There seems to be awful lot of injuries Newcastle players are picking up at the moment, and the Mirror is reporting that both Fab Coloccini and Steven Taylor will be out for a month with injuries they have picked up.
Steven Taylor – out for a month with knee injury
The Mirror report is that Fabricio Coloccini has suffered a muscle tear, and that Steven Taylor, who has been plagued by injury for the last four years at Newcastle – has a knee injury.
In the last five seasons including this one since we returned to the Premier League – Steven has only made 79 appearances for the first team, and a lot of his absences have been due to injuries.
And add the fact that Mehdi Abeid has broken a toe while on full International duty with Algeria for the first time, and there are three new injuries that Newcastle have picked up and must deal with.
Abeid may only be out two weeks but the Newcastle medics have yet to see it and give a prognosis on the injury.
We think Alan Pardew is right to have a thorough investigation as to why our players are picking up all these injuries – unless it’s just plain bad luck – but we haven’t exactly got a big squad to cope with a lot of injuries.
Rolando Aarons is out with a hamstring injury – and that’s probably because he came back too soon from the first hamstring injury he picked up a couple of months ago.
In retrospect perhaps he shouldn’t have been rushed back for the game at Manchester City in the League Cup.
You just knew that we would at some point suffer injuries to our central defenders after we let Mapou Yanga Mbiwa go out on loan to Roma – it’s Murphy’s Law in action.
If something can go wrong – it will go wrong.
We have only three experienced center-backs with Mapou gone, but the good news is that local lad Paul Dummett has shown he can play well at center-back and the last time we checked he wasn’t injured and is with the Welsh squad.
It’s a big blow to Newcastle that Fab Coloccini and Steven Taylor are out for the next four weeks – because they have both played very well over the last several games, when we have kept four clean sheets in the last five games.
We are assuming Mike Williamson is fit and ready to go on Saturday, and we suppose it will be Mike and Paul Dummett in central defense next Saturday against QPR – simply because they are the only two we have fit.
Newcastle have lost Gabby Obertan, Rolando Aarons, Fab Coloccini. Mehdi Abeid and Steven Taylor in the last few weeks to injury.
We are hoping that Cheick Tiote will also be fit for Saturday, so he can come back into central midfield.
What do you think?
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42 comments so far
g.s.tooner
Nov 17, 2014 at 12:54 AM
Comment #1If there is any possibility of calling yanga mbiwa back from his loan it should be done now. Even if it jeapordises a future move for him. Esecially as hes been doing so well on loan.
Shaker Shakrah
Nov 17, 2014 at 1:06 AM
Comment #2So frustrating 🙁
I don’t want to see Williamson at all ( NEVER )
if there is a chance to put Tiote as a center back
with Dummett against QPR
someone just tell Pardew 🙁
Colback , Raylor and Sissoko as a holding midfielders
Not excited about the next month . . .
BandB
Nov 17, 2014 at 1:24 AM
Comment #3jimmysmith,
I missed your post earlier. I remember you drunkenly mis-juggling my ball into Mr McConachie’s yard when I was just eight. When it came back with the words “love from Jimmy Smith” written on it in eye-liner (he lived alone) I was prepared to ignore the poker burn in it. because I knew then you were the man for me, despite the 18-year age gap. I admit hunting you down. The reception was great, despite all the fights your relatives started. For all the years that have passed, I still love your ability to be heroically wrong about everything. But baby Mirandinha is now 28 and I really need him to move out. My new American lawyers claim you owe 30 years of alimony. Selling your house in East Denton will pay for a month of this backlog and living in a gutter for the rest of your life is your problem, they reckon. Sorry to pose as a football fan until I finally got my man. Perhaps next time you feel like showing off to a little girl, you will just give the ball back and not say: “Ha, ha, who cut your hair?”
Canny in Canberra
Nov 17, 2014 at 1:40 AM
Comment #4It can’t be just Bad luck.
Agree with Ed investigation needed. Not that we will hear any results of that or even if one has taken place. Certainly not if their was any fault found with how things are being run in the training ground. PR machine will be all over not leaking anything or that sort.
Mister Tuff
Nov 17, 2014 at 1:49 AM
Comment #5The more perceptive bloggers predicted these injuries to Taylor and ol permed hair -way before the season started. These injuries and that of Abeid will probably end our recent run.
Our patched up crocks who sustain regular injuries are a bad bet for progress.
WestOzMag
Nov 17, 2014 at 1:55 AM
Comment #6Myself and many others predicted this. Well done Mike Ashley. Left with a championship defender and a make shift cb that plies his trade as a LB
toonincheek
Nov 17, 2014 at 3:24 AM
Comment #7Colo was on the flights so soon after his last game, obviously no chance for our medics to assess the problem.
1) His flight should have been re-scheduled to allow a proper assessment.
2) Who believes the news from Argentine on the “muscle tear” is kosher? Easy enough to get some clinic to give whatever diagnosis you want.
Hard to believe anything other than it’s ANOTHER mid-season jolly.
Toon-Prodigy
Nov 17, 2014 at 3:29 AM
Comment #8So how many injuries is this now?
De Jong
Aarons
Obertan
Tiote
Taylor
Taylor
Coloccini
Cisse
Santon
Abeid
Is it fair to say we have an injury prone squad? This isn’t just a one off, it’s every year. Especially with certain players.
We have only played 11 games in the Premier this season upto now.
We are lucky to be where we are in the league.
I think we would be route bottom if it wern’t for the ermergence of these youngsters. Well done lads.
Lets get some players back though eh? This is a disgrace now.
Toon-Prodigy
Nov 17, 2014 at 3:45 AM
Comment #9Add Riviere on that list
Chris
Nov 17, 2014 at 3:55 AM
Comment #10“……but we haven’t exactly got a big squad to cope with a lot of injuries”
All these constant references to our alleged “small” squad are becoming really tiresome.
It’s precisely because we do have a relatively large squad that we’ve been able to cope with the large number of injuries so far.
The fact is that there is a limit to the number of players that we can name in our Premier League squad, and we’ve reached that limit. With the numbers as they are now, it would be physically impossible to increase the size of the squad, and I think Dr Ed Harrison is smart enough to know it. That’s why he NEVER mentions the 25 man squad rule – he gets round the problem by simply saying things like “we need to bring in ANOTHER midfielder because we never really replaced Cabaye” or that we need to bring in ANOTHER striker or two because we never really replaced Demba Ba, Loic Remy or whoever.
Do you ever wonder why he keeps repeating something that clearly isn’t true? Isn’t it possible that it might be because he just wants YOU to think that our squad is too small, even if he doesn’t really believe it himself? That way he can continue to churn out endless articles about which ADDITIONAL players we NEED to bring in, without people asking too many awkward questions. All this idle speculation about new players coming in is good for business from Ed’s point of view – the more articles he’s able to write the more hits he gets and the more money he makes. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t begrudge Ed using this blog to earn himself a bit of extra retirement income, but I don’t like the way that he’s going about it, because he’s misleading people, and I think it’s deliberate.
I mentioned earlier the fact that Ed purposely avoids making any reference to the 25 man squad rule – didn’t anyone else find it curious that he didn’t even write an article about it when the squad was announced on the 4th September? This was the article that he put up at 9.25am on that morning, just prior to the squads being announced:
Newcastle Still Hope To Move These Players On Loan
9:25 am, Thursday, September 4th, 2014 by Dr. Ed Harrison · 216 Comments
http://www.nufcblog.com/2014/09/04/newcastle-still-hope-to-unload-players-on-loan/
You would have expected his next article to be about our 25 man squad for the first half of the season, wouldn’t you? After all, it was THE big football news that morning – it was being reported in all the usual sports websites and Ed couldn’t have failed to notice it. But instead, he chose to write an utterly pointless article about Tony Pulis being the bookies favourite to be our next manager! Why do you think he did that? Why would he choose NOT to inform his readers that the club had named a full quota of 25 players in our PL squad? I don’t believe it was an oversight – Ed devours every single scrap of news relating to NUFC and regurgitates it on this site, no matter how trivial. So why would he take the decision not to report on something that was actually quite significant?
The next Mike Williamson
Nov 17, 2014 at 3:56 AM
Comment #11I remember Pardew admitting he’d rushed DeJong back early because he was so important to the team. A week later he was boasting that he ignored the doctors advice on Cisse to play him against Hull. Then when Aarons played vs City he admitted he shouldn’t have played him as the doctor told him not to.
So he’s solely to blame for 3 of them & he even boasted that he got it right and the doctor got it wrong. Now who’s the massive idiot.
after 3 occassions he might learn but I guess Cisse & Aarons saved him his job so they were worth injuring. Who cares about the long term of the club?
Santon03
Nov 17, 2014 at 4:30 AM
Comment #12Hopefully Satka or Streete will start with Dummet as CB.
I wouldn’t worry about midfield, we still have Raylor.
Hopefully we don’t start using Gouffran as winger again, Gouf can’t cross.
Regarding new playmaker, I wouldn’t want Cabaye back. He was pushing for transfer, he wanted out and it hasn’t worked out for him why should we bail him out?
Another option other than Grenier is Gourcuff.
Mister Tuff
Nov 17, 2014 at 4:46 AM
Comment #13Went to bed earlier on -woke up – so I got up for a drink of something. Thought I would check the blog ————wow – saw Chris’ “war and peace” length article about a conspiracy theory in respect of Ed not writing about our squad. The gist being that Ed does not write about the squad – as this allows him to write articles about other players – thus raking in extra “hit” money.
If I did know otherwise I might be half convinced after reading Chris’ post.
CHRIS – your recent articles giving expert translations of what French speaking players really said have been top notch -excellent stuff.
I am now going to have to shoot you down in realtion to your post above. It is a conspiracy theory completely without foundation. You clearly put some time into a duff post.
Please refer to a post entitled “25 Man Newcastle Squad Named For Premier League”. -written on 5th September. or use the link :-
http://www.nufcblog.com/2013/09/05/25-man-newcastle-squad-named-for-premier-league/
Please in future stick to your translations -a much better read.
Toon-Prodigy
Nov 17, 2014 at 4:53 AM
Comment #14Chris,
I think Ed is well aware we have ample amount of players at NUFC and can produce a 25 man squad. But he also knows we have been and are short in quality in and around the first team squad once injuries occur. The squad is short in quality and has been up until this season and recent events. We heavily relied upon a handful of good players and 2 nd rate under performing players, who should of never been around NUFC to start with. We have been patient with certain players and now it is paying dividends.
Just because we have a few youngsters performing dosn’t say they have been this good all along? Our first team set-up has always been short in quality with a lack of quality in and around the second string who have been waiting to step up. Players have never took their chances when given up until now.
The argument has always been the squad is lacking in QUALITY in depth, not numbers.
I very much doubt ED is trying to misguide people though to churn out more articles on the topic, NUFC is never short of news.
I don’t think there is a conspiracy going on here, you don’t have to be Sherlock to realise that.
I don’t get why you are so bitter.
jimmysmith
Nov 17, 2014 at 5:06 AM
Comment #15“heroically wrong about everything” – very good that.
Mister Tuff
Nov 17, 2014 at 5:10 AM
Comment #16Had to repost apology to Chris straightaway -the dangers of posting stuff after just getting up – I have learnt a lesson about being too quick off the mark.
Chris – apologies I posted a link from the previous year -not this year.
However even though a different year it does tend to dispel your theory about Ed’s intentions.
cyprus
Nov 17, 2014 at 5:12 AM
Comment #17Ed,
Your challenge was to NOT mention the word ‘Cabaye’ for a month and you lasted barely a day! No, you can do better than that. I’m disappointed.
Toon-Prodigy
Nov 17, 2014 at 5:17 AM
Comment #18I will be shocked if Ed hasn’t posted the squad list as he generally dosn’t miss anything. Even if it can be a little late sometimes.
But as for any conspiracy, this is not Decoded from H2 man lads hahaha.
It’s merely a football blog to have a bit banter.
ED couldn’t brain wash me 🙂
cyprus
Nov 17, 2014 at 5:37 AM
Comment #19Ed,
He’s 28+ old. He’s fifth in the pecking order in his team and he’s been invisible in recent France games. Unlike Abeid, Siss and Col, he was often dominated in MF and often presided over many spankings.
His tackling is reckless, he went on a strike; for a whole year he was out of form because of tiredness and depression. We got an outrageous amount of money for a good player.
Let it go man, it’s ok. With that 20 mil. we can buy two amazing young players. One CF and one wily right winger.
Ok, last post about the word ‘Cabaye’…
Toon-Prodigy
Nov 17, 2014 at 6:06 AM
Comment #20I doubt we will be signing anyone nevermind a playmaker.
Unless they fancy replacing Ben Arfa? Because he was a playmaker who they let go and we had him? Can you see that happening? Ehhh, Nah. It’s all about the wage bill and lowering it. Always has been during Ashley’s tenure.
Ashley will jump all over this reason to promote from within, wages are cheaper and no transfer fee needed. This isn’t a bad thing of course, but we do need experience in depth also ready to come in. Aslong as it dosn’t become too out of balance that is fine. And the quality is there.
This regime does not do forward thinking though. If the money is right for a player and the wage bill could be lowered, the squad depth will always come second. They do not even worry about replacing players as an urgency at this club anymore. They will quite happily struggle on until the next window so long as our Premier League place is looking sound.
It will be carry on as always for me. Sell before we buy.
expatmag
Nov 17, 2014 at 6:29 AM
Comment #21If i remember correctly, this years squad included marveaux ben arfa and mbiwa. Thats 3 names to be scratched immediately and can be replaced.
Santon03
Nov 17, 2014 at 6:42 AM
Comment #22we will sign a player or two, just don’t expect it to be high value targets. Especially if we are going to lose Tiote, we will sign player (s). Big possibility is the Serbian striker in Belgian league and Celtic CB.
But it all depends on how our youngsters progress, youngsters like Satka, Streete, Vuckic, Mbabu, Armstrong, Campbell, etc.
Lilongwe Geordie
Nov 17, 2014 at 6:59 AM
Comment #23Expat,
No, it didn’t. The squad doesn’t get officially announced until the transfer window has closed. We have named our full allocation of 25. So unless we have people leaving the club then we only have room for youngsters who were born after the 1st Jan 1993 as they are eligible as Under 21 players.
I think Mitrovic is just 20, so he is a possibility, then there is the young French midfielder that we were linked with as well. But if we were to go after Grenier or Cabaye, then it will be because someone has left.
Jonas is named in the squad, so it depends how the club feel on that front, he may be shipped out like last Jan, allowing a space, or they could potentially cancel Ferrerya’s loan deal which would also free up a space. I think we will struggle to offload Tiote in Jan, unless to Russia/Ukraine as their seasons aren’t as affected by the AFCON.
Jail for Ashley
Nov 17, 2014 at 7:09 AM
Comment #24There is no bad luck involved with the CB situation what so ever, had we have bought a quality CB who found himself injured at the same time as Collo that would be downright rotten luck. However STaylors injurys are as predictable as the days of the week. Dare I say it if money wasn’t ever going to be spent now would have been the time for Mbwia to come in and prove a point, but no we couldn’t have him hanging around on the offchance STaylor and Collo would be injured at the same time despite their records. The thought process of not spending might be the fact we’re bringing youth through, when are we ever going to reap any success from this policy. By the time the ‘youth’ does come through other important players who make the team tick will have been sold, we seem to be constantly starting from scratch with a manager that seems to struggle with change.
Toon-Prodigy
Nov 17, 2014 at 7:14 AM
Comment #25If we sign a playmaker, I’d be truly amazed.
And that’s with losing Ben Arfa, Marveux and Cabaye since the the turn of the year.
Something tells me they are happy with our current central midfield options. We do not worry about cover, we never do. Unless it’s a bargain of course.
Tiote’s replacement, if he leaves, is already here and primed in Abeid.
IndonesiaToon
Nov 17, 2014 at 7:14 AM
Comment #26Bring back Faye Downey!
Lilongwe Geordie
Nov 17, 2014 at 7:15 AM
Comment #27Jail,
I agree, the injuries to Saylor and Colo were as predictable as cold weather in winter – even Willo has struggled to go a season without a month or two off injured over the last few years.
I don’t have an issue with Mbiwa being allowed to go, my issue is with them not having got a replacement in. Even if we had gone after some ageing centre half who was on a free after the window, the cover was needed given our centre halves fitness issues. Obviously, the numbers were crunched and it was deemed a risk worth taking – unlike cup success.
Let’s hope Streete/Satka/Good (if fit) can come in and do well if needed.
Toon-Prodigy
Nov 17, 2014 at 7:19 AM
Comment #28Jail,
Exactly. It’s all just a revolving shop window where we cannot really build under this structure.
But, it does it’s job of keeping us in the League and that’s all Ashley cares about, whilst making money also.
Lilongwe Geordie
Nov 17, 2014 at 7:20 AM
Comment #29Prodigy,
I’d imagine in the clubs eyes Cabella is a straight replacement for HBA, De Jong comes into the forward midfield role for Cabaye, and the emergence of Aarons/re-emergence of Obertan covers Marveaux.
jayphoto
Nov 17, 2014 at 7:21 AM
Comment #30Just a thought but our injuries possibly come from out style of play! The amount of extra running you have to do when you only have 35% of the ball is pretty huge! I saw against Spurs and Liverpool our top runners Abeid and Colback covered nearly 2 miles more than their opposite numbers.
Lilongwe Geordie
Nov 17, 2014 at 7:29 AM
Comment #31Jay,
Pardew said that they had increased the intensity of training just prior to our good run, which also coincided with an increase in injuries suffered. I think this is probably a key issue. But at the same time, the increased training intensity also owes a lot to how we play.
Incredible that with the amount of money at stake we don’t seem to have anyone who is able to balance intensity with keeping the players fit. There are plenty of professional experts in sports science, and sports physiology who would surely be able to offer beneficial advice to the club, either as consultants or full time staff.
jayphoto
Nov 17, 2014 at 7:44 AM
Comment #32@lilongwe- yea agree! To be honest Ashley seems to pay the minimum across the board and not only with transfers!
We have the 2nd lowest paid manager in the league (after Dyche) and we don’t give out big contracts anymore, think Jonas, Colo and Tiote (none of which will be here next season i feel) top 45k p/w and id take a guess based on his background that Charnley is on a lot less than most chief executives! Be no surpise if our fitness staff are on peanuts too won’t attract top proven coaches!
Pardew will probably blame the north east somehow for it tho…. Maybe the weather?
jettson
Nov 17, 2014 at 7:53 AM
Comment #33No real surprises re Taylor. I posted on here about two years ago, Have a look at Taylors absences, he is nearly ALWAYS injured during November and December. Check it out. Surely not coincidence?
beermonkey
Nov 17, 2014 at 7:54 AM
Comment #34jayphoto
we bought in the bloke that david moyes had at everton in the summer for fitness and they were really fit under him
if you take away rushing cisse Aarons de jong back and
the fact we all knew colo and taylor would get injured cos there prone I don’t think it looks that bad
davis_toons
Nov 17, 2014 at 7:55 AM
Comment #35Chris // Nov 17, 2014 at 3:55 AM
Thank You for highlighting. I do agree.
I think its always in them for the blog writer to think of some strategies and find more creative articles besides normal posting.
That been said, ED does have his own idea of him club just like everyone of us.
davis_toons
Nov 17, 2014 at 7:58 AM
Comment #36What is the point of posting ED. This guy always get injured.
We need a consistent defender for a long time. A defender that can listen and obey to Alan Pardew or he will be ban and gone in no time.
A YES to Pardew defender
Lilongwe Geordie
Nov 17, 2014 at 8:01 AM
Comment #37Jay,
Weirdly though, this isn’t a new problem. We have been high up in the injury stakes for a long time now, going back to at least the turn of the century.
There aren’t many constants through that period, but Derek Wright is one. Surely at some point we have to query the medical attention received, particularly with a number of recurring problems. We reportedly have one of the best medical departments in professional UK sport (according to a report that came out in 2012), I guess they get enough practice, but that is highly questionable.
As for the budget operation we have in place, you are right. It often puzzles me that we operate on a tight budget with coaching though. With better qualified coaches, and fitness experts Ashley could recoup more on player sales for less expenditure, and if we have top notch fitness experts then he could get away with a smaller squad.
valle
Nov 17, 2014 at 8:03 AM
Comment #38It has to be noticed that all these injuries we are having are comming from training, surely this could be avoided?
valle
Nov 17, 2014 at 8:16 AM
Comment #39Ahh, some of them from international duty i see..
Kris
Nov 17, 2014 at 8:35 AM
Comment #40Lee Ryder was writing today that both Colo and Saylor are expected to be fit for the QPR game. Weird.