 PM
Comment #36Think Obertan needs a change of career 😉
boater
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:43 PM
Comment #37Jail For Ashley – a withdrawn striker needs to score 10 goals a season for that system to work. Part of me thinks Tiote/Arfa would be a decent combination but obviously Cabaye is a no-brainer, so Pardew needs to get creative to find the right system. Tiote and Cabaye is pretty flat/square which is fine if you have wingers who cut inside and support – which we don’t. That’s why Arfa would make sense out wide.
We have no goal threat apart from Ba this season. It worked for a while when we our defense was winning us games, but Shola and Arfa are the next most direct and likely to get a shot away. When we work the ball into advanced positions we need better decision makers to make it pay.
JakeToon – trying Vuckic in a midfield 5 was something different, was it not?
nufc786
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:44 PM
Comment #38pardew fails to realise the importance of ben arfa he needs be coming on earlier in games especially where he can make an imapct
toonLYF
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:44 PM
Comment #39————————–Krul————————
-Simmo—-Williamson—-Coloccini—-Santon-
-Raylor———Tiote———Cabaye——-Jonas-
———————–Ben Arfa———————
————————–Ba————————-
SURELY PARDEW?
nufc786
Jan 2, 2012 at 2:45 PM
Comment #40actually obertan could be a sprinter. he’s got pace (: