The very first game of the season on 16th August is at home to Manchester City, and we haven’t had a result against Manchester City for a long long time, and of course we were taken apart 4-0 in that first game at the Etihad Stadium last season.
Alan Pardew – needs to make good start to the season
He already looks worried 😀
Here are the first eight league games of the season, which were announced this morning:
Date KO Time Fixture Result? 16 Aug 2014 15:00 Newcastle v Manchester City L 23 Aug 2014 15:00 Aston Villa v Newcastle D 30 Aug 2014 15:00 Newcastle v Crystal Palace W 13 Sep 2014 15:00 Southampton v Newcastle D 20 Sep 2014 15:00 Newcastle v Hull City W 27 Sep 2014 15:00 Stoke City v Newcastle L 04 Oct 2014 15:00 Swansea City v Newcastle W 18 Oct 2014 15:00 Newcastle v Leicester City W
In our last 15 Premier league games we have played against Manchester City we have lost thirteen and drawn two, so maybe we wont get anything out of that first game, but anything out of the game will be a good surprise start to the season for us.
The next game at Villa Park is winnable, but we have no idea what Villa will be like next season, although in the first two seasons under manager Paul Lambert, they have been disappointing and fought against relegation in both seasons – a draw.
We beat Crystal Palace at home last season with a late goal, but they are much improved under new manager Tony Pulis and that will be a difficult game – but a winnable game as well – a home win.
Southampton are losing a lot of their star players this summer, and will have new manager Ronald Koeman in charge, after Mauricio Pochettino joined Tottenham, so they will be an unknown quantity too – we could get a draw there after being taken apart 4-0 last season.
And after putting in a woeful second half performance against Hull City last season at home, when we amazingly lost 3-2, Newcastle should be able to beat Hull City next season, and they are in the Europa League next season, and will play qualifying games in August, and their squad will be stretched with those Europa League games – especially if they qualify for the group stage – a home win for Newcastle.
We lost narrowly at Stoke City by 1-0 (a fluke goal) and were hammered 3-0 at the Liberty Stadium, so those two games could be tough ones – we think we’ll lose at Stoke because they could be a much improved side next season under manager Mark Hughes.
But with Swansea likely losing their top striker Wilfried Bony, and having an unproven new manager in Gary Monk, we could repeat our win there of two seasons ago – so we’ll say we can get 3 points at the Liberty Stadium.
And then we should be able to beat newly promoted Leicester City at home (that’s also what we said last year about newly promoted Hull City), but it’s difficult to know how good the promoted teams will be, and they are sometimes good at the beginning of the season – but a home win for the Magpies in that game.
So after the first game against Manchester City, the next seven games are all potentially winnable games, and it’s not like we are meeting a top six side after playing the Premier League Champions to get the season underway.
We have four wins and two draws and two defeats in those first 8 games – so 14 points would be a decent start to the season for us from the first 8 games.
And Alan Pardew must get Newcastle off to a decent start, and the last thing we want to see is Newcastle struggling after those first 8 games, and if that’s the case it could even be curtains for Pardew.
How do you think we will fare in those first 8 games?
Comments welcome.
93 comments so far
Thump
Jun 18, 2014 at 11:13 PM
Comment #81Love seeing Spain capitulate. Makes me feel like Newcastle is successful.
Toon Tang
Jun 18, 2014 at 11:47 PM
Comment #82Assou-ekotto wearing a standard issue ‘Mcdermott toupee’
Belfast
Jun 19, 2014 at 12:43 AM
Comment #83Looks like you murdered the blog toon tang.
You now have to milk manxpies cow blindfolded.
(manxpies idea) not mine.
Belfast
Jun 19, 2014 at 12:46 AM
Comment #84Thump has already milked the cow blindfolded.
He could maybe give you a few tips.
Night xx
FAU
Jun 19, 2014 at 2:27 AM
Comment #8516 Aug 2014 15:00 Newcastle v Manchester City L
23 Aug 2014 15:00 Aston Villa v Newcastle W
30 Aug 2014 15:00 Newcastle v Crystal Palace W
13 Sep 2014 15:00 Southampton v Newcastle L
20 Sep 2014 15:00 Newcastle v Hull City W
27 Sep 2014 15:00 Stoke City v Newcastle W
04 Oct 2014 15:00 Swansea City v Newcastle W
18 Oct 2014 15:00 Newcastle v Leicester City W
if the owner is not ashley.
NEWEXPATMAGPIE
Jun 19, 2014 at 5:10 AM
Comment #86Watched Cahill,s tackle back a few times now and its one of the worst challenges i have ever seen ? Should of seen Red?
Martins Indi taken straight to the hospital with a heavy concussion? Enjoy your flight back home Tim !
What a complete and utter W,,,,,,,,,,,,,, !
firebug666
Jun 19, 2014 at 6:49 AM
Comment #87I don’t think it matters who we play or when, and it doesn’t matter who we bring in. I think this season we will be fighting relegation simply because our inept manager always has us sitting back and playing our football from deep in our own half.
All this does is allow the opposition to come on to us and gain confidence. You cannot win the game with 11 men behind the ball sitting on our own 18 yard box.
First 8 games? unless Pardrew changes our style of play drastically I think we will be luck to snatch 4 points.
firebug666
Jun 19, 2014 at 6:50 AM
Comment #88*lucky
Lilongwe Geordie
Jun 19, 2014 at 7:13 AM
Comment #89On topic, we need to get a good start, as if we don’t have points on the board going into what looks a tough December then we could be in trouble come the New Year.
I agree with Ed that the first 8, other than City are all games we can take something from, IF we get the players in, particularly a centre forward. Plenty of time for that still, so I am not panicking just yet.
On the World Cup, Cameroon were frankly embarrassing with their behaviour. Also good to see attacking with purpose football win out again from pass and bore the opposition to death. It was on the cards ever since the last Euro’s that this would see their demise, although I never imagined it would be quite so spectacular.
Diego Costa impresses me less and less every time I watch him. He has had one very good season, before that just 1 goal every 3.5 games roughly. Certainly not a strike rate worthy of the current reputation he has. Hope he proves me wrong, as it is always great to see top players in the Prem.
Average_Contents
Jun 19, 2014 at 7:35 AM
Comment #90Lil
It always happens mate, a player has one good season then gets sold for silly prices! Does my nut in! A few seasons doing it then yeah they’ve proved themselves but not two or three mediocre ones and one good one
Average_Contents
Jun 19, 2014 at 7:37 AM
Comment #91Certainty not a world class player by any stretch of the imagination….yet! I hope he’s a massive flop tbh lol
JAMSHA
Jun 19, 2014 at 7:37 AM
Comment #92NEWEXPATMAGPIE
watched the tackle its a yellow not a red.. the tw@t tryd to dive but fell on this head… u saw van persys challange on lecki? that was a red aswell
musomag
Jun 19, 2014 at 7:50 AM
Comment #93Literally pointless speculating how many games we might win when we don’t even have a single fit striker.
If we don’t buy quality quickly then we’ll get sweet FA from every game. That will put a sharp end to all the guesswork. Even if a miracle happens and the businessman decides to splash the cash on a few decent players they will take time to gel, especially as they’re likely to sit on the bench watching us lose while AP dithers about playing them in their best role