Newcastle had a good week last week following the disappointing 3-1 defeat at Liverpool.
Danny Guthrie – should be available for QPR game
Newcastle beat Manchester United 3-0 in their best display for many a year last Wednesday, and their first win against the Red Devils in over ten years.
And then Newcastle got through to the 4th round of the FA Cup last Saturday by beating Blackburn 2-1, and that was with the help of one of the best goals ever seen at St. James’ Park, by the mercurial 24 year-old Frenchman Ben Arfa.
In fact we’ll put a video of that goal in the right hand column on the home site later today, and keep it there forever.
Alan Pardew is not surprisingly upbeat over the last couple of games, and he said this to the local press today:
“I don’t think this was as important as the Manchester United game.” “We needed to beat a top team, and to do that in the style we did means it has been an unbelievable week for us.”
“In the second half, we were as good as we were against Manchester United, make no mistake about that, and with different personnel. I am absolutely delighted with the players.”
“Davide and Jonas were brilliant in the second half.” “I don’t think there are many teams who can cope with them coming down that side and their energy.”
“They did it against Manchester United and they did it again against Blackburn. I was really, really pleased.”
Danny Simpson picked up a shoulder injury on Saturday, but it’s too early to know how bad it is.
But the good news is that Danny Guthrie could be fit for the game on Sunday afternoon, and he will probably be part of the squad against the currently manager-less QPR , who sacked Neil Warnock yesterday.
Pardew talked about Danny Simpson’s injury and Danny Guthrie’s potential return to the squad for next weekend:
“Danny hurt his shoulder. Guthrie will have a week’s training and he will play himself into contention, I would think.”
With both Santon and Ryan Taylor so flexible, then if Danny Simpson cannot make the QPR game on Sunday, then either Ryan Taylor will come in at right back, or else Davide will move over to right back and Ryan could come in at left back.
Comments welcome.
298 comments so far
Beattie25
Jan 9, 2012 at 3:23 PM
Comment #41@ alienhunter
You have hit the nail on the head there!!!
Everybody is fretting and crying but there is in my opinion no need.
Yes Readknapp is a cucking funt but Demba Ba will not have an oridnary (in footballing terms) contract. Any clause will of course be based on the ‘pay as you play’ deal and even Redknapp will not know the intricicies of the contract itself.
There is no need to panic and I’m sure that Ba will stay and earn a new and more stable contract. Remember Mike Ashley is nobodys mug.
TOONCHRIS
Jan 9, 2012 at 3:25 PM
Comment #42ba wont go tiote wont go collo will sign and evrything will be peachy,get real lads its the toon we talking about
Ollieh51
Jan 9, 2012 at 3:28 PM
Comment #43@ Alienhunter – It’s always a worry when we a trawled through the papers with this sort of stuff but I 100% agree with you on the improved contract as Tioté was given one too.
Also, if he signs a new contract, leaves for more than whatever figure the buy-out clause is set at (Will be around £20m+ in today’s market?) He will give us a lot more money to go after whoever and him and his agent can sleep on a bed of money each night.
Amazing how everybody wants him now even though in the closed season when he was available and had a very good scoring record they wouldn’t touch him?
So now we will sell him really cheap and not try and offer him a new contract?
Sure…
LGFUAD21
Jan 9, 2012 at 3:28 PM
Comment #44I dont think anybody is really saying that. I think people are just saying
Calm down. A lot of people can become a bit 1 dimensional in these situations
LGFUAD21
Jan 9, 2012 at 3:30 PM
Comment #45Also, we cant expect every player to be like Shearer and stay til the end.
All players leave at some point.
TOONCHRIS
Jan 9, 2012 at 3:32 PM
Comment #46exactly LGFUAD21 but a little bit of loyalty from the players n a little bit of ambition from the chairman and we could have the makings of a very good team
LGFUAD21
Jan 9, 2012 at 3:33 PM
Comment #47@Beattie25
Again true. Even if MA wants to sell him. He would at least get a new contract sorted and up the clause. MA wouldnt settle for a measly £5m for him. Only we can get those sort of bargains
Cheik_n_Bake
Jan 9, 2012 at 3:36 PM
Comment #48Im sure the rule is that you cant play for three clubs in one season so Ba probably could go in jan but he wont, not with the ACN and with his form for us so far this season.
Its time for Ashley to put his money where his mouth his and tie down our best players to better contracts. We have a very strong first team so we have to pay them appropriately to keep other clubs from turning their heads. Plus we have younger players who look like they will be more than good enough at premier league level.
I say keep looking for the bargain buys as we’re doing better than any other club in europe on that front, but now that we are beginning to look like a proper team again pleeease give our top players more of a reason to stay. keep Ba, Tiote, Cabaye and Ben Afra for 3 years and we could achieve something.
Krul is going nowhere 🙂
TOONCHRIS
Jan 9, 2012 at 3:38 PM
Comment #49look lads we have the spine of a team that is as good if not better than any other in the prem KRUL best keeper in the league COLLO,TAYLORwen fit had the best defensive record start of season before injury to taylor,CABAYE,TIOTE is there really a better defensive pair in the league and BA upfront,the spine of our team is there
LGFUAD21
Jan 9, 2012 at 3:48 PM
Comment #50TOONCHRIS
No doubt about that. But in this day an age asking for loyalty from players is akin to thinking your hooker is your girlfriend.
Its sad, but unfortunately it doesnt exist. We cant afford to pay huge wages to lock them down in that way (we could pay more but still not compete with what others are willing to offer).
The business side of football is a funny thing. It’s not really a business but it runs like one.
Nobody can ever make money from football or at least the sort of money that the owners are used to making. Sugar said it. Madjeski said it. So there are generally 4 reasons why people buy football team
1) A toy (Man City, Chelsea)
2) A statement of wealth (again City, Chelsea, Man U)
3) For the community (Wigan’s Dave Whelan being a prime example)
4) Sheer stupidity (Mike Ashley, The New England Sports Venture group with Liverpool)
1 &2) City serves as an environment for corporate meetings for Sheik Mansour.
1 & 2) Abramovich does because he can and I think he likes a challenge. This isnt uncommon among successful business men.
4) I dont think MA realised this when he bought NUFC. And as for Liverpool’s owners, they though they had made a sound investment and a great addition that complements its Red Sox (Irish Catholic “working peoples” club) I think they will be in for a shock when they finally realise that Football is a whole different world to sports in america.
Maybe football could have been profitable if the 1 and 2 types were not involved. But ultimately no one gets into this world for money making.
Business men have huge PR people to carefully consider every word to ensure it generates profit of some sort. I remember Fayed saying in an interview regarding the new MJ statue “If people dont like it, they can go and support Chelsea or Tottenham”. Fayed is a very successful business man in a B2C market. Would he really be saying something like that if he was in the business of making money?
BelfastMagpie87
Jan 9, 2012 at 3:53 PM
Comment #51Any news today lads?? Only in from work. 🙂
LGFUAD21
Jan 9, 2012 at 3:55 PM
Comment #52@BelfastMagpie87
Not really. Just same old Tiote and Ba.
Ive not come across any new links
IFC.Toon
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:00 PM
Comment #53How about playing a 4-3-3 sort of thing in attack with shola and best up top and benny floating behind as a no.10. This would also mean that during the game benny could go on to the right wing where there could be more space ( a 4-4-2) hence giving us more dimension to our attack and allowing benny some freedom
ganiyu
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:02 PM
Comment #54I have faith in the management and the team as a whole and if demba ba goes we would have two advantages.
Others would be given a chance to play and we would make profit from his sale since its not ok to keep a player that wants to go.
BelfastMagpie87
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:05 PM
Comment #55LGFUAD21 // Jan 9, 2012 at 3:55 PM
Cheers man.
The whole Ba stuff started with that c*** Redknapp.
Pardew should of told him to keep his mouth shut.
LGFUAD21
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:14 PM
Comment #56Its just Redknapp’s way of putting all eyes on Ba so he can do business in quiet.
welshy14
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:21 PM
Comment #57jus something on ba’s contract.if ther is one it would of been put in because of his knee problem so newcastle were covered.if this is the case it could be that if the injury came or ba neva played so many games both newcastle and the player had a way out and to cut ther losses.this clause will not be as str8 forwad as offer 7 mill and he would be away.mike ashley is a clever man on the business side of things so dont xpect ba to be goin anywere soon.it was a dream for ba to be playing in the prem the.the best leauge in the world.his comments towards psg jus meen he would love to play for the team he supports 1 day jus as you or i would
TOONCHRIS
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:21 PM
Comment #58redknapp is nothing more than a sh.t stirring toss pot,he had the chance to manage our club and lost his bottle,so a wish he would just keep his nose out of our bizzness
TOONCHRIS
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:22 PM
Comment #59LGFUAD agree with evrything you just said
ToonAndy
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:25 PM
Comment #60Team for QPR …..
——————————KRUL———————————–
SIMPSON———COLLO——WILLI————-SANTON
BEN ARFA——CABAYE—–VUCKIC————JONAS
—————————–GOSLING—————————–
——————————AMEOBI—————————–
TOONCHRIS
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:26 PM
Comment #61the way i see it is,this time a few year ago we wer stuck in the championship pushing for promotion and look were we are now,we should all be happy and gratefull we didnt do a leeds and suffer a second relegation which was a real possibilty when we went down
Tsunki
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:28 PM
Comment #62Ah the Michael Jackson statue thingy. Oh dear, how cringingly bad must that be for those poor fans? I can imagine Mike wieghing the Milburn one in for say, Chaka Demus & Pliers or mebbe Chesney Hawkes?
TOONCHRIS
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:28 PM
Comment #63TOONANDY why vuckic and gosling,change vuckic for guthrie and gosling for sammy n a think that is a class team
Tsunki
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:28 PM
Comment #64ugh *weighing
TOONCHRIS
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:30 PM
Comment #65TSUNKI how bout ant n dec or wor cheryl lol
max
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:31 PM
Comment #66ameobi is our super subs!!
seantoon
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:35 PM
Comment #67If we have 8m to spend I think we should just try get bassong, dos santos in a cut price deal. I think dos santos is worth a punt he’s a very good player but just needs game time I think he could end up like the bellamy type of player we need!
Tsunki
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:35 PM
Comment #68Yeah lol but you gotta think outside the box – what has MJ got to do with Fulham – see the principle. Plus when he does unveil it he has to say what Al Fayed did: “If some stupid fans don’t understand and appreciate such a gift (offbeat stars name here) gave to the world they can go to hell. I don’t want them to be fans. If they don’t understand and don’t believe in things I believe in they can go to (Sunderland inserted here), they can go to anywhere else (insert Mboro),”
You think Big Mike’s a card, do you?
Peka90
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:36 PM
Comment #69Krul
Raylor-Willo-Collo-Santon
Obertan-Guthrie-Cabaye-Jonas
Ben Arfa
Best
At blackburn we looked solid and were attacking well with this formation, I think we need Santon to cover SWP’s pace on the left and Obertan to cover raylor because hes constantly out of position. We were unlucky to go 1-0 down against Blackburn and I dont think Pardew will change much. Obertan will likely come off around the hour mark leaving ben arfa to have a go at the defenders for 30 mins but instead of coming off the bench he will be sharper and ready to take on players!
LGFUAD21
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:40 PM
Comment #70ToonAndy
Still not convinced by Gosling yet. Would maybe play Vuckic in Gosling’s spot.
Reckon we should play Abeid or Guthrie with Cabaye. Guthrie did well filling in for Tiote before and Abeid is a defensive mid.
Agree with Benny out wide.
@ Max
Agree with Shola being our super sub. But at the same time, im a bit more convinced with him that Best atm. But Best has actually scored consistently in periods in the past year unlike Shola (who generally needs a strong striker to pair with)
My team for QPR
Raylor Willo Colo Santon
HBA Cabaye Guthrie Jonas
Vuckic
Best
Vuckic appears to have an eye for the goal (not necessarily in the sense of accuracy. But in that he seems to always go for it rather than play a supporting role. I think with a solid partnership of Cabaye and Guthrie behind him. He will be able to get more into the game against QPR than he could at Liverpool.
BENNY HAS TO PLAY. THE QPR DEFENSE IS A BIT SHAKY> I THINK THIS WOULD GIVE HIM THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO DO HIS MAGIC.
Looking forward to seeing Raylor getting some crosses in. Think that is why we need Best. He’s better at getting on the end of them than Shola.
Peka90
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:41 PM
Comment #71That formation is assuming simpson is out and guthrie fit of course…. although raylor isnt my favourite player I do think his corners and set pieces are effective when he gets them right.
AlwaysTOON
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:43 PM
Comment #72Hello guys.. Anyone wanna help me out here?
I have a paper do write about Sir Bobby.. Can anyone tell me in short words the greatness he put in football around the world? 🙂 Would help alot!
LGFUAD21
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:44 PM
Comment #73@Peka90
Although your team differs from the one i just put. I do like your thinking with the Obertan coming off and benny shifting position. Imagine that would shake them up a fair bit.
Tsunki
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:44 PM
Comment #74I think Gosling does have talent but his injuries have really held his development back – he’s not much further forward than when we first got him, and when he does play he tries way too hard. Because he’s not up to pace he gets his timing & positioning wrong hence he comes unstuck.. he will get better though.
Peka90
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:45 PM
Comment #75LGFUAD21 – Although I agree with most of what your saying the right hand side could be a problem…. QPR could simply get SWP to swap wings and with HBA and Raylor there it could be the most open right side in the premier league ! Hopefully I’m thinking too much into it though !
roshan MAGPIE
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:48 PM
Comment #76i think we must use GOSLING in right wing
TOONCHRIS
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:52 PM
Comment #77BOBBY ROBSON WAS A LEGEND and a top class gentleman
check the toastie
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:54 PM
Comment #78Think it is time to rest obertan use him for the last 20minutes the next few games, Sammy did well whilst obertan was injured, up against the best teams in league, especially going up against clichy at man city, didnt seemed phased yet was dumped when obertan was fit again, guthrie has been great this year (much better than young guns, Vickic,Gosling,Abeid) people forget that tiote was out at stoke and guthrie and cabaye didnt give stoke a second to settle.
We do this at home against QPR Santon/Gutto down left and Raylor/Sammy down right with Benarfa in the hole and best or shola should score some goals, slightly more confident that best will stick them in the onion bag but not much between the two, think they are both better coming on as sub, bit of a shame but no real sharp poacher at club presently, if only we had Andy Cole/Henrik Larsson Type up top, now that would be total class. Need to find one for 2 bob, Ba comes back plays with nippy strike partner and then Benny can be a roaming right winger IMO, real good team, better than bindippers thats for certain.
LGFUAD21
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:57 PM
Comment #79Peka90
True but Obertan is only slightly better defensively anyway.
I actually think Sammy looks pretty good at helping out at the back when he needs to.
Peka90
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:58 PM
Comment #80roshan – Personally wouldn’t put Gosling on the wing, Obertan might not be the finished article in fact far from it, having been watching him all season I’m frustrated because I know he can produce, he has got talent but his decision making is his problem. In my opinion during the Blackburn game in the first half Jonas was just as ineffective as Obertan but he receives no boo’s from the crowd whatsoever.