Former Spurs manager Harry Redknapp – the pundit – is forecasting that Watford could shock Newcastle at St. James’ Park tomorrow afternoon and he wouldn´t be too surprised to see Newcastle lose to the newly promoted side.
Newcastle head coach Steve McClaren held his news conference this afternoon for the game and compared Monday night´s poor display and 2-0 defeat at West Ham to a car crash – and is hoping for a big reaction from his players tomorrow.
Let´s hope we can get our first league win of the season and that should silence some of the critics. some of which have been going overboard with their criticism of Newcastle since Monday night´s game.
Harry Redknapp – Newcastle defeat would not be much of a shock
This is what Harry had to say today about the game tomorrow – which kicks off at 3:00 pm:
“Newcastle are low on confidence and I can see Watford getting something out of this, not sure it will be much of a shock if they win,”
Newcastle did put in a poor performance in London last Monday, and it is now up to our players to stand up and be counted and we expect a much improved performance tomorrow afternoon, and hopefully a win.
Let´s just say another defeat – which would be our third league defeat in a row since we drew 0-0 at Manchester United – would not be good.
We also expect McClaren to make some changes to the starting eleven – and this could be the Newcastle team for tomorrow´s game.
Krul
Janmaat Mbemba Coloccini (c) Haidara
Colback Sissoko
Wijnaldum de Jong Aarons
Perez
Subs: Elliot Lascelles Tiote Anita Obertan Thauvin Cisse
Karl Darlow twisted his ankle in training and is not available for the game, so Rob Elliot will be on the bench.
Newcastle fans seem fairly confident we can get a win tomorrow.
Comments welcome.
65 comments so far
Thump
Sep 18, 2015 at 10:29 PM
Comment #1So what’s the ‘big surprise’, Ed?
SUTTY1978
Sep 18, 2015 at 10:34 PM
Comment #2Yep, I wouldn’t be surprised. Never sure how Ed is so eternally optimistic and stunned at anyone saying Newcastle are crap!
Watford have won 2 games, we’ve won none. Swansea cantered to a win against us, Watford beat them.
The bigger surprise will be if we manage to scrape a win.
Tinman
Sep 18, 2015 at 10:34 PM
Comment #3I think it will be an EXTREMELY tough game. 2-1 win if we get a bit of luck
Sliema
Sep 18, 2015 at 10:34 PM
Comment #4The surprise is ed thinks we are the overwhelming favourites for the match tomorrow. I’m not feeling so confident. If they play like they did v Swansea or man city we could be in for a very tricky afternoon.
It’s all going to come down to whether Mclaren carries on our recent tradition of managers picking their favourites over in form players… or not.
firebug666
Sep 18, 2015 at 10:36 PM
Comment #5Repost
SUTTY1978
There has to be some changes if we are to progress, so far in the last five games nothing has worked as it should, if McClaren cannot see that then he is no good to us either.
I totally agree, on Anita / Colback neither have been good so far. play either one or the other, or neither. Drop Wijnaldum back and bring in de Jong.
I would like to see us be more adventurous, and go for an all out attack (just for variety).
Krul
Janmaat……Mbemba……..Toonbrother’s best pal……Haidara
Sissoko………..Wijnaldum…………Thauvin
Perez………….de Jong………….Aarons
We know we will concede goals, so maybe we should try going with the Keegan philosophy of scoring more than the opposition, after all it’s points that matter.
stan anderson
Sep 18, 2015 at 10:40 PM
Comment #6I must agree with Harry as we are shite as we were last season.
Ravostag
Sep 18, 2015 at 10:55 PM
Comment #7We dont need arry cockney rednapp to state the obvious
SUTTY1978
Sep 18, 2015 at 10:57 PM
Comment #8Firebug, same front 6 I put on mine, as I said with those players they can swap around so the formation is almost irrelevant if they have been coached well to play together, cover for one another and attack as a unit.
I predicted the solitary forced change last time with Cisse replacing Mitro. If he follows the Pardew blueprint as he has so far then there will be another solitary change which will probably involve the “trusted” obertan starting. Oooh cant wait.
beermonkey
Sep 18, 2015 at 10:58 PM
Comment #9seen a few comments on cisse has he really spat the dummy and turning up for training late and other stuff
or is it all hear say
SUTTY1978
Sep 18, 2015 at 11:00 PM
Comment #10The fan positivity towards McClaren is seriously waning, can see a fissure opening if we have another defeat without scoring tomorrow. Think theres only Jib and IanToon that are still 100% behind him.
firebug666
Sep 18, 2015 at 11:06 PM
Comment #11SUTTY1978
That front six gives powerful runners from midfield who can bring the ball out, and the trickery and pace of Aarons and Perez combined with the vision of de Jong.
As you say they can be fluid in positions, and attacking as a unit, with the midfield three dropping back into defence when under pressure, the pace of Perez and Aarons should be enough to keep their full backs busy, and providing they all don’t drop back too deep then their wide players would have to stay back to watch them.
Their are a lot of possibilities in that 4-3-3, but I doubt we will ever see it under McClaren.
toon kk
Sep 18, 2015 at 11:09 PM
Comment #12Watfords hunger and determination will be too much for our lacklustre bunch of flops.
most aren’t fit to wear a black and white shirt.
Patoon
Sep 18, 2015 at 11:10 PM
Comment #13Def hav to do away with this 4231 crap and stop playing sissoko, massively overrated, colback should b dropped too, I’d play a 442 with my lineup like this
___________Krul_________
Janmaat Colo Mbemba Haidara
___________Anita________
thauvin__Wijnaldum___Aarons
______De Jong___________
_______________Perez____
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Sep 18, 2015 at 11:17 PM
Comment #14It’s more or less the team I would pick beside:
a) Anita instead of Colback, and
b) no more 4-2-3-1
So Macca has two hurtles it seems:
1) picking the right players for the game, and
2) choosing the right setup / formation (style)
He does seem he’s lacking in certain departments…I’ll give him 12 games in total to convince me that he actually got something!
Toon Tang
Sep 18, 2015 at 11:39 PM
Comment #15Ed, if I wanted to look at an old man that’s had his face melted off, I’d douse myself with acid and look in the mirror..
Toon Tang
Sep 18, 2015 at 11:42 PM
Comment #16Automatic face recognition software should become compulsory for occasions like this. Start with ‘Arry and then move on to Chris Smalling and Flanagan..
stan anderson
Sep 18, 2015 at 11:49 PM
Comment #17Seems like we are falling out of love with Mclaren already.
He should never have got the job in the 1st place.
He is a better talker than Carver mind,but so is anyone still breathing.
Tsunki
Sep 18, 2015 at 11:53 PM
Comment #18McLaren can only work with the tools provided We shouldn’t blame the workman in this case because these tools really are a bit shoddy. Cheap and not so cheerful.
NewcastleMole
Sep 19, 2015 at 12:41 AM
Comment #19Watford have created almost double (47) the chances we have created (25) so far.
They keep possession (49%) slightly better than us (44%)
The rest of the stats are pretty much even. Its clear we have to create more chances.
Anita & Colback as a center pairing dont fill me with confidence. And as an opposition i wouldn’t be scared or worried one bit by them. For all their work rate and high passing accuracy they don’t own the middle of the park. It wasnt that long ago we were playing Cabaye & Tiote, one had the bite the other had the technical ability.
Every game we’ve played this season they’ve lost the midfield duel. Swansea was the best example – Shelvey & Cork dominated them. Man U was the only time they did okay.
Theres problems all over the pitch up front being #1.
SPRINGY
Sep 19, 2015 at 1:03 AM
Comment #20newcastle mole
its nowhere near as easy some believe its goin to be and al not be surprised if we get beat if the team have the same thoughts as what people are sayin on here….4-1 and 3-1…i hope they win like that but i’d be surprised
Blofal
Sep 19, 2015 at 2:29 AM
Comment #21NewcastleMole,
I agree. I think we are really missing Tiote at his prime. When he is on song he breaks down most opposition advances by himself.
So far this season we have played with both Anita and Colback and even combined they have not been able to do what Tiote used to do.
jimmysmith
Sep 19, 2015 at 3:41 AM
Comment #22Harry can eat a D.
jimmysmith
Sep 19, 2015 at 3:56 AM
Comment #23I agree, get Tiote in their alongside Widjnaldum, your talking 50% greater energy and dynamism. He’s not the same player you sold to Newcastle years ago Mac, bigger, better and more complete if you can get his head right, and could be the making of Widjnaldum who is clearly a player of the highest potential.
jimmysmith
Sep 19, 2015 at 4:15 AM
Comment #24This is your team until Mitro is fit Steve, cos jimmmysmith said so.
…………………………….Krul
Janmaat………Mbemba……Colo……Haidarra
…………………Widjnaldum……..Tiote
Sissoko……………….Dejong………………Thauvin
…………………………..Perez
Reyantoon
Sep 19, 2015 at 4:18 AM
Comment #25Some people are shouting for Aarons to start..
But if i remember correctly, he was poor in league cup and in some of his PL sub cameos.
He’s not the same Aarons since after that long lay off.No doubt he has talent and hope he can inspire the team to victories but atm,he is behind Thauvin interms of sharpness and contribution.I don’t think Sm need to change a lot in the starting lineup,perhaps one or two.
It’s a big game 2morow,especially for McLaren.
He needs to show he can win games comfortably.Otherwise,those sharpening their knives ‘re waiting on the wings to strike his back
However,he currently is working with the players already scouted & provided by previous board.I don’t think he ever knows which players are going to come.Let’s hope he comes good and succeed,starting today.At the moment,his record after 5 games is worse than last season!!
Reyantoon
Sep 19, 2015 at 4:33 AM
Comment #26Jimmy….that is a cracking lineup 🙂
Jail for Ashley
Sep 19, 2015 at 5:45 AM
Comment #27In previous seasons Ashley has been blamed by some and Pardew others for us being shite, we have now spent a few quid and have a supposedly better manager and are still shite. There must be something fundamentally wrong with club that no body can see on the surface.
runheed
Sep 19, 2015 at 5:58 AM
Comment #28Hi everyone,
Brilliant link …
http://the4thofficial.net/2015/09/18/how-tottenham-newcastle-can-be-the-best-in-the-epl-by-following-ajax/?
…. too intelligent for us I fear.
Laurent Robert The Legend
Sep 19, 2015 at 6:15 AM
Comment #29442/4411 is the only way to get something out of the game.451 is clearly not working.
Krul
Janmaat mbemba colo heidarra
Colback
Thauvin aarons/obertan
Sissoko
Seim
Perez
ilovetoon8788
Sep 19, 2015 at 6:40 AM
Comment #30I’d for a 2-2 draw with a late equaliser for us.
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Sep 19, 2015 at 6:51 AM
Comment #31Tsunki…now I don’t think it’s the players or our fault mother nature didn’t provide Macca with better tools to work with 🙂
cyprus
Sep 19, 2015 at 6:52 AM
Comment #32I agree with the above that it doesn’t matter that Ed thinks we are overwhelming favourites. It doesn’t even matter that I agree with him 🙂
What does matter is what the bookies think. They are cold, calculating, unbiased and their god is ‘green’. They rarely get it wrong: we are overwhelming favourites.
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Sep 19, 2015 at 6:54 AM
Comment #33I think it’s fairly obvious we substituted one average manager for another average manager…it was not an upgrade!
…same mistakes being made even though good players were bought. There’s even a new backroom staff.
But that of course doesn’t mean surroundings are poisonous (they most likely are)
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Sep 19, 2015 at 6:57 AM
Comment #34*But that of course doesn’t mean the surroundings are not poisonous (they most likely are)
firebug666
Sep 19, 2015 at 7:00 AM
Comment #35cyprus
We may be the official overwhelming favourites according to the bookies, but this simple fact is irrefutable, we are the underwhelming performers.
On paper the team looks class, but unfortunately we don’t play on paper. This will be a very tough game today, every game will be tough, this is because every other team in the league tries.
sing in the corner
Sep 19, 2015 at 7:02 AM
Comment #36Well ‘Arry..
Thanks for that indepth, searching analysis, as always. Pundits are just parasitic masters of the cliche / stating the bleeding obvious / popular opinion. Has beens desperately trying to be relevant.
Ron Knee
Sep 19, 2015 at 7:04 AM
Comment #37To paraphrase John Dean of Watergate fame: ‘There’s a cancer at the heart of the club.’ No prizes for guessing who it is!
sing in the corner
Sep 19, 2015 at 7:09 AM
Comment #38The players and staff have had the rest of the week since Monday to work on how to put it right. I’m sticking with it and SM for now. We have got some decent players, it will click better when he finds the right blend and approach. And one thing’s for certain, Monday proved that that was certainly not the right formation. Hopefully he’s been kicking some ass this week and he’ll get the reaction he said he was looking for. Lets see…
cyprus
Sep 19, 2015 at 7:09 AM
Comment #39Fire,
As usual, agree with most of your points mate. This time, excepting the last sentence. Stats show that we are a hard working side. We just don’t use it properly, thus running out of steam before the end.
Like you said ‘underwhelming performers’. Not in terms of energy and trying, but in terms of showing some class.
We (fans, coaches and all the way up) have been trying to figure out what holds us back. I’m convinced no one has the answer because the blame is shared by a hundred people.
But, there is one irrefutable fact in football. Money buys success. Ask also runs City and Chelsea, etc. The problem is, however, money doesn’t guarantee success.
Conclusion! We’ll need the 3 windows.
Ron Knee
Sep 19, 2015 at 7:14 AM
Comment #40Players such as Thauvin and Nitro would be interesting additions to successful teams but I think they’re the wrong type of player for NUFC in its current plight. I don’t think the money has been well spent. I hope I’m wrong, of course!