Newcastle head coach Steve McClaren has just named his team for this important last pre-season friendly game this afternoon against Borussia Monchengladbach at St. James’ Park, and this team will be close to the one that plays against Southampton a week tomorrow in our first Premier League game of the season.
Here are the two teams:
Newcastle (4-2-3-1): Tim Krul (c); Daryl Janmaat, Mike Williamson, Steven Taylor, Massadio Haidara; Vurnon Anita, Jack Colback; Moussa Sissoko, Georginio Wijnaldum, Gabriel Obertan; Papiss Cisse
Substitutes: Karl Darlow, Shane Ferguson, Chancel Mbemba, Jamaal Lascelles, Gael Bigirimana, Olivier Kemen, Mehdi Abeid, Siem de Jong, Yoan Gouffran, Rolando Aarons, Ayoze Perez, Aleksandar Mitrovic
Borussia Monchengladbach (4-4-2): Yann Sommer; Tony Jantschke (c), Andreas Christensen, Marvin Schulz, Oscar Wendt; Ibrahima Traore, Granit Xhaka, Mahmoud Dahoud, Patrick Herrmann; Lars Stindl, Raffael
Substitutes: Tobias Sippel, Roel Brouwers, Havard Nordtveit, Josip Drmic, Thorgan Hazard, Alvaro Dominguez, Fabian Johnson, Julian Korb, Branimir Hrgota, Marlon Ritter
Referee: Jon Moss
The surprise there is that there is no Siem de Jong in the starting lione-up, and Gabby Obertan starts ahead of Rolando Aarons.
There are 12 substitutes named for this game and they include Mbemba and Mitrovic – our two new signings – so we should see those two in the second half of this game.
It’s a 4-2-3-1 formation, and we assume that Wijnaldum will play in the withdrawn number 10 role – but we are not seeing both Wijnaldum and de Jong in the same starting line-up – which is strange.
Anita and Colback are again the two holding midfielders and we may see a lot more of Vurnon Anita this season under Steve McClaren, and he can be a decent player but he needs a run of games, which he has never really had at Newcastle since he joined us three years ago from Ajax.
He could well be a player who benefits from Steve McClaren’s arrival at Newcastle.
As expected Williamson and Taylor seem to be the best two center-backs we have – which is worrying – and why we quickly need to sign another top center-back quickly.
The main thing we will be looking at today is how the defense plays – and we have been poor this season so far.
A win today would be good – and with a good performance it would be even better.
Howay The Lads!!
341 comments so far
firebug666
Aug 1, 2015 at 4:52 PM
Comment #321Well well well!
Nothing has changed it seems, Southampton must be relishing playing us after watching such a lacklustre display.
BMG weren’t really that good, but they made us look very poor.
One thing is for certain, if we continue to play like that there is no way we will finish in the top ten.
toon kk
Aug 1, 2015 at 4:52 PM
Comment #322Don’t be wasting to much money on season tickets, not unless you don’t mind dross because they’ll be plenty on show.
Terry
Aug 1, 2015 at 4:52 PM
Comment #323Noel worst ,that’s exactly what happened time after time last season,ball watching.Their like how you would see under sevens play.Drives me mad
JAMSHA
Aug 1, 2015 at 4:52 PM
Comment #324wilo n sissoko needs to go…but are shit now, sissoko just runs like a dikhead even though he knows his triks n runs wont work
Jail for Ashley
Aug 1, 2015 at 4:53 PM
Comment #325Can somebody tell me the score ?
ToonFromLeeds
Aug 1, 2015 at 4:53 PM
Comment #326I never thought I would hear the words “great ball from Williamson” but I did in todays commentary
geordiemark
Aug 1, 2015 at 4:53 PM
Comment #327will die for the toon army
id sell him
ToonFromLeeds
Aug 1, 2015 at 4:53 PM
Comment #328JFA
Newcastle 0 BM 1 final score
Rotonda heights
Aug 1, 2015 at 4:53 PM
Comment #329if sm can’t identify saylor and willo as our massive achilles heel it’s going to be a long hard season.
quite impressed with some of the others but i don’t really see sissoko in this kind of set up, haidara makes poor decisions and can we please get someone else on set pieces as colback creates nada.
nufcursed
Aug 1, 2015 at 4:54 PM
Comment #330we’re a much more dangerous if players like de jong aarons and perez are on the pitch.
we need these technical players if we want to create chances for mitrovic..
sissoko cannot believe people here thinh he’s good. we need to sell him while someone still wants to pay a lot of money for him. we’ve got better options.
also people don’t panic yet.
if mbemba plays in CB, that’s already one crap player out of the team. and we hit the woodwork twice, so there are positives.
gladbach are a top team in germany so we did ok!
mcclaren just needs to realize soon that he cannot make the same mistakes as pardew and carver and that is starting williamson, gouffran, obertan, sissoko, and all these crappy players
our spine must be
mbemba
janmaat
colback
de jong
aarons
wijnaldum
mitrovic
Rotonda heights
Aug 1, 2015 at 4:54 PM
Comment #331that commentator was the worst i’ve ever heard. mr monotone nearly put me to sleep
Belfast
Aug 1, 2015 at 4:55 PM
Comment #3320-1
Mister Tuff
Aug 1, 2015 at 4:55 PM
Comment #333Under pressure/on the back foot I think our defence will be easier to open than a tin of sardines. I see nothing to give any confidence at all.
I did a post a couple of weeks ago about Obertron in reply to those who said he acked confidence. Basically he was quoted as saying he should be in the French national team and also in a one on one situation he would back his ability every time.
NOT THE WORDS/ATTITUDE OF A PLAYER LACKING CONFIDENCE.
So to those who think he can be rescued/made into a decent footballer, if you excuse my expression, shut the **** up he a knacker, you are demonstrating a poor knowledge of the game/players abilities or lack of.
geordiemark
Aug 1, 2015 at 4:55 PM
Comment #334forget about the top 10, a good solid team is always sorted from the back first, look at our cbs even I could walk through them 2
Belfast
Aug 1, 2015 at 4:55 PM
Comment #335That was the Michael Owen of the Bundesliga that Commentator
Reyantoon
Aug 1, 2015 at 4:55 PM
Comment #336Cheeez….Mitrovic is HUGE lad ha ha ha…
Rotonda heights
Aug 1, 2015 at 4:56 PM
Comment #337wijnaldum looks a far more intelligent version of sissoko
Noel Worst
Aug 1, 2015 at 4:57 PM
Comment #338Mistertuff
Bore off obnoxious dickheed!
HoboToon
Aug 1, 2015 at 4:58 PM
Comment #339Team for game 1
————————- Krul ————————-
—Janmate (c), mbeastba, dummy, hairdryer—
—————- Weenaldum, Colback—————
———Sissy ——–Siem ————-Aarons
———————-/Mitrovic——————–
How is this team so strong on paper but not on the field
Idk, tbf we still have anita cabella perez papiss
toon kk
Aug 1, 2015 at 4:59 PM
Comment #340SSN summed it up as Poor by Newcastle, and there’s a lot of thinking to do before next weekend.
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Aug 1, 2015 at 5:14 PM
Comment #341So how was the game? Can anyone give me a objective analysis on the game, formation, subs and what we need to bring in?
I am still a bit worried about this ongoing 4-2-3-1!