There are important Premier League games and important Premier League games, but this one is extra important, after we lost to West Ham United last Sunday – a team we hammered 5-0 in the corresponding fixture two years ago, and we have only three wins in our first eleven league games, compared to seven at the same time last season.
This is almost a must win game today for Newcastle, and the thing we’ll be looking for is some energy, enthusiasm and determination from the Newcastle players as soon as the first whistle blows.
But it could be another frustrating game for our fans to watch, as Swansea play a possession game, made famous by Barcelona, and it could be difficult for Newcastle to see much of the ball today.
And we have some doubts as to who can play today.
Yohan Cabaye is definitely out with a groin problem, and Fabricio Coloccini is suspended, and Jonas Gutierrez is out with his knee injury, although is expected to return at Southampton, in our next league game.
And there’s some nonsense going on about Papiss Cisse, with Senegal upset the player pulled out of the mid-week friendly game with Niger, and they may activate the five-day rule which will rule Cisse out of the game today.
Dan Gosling, Ryan Taylor, Haris Vuckic and James Perch are all out injured.
And Alan Pardew talked yesterday about today starting a hectic spell of games for Newcastle:
“I think we’ve got four games in nine days form Saturday.” “It’s a tough schedule for us and we’re feeling the pressure of that with the injuries we’ve got at the moment and the squad depth and we’re going to have to make sure we come through this period stronger with some solid results.” “It’s a big week for us.”
Cheick Tiote is back today, and he will start in central midfield and we hope he provides the energy we have been missing, but we also hope he can go through this game without picking up yet another caution from the referee.
We’re not sure whether Sammy Ameobi is fit, but we’ll assume he isn’t – so here’s a possible team Alan Pardew could start today:
Krul
Simpson Taylor (S) (c) Williamson Santon
Ben Arfa Tiote Anita Bigirimana Ferguson
Ba
Subs: Elliot Tavernier Marveaux Abeid Ameobi (Sh) Obertan Cisse
With Newcastle failing to take control of midfield in many games this season, and with Yohan Cabaye missing through injury today, we think Pardew has a chance of starting in a 4-5-1 formation, to flood the midfield so we can get a grip on the game.
He may also elect to play in a 4-3-3 formation, after severe criticism of the 4-4-2 formation he habitually plays, and we really cannot afford two strikers up front, when we cannot get the ball in the center of the park.
We have to hope we can win this home game against a side below us in the Premier League table.
Let us know how you think the game will go – and what team would you start today?
Comments welcome.
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93 comments so far
Transfer Sage
Nov 17, 2012 at 1:30 PM
Comment #81Matty
At our level I think we need a settled formation for most games.
Games against man utd, city, Chelsea then maybe change to suit the opposition but most teams we should just back ourselves to either dominate or compete with using an attacking style
hattambenarfa
Nov 17, 2012 at 1:33 PM
Comment #82I honestly believe if we signed a rapid rb, a beastly box to box athletic cm and an electric pace lw/st we would have a far more complete team. for names sake say it was debuchy sissoko and remy. combined fee around 20m?
Krul
Debuchy Taylor Colo Santon
Sissoko cabaye tiote
Hba Ba Remy
Tell me that wouldnt get top 4 haha. Investment!
Transfer Sage
Nov 17, 2012 at 1:37 PM
Comment #83It would have a good chance of top 4.
Nothing is guaranteed as there are 4/5 teams who could also get top 4.
Would allow is to compete with arsenal, spurs and Everton for 4th.
It’s a lot of money to spend though. Most clubs don’t spend that amount
hattambenarfa
Nov 17, 2012 at 1:39 PM
Comment #84It doesnt have to be those players as im not into the business of creating a dream team, since if we added messi ronaldo and ibrahimovic we would prob get top four too, i was just illustrating the type of players who could take us to the next level
JBax97
Nov 17, 2012 at 1:42 PM
Comment #854-4-2 is suicide without Cabaye, although we shouldn’t be playing it with him in any case, but doubly so now. We have to utilise the creative players we have left so I would suggest:
Krul
Simpson, Taylor, Williamson, Santon
Tiote, Anita,
Obertan, Ben Arfa, Ferguson,
Ba.
4-2-3-1/4-5-1 is a must against Swansea.
likeajediknight
Nov 17, 2012 at 1:49 PM
Comment #86Krul
Simpson Williamson Taylor Santon
Tiote
Anita Bigirimana
Ben Arfa Ferguson
Ba
That looks strange in a 4-1-2-2-1, but its just a more graded 4-3-3, Tiote holds the area in front of the back four, while Anita and Bigirimana can double as RM & LM when defending, or sit in front of Tiote depending on where the attack comes from, this continuously will hold a 2 man central pairing, with support where its needed- they can sit in front of the full backs while Tiote holds the middle ground (requires taylor to work hard) On the occasion we need men on both sides, ben arfa and ferguson can rarely drop back but primarily their job is as wide-men with less defensive duties than at present. the 4-3-3 in this way could be out best option against a fluid Swansea team; but whatever happens Taylor and Tiote have to have good games or we wont win. Williamson will need to deal with aerial threats but supposedly Taylor will need to be making the important tackles, tiote too in their build up play. rant over
mattyNUFC
Nov 17, 2012 at 1:51 PM
Comment #87jbax
for this game, i think that formation is our only chance at getting 3 points
i’ll take a hundred though that it’ll be 442
Transfer Sage
Nov 17, 2012 at 1:58 PM
Comment #88Hatem
Oh yeh I knew you just meant 3 quality siblings would help in those areas.
It’s just look at how much more than us spurs have spent the last 3 years and they only had 1 year in the champs league although they finished top 4 two years.
Only man city have cracked it and guaranteed a top 4 finish but that cost 300+million
I don’t mind that we don’t spend big and look to get younger players in.
What I don’t like is the fact we seemed to waste so much time on deals for de Jong, Carroll and debuchy when we could have sacked them off earlier and gone for other targets.
We need to be looking at South American markets like Chelsea seem to now. Oscar was one and they are also reportedly after a right back and centre back too.
catchy in norway
Nov 17, 2012 at 1:58 PM
Comment #89TS
i think we are only a few players short of a top four team too,
and a manager who is brave enough to go for it,,
Bills son
im not saying shcoles is a bad player, i think in world football he is very underated,
but your point about fergy bringing him back just showed what a good manager he really is,, he seen his team was not good, brought a 38 year old reired footballer back in and was seconds away from winning the league,
last season i would have picked our squad over his
you know what fergy said at the end of the season,, he was gutted they never scored enough goals, he said if we lose the league again, it wont be because we didnt score enough goals,
attacking is is key, not defending
toonking
Nov 17, 2012 at 2:04 PM
Comment #90ed anita out obatan or sammy in 3 CDM is just one two many and if pardew plays that team it just makes things worse for him with these negative tactic fans think he is doing.
FollowFollow
Nov 17, 2012 at 2:04 PM
Comment #91Prem points over the last year. Fulham 58, West Brom 56, Newcastle 54. Shows we haven’t been any good since the run at the beginning of last season.
toonking
Nov 17, 2012 at 2:05 PM
Comment #92ed anita out obatan or sammy in 3 CDM is just one too many and if pardew plays that team it just makes things worse for him with these negative tactic fans think he is doing.
Transfer Sage
Nov 17, 2012 at 2:09 PM
Comment #93Not sure Anita, tiote and bigi is too defensive.
Anita can play the ball nicely and tiote has shown this year he has some good final passes in him.
It would give a solid base to allow the front three to really play in the final third and worry Swansea