We are hoping that Jack Colback will be available for our home game against Birmingham City on Saturday and that’s a really important games as we have to break the three game losing streak we are on at the moment.
A win is what we need to get back on track and trying to put as many points between us and the third placed side just as quickly as possible.
Colback has made 14 appearances so far this season for the Magpies and of course Sam Allardyce’s Sunderland beat us out last season to stay in the Premier League.
Jack Colback in action at Derby County
But the big positive in the terrible tragedy under head-coach Steve McClaren last season was that we now have Rafa Benitez running all the football related activities at the club and things have picked up and improved considerably.
Jack was asked if he has any regrets about choosing Newcastle a couple of years ago when his contract ran out at the Black Cats and he became a free agent:
“No, none at all.” “It’s football and if you look at the Premier League now any team down from eighth could get relegated.”
“That’s the way it is now.” “We were flirting with it and stayed up, then in the second season for me it happened.” “It’s a risk.”
“But I have no regrets and if I didn’t come here I would have always thought: ‘What could have been’.” “This is my hometown team and I would never try to change it.”
“It would be great to get promoted.” “As players when you get relegated as a club you have a duty to get the club back up.”
“We have had new players coming in who are helping the cause as well.” “It’ll be a great feeling to do it.” “But we are looking at each game as it comes, and can’t get too far ahead.”
We wouldn’t have expected Jack to say he regretted joining Newcastle even if he has had some inner doubts, but he must be upbeat that Rafa Benitez is building a top side on Tyneside and he could be part of it.
The hope is we can get promoted this season and then buy a few top players in the summer to take a crack in the top half of the Premier League next season.
It would help if we can beat Birmingham City on Saturday afternoon in front of a sold-out St. James’ Park.
36 comments so far
Ron Knee
Dec 8, 2016 at 7:55 PM
Comment #1Jib
That’s no excuse!
WWSBRD
Dec 8, 2016 at 8:08 PM
Comment #2So have the waters calmed on here yet?
Colback straight back into the team at the weekend then? Tough on Hayden who was magnificent last outing
sing in the corner
Dec 8, 2016 at 8:14 PM
Comment #3WW
It is.. But he did get through a hell of a lot of work… Rafa likely to rotate him, though he just had his best game for us I think..
firebug666
Dec 8, 2016 at 8:19 PM
Comment #4WWSBRD
After his last performance I would expect Hayden to start the next game. He was magnificent in stopping Forrest, and maybe they could have had more but for his intervention.
The 9 men of Newcastle all put in a performance, but Hayden shone through, gotta start the next match.
WWSBRD
Dec 8, 2016 at 8:31 PM
Comment #5sing/firebug
I tend to think sing will be right and Hayden will be back on the bench if Colback is fully fit, Shelvey seems to perform better with Colback rather than Hayden (for now at least)
Unless we see Colback and Hayden of course
Jib
Dec 8, 2016 at 8:38 PM
Comment #6They will all have had 8 days recuperation – the game against Birmingham is so crucial after three defeats in a row – Rafa will put what he considers to be his best starting eleven out on Saturday.
Darlow
Yedlin
Lascelles
Clark
Dummett
Hayden
Shelvey
Ritchie
Gouffran
Perez
Gayle
Which is the team that started last Friday
I think Coback would have made it but for Hayden’s outstanding performance last week. – the lad gets better with every game.
The only other question mark for me is Perez but Mohamed Diamé looked awful when he came on last week.
Tomorrows training pics may give an indication.
bettyswallocks
Dec 8, 2016 at 8:46 PM
Comment #7Evening Jib …… how’s yer fettle?. I see you didn’t get drawn in last night . Can’t believe I got involved again. Mind you I’d be really miserable if she wasn’t around, It’d be as though she was here.
Jib
Dec 8, 2016 at 8:53 PM
Comment #8She reminds me of an American lady who lives in an apartmnt block near me.
She’s schizoid as well and won’t take her meds – which is a shame because when she does she’s really quite pleasant .
bettyswallocks
Dec 8, 2016 at 9:02 PM
Comment #9Jib….. Yes I agree but she’s really deteriorating of late and seems not to care that she’s making herself look ridiculous.
To quote the great Winston Churchill:- If I was her husband she would probably poison my tea and if she was my wife I would drink it!
Jail for Ashley
Dec 8, 2016 at 9:26 PM
Comment #10Jibberish,
I wonder what they say about you in your aprtmnt block after you’ve been on the White lightning all day, instead of passing them on the stairs with your head down avoiding eye contact like you normally do you shout ‘what you looking at’ before staggering looking for the dog to kick.
posada
Dec 8, 2016 at 9:27 PM
Comment #11Jib
The next game is crucial, but when we start to talk like that it worries me.
It’s kinda like if we don’t win it’s failure and the world comes to an end.
Football’s not like that. You have to simply play well and give yourself the chance of winning.
If you do you’ll win a high ratio but not every game.
Forrest being the game that demonstrates that.
Far the better team, but other things conspired against us.
Jib
Dec 8, 2016 at 9:29 PM
Comment #12I’m watching Southampton vs Hapoel Beer Sheva .
See that Cedric – he’s quite an entertainer.
😎
bettyswallocks
Dec 8, 2016 at 9:31 PM
Comment #13Are you gannin on Satday Jail?
Jail for Ashley
Dec 8, 2016 at 9:34 PM
Comment #14swallocks,
Nope, currently on nightshift and not due back till next week, I’ve managed two league games and the preston game and Barnsley away all season, rotten bad luck with the way work has landed.
Jail for Ashley
Dec 8, 2016 at 9:35 PM
Comment #15*Preston at home
Jib
Dec 8, 2016 at 9:35 PM
Comment #16posada
I know it’s another sport but the great Vince Lombardi said
“Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.”
Even a draw against Birmingham would be acceptable -just to break the cycle – however 4 losses in a row and the mind games start.
bettyswallocks
Dec 8, 2016 at 9:40 PM
Comment #17Jib….. You’re a legend in your own mind.
Jail for Ashley
Dec 8, 2016 at 9:41 PM
Comment #18swallocks,
Definitely home for the Sheff Wed and Forest game got my Blackburn away ticket and Im taking the family down to London for the Brentford game, hopefully it won’t get rearranged.
lochinvar
Dec 8, 2016 at 9:44 PM
Comment #19A couple of contributions to the quotes game courtesy of American football player and coach Joe Namath
This one for Shlevey:
“It’s not how you fall that counts.. It’s how you get up”
and for the rest of us:
“I don’t know whether I prefer Astroturf to grass. I never smoked Astroturf”
welshgeordie9
Dec 8, 2016 at 9:50 PM
Comment #20Rodney, you plonker.
welshgeordie9
Dec 8, 2016 at 9:51 PM
Comment #21Southampton are losing, where’s my hero.
bettyswallocks
Dec 8, 2016 at 9:54 PM
Comment #22That’ll be nice Jail. Go to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. Great family day out at Xmas . The bairns’ll love it.
Jib
Dec 8, 2016 at 10:00 PM
Comment #23welshie
CA dislocated his shoulder in the first half
welshgeordie9
Dec 8, 2016 at 10:05 PM
Comment #24Jib
Cheers mate.
bettyswallocks
Dec 8, 2016 at 10:09 PM
Comment #25The Chinese have offered Alexis Sanchez 400 grand a week. He’s still got 18 months on his contract at Arsenal and Wenger says he’ll be staying there until it expires and hopefully longer. They’re going to have some job getting him to sign another contract now.
What a time to be a professional footballer. I wish I was 30 yrs. younger and good at football.
bettyswallocks
Dec 8, 2016 at 10:22 PM
Comment #26Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced some impressive callouses on his feet. He also ate very little which made him rather frail. Also with his odd diet he suffered from bad breath.
He was a super calloused,fragile mystic, hexed with halitosis .
mindshaft
Dec 8, 2016 at 11:46 PM
Comment #27Can’t see anything other than a win against a mediocre brum team – clearly they’ll be up for it but they are just a bit sh1t so if we play to 70% of our ability and the ref isn’t a close relative of Steve Martin we should be back in winning road
mindshaft
Dec 8, 2016 at 11:53 PM
Comment #28Actually I meant get jealous st get some agent to take videos of me, put em on YouTube , pretend I’m 30 years younger and then get a 5 year deal on 60k a week ( am not greedy) , by the time they realise I’m shite they’ll have to pay my contract up
mindshaft
Dec 9, 2016 at 12:00 AM
Comment #29I totally need to turn autocorrect off
lesh
Dec 9, 2016 at 12:34 AM
Comment #30Bettys
Loved the Gandhi post. Not pc but very clever. Pmsl and me G & T went all over the place…….. thanks pal!
Mister Tuff
Dec 9, 2016 at 1:17 AM
Comment #31Is the coast clear?
Bit too quite for my liking – could be a trap by the loonies – waiting for an unsuspecting poster to appear ——-then…………….POUNCE!!!!!!!
A quick check in to see if my requested list has been provided. Seems it hasn’t.
That’s me off ———–phew…..just made it.
manxpie
Dec 9, 2016 at 3:51 AM
Comment #32straight in with a goad funny that isn’t it?
woe me woe me! bollocks 🙂
Jail for Ashley
Dec 9, 2016 at 5:44 AM
Comment #33Looks like a good laugh on here tonight….. 😮
sing in the corner
Dec 9, 2016 at 6:14 AM
Comment #34Still don’t think we can play Hayden and Colback together in the middle too many times in the Championship. When we are trying to keep it solid against very good teams, for example in the PL,then yes, maybe.
So we do need another creative player for the squad,of course. But the gamble is waiting til the summer, or taking the plunge in January?
Our last 1-2 weeks’ results has put a little bit of a spanner in the works.
Rafa was on course to be at least looking like we were running away with the league by Christmas – good quality players would sign for us ready for next term.
I would probably go for waiting for the summer rather than get a lesser player now…
Jail for Ashley
Dec 9, 2016 at 6:21 AM
Comment #35sitc,
If they’ve already got a target lined up and he’s willing to join us in January as opposed to waiting till the PL is guaranteed then happy days, I don’t see the point in buying an Alan Judge type though unless you can guarantee to shift him when we go up.
sing in the corner
Dec 9, 2016 at 6:57 AM
Comment #36Me neither. Take no chances in that regard. Just have to sweat it out a bit with having what we have.. Shelvey.
Diame has been a disappointment. He’s had long enough to get fit and settle in. What’s the problem with him? I don’t think he’s pushing for a starting place as he should be!