In what was his best win since taking over the reigns at Newcastle thirteen months ago from the talented and likable Chris Hughton, Alan Pardew orchestrated a famous victory for Newcastle United last night.
Alan Pardew – it was our best performance in my reign
Pardew was simply delighted by both the result and the performance last night, in front of a sellout 52,299 crowd of mad screaming Geordies, and a watching world-wide TV audience.
And throughout the game last night you could hear the Newcastle fans signing away, in what must have been a terrific atmosphere for our gallant Newcastle players to play in.
Alan was asked today whether that was the best performance during his time as Newcastle manager:
“Yes, I think it was.” “We controlled the game for long periods.” “We had a grip of the game.”
“We went a little bit more direct, and it paid dividends for us.” “That doesn’t mean to say we’ll do it against Blackburn on Saturday, or anybody else, but it worked.”
“We changed our tactics, and it’s kept us competitive in almost every game.” “The first goal was very direct, but it was a fantastic finish.”
“And we should have had a penalty before then when Demba was brought down.” “I’ve seen it again, and I think it was a penalty.”
“Whatever you say about tonight, we were brave. We didn’t let them rest on the ball.” “We were in their faces all night, and didn’t drop off in the second half.”
“We got our rewards and maybe the Liverpool game was a lesson for us.” “After Demba had one cleared off the line, we weren’t positive at all in that period.”
“The last 20 minutes at Liverpool was one of the most disappointing periods of the season for me. Not tonight, though.” “We took the lead, and didn’t drop off, or get negative.”
“We got our rewards.”
In fact two of Newcastle’s goals came from long down field clearances by top goalkeeper Tim Krul into the Red Devils penalty box.
After 33 minutes Shola Ameobi did well to nod on Tim’s punt and the ball bounced once and then the fantastic Demba Ba had the ball in the back of the net with one sweet movement, for a terrific strike.
That was the Senegal striker’s 15th Premier League goal of the season, and he is now in second place in the Premier League scoring charts, just two two goals behind leader Robin van Persie of Arsenal.
And then on 90 minutes defender Phil Jones was being harassed by Leon Best, who had come on as a sub for Shola, and he wasn’t sure how to deal with the long ball into the box from the Newcastle goalkeeper.
So what did he do – Phil stooped down to amazingly to head the ball into his own net to make it 3-0 for Newcastle.
It was a huge howler from the Manchester United center-back, and just about summed up the Manchester United performance last night, against a superior Magpies’ side who out-fought them and out-played them.
But there again Phil had to mark the great Demba Ba all night, and Jones was probably just completely knackered, if the truth be told. 😀
There was an awful lot of positive things manager Alan Pardew will take out of this game with the back four again looking as solid as a rock, and young Italian Davide Santon looked like he had played for Newcastle for years.
And credit to Mike Williamson too, who has come in and significantly bolstered the Newcastle defense, with his no-nonsense defending and his great heading ability.
And we’ll not even mention Demba Ba, Fabricio Coloccini, Yohan Cabaye and Cheick Tiote – who were all simply monumental for the Newcastle side last night.
Comments welcome.
90 comments so far
LewSpi
Jan 5, 2012 at 1:27 PM
Comment #1There are no comments yet … please kick things off by filling out the form below.
LewSpi
Jan 5, 2012 at 1:29 PM
Comment #2This Jason Prior story reminds me of the film Goal every time I read about it. I can just imagine him going on to Madrid. Ha.
toonLYF
Jan 5, 2012 at 1:30 PM
Comment #3geoff777 you got a link to download last nights match like mate?
GeordieToon89
Jan 5, 2012 at 1:34 PM
Comment #4LewSpi – A was thinking that meself lmao.. Personally a reckon we dominated the game that much we should play that way all the time was a mixture between direct and ball playing with immense battling worked very well
Colo-Sus
Jan 5, 2012 at 1:36 PM
Comment #5Team during Acn
Krul
Simpson. Colo Wilo. Santon
Obertan. Abeid. Cabaye. Gutierrez
Hba
Best / Shola
Strong Guthrie in if he’s fit
09nufc09
Jan 5, 2012 at 1:37 PM
Comment #6Toonlyf… I think this works http://www.matchhighlight.com/forums/view.php?topic=DL201201045108
i got it recorded so havent tryed to download it but it should work.
toonLYF
Jan 5, 2012 at 1:42 PM
Comment #7thanks mate seems like it should be fine like
Rosted Pork
Jan 5, 2012 at 1:43 PM
Comment #8ed u didnt mention simo. he was class too. i love simo too always playes wit passion
GeordieToon89
Jan 5, 2012 at 1:44 PM
Comment #9————Krul
Simo-Wilo-Colo-Santon
—–Guthrie-Cabaye
Raylor-BenArfa-Jonas
———–Best
That would be our best team a reckon and while Guthrie is injured have Vuckic in there
Rosted Pork
Jan 5, 2012 at 1:44 PM
Comment #10il n watchn the full.match at 9pm on espn cny wait 🙂 iil get sum drinks too
GeordieToon89
Jan 5, 2012 at 1:44 PM
Comment #11A love when Simo comes onto the pitch he always roars the crowd on like Taylor does he really gets us going
Rosted Pork
Jan 5, 2012 at 1:44 PM
Comment #12ill be*
Rosted Pork
Jan 5, 2012 at 1:46 PM
Comment #13cnt wait* sory i need to download a new keyboard 😛
Toon Tang
Jan 5, 2012 at 1:48 PM
Comment #14you got there in the end porky boy hahaha
TOONARMY4LIFE
Jan 5, 2012 at 1:49 PM
Comment #15I just hope we can hold onto our key players we could really be going somewhere! But even if we sold tiote for say 30mi i think we should have confidence inl our scouting setup to replace with quality for less meaning money invested in more areas in the squad! Any one heard about this andy Carroll tosh anyway??
GeordieToon89
Jan 5, 2012 at 1:51 PM
Comment #16Wha Andy Carroll tosh mate?
Rosted Pork
Jan 5, 2012 at 1:52 PM
Comment #17toon tang 😉
boater
Jan 5, 2012 at 1:54 PM
Comment #18I can’t believe we aren’t getting a pacey striker in. Even when Ba is back we need someone else to nail down a starting place alongside him. We are on the threshold of a push for Europe FFS- massive opportunity in the club’s history. Standing still is going backwards in this league – which means departure of current top players in the summer. Seize the moment Ashley.
Hoillet, Kagawa, De Jong, or PD Cisse please.
Rosted Pork
Jan 5, 2012 at 1:54 PM
Comment #19happy days back on the blog n so may it continue 🙂 . my year startd gr8 an so did newcastle startd the year gr8
GeordieToon89
Jan 5, 2012 at 1:55 PM
Comment #20Kagawa ? havnt got a hope in hells chance.. much better and bigger teams want him
Rosted Pork
Jan 5, 2012 at 1:56 PM
Comment #21hoillet n jan verthonghen plzzzzzz M.A . THESE TWO SIGNG IS ENOUGH 🙂
Thump
Jan 5, 2012 at 1:57 PM
Comment #22Still beaming 😀
G
Jan 5, 2012 at 1:59 PM
Comment #23“We changed our tactics, and it’s kept us competitive in almost every game.” “The first goal was very direct, but it was a fantastic finish.”
Hopefully that will shut up the muppets who insist AP has no plan B.
Thump
Jan 5, 2012 at 2:00 PM
Comment #24http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/newcastle-united/nufc-news/2012/01/05/philippe-albert-man-utd-result-as-good-as-5-0-72703-30063430
Legend!
2_goal_tino
Jan 5, 2012 at 2:00 PM
Comment #25@ GeordieToon89- completely agree with that line up! Except perhaps Abeid for Vuckic until Guthrie’s fit because he seems to be more capable of his defensive duties than Vuckic. Whereas Vuckic would suit HBA’s position in the team. I’ve been saying for a while that Raylor should take Obertan’s place the only problem with that formation though is that it really needs the 3 supporting forwards to be quick and mobile which Raylor isn’t.
Regarding the AC tosh- he’s talking about getting him back on lona I presume
boater
Jan 5, 2012 at 2:04 PM
Comment #26This is the team Pardew will go with:
Krul
Simmo/Colo/Willo/Santon
Raylor/Cabaye/Guthrie(Abeid)/Jonas
Arfa
Shola
Rosted Pork
Jan 5, 2012 at 2:07 PM
Comment #27http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/newcastle-united/nufc-news/2012/01/04/hatem-ben-arfa-i-can-cut-it-with-the-big-guns-72703-30056349/
“I am very happy here – I would not mind
ending my career at Newcastle or staying
here for my whole career.
“I want to win trophies here, I like the city,
the club and the fans, I would like to finish
here.” 🙂
Rosted Pork
Jan 5, 2012 at 2:09 PM
Comment #28i love the headline
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/newcastle-united/nufc-news/2012/01/05/demba-ba-rocks-man-utd-with-knockout-blow-72703-30063429/
Rosted Pork
Jan 5, 2012 at 2:11 PM
Comment #29United’s leading scorer told the Chronicle:
“The celebration wasn’t the one I should
have done, my cousin asked me to do the
celebration of Rocky Balboa, but I forgot!
“For sure I’ll do it the next time.”
🙂
2_goal_tino
Jan 5, 2012 at 2:11 PM
Comment #30The worst protest ever????
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-16410216
Boycotting an away match where they make a fraction of the people attending! Not only that the Blackburn away end is hardly ever full even if they’re doing well. Doubt we’ll notice any difference from them coming in non-protest times!
Tsunki
Jan 5, 2012 at 2:20 PM
Comment #31‘Blackburn Rovers FC Action Group said at least 120 fans planned to miss their club’s away match at Newcastle United.’ That is all of them then, isn’t it? Anyway – Chorley FC? Didn’t Peter Kay make them famous? No…. wait…
wynsleap
Jan 5, 2012 at 2:24 PM
Comment #32boater @ 18 Absolutely spot on.
One really good striker to replace Ba then go alongside him after the ANC could really make this club.
Some decent speculation now could bring huge dividends in money for both League placings and possible European entry.
But knowing our Controller it ain’t gonna happen. His idea of speculation is a night at the Casino.
alip123
Jan 5, 2012 at 2:27 PM
Comment #33The Ben Arfa thing is being blown out of proportion. After Bolton e himself said he wasn’t 100% fit. Maybe he did say the style of play doesn’t suit him, but I don’t think he was having a go at the manager
Thump
Jan 5, 2012 at 2:41 PM
Comment #34The Senegal striker celebrated his second strike of the campaign against Man U with his trademark kissing the ground party piece – then realised he’d forgotten to emulate Balboa with a knockout impression!
News just in: Lee Ryder baffled by Muslim’s praying to Allah!
martoon
Jan 5, 2012 at 2:41 PM
Comment #35Had to smile at the above typo “And throughout the game last night you could hear the Newcastle fans signing away”
I just have visons of toon fans wildly swinging their arms about 🙂
t00ntime
Jan 5, 2012 at 2:45 PM
Comment #36@alip123 benny said himself he wasnt too happy for being put on the bench, but why would you be lol only micheal owen and alan smith do that.
Ben arfa knows he will have his chance whilst Ba is away and if he takes it, it will be ba and benny upfront.
But to be honest I dont want benny as ba’s partner cause 4-4-1-1 does suit us at all, so the formation wud have to change.
I’m sure we will keep on winning if pardew gets the boys to pass around like yesterday 😛 I said before the game we were going to play long ball, and if we just played a passing game we would have a chance… Boy I’m glad I was wrong and we played a passing game 😀 that will destroy QPR in 2 weeks time definatly with out joey to break up play
O but back to the point, if I was benny I wud be upset too but he knows he will get his chance and he knows we love him so I cant see him being too upset O and if we keep pssing the ball around how good wud this be
——————krul
simmo—-colo—-saylor—–santon
———–tiote—–cabaye
—–raylor—benny—-jonas
——————ba
cabaye and tiote can go forward as the other one holds 😉 and if were defending a 2-0 lead they have to get past atleast 6 players
Thump
Jan 5, 2012 at 2:45 PM
Comment #37@tino: Blackburn Fans have a lot to answer for. Aye results haven’t went their way but they’re at a teetering point where a large group of fans want to see them relegated just so they can be proved right. Keane really hasn’t done that bad of a job and is keeping the players together. I want to see them survive the drop just to piss the fans off tbh.
sirtoongospel
Jan 5, 2012 at 2:47 PM
Comment #38Maybe our fans might start to fully support the manager and realise that we have a good one on our hands?
Supporters from other top clubs are saying they would love him in charge at their clubs.
He has an arrogance about him and a confidence which i really love. He isn’t scared of top teams (and their managers) and is animated on the touchline.
Hopefully no major exits this window (Smith and Harper aside) and we should be ok. Would love to see us bring two good players in to cover the absence of Cheick and Demba and we should be ready for a big final push.
Top 7 would be incredible.
nightfa11
Jan 5, 2012 at 2:52 PM
Comment #39krul 200k
simpson 500k
colo 10 mio
wili 1 mio
santon 5,5 mio
raylor 1,5 mio
cabaye 4,2 mio
tiote 3,5 mio
jonas 6 mio
shola free
ba free
vs.
lindergaard 3,5 mio
valencia 15 mio
rio 18 mio
jones 18 mio
evra 4,5 mio
park 6 mio
carrick 18 mio
giggs free
nani 20 mio
rooney 30 mio
berbatov 30 mio
amm…damn.
toonashwin
Jan 5, 2012 at 2:53 PM
Comment #40ROSHANMAGPIE i m from mumbai
ROSTED PORK where r u from ??
match had live telecast on espn repeated 12.00 am today
but its worth to watch thrice …….
HWTL