The last time we hosted Manchester United, back in early January, we hammered them 3-0, and we’re looking for another 3 points today, when the Red Devils visit St. James’ Park this afternoon.
And Newcastle will be buoyed by their excellent display against Bordeaux on Thursday night in the Europa League and that win put us top of group D – with two of the four teams qualifying for the knock-out rounds at the end of this year.
For once Newcastle hit something like their best form on Thursday night, with goals from Shola Ameobi and Papiss Cisse, and an own goal made it 3-0 to the Magpies.
The Manchester United defense has looked a little uncertain so far this season, and that’s probably their weakness, and from Alan Pardew’s comments in the press since Thursday night, it seems Newcastle will attack the defense from the first whistle.
And on the injury front we are told that Colo and Steven Taylor are still out, and in one of his interviews, the Newcastle manager said that Williamson and James Perch would be the starting center-backs – but it wouldn’t surprise us too much if Colo is back this afternoon to captain the side – but we’ll assume for the team selection he is still injured.
Steve Harper will start in goal and with Tim Krul and the impressive Rob Elliot both out injured, 19 year-old Jak Alnwick will be on the bench this afternoon.
For his first game back after injury Danny Simpson was particularly impressive on Thursday against Bordeaux, and we expect him to start today at right back.
So this could be the team that Alan starts this afternoon.
Harper
Simpson Perch Williamson Santon
Ben Arfa Tiote Cabaye Gutierrez
Ba Ameobi (Sh)
Subs: Alnwick Bigirimana Tavernier Anita Ferguson Obertan Cisse
We have a hunch that Shola could get the start this afternoon, and certainly the Nigerian born striker and Demba ba played well together in the 3-0 mauling of the Red Devils in early January, and Shola is very good at the knock-ins he gets in the air.
The keys to this game seem fairly simple:
- James Perch and Mike Williamson have strong games at the back and can cope with Rooney and van Persie – not an easy task by any means
- Demba Ba, Shola and Papiss continue to be in good goal-scoring form and can take the chances as they come
- The Red Devils defense is as good (or bad depending on which way you look at it), as it’s looked so far this season – it’s their weak link
- Yohan Cabaye and Cheick Tiote continue where they left off on Thursday night, and both have good games and we control the middle of the park
And of course we will need some luck as well, as we had on Thursday night, when we scored the goals at just the right time.
We really do need 3 points this afternoon to give our season some momentum in the league, after we have put ourselves in a very decent position to qualify for the knock-out stages of the Europa League, and we can get the win today – but we’ll need some luck too and be very near our best form.
Let us know what you think the team will be this afternoon and also how you think the game will go this afternoon.
Howay The Lads!!
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131 comments so far
Dannyo
Oct 7, 2012 at 11:21 AM
Comment #1Tiote will sort out Rooney, as usual.
JAMSHA
Oct 7, 2012 at 11:27 AM
Comment #2voted win , exictng match.we need magic from.arfa ..gona be key player in settng goals for us
Super Magpie
Oct 7, 2012 at 11:31 AM
Comment #3I’m worried with that defence.
I can’t see us winning if Colo isn’t fit.
hdavid23
Oct 7, 2012 at 11:31 AM
Comment #4lot of people seem to be upset about Wonga becoming our shirt sponsor.. as im not from England i dont know anything about the company.. whats the problem with them?
btw i wouldnt even mind seeing a porn-making company being our sponsor as long as they payed us more money than Virgin..
Super Magpie
Oct 7, 2012 at 11:33 AM
Comment #5Hdavid
They’re a scandalous loan shark company who charge ridiculously high interest rates, and for the fact it’s called Wonga is just embarressing.
hdavid23
Oct 7, 2012 at 11:35 AM
Comment #6i see, thanks Super Magpie!
bills-son
Oct 7, 2012 at 11:48 AM
Comment #7Super Magpie – you say Wonga are a scandalous loan shark company.
I know where you are coming from but nobody forces people to take out a loan. It’s not as if they knock on doors flogging loans, they advertise and people come to them. And Wonga are so high profile that everybody must know the interest rates are sky high. If their service wasn’t needed by so many people they wouldn’t be as successful as they are.
I don’t fancy the idea of the Wonga Stadium but hysterical reactions to their line of business are naive in my opinion.
Conaldo (The Wizard)
Oct 7, 2012 at 11:49 AM
Comment #8As i’ve said many times now, I really dont care win lose or draw, as long as we attack them and give them a good game. We arent good enough yet to just assume we can beat manchester united every time, but if we are near our best, we can give it a hell of a go.
Gateshead-Mag
Oct 7, 2012 at 11:53 AM
Comment #9aaaaaaagh exited but nervous about today like
alot of people seem to be writing man utd off, cant see it going the same way as last year like but hope fully we can nick a 2-1 win.
also the whole wonga thing, ill believe it when i see it, but on twitter a few people (including nufcstats) have said that the deal is for SHIRT SPONSOR ONLY i would be more accepting if this was true, wonga arena would be a travisty
geordieracer1980
Oct 7, 2012 at 11:55 AM
Comment #10Really looking forward to the game today. I think the key to our success lies in Hatem Ben Arfa. I really fancy him up against Patrice Evra, who has looked really poor for a good while now. Just run at him, Hatem. Give Ben Arfa the ball as often as we can, as high up the pitch as we can, and he will hurt them.
I sense a classic.
3-2 to The Toon.
Howay the Lads!
Gateshead-Mag
Oct 7, 2012 at 11:58 AM
Comment #11oooh aye and i think our 2 main men today will be 1) tiote – anyone who’s seen the video on youtube from the game last season will know how important he was keeping rooney out the game
2) ben arfa a big game from ben arfa could be the key to unlocking there shaky defence
i would also like to see cabaye keep up the good passing he showed against bordeux midweek
oooooooooooos!
OTP
Oct 7, 2012 at 12:01 PM
Comment #12Got a good chance today! Ben Arfa v Evra could be very interesting. Wrote up a tactical preview if anyone is interested http://www.onetouchpassing.co.uk/2012/10/newcastle-united-vs-manchester-united.html
Novocastrian66
Oct 7, 2012 at 12:02 PM
Comment #13Nowt against Wonga becoming our shirt sponsor. All financial institutions are bunch of thieving bar stewards in my opinion. I draw the line the Wonga Arena though. FFS.
archaeomag
Oct 7, 2012 at 12:03 PM
Comment #14ST Wonga’s Park – home of football and grinding the faces of the poor –
Clearly the Japanese Whaling industry could not come up with cash in time.
Jail for Ashley
Oct 7, 2012 at 12:04 PM
Comment #15Bills,
Agreed on that,not much in a shirt sponsor at all,not much any mackem or smoggie can say about that,however the wonga arena is a different matter altogether,tbh though I dont think Mashley would be so crass as to do that
and to be fair it is just a story in a tabloid.
Gateshead-Mag
Oct 7, 2012 at 12:06 PM
Comment #16archeomag
japenese whaling industry are tied up in talks to replace jjb at wigan mate, shame like
archaeomag
Oct 7, 2012 at 12:08 PM
Comment #17@Gateshead-Mag
I thought Wigan were in negotiations with the Taliban
archaeomag
Oct 7, 2012 at 12:09 PM
Comment #18. . .and we missed out Venki’s
Gateshead-Mag
Oct 7, 2012 at 12:10 PM
Comment #19archeomag
saddam hussein used to go to there away games like so its probably just crossed wires
Gateshead-Mag
Oct 7, 2012 at 12:10 PM
Comment #20hahaha venkys in the same bracket as the taliban??
archaeomag
Oct 7, 2012 at 12:15 PM
Comment #21I am just waiting for the fatw? against Howard Webb.
Interesting question – what was Bin Ladin’s team?
archaeomag
Oct 7, 2012 at 12:17 PM
Comment #22[I meant – we missed out ‘on’ Venki’s]
#ironic smiley
Super Magpie
Oct 7, 2012 at 12:19 PM
Comment #23A good result today would do us the world of good going into the derby. I think at attacking them is the best way to go today. Like Pardew said if you sit back against Man U for 90 minutes you’ll be picked off.
I think we should go 4-3-3 again this afternoon. We played so much better on Thursday compared to the dire football we’ve played in the past few weeks.
Harper
Simpson Perch Colo (Willo) Santon
Cabaye Tiote Jonas
HBA Ba Cisse
I think cisse did well on the wing on Thursday, better than Ba was. And ofc Ba is on form so he should be through the middle IMO.
Also I have a sneaky feeling Webb will give them if double stoppage time if they are drawing/losing. Especially after Fergie complaining there wasn’t enough injury time against Spurs. That just takes the P*ss.
Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand
Oct 7, 2012 at 12:34 PM
Comment #24MMMM….a nicde bucket of taliban chicken….
So, Wonga does have the word won in it….that’s the most optimistic I can be on the subject, let’s see what happens.
On to today. Come on lads, so us proud.
Might crawl back in to bed then….3.5 hours to go, might stand a chance of feeling somewhat human by then. Ibiza closing weekend….whhhhyyy???
geordieracer1980
Oct 7, 2012 at 12:37 PM
Comment #25I would like to see young Ferguson start at left back and Santon start on the right hand side of the defense. Lets have a real go at them!
dave 1961
Oct 7, 2012 at 12:45 PM
Comment #26i bet bills-son would stick up for Ashly if he was named as the third man in the Jimmy Savile child sex ring, Wonga are loan sharks they prey on the poor and make them poorer with 1000%+ interest rates, and they make the life of these people more difficult, i don’t want my illustrious club associated with loan sharks, i don’t have a problem with Ashly as he would like to make it easier for the poorer fans to get to games, Wonga are no better than the loan sharks that have leached off council estates up and down the country, it is not just morally wrong its repugnant. luckily i have never need loans but i know people that have fallen into poverty by getting into the clutches of these people.
Magpies-till-d3ath
Oct 7, 2012 at 12:48 PM
Comment #27If it’s Perch and Willo, I’ll kill myself!
tequilamag
Oct 7, 2012 at 12:51 PM
Comment #28@ Dave well said, this deal;if true this deal stinks. All banks today are self serving parasites who have screwed the economy. Being associated with Virgin was bad enough but this is an all time low.
Offkey
Oct 7, 2012 at 12:52 PM
Comment #294214% APR
Loan £1 for 1 day and repay £6.56.
Wonga is also famously used by cockneys.
🙁
tequilamag
Oct 7, 2012 at 12:53 PM
Comment #30Magpies till death, really? will you really kill yourself ? Grow up.
Gateshead-Mag
Oct 7, 2012 at 12:53 PM
Comment #31am i the only one that thought virgin money nwas a good sponsor and looked nice on the tops??
ibiza
hair of the dog matey get it down you!!
toonbrother
Oct 7, 2012 at 12:54 PM
Comment #32Perch and Williamson right now are the two best centre backs we have. Hope they get the nod. I agree Shola Ameobi needs to start ahead of Ba or Cisse. The Ba-Cisse experiment has proven to be a failure. Pardiola needs to accept these two do not complement each other and move on
Gateshead-Mag
Oct 7, 2012 at 12:55 PM
Comment #33offkey
aaaaaaah!! i was all for stade de wonga untill i knew that cockneys used it!!
Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand
Oct 7, 2012 at 12:58 PM
Comment #34Not those bloody cockneys!!!! Get Ashley out now, I don’t even want to use the same air as the nasty b*st*rds 😉
Hyphen….My dog isn’t too happy about this hair removal….but if you say so.
Any injury updates yet? I figure no surprises with Krul. Are we only waiting to see if Colo is back or there a possibility of others?
mauritius island
Oct 7, 2012 at 1:04 PM
Comment #35Harper
Simpson colo Williamson Santon
Mareaux Tiote Cabaye Gutierrez
ben arfa
ba
Subs: Alnwick Bigirimana Shola amoebi Anita Ferguson Perch Cisse
magpie6699
Oct 7, 2012 at 1:06 PM
Comment #36Toon! Toon! Black and White Wongas!
Gateshead-Mag
Oct 7, 2012 at 1:07 PM
Comment #37http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofK3WwdUZHo
just to get yous in the mood 🙂
mauritius island
Oct 7, 2012 at 1:10 PM
Comment #385 players injured
R Elliott…Groin/Pelvis Injury … no return date
S Taylor ….Calf/Shin Injury….. 7th Oct 12 Late Fit Test
F Coloccini ….Hip/Thigh Injury ….no return date
T Krul ….Arm/Elbow Injury …..21st Oct 12
R Taylor …ACL Knee Injury….. Mar 13
http://www.physioroom.com/news/english_premier_league/epl_injury_table.php
Gateshead-Mag
Oct 7, 2012 at 1:10 PM
Comment #39ibiza
aparently licking a dog helps you prepare for a big game, or something along those lines, i however will be drinking!!….
magpie699
nice use of the word wonga there pal
why dont we all think of some good wonga chants?? something along the lines of….
demba sored 1 since ramadan ramadan ramadan…….
…..but he just cant seem to get a loan no!!!!
wong wong wong a wong wonga
check the toastie
Oct 7, 2012 at 1:13 PM
Comment #40The Ba Cisse partnershio is not working as Pardewasaurus continues to play 442 with Jonas and Ben10 as wide men, neither get to the byline and cross, needs to stop playing Jonas it is like playing 2 full backs, If we play Simpson Willo and Perchy together we could be in deep trouble.
Simmo and Willo will continually give up possession, something we really cant do against Man Utd, would play Anita full back or switch Santon over to RB and give young Fergy a go down the Left hand side.
Pleased Valencia is out for them, he is pretty warm.