Tim Krul was the hero tonight, as the Newcastle goalkeeper made four tremendous saves, after Newcastle had gone ahead with a penalty goal by Shola Ameobi after 64 minutes.
Tim Krul congratulated by Danny Simpson after the game
His first save was an excellent block from Willian, who had just come into the game, and then he made two terrific saves in a matter of seconds from the impressive Jonathan Cristaldo.
And with just three minutes remaining he clawed away a goal-bound flick from Willian, and was helped by the impressive debut boy Massadio Haidara at left back, who then cleared the ball for a corner.
Tim Krul was interviewed for the Newcastle web-site on the team coach after the game:
“I’m really pleased, of course.” “It’s nice to be important and to make a contribution to the team.” “We defended well – there were some great blocks and I think we showed some of the qualities that we did last season with everybody working for each other.”
“Everybody had to put a lot of hard graft in. We showed a lot of spirit towards the end but it’s worth it, definitely.” “I think we did really well today.” “We knew if we scored one it was going to be difficult for them to come back because they had to score two and we’re really pleased to go through.”
“It’s massive for the club to be in the last 16 of the Europa League. I think that’s where we belong.” “And it’s great for the club like Newcastle to be in the draw for the last 16.” “We’re going to Anzhi Makhachkala now and that’s a great prospect which I’m really looking forward to.”
Tim Krul was injured near the end of the game after a foul by Cristaldo, and it’s not clear how bad the injury is – although he could not take the goal kicks after his injury and was surprisingly yellow carded by the ref when he waited for a Newcastle player to take the free kick, after he had recovered.
Alan Pardew is apparently hopeful that Tim will be OK for the important game against Southampton on Sunday – but Tim wasn’t too sure:
“I don’t know.” “We’ll have to wait for the scans.”
We have to hope that Tim and Yohan Cabaye are OK – but Yohan didn’t seem to be limping after coming off with a suspected knee injury.
We’ll just have to hope for the best.
Comments welcome.
Marc Gillham is from Durham and is at Hull University studying business and marketing. He is engaged in a project to help non-league clubs make decisions regarding sponsorship. Please help Marc with his research by filling out this questionnaire – thanks.
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139 comments so far
jimmysmith
Feb 22, 2013 at 1:01 AM
Comment #81Delighted with a result and performance that continues our splendid upward momentum of recent weeks, but let’s not sell ourselves short. A squad of this quality and depth, alongside regular appearances in the quarter finals of European competition and consistently challenging for honours domestically should be the benchmark for a club of our stature and potential.
My own self esteem is actually receiving a boost as a result of the clubs recent performances. Which is I’m afraid as much an indicator of our previous underperformance as our current excellent efforts and achievements.
croftus5678
Feb 22, 2013 at 1:07 AM
Comment #82@manx + cockney
i agree with you both in honesty imo pards has not had the good players to have the option to relax the defence and play more attacking football.
and on the other hand i tend to think there has been a few substitute’s that put us on the back foot too much (thinking in honesty the player was at fault more than pards though as they well underperformed and did not make an impact)
but too much negativity does no one any good it only feeds the vulnerable into acting on what can actually effect the club in bad chants at games.
i have no problems reading peoples opinions if its constructive and there is actually a point to be made but there is 2 sides to everything and some are fast to point out a negative but never say anything about any of the positives.
obatoyou
Feb 22, 2013 at 1:48 AM
Comment #83I knew all along we would win against Metalist, and we will beat Southampton
Head down to the betting agency fellas, even money for Newcastle, gee whiz we might win that one 3-0
betting agencies over here are called TAB’s, not sure what u call em in the UK..
Corny74
Feb 22, 2013 at 2:17 AM
Comment #84We finished 5th last season (and will definitely stay up this season), last 16 in Europa this season. Have had one of the best January windows in memory! If offered this whilst we were plying our trade in the championship. ….I’d have bit your hand off. Well played N.U.F.C. Howay the Lads.
cockneymagpie90
Feb 22, 2013 at 2:28 AM
Comment #85Exactly, so if hes had no real quality he should of attacked more games with more creative players in midfield and play the numbers game.
He could have rotated the two dembas and had a lot more creativty in the midfield and have 1 up top as a lone striker and 1 to break up the play in midfield.
Something like this…
With cover
Benarfa/marvo/amal/ober
2 wingers.
Cabaye/anita/bigi/guti
2 CMs
Perch/tiote
1 DM
I could have produced good line ups that would take it to the other teams, even with the injuries, theres no excuse!
If u defend a game and you dont have the quality up there, your not going to get many goals.
With our much improved defence and midfield when hatem and yoan come back i think they would be the perfect team with his defencive, organised tactics.
They dont need many chances them two! Especially benny boy! 🙂
Something like this..
——————-tiote——————-
Benarfa-anita-guti-amalfitano
—————–cisse——————
or..
——————perch—————-
Marvo-cabaye-bigi-obertan
——————–ba——————
Now whatever game you go back to where there were bound to be injuries, i bet you could play this system 99% of the time without having someone out of position and problems going forward and scoring goals.
Just my opinion.
Toon-Prodigy
Feb 22, 2013 at 3:03 AM
Comment #86Don’t bite at the makums, lads. It really isn’t worth the time.
Anyone who comes on here slating after a victory and clean sheet is obvious. Especially in Europe.
Laugh instead of biting 😉
Ha ha ha ha ha!
~ Phoenix Warrior Perch~
Feb 22, 2013 at 3:03 AM
Comment #87Team I’d love to see against Southampton
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Krul~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Debuchy~~Saylor/Mbiwa~~~Colo/Mbiwa~~Santon~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Perch/Anita~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~Cabaye~~~~~~~~~Sissoko~~~~~~~~~~~
~~Arfa~~~~~~~~~~~~~Goofy~~~~~~~~~~Marveux~~
Toon-Prodigy
Feb 22, 2013 at 3:20 AM
Comment #88Phoenix,
You really hate Tiote don’t you..
Are you jabbing darts into posters 🙂
He will come back into form at some point, he has much more ability than anyone else in our squad as a defensive mid
89Norcal
Feb 22, 2013 at 3:33 AM
Comment #89Missed the game. When I saw a 1-0 scoreline with a Shola penalty, I feared it was a s*** performance with a lucky penalty kick, but happy to see we played well 🙂
I’m sure morale is high and we can handle Southampton. The next round of EL will be tough though. Anzhi are stronger than Metalist. But as someone who’s followed Barcelona for 14 years, it will be cool to see Eto’o line up against Newcastle.
Let’s just hope he doesnt score 🙂
Grafton83
Feb 22, 2013 at 5:39 AM
Comment #90Check out the teamsheet for Liverpool when they lost 1-0 away to Ahnzi in the group stages. They feilded an entire B team and it would suggest they aren’t too much of a threat compared to other teams left in the competition.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20164149
check the toastie
Feb 22, 2013 at 7:23 AM
Comment #91Pardew has now stated anita would have been on the bench again if Tiote was fit, so now Parsnip is preferring Simpson and Haidara (impressed) over Anita.
Think the lad should leave the club, Pardew has no eye for a player. he is the link man the man that makes a team function ala first half, a super little footballer who is getting a raw deal, the fact the lad played so well says a lot for his tremendous attitude.
Pardew is clueless in so many aspects, he should go, he is out of his depth, and has a small club mentality. Personally all credit goes to our players and none to Pardew for me, he is detrimental to our progress and should be sacked.
dmac
Feb 22, 2013 at 7:27 AM
Comment #92Remember please guys just to ignore the trolls. They need to feel special and loved and by responding your doing that. Ignore them and they will go.
On a positive note! What a victory lets keep pushing on now up the table and further in this comp!
Howay the lads!
~ Phoenix Warrior Perch~
Feb 22, 2013 at 7:32 AM
Comment #93Toon-Prodigy // Feb 22, 2013 at 3:20 AM
Phoenix,
You really hate Tiote don’t you..
Are you jabbing darts into posters
He will come back into form at some point, he has much more ability than anyone else in our squad as a defensive mid
~~~~~~~~~~
I don’t hate him. I just don’t feel he deserves to start. I generally prefer having 11 players on the field for the full 90 minutes 😉
He has not impressed me at all this season… nor has he impressed me since coming back from ACON.
.
89Norcal
Feb 22, 2013 at 7:37 AM
Comment #94To Grafton’s point at #91
Anzhi didn’t impress me at the start of the EL either, but they have since found more fluency in their attack with Eto and Traore and have since added Willian.
I think we are a better team at our best however they have the talent up front to really cause problems, especially with how cagey we’ve been at the back, even with Colo and Saylor in there.
Charlie in the Gallowgate
Feb 22, 2013 at 7:41 AM
Comment #95Well done the lads – KEPT YOUR HEADS when provoked could of easily reacted to some of their cynical play. Maybe a blessing in disguise Tiote going down with a bug.
Must single out danny Simpson – had one of his best games in a Toon shirt.
Krul back to his best
Transfer Sage
Feb 22, 2013 at 7:58 AM
Comment #96Check
Why is not playing anita such a crime?
I can understand to an extent when people complained he wasn’t selected ahead of perch…as he is a much better player although perch did well in the games he played so I don’t really have a problem.
I think that when we have cabaye, sissoko, gouff and jonas (hopefully HBA soon) it’s ok to have a bit more steel in midfield with Tiote.
I just think Pardew not picking anita doesn’t make him clueless.
Transfer Sage
Feb 22, 2013 at 8:00 AM
Comment #97Anyway….my view on last night.
The team played very well, we weren’t great in the final third but we kept the ball better than we have in the past.
Yes they had a few good spells at the end of each half but teams are allowed to do well against us, especially teams that made the quarter finals of this comp last year.
We did get a bit deeper towards the end but they were piling the pressure on so it’s difficult to get out sometimes.
Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand
Feb 22, 2013 at 8:03 AM
Comment #98Well that was frustrating to watch. Internet here last night was dreadful. My man of the match goes to the little circle thing in the middle whilst video is buffering…the thing was non-stop and absolutely bossed the entire game 🙂
From what I did see we played pretty well and were at least equal to the win.
Where’s Rainrix? Has he been on as I am a little worried that Shola scoring and ultimately sending us through may have been just too much joy for the guy to handle.
Transfer Sage
Feb 22, 2013 at 8:07 AM
Comment #99Ibiza
Shola is king of penalties….total confidence when he steps up for them.
I think cisse struggled last night, was ok when up top with shola but when towards the right wing he seemed to struggle (which is understandable as not his position).
I’d like to have seem obertan come onto the right to try and catch them out on the break for the last 20/25 mins but we won and went through against a decent team so I can’t complain.
Bring on Anzi.
Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand
Feb 22, 2013 at 8:11 AM
Comment #100TS….Even with a broken stream Sholas confidence was there to be seen 🙂
There will always be players or moments or something that can be improved but as you say, we won. To the final 16 we go! Who is PAnzi?
Transfer Sage
Feb 22, 2013 at 8:14 AM
Comment #101ibiza
My stream froze just as sissoko was fouled…came back to find he had a won a penalty.
Then it was all tense, shola spotted the ball, froze, i could feel the pressure, came back on a few seconds later, had skipped ahead the we were walking back to our own half…..good result but took all the pressure away haha.
89Norcal
Feb 22, 2013 at 8:20 AM
Comment #102Sage
Advocating for someone to play out of position for the sake of an argument is all check has left. Just ignore the poor, trolling fool.
TorqToon
Feb 22, 2013 at 8:21 AM
Comment #103Morning gents.
Great result yesterday, against a very technically sound Metalist side.
First time in ages I steered clear of the blog on a match day as I can imagine the furore that would have been rife when shola was unveiled in the starting XI…
I’m sure they all disappeared after around 67mins!! 🙂
Shola takes a cracking penalty, like! Always has done!
Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand
Feb 22, 2013 at 8:21 AM
Comment #104TS….A Newcastle game without pressure? That must be a first?
Check…I’m starting to think you might secretly work for Ashley with this constant trying to sell Anita. Before the last 5 games Anita had featured heavily, granted as we have been missing some players, but he was a huge member of the team for the majority of this season and no doubt would have benefited from some rest. Since then he missed 4 starts, the first two we won. I think his career at NUFC is far from over, we need the depth to be able to rotate. Let’s see how he is used for the remainder of the season, not just a handful of games which covers approximately 10% of our season.
bills-son
Feb 22, 2013 at 8:28 AM
Comment #105Shola showed again last night how important he is to the squad and Pards got it spot on geeing him up for the game. There is a real confidence, almost arrogance, in Shola these days. He believes no defender can out muscle him and his physical presence up front ruffled their feathets all night. Shola is no Messi but any fan who says he is a donkey doesn’t understand the game.
toonboyjake
Feb 22, 2013 at 8:30 AM
Comment #106morning all, i dont know if this has been already mentioned but its early and im too tired to look through every comment. What will happen with the second leg of the tie? falls on sunday 14th with the derby being saturday 13th, i though europa league was midweek football? hoping the derby isnt moved to a midweek game
Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand
Feb 22, 2013 at 8:31 AM
Comment #107Bills…He played his role well last night. He is what he is so you can’t expect him to be about making great runs or anything like that. He did hold the ball up well, applied pressure, combined pretty well with the team…and of course was available to show how a penalty is taken….not bad for a donkey 🙂
Transfer Sage
Feb 22, 2013 at 8:31 AM
Comment #108Ibiza
I don’t get it sometimes….people complain Ashley didn’t improve the squad enough then when he does they complain Pardew doesn’t play them all. There are only 11 places on the pitch and for me Anita doesn’t deserve one.
He runs a lot, works hard and can pass the ball but I think the combination of tiote, cabaye and sissoko is the perfect one. Pardew is trying to get tiote to play himself into form I think. I think he wants him to get back to his best with the help of an inform cabaye and sissoko around him.
Transfer Sage
Feb 22, 2013 at 8:37 AM
Comment #109Bills and Ibiza
I like Shola, I think he is an average player but that’s not a bad thing, he isn’t poor and he isn’t a world beater.
Last night he showed his ability, he held the ball up well, won some free kicks in good positions, showed his ability from the spot and should have had a goal if marv had crossed the ball as he made a good run to be free in the centre.
Shola’s problem is and always has been consistency. Last night he showed why he deserves to be in and around the team, next week he might well show he shouldn’t be in the squad.
He is sometimes clumsy and gives away to many fouls and wastes things but then last night he is very good and doesn’t make daft mistakes.
If he was consistent he would be a good player.
eaststandgeordie1982
Feb 22, 2013 at 8:37 AM
Comment #110So happy to be in the last 16 i thought we played much better last night than we did last week we look really comfortable with the ball last night, next round is a tough one but i cant wait.
Jonas's better than Messi
Feb 22, 2013 at 8:42 AM
Comment #111Shola’s got a great touch and scores some important goals.
He holds the ball up well.
He’s a lazy player. Doesn’t run enough and saunters back to an onside position if we lose possession. Meaning if we suddenly recover the ball we can’t pass it to our favourite CF.
So annoying.
Like most of Cabaye’s crosses.
Cisse’s offsides.
Obertan’s decision making.
Krul and Simpson’s distribution.
Great win though, cheers lads!
That takes some doing. Going to the Ukraine in February and winning.
HWTL
Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand
Feb 22, 2013 at 8:43 AM
Comment #112TS…Consistency is key and you’re right in that Shola often fails to deliver. But as an option, which is really all he is, he has a role to play.
TS…Not sure I agree that Anita doesn’t deserve a starting spot when comparing to say Tiote. If anything Anita is probably more deserving, but it’s not always that simple really. He will get his game time, but for now that may be more as a sub. Anita can act as a direct replacement for most of our midfield and to be a good quality, he is a perfect super sub really, not that I’m belittling his talents nor am I saying he wont ever be a starter. He is class.
rainrix
Feb 22, 2013 at 8:44 AM
Comment #113Did someone call? I think now would be a good time to promote my new book “Shola is lord” available for £14.95 at all bad retailers or online at
http://www.sholaislord.co.uk
* Purchase is mandatory for all blog readers, failure to do so will result in a blog witch hunt against you.
Jonas's better than Messi
Feb 22, 2013 at 8:45 AM
Comment #114btw Pardew got the substitutions right last night.
Perch & Jonas from the bench. My preferred starting position for these two excellent squad players.
toonarmydownsouth
Feb 22, 2013 at 8:48 AM
Comment #115Ibiza
When i saw sholas name on the team sheet last night, i must admit i though ffs! Love shola but dont see him as a 90 min player, luckily i was dead wrong because he caused them all sorts of problems last night he had a cracking game! My stream froze just as sissoko got fouled (not cisse as the bbc claim) and all i heard the ESPN commentators say was cisse is bound to want this and i actually fiund myself pleading with god, nnnnnoooooooooooo please ffs not cisse shola is the penalty master! Thankfully it was a shola classic, hammered it home!
Also massive massive game last night for haidara and mbiwa who had absolutly cracking games along with everyone else, almost
After about 20 mins have to say was glad tiote wasnt playing because with that ref he would have walked in no time!
Transfer Sage
Feb 22, 2013 at 8:50 AM
Comment #116Ibiza
Maybe I should have said that a little better.
Anita is as deserving if not more than tiote but with the two ball players and attacking threats in cabaye and sissoko who can link the team Anita’s abilities are needed less than earlier when we had perch and bigi in there.
I think tiote being an out and out DM is more important for now, just to see if he can recapture his form now he has more support around him.
I am not against anita playing as cabaye and sissoko can also do defensive roles well so with anita we have 3 ball players who can also tackle but I want tiote to have another go for a few matches.
I think players who have done well consistently in the past (recent past, previous season not 10 years ago) deserve the games to try and get back in form. Chopping and changing too much can keep players out of form.
I think guti has had a fair crack as has willo so others deserve a go in their place.
Jonas's better than Messi
Feb 22, 2013 at 8:58 AM
Comment #117Tiote’s a liability because of his temper and he makes lots of stupid mistakes in front of our back four.
I’d rather he came back to form on the training ground and a few 20 minute sub appearances.
Anita and Perch don’t make too many mistakes and Perch’s tackles are tremendous.
I’d rather see one of them start games atm.
croftus5678
Feb 22, 2013 at 8:58 AM
Comment #118about the anita subject !
i think he is definatly 1st team material in our team and most other prem teams.
but then again so are our other midfielders and if anita was in there place i’m sure we would be saying the same on whoever was left out !
its a good thing as means we have true quality for backup not that pards needs the sack for not playing every good player we have.
county down magpie
Feb 22, 2013 at 9:00 AM
Comment #119Great result last nite, I didn’t come on here last nite cos on matchdays you have the full troll patrol on!
Thought the team played well overall, pards made the right selections and we seem set for sunday, personally I’d have taken Cabaye off around the 70 but hey im just pickin the bones! Southampton will be no pushovers, I think they’ll be playing for a draw, we’re gonna have to start quickly but, with a packed house, benny possibly back and the lads spirits up we should have too much for them
HWTL
Lilongwe Geordie
Feb 22, 2013 at 9:01 AM
Comment #120I missed the game due to a powercut, so followed on my phone in a bar while cocktail testing. Excellent night by all accounts, strong performances throughout, and a solid debut from Haidara.
Cisse as inside right/right wing is still an odd move from Pards, if that is what he is after surely Obertan is better suited to the role.
Always great to see Big Shols step up to rattle home a penalty, as well as showing his value to the team.
Tough to see why certain people are being negative after yesterdays result, the only downsides I see are the Krul and Cabaye knocks. Hopefully they will be fine for Sunday. Would like to see Anita keep his place for Sunday, I feel he will be more effective against the Saints than Tiote.