There are a number of players like Fab Coloccini, Yohan Cabaye, Papiss Cisse, Demba Ba, Tim Krul, Shane Ferguson and Haris Vuckic away on International duty over the next couple of weeks, but there’s also a large majority of the Newcastle squad remaining on Tyneside, and they will be having a well earned break after 5 games in just 15 days at the start of the season.
Steven Taylor – in action against Olympiacos in pre-season
We didn’t do quite as well as we had hoped for, but it wasn’t too bad a start, and we should do better when some of the lads get back to near their best form.
It also looks like Alan Pardew and the coaches could be holding some bonding sessions, like the paint balling they did last year
Steven Taylor thinks the lads deserve a break, and he had this to say on the Newcastle site today:
“The lads need it.” “With playing European football on top of the Premier League games, it gives us a chance to get our legs ready and refresh ahead of the next match.”
“Team bonding could be anything – a golf day, paintballing or anything like that. I don’t know.” “The gaffer will surprise the boys and it should be good. As long as everyone is together then that’s the main thing.”
“It’s what Newcastle United is all about – team spirit.” “We keep touching upon that. Last year we were a very tight unit. We are a small squad, we realise that, but if we stick together then we won’t go far wrong.”
“It’s a massive honor for the lads who are going away to play for their country.” “But it’s great for the rest of us to recover and if there are any little niggles or anything like that, then it gives people time to get back.”
The Newcastle team spirit is going to be very important this term, as it was last season, and the lads are just a little up against at the moment, but no doubt they will be going all out for the win at Everton in just under a couple of weeks time.
That will be difficult, but we won there two years ago 1-0 with a goal from – now let’s think – yes it was Hatem Ben Arfa, with another screamer.
It was a little like the one he put in on Sunday, but he hit the one at Goodison Park with his left foot – just to make it interesting.
But then of course the Frenchman broke his left leg in two places and was out almost a full year.
It will be very important to keep Ben Arfa fit for the season, and the same goes for Steven Taylor, who is again showing he can form a very solid partnership with Fab Coloccini at the back.
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199 comments so far
cupiddstunt
Sep 4, 2012 at 5:46 PM
Comment #1Well have the italics gone ??
Gateshead-Mag
Sep 4, 2012 at 5:51 PM
Comment #2repost
it was only 48,000 on saturday??
suprising, although am i right in saying villa didnt sell anywhere near there allocation? im sure i remember seeing only a few of them
even still that seems abit short, wonder how long it takes us to sell out week in week out
pretty sure before they extended st james they were thinking about building an 80 000 san siro type stadium in gateshead, and after ashley took over there was plans for extending the gallogate, would be pretty pointless atm
does it really take champions league football each year for more fans to come to the games
Gateshead-Mag
Sep 4, 2012 at 5:51 PM
Comment #3cupidstunt
looks like it ha
Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand
Sep 4, 2012 at 5:53 PM
Comment #4NOOOOOOOOOO! Bring back the italics! Normal letters out!
check the toastie
Sep 4, 2012 at 5:56 PM
Comment #5gateshead – directors box was virtually empty and plenty of holes in the platinum club seats, think all seats priced at 30 pound below will have been sold, people just cant keep on forking out 40’s and 50 quid. Plus Villa had plenty of empty seats, atmosphere was pretty good actually. Sunday 4 oclock kick offs arnt everyones cup of tea either.
MacToon
Sep 4, 2012 at 5:56 PM
Comment #6Well done Ed, yet again you are a superstar.
Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand
Sep 4, 2012 at 5:56 PM
Comment #7I’m off. This blog is showing a real lack of ambition. Italics could have taken us to the next level, but no, let’s revert back to the same old, tried and tested. I for one will not be a part of it….until later.
Bye
check the toastie
Sep 4, 2012 at 6:00 PM
Comment #8You know what Steven Taylor for me is implying that the groups morale maybe isnt what it was last year, its almost a rallying cry for everyone to start pulling in the same direction.
Reading between the lines the morale of the group is shit.
Gateshead-Mag
Sep 4, 2012 at 6:02 PM
Comment #9chek the toastie
i could kind of see that but how can people suddenly afford it when the club are in europe regular like back in the 90’2 or early 2000s when the club were planning on increasing capacity
fair weather supporters must be the obvious answer, but then its not exactly bad weather now is it….
Gerrard#1
Sep 4, 2012 at 6:03 PM
Comment #10has any1 seen this
Gerrard#1
Sep 4, 2012 at 6:03 PM
Comment #11http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-19479388
Gateshead-Mag
Sep 4, 2012 at 6:03 PM
Comment #12yes
tenpointnine
Sep 4, 2012 at 6:04 PM
Comment #13How about teambonding via paintballing?
The team lines up in the penalty area with paintball guns, and they take turns taking free kicks and corners. If they fail to beat the first man, they get blasted with red and white paint! The ignominy of it!
Maybe next time they would get the ball into a danger area.
And speaking of ‘over the wall’, how come Ryan Taylor doesn’t feature in the newly amended banner? He was soon forgotten after leaving the pitch!
Gateshead-Mag
Sep 4, 2012 at 6:04 PM
Comment #14lol it was on the front cover of the chronicle tonight
i wonder if every club has as bad a record of disqualified drivers as us??
Dannyo
Sep 4, 2012 at 6:05 PM
Comment #15Awww, i looked so much smarter with the other font 🙁
MacToon
Sep 4, 2012 at 6:10 PM
Comment #16That’s poop Dannyo 😉
MacToon
Sep 4, 2012 at 6:12 PM
Comment #17As it’s a new thread… I wondered if anyone knows how many season tickets we’ve sold so far for this season?
dave 1961
Sep 4, 2012 at 6:15 PM
Comment #18Gateshead-Mag
1,000’s of fans don’t go to the games because they Hate Ashley so much, i know many such fans, but i would rather blank Ashley than the club. he’s not quite on that sort of level, he has introduces many good things to the club including reducing ticket costs.
Dannyo
Sep 4, 2012 at 6:16 PM
Comment #19@Mactoon
All i know is, Eds banner is overpopulated.
Dannyo
Sep 4, 2012 at 6:18 PM
Comment #20Raylor, Fergie, Abeid, Campbell and Harper should be on that banner imo.
Just to make it tougher for u Ed 😉
Conaldo (The Wizard)
Sep 4, 2012 at 6:28 PM
Comment #21Micky mercenary has gone to stoke. Thoughts?
ToonDownSouth
Sep 4, 2012 at 6:31 PM
Comment #22Awful person, awful club.
yorkshire_magpie
Sep 4, 2012 at 6:33 PM
Comment #23Never seen it this quiet in here!
Big Pappa Cissé
Sep 4, 2012 at 6:36 PM
Comment #24Maybe they should go on a driver safety cause before they all get bans like Ba , naughty boy 🙂
check the toastie
Sep 4, 2012 at 6:38 PM
Comment #25Gateshead people tend to forget when Keegan was here on his first spell, capacity was only 36000, a sellout every week,
I think you will find that 48000 as a gate is a regular attendance over the years, sunday afternoon, on tele and all that, par for the course and no real reason for it. If we were flying like Man City for sure the place would be sold out every week for sure though, everyone likes a winner.
Think the crowds are pretty good considering how plenty of people dont have that much cash nowadays. Better more attractive football on the pitch is the key.
nufcjohn
Sep 4, 2012 at 6:49 PM
Comment #264 points from 3 games is really good. At least chelsea and spurs are out of the way now. Everton will be tough but i think we will just edge this game away. 2-1 and then we have norwich at home which is the return of toon faviurite chris hughtonand i think chris will have his team fired up so i think we will edge this 2-1 aswell. That will give us 10 points from 5 games which.i think will take us to 5th place by that time.
darrenfletcher88
Sep 4, 2012 at 6:55 PM
Comment #27Haven’t been on for a few days! What’s going on?? Was at the games on thurs and Sunday, Ben Arfa is world class there will be bids coming in for the boy if he continues his progress this season, we missed tiote on Sunday, bigi was abit out off his depth but good prospect, bring on everton!!
BigKirky
Sep 4, 2012 at 6:55 PM
Comment #28Villa must have only had a quarter of their allocation of tickets.
“Where’d y’ park ur minibus” chant went up at one point.
Mystic Mike's Iron Curtain
Sep 4, 2012 at 6:59 PM
Comment #29Shame the person who seems to be doing his best to alienate himself won’t be there, namely, Cabaye.
ThaiMag
Sep 4, 2012 at 6:59 PM
Comment #30http://nothingbutnewcastle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Danny-Simpson-off-the-line.jpg
nufc786
Sep 4, 2012 at 7:10 PM
Comment #31ba has a need for speed……….. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-19479388
nufc786
Sep 4, 2012 at 7:12 PM
Comment #32its a small world after all……..
nufc786
Sep 4, 2012 at 7:23 PM
Comment #33team bonding…….. more than paintball and stuff….. something tht tests the bonds and faith as a team a group physically,mentally,
Bane: You do not fear death. You welcome it. Your punishment must be more severe.
Bruce Wayne/Batman: Torture.
Bane: Yes. But not of your body. Of your spirit…….
Big Pappa Cissé
Sep 4, 2012 at 7:26 PM
Comment #34@ nufc786
“Do you feel in control”
gonufc (up and Hatem)
Sep 4, 2012 at 7:28 PM
Comment #35About Owen: It was the only club he was ever going to go to for one reason: it is only 30 miles from his stables.
I just desperately hope he’s on a pittance and barely gets a game. Think of all the young players who give everything but never get to play, he doesn’t give a toss and takes it for granted that he’s a ‘top player’.
Big Pappa Cissé
Sep 4, 2012 at 7:28 PM
Comment #36or “I’m Gotham’s reckoning”
Big Pappa Cissé
Sep 4, 2012 at 7:29 PM
Comment #37“I’ve payed you a small fortune”
Bane: “and this gives you power over me”
nufc786
Sep 4, 2012 at 7:29 PM
Comment #38Big Pappa Cissé
It doesn’t matter who we are. What matters is our plan.
nufc786
Sep 4, 2012 at 7:31 PM
Comment #39Bane: You only adopted the dark. I was born in it
Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand
Sep 4, 2012 at 7:33 PM
Comment #40“Some Batman reference” 🙂