Alan Pardew has said he will not risk Cheick Tiote tomorrow, if he is not fully fit from his thigh strain.
Cheick Tiote – in action for the Ivory Coast earlier this year
An in-form Cheick Tiote will no doubt be crucial to Newcastle’s 10 game run-in to the season, and our possible qualification for the Europa League.
Danny Guthrie hasn’t had a start for a while, and with his contract running out at the end of June, he will be keen to impress for Newcastle, and he has never let the side down this season, so if Cheick cannot make it then Danny is an obvious deputy.
Mehdi Abeid, fresh from his exploits in the Newcastle Reserves 0-0 draw with Blackburn at Benton earlier this week, could also come in for the Ivorian defensive midfielder.
This is what Alan Pardew said today:
“I can’t risk him for the last nine games, but if he can play there will be no stopping him.” “Cheick has a strain and Danny Simpson is the same, so both are touch and go for Sunday.”
“Ryan Taylor is out. There will be a late decision on the team and we’ll have to see how training goes today.” “I think I will be picking the team from the dressing room tomorrow.”
“It isn’t ideal, but Monday was a tough, tough game.” “The mood has been one of fatigue, not mentally, but physically. We chased a lot of the ball and it took a lot out of us.”
“To work as hard as we did and come away with nothing makes you feel even more tired – trust me.” “We’ve had a little refocus this morning about where we stand and what we have to do.”
“We have to get four or five wins from our 10 games to get into Europe.” “Momentum is everything in this division, I think the most important thing for us now is to get a win.”
There will be late fitness tests on both Cheick and Danny Simpson to see if they are fit enough to play, but if there are any doubts at all, they will not start the game.
But we have to think that Danny Guthrie can get the job done for the side tomorrow afternoon, as he has done in the past for most of this season.
If Simpson doesn’t make it then James Perch will come in, and he did well in the second half at the Emirates on Monday night, when he came in at left back for Davide Santon.
Comments welcome.
18 comments so far
tdt
Mar 17, 2012 at 10:32 AM
Comment #1Danton RB, Ferguson LB. Perch can be back for Williamson.
tdt
Mar 17, 2012 at 10:33 AM
Comment #2Danton? I mean Santon.
Kris
Mar 17, 2012 at 10:36 AM
Comment #3We should play this team:
Krul
Simpson (Perch), Williamson, Coloccini, Santon
Ben Arfa, Guthrie, Cabaye, Gutierrez
Shola/Cissé, Ba
I think we should be playing Guthrie, although Tioté is fit enough. Guthrie deserve the chance, he was maybe our best player in the AFC-period. I would love if he signed up!
Does somebody have any idea why Santon was subbed against Arsenal?? I think he had a great game by then..
Kris
Mar 17, 2012 at 10:38 AM
Comment #4tdt – Williamson has been crap this season, im agree! But Perch cant play against the big boys in Steve Morrison and Grant Holt. If Williamson have a bad game tomorrow he should be benched for the rest of the season than!
Jan Stavik
Mar 17, 2012 at 10:39 AM
Comment #5Perch as a starter? I hope not, he’s a liability.
supatoonkid
Mar 17, 2012 at 10:42 AM
Comment #6Krul;
Santon, Williamson, Collocini, Ferguson;
Gutierrez, Guthrie, Cabaye, Ben Arfa;
Cissé, Ba
Subs: Elliot, Gosling, Perch, Abeid, Obertan, Vuckic, Sh. Ameobi
Crawfordladd17
Mar 17, 2012 at 10:43 AM
Comment #7Already losted important players against Norwich if this is the case
Krul
Perch Williamson Coloccini(c) Santon
Ben Arfa Guthrie Cabaye Jonas
Shola Ameobi Ba
Subs bench: Elliot Ferguson Kadar Gosling Vuckic Obertan Cisse
That is a great team and bench even without 7 or 8 players(Simpson,both Taylor,Tiote,Marveaux,Sammy Ameobi,Best,Loverkands) and Cisse finding it tough
Dannyo
Mar 17, 2012 at 10:45 AM
Comment #8Someone explain this to me, cause i don’t get it. When i train, i usually let there be 3 days so my muscles can fully recouperate, then i go again. I’ve done that for a LONG time and i don’t have any periods of a year where i feel any extra fatigue.
I’m not in a “team” or such of any sort, so i dunno how it works for a footballer.
How can u get fatigued where u play 90 minutes a week plus the required training? Is it too big of an ammount of training being done?
geordie157
Mar 17, 2012 at 10:47 AM
Comment #9i’m one of a minority, but i’d like to see Gosling get a game.
Norwich play a lot through the middle, unless Pilkington and Bennett start that is.
Could be a chance for our 4-3-3 to be tested, something like Guthrie, Cabaye, Vuckic/Gosling, Ben Arfa, Cisse, Ba. With fergs and santon attacking from the full back positions.
Tommyy
Mar 17, 2012 at 10:49 AM
Comment #10Dannyo, I have always thought that when managers say that it was just an excuse for either poor form or not wanting to play with them for whatever reason. There is no way any of these players will be physically tired. Injured maybe, but general tiredness no.
Tommyy
Mar 17, 2012 at 10:52 AM
Comment #11Gosling is just distinctly average, very much a poor mans Nolan. Gets in to good positions occasionally but doesn’t have that knack to make it count often enough.
He is also frustratingly slow. I don’t think he will be good enough for us. I think he will become a good championship player.
ilovetoon8788
Mar 17, 2012 at 10:52 AM
Comment #12we are not playing in europe and have been out early in all competitions. tiredness, is definitely a big no.
Tommyy
Mar 17, 2012 at 10:55 AM
Comment #13I think we need to see a 4-3-3 ASAP. We just don’t create enough with 4-4-2.
As I remember, when Keegan used it in the last 10 or so games of the 2007 – 2008 season, it proved very successful. That was without our current technical players aswell.
jimmymagpie
Mar 17, 2012 at 11:10 AM
Comment #14One or two of Pardew’s comments seriously worry me this week. He states that his 2 main strikers are struggling. Of course they’re blo-dy struggling Pardew, because there has been no creativity in your team. Where are the crosses from out wide? Where is the service from central midfield? Cabaye has been totally ineffective since the beginning of November! He says his team is tired after Arsenal. Following on from my first point, if you can’t keep the blo-dy ball, of course you’re going to get tired trying to get it back. This from the man, who at the start of the season, said that the whole ethos of the team this season would be ball retention.What a joke!!
spitfire_
Mar 17, 2012 at 11:31 AM
Comment #15So… Why while he defending Simson, Pardew speak about his injury but not for his throw? Pardew are blind or dumb. Who must learn our team how they can waste time? I can’t remember many times which our team waste time aroud the corner flag or around the sidelines.
juanpeterbeardsley
Mar 17, 2012 at 11:55 AM
Comment #16I got the impression Santon was benched because he was getting skinned by Walcott.he also for some reason doesn’t seem to work well with Jonas.This leads to Colo getting dragged across.There are plenty signs he will turn into a good player but his defensive deficiencies are a worry. Gosling on the other hand I am yet to see anything on the pitch that shows me he can play at this level.If Mr T is out Guthrie comes in with HBA Cabaye and Jonas with the Dembas up front and Perch at right or left back.
jesperfuglsang
Mar 17, 2012 at 2:42 PM
Comment #17I would like Pardew to shuffle it around a bit on Sunday especially if some are suffering from fatique.
Give some of the fringe players a chance in a 4-4-3 🙂
max
Mar 17, 2012 at 4:21 PM
Comment #18santon RB, ferguson LB..