Today’s game at White hart Lane is a massive game for Newcastle United.
And it’s not that we will be at full strength today either, since we’ll be missing Yohan Cabaye through suspension, Cheick Tiote because he’s still at the African Cup of Nations, and Ryan Taylor and Leon Best are both injured – with Leon likely out for the season with his knee ligament injury.
But Newcastle have won their last two league games at Blackburn and at home to Aston Villa without the two top central midfielders, and it would be something if Newcastle can get their third successive league win at Tottenham this afternoon.
That will be difficult because not only are Tottenham in good form, but they are very good at White Hart Lane and have 29 points from their 12 home games in the league so far this season.
And Spurs have only one single defeat at White Hart Lane – that 5-1 hammering by Manchester City in their very first home game of the season.
It’s not surprising that Tottenham are odds on favorites to get the win, but Newcastle have surprised teams this season with some of their top performances, and we are hoping that today could be one of those days.
Tottenham looked a good side when we managed that 2-2 draw with them at St. James’ Park in mid- October, but we needed that fine equalizer after 86 minutes from Shola Ameobi to get the point, and it’s surprisingly Shola’s only goal of the season so far.
Spurs are in 3rd position in the league table with 50 points from 24 games, and are 5 points behind Manchester United and 7 points behind Manchester City, so they will be seeing this game this afternoon as 3 points to keep up with the big boys.
Newcastle are 8 points back with 42 points and are in 5th position, two points above Arsenal and 3 points above Liverpool.
For Newcastle, it is an opportunity to show just how good this new side Alan Pardew is building is right now, and whether they can beat one of the top sides in England on their home turf.
Ryan Taylor and Leon Best were both taken off in the first half last Sunday against Villa, and both are not available for the game today, with Leon looking like he will be out for the rest of the season with his damaged knee ligaments, and Sammy Ameobi is also not available for this game through injury.
Steven Taylor and Sylvain Marveaux are probably both out for the season, and James Tavernier (MK Dons) , Alan Smith (MK Dons) and Haris Vuckic (Cardiff City) are all out on loan.
But we think the team almost picks itself this afternoon, and we expect this eleven to start this afternoon at 5:30 pm in north London:
Krul
Simpson Coloccini (c) Williamson Santon
Obertan Perch Guthrie Gutierrez
Ba Cisse
Subs: Harper Ferguson Kadar Ben Arfa Gosling Lovenkrands Ameobi (Sh)
Whoops – I had initially missed out Ben Arfa as a sub – my error.
It’s hard to come up with the subs for today’s game, with so many of our players being unavailable.
10 players – Steven Taylor, Sylvain Marveaux, Cheick Tiote, Ryan Taylor, Leon Best, Yohan Cabaye, Sammy Ameobi, Alan Smith, James Tavernier and Haris Vuckic – are all not available today for one reason or another today.
Three of those – Ryan Taylor, Cheick Tiote and Yohan Cabaye should be available for our next game in two weeks time at home to Wolves.
The keys to the game today are as follows:
- The defense can be solid and not make any silly mistakes and keep compact, and not let top wingers Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon get around the back of the defense
- Danny Guthrie and James Perch can hold their own in the center of the field against Spurs’ star midfielders Scott Parker and Luka Modric
- Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse can continue scoring goals from half chances
If Newcastle can do the above three things adequately, then who knows, perhaps we’ll shock everybody and get something out of this game.
When you look at the remaining 14 league games of the season, this is definitely one of the hardest fixtures the lads still have to play – but you never know.
Howay The Lads!!
Comments welcome.
63 comments so far
toonruz
Feb 11, 2012 at 10:16 AM
Comment #41i know lol
Rotonda heights
Indian Magpie
Feb 11, 2012 at 10:17 AM
Comment #42Toon ruz he took west ham to the FA cup final, nxt year was a bit different i will wait and see
gorgonzola
Feb 11, 2012 at 10:18 AM
Comment #43“no 1 has mentioned the chance HBA set up for simpson at BHA (brighton)”
I did, and I keep laughing how ppl have absolutely no clue how to look at a player, he also when he lost the ball tracked back WON the ball and another chance resulted nearly got us a goal.
Pardew is scarred of him cause he has no clue how to play him, you need to adjust a little bit how you play, sure he will “loose” the ball, I would rather loose the ball if you wish and create 10 chances and crack open a defense than thump blind poor off key passes to the box like somebody is doing pretty much the whole season, yet hey he works hard…
JP...from The Rock
Feb 11, 2012 at 10:22 AM
Comment #44If we pass and move into space without the ball we could get points in this match. If we just look to contain them I see us cracking at some point. Without our strong pairing of Cabaye and Tiote it will be hard for us. They both have to be on top and win the midfield battle for us to have a chance. If we can do that and supply Ba and Cisse up top then I am confident we can get at least a draw. We should use our wingers in this match and try and get crosses in and some through balls to our lethal strikers. If we supply them ammunition they will score.
This match could go either way but I predict a draw or a narrow defeat or a narrow win. Basically I see it much close than some may think.
With our FULL squad and everyone fit I am confident we can beat Spurs but unfortunately that is not the case today.
Brutooon
Feb 11, 2012 at 10:27 AM
Comment #45i am not concern of lennon because Santon will keep him quiet (with Jonas also tracking back)
i am concern on Gareth Bale will be attacking Simpson all night long. No way with AP play HBA on the right, he will stick with Obertan
askar
Feb 11, 2012 at 10:31 AM
Comment #46ED no HBA on the bench??? I bet that King Arfa will start this afternoon. We need to get something out of this game at least 1 point if not the 3…The two Demba will score, Guthrie will show again and again how good he is. Santon will block Bale and Cap Colo will be magic as usual. 3 – 0 for NUFC, with goals from DDA Demba, Demba and Arfa.
Benton Toon Exile
Feb 11, 2012 at 10:33 AM
Comment #47Hemel Mag – I was brought up West Farm Ave near the Viking, and then moved to Fairways Est when I was 12. Left Newcastle at 16 for the RAF, now in Amersham, Bucks.
You should be OK screaming in the boxes, I am in the Home West Lower seats and like you mate cant shut up!
Enjoy!
Brutooon
Feb 11, 2012 at 10:35 AM
Comment #48Keep HBA as impact sub.
1) if we are winning, AP wont play HBA because he prefer to do a defensive substitution
2) if we are losing, then AP will bring on HBA
askar
Feb 11, 2012 at 10:40 AM
Comment #49@Brutooon: Totenham is not defensive team so you need a fire attack from the start of the game.
Krull
Sim Willo Colo Santon
Hemel Mag
Feb 11, 2012 at 10:40 AM
Comment #50Benton
I knew the Viking well mate, it’s gone now though, so’s the rocket. Nice part of the world Amersham, my business is not far from there. Which school did u go to?
tooninspain
Feb 11, 2012 at 10:41 AM
Comment #51Some of the posters on here need to get real. What would Spurs midfield look like without Modric and Parker? We are without our two best midfielders this afternoon. Our options are limited. Just because we are playing a holding midfielder doesn’t mean we are being negative. Didn’t Keegan play Batty when we were the entertainers?
Benton Toon Exile
Feb 11, 2012 at 10:41 AM
Comment #52For me Ben Arfa would be superb in the Beardsley role with both Demba’s in from of him and Tiote, Cabaye and Marveux behind him.
I’m afraid I do however agree with Alan Pardew about his work rate.
askar
Feb 11, 2012 at 10:44 AM
Comment #53@Brutooon: Totenham is not defensive team so you need a fire attack from the start of the game. Here is my team this afternoon:
King Krull
Sim Willo Colo San
Perch
HBA Guthrie Jonas
DAmba Damba
Benton Toon Exile
Feb 11, 2012 at 10:46 AM
Comment #54Hemel Mag – Went to Summervyl and then Manor Park. You?
My brother went to Lonbenton High School (Bless) and still lives in West Moor.
I am up next for the Sunderland game and gonna have Sat & Sun in Town, and looking around etc.
Benton Toon Exile
Feb 11, 2012 at 10:48 AM
Comment #55tooninspain – great comment mate, Batty and Rob Lee!
hodge21
Feb 11, 2012 at 10:58 AM
Comment #56about benny boy hes great but needs to play behind demba demba a would like to see this mid for spurs game a narrow mid from the toon with perch guthrie and gosling and benny in narrow diamond just for this game think it will bring more goals. jonas and obertoon cant cross so wont miss them that much
Tiki_Taka
Feb 11, 2012 at 11:05 AM
Comment #57Paul Merson has predicted a 4-0 Win for Spurs on his Sky Sports blog. As usual Merson has his head up his arse when it comes to Newcastle.
He was stating only a few weeks ago that Villa was a much bigger club than Newcastle and then only last week he claimed that Villa would beat Newcastle.
These so called “experts” expected Newcastle to be in the bottom three? Really? Holy s**t how do these morons get their jobs?
They are ignorant of everything outside of the Premiership, aside from Barca, of course, who seem to make them foam at the mouth with a simple 5 yard pass.
They openly admit on the air that they haven’t even heard of Yohan Cabaye and then still have the cheek to call themselves “experts”
Whilst we aren’t going to win the Premiership to put us in a relegation battle is seriously ridiculous. We have a fantastic squad of players with cracking technical ability and a team spirit in the camp that most teams would die for, including word beating Villa.
Rant over lol
Newcastle to get a draw today 1-1
Howay the lads!
Tiki_Taka
Feb 11, 2012 at 11:07 AM
Comment #58Ohhhhhh, spellcheck…..I meant *world* beating.
A rant doesn’t look cool with spelling errors does it? lol
Ah, well…us experts are allowed mistakes 🙂
simon
Feb 11, 2012 at 11:14 AM
Comment #59Don’t get all this negativity around pardew and Ben arfa, for Christ sake we are are having an unbelievable season, some fans just can’t help moaning and being negative. Would hate 2 hear u lot if we were struggling! If we can’t be positve about what we have achieved so far this season when everyone tipped us 2 b fighting relegation then something is seriously wrong.
cupiddstunt
Feb 11, 2012 at 12:32 PM
Comment #60Cheezboy @ # 24
So somebody on here conjectured that in your words “the fact that Pardew feels very much so threatened by the likes of HBA ability” and you believe it????
Well look out your window there are some pigs flying by.
In football managers have less and less time to get things right and NUFC was the worst club in football for that very reason no so long ago, instant results or you’re back out the door thankfull it looks like NUFC have removed the revolving door from the manager’s office and we are settling down.
If I had the choice between getting a team to play around a prima dona who is clearly capable of “X” amount of on field graft but only puts in “Y”, or I could leave that prima dona on the bench until he gets the idea that he is on the park for 90 mins not 9. Then he is on the bench no probs.
The teams league position and performances this season says the bench theory is the one to go with.
We have had a lot of hard games this season where going absent in game would have prob lost us the points, form is volatile graft is not.
cupiddstunt
Feb 11, 2012 at 12:36 PM
Comment #61Indian Magpie @ # 26
So you suffer from Kalnienk Vision as well????????????
Willo
Feb 11, 2012 at 2:41 PM
Comment #62I like the team Ed and I think it is the best we can do with three key midfielders (Tiote Cabaye and Raylor) all missing. I think Obertan will be hungry to impress and Cisses/BA will provide excellent holdup play to bring Obertan and Jonas into the game, not to mention Perch who almost scored last game!
lesh
Feb 11, 2012 at 3:48 PM
Comment #63Benton Toon Exile….. so, another product of the Manor Park Finishing School for the Sons Daughters of Gentlefolk?
That’s Ed, thee and me so far but there must be more out there??