Rafa Benitez may change things up front for the game at Burnley on Monday night.
Given the results yesterday the worst Newcastle can be in the league table on Monday night is 10th.
That’s if we lose and Southampton win today at Brighton & Hove Albion.
The best we can do is to be in 6th place if we win on Monday night and we will then go above Liverpool and just behind Arsenal in the league table.
Let’s hope we can get the win and we’ll be on 17 points from our first 10 games.
Dwight Gayle – could he get a chance on Monday night?
All three strikers, Joselu, Dwight Gayle and Aleksandar Mitrovic are fit again, and maybe Rafa will change things up front.
We’d be surprised if Dwight gets the start, but we suppose it’s possible that Mitro could start because he can lead the line well – much like Joselu does.
This is what Rafa has said today about the strikers and also about Burnley manager Sean Dyche:
“We have Dwight doing well last year and scoring a lot of goals.”
“This year Joselu is doing well and then it is ‘oh, Dwight is not playing’. And then it is Mitrovic.”
“Mitro was playing the other day, Dwight is coming back from injury so he will be available.”
“It depends on how many strikers you want on the bench or if you play with two strikers.” “Mitrovic and Dwight are training well so we have to decide.”
“Sean Dyche does a great job. It depends on owners to say they want this kind of manager, who plays this kind of football or do this kind of business.”
“Is he doing well – yes. Can he manage in another team – yes I think so.”
A vast majority of fans think we can get something out of this game at Turf Moor tomorrow night.
Hope so.
Comments welcome.
72 comments so far
Jib
Oct 29, 2017 at 7:34 AM
Comment #1Gayle might be the way to go
Burnley have a big uncompromising defence
Dwight could win us some set piece opportunities which
I see as our best route to a win at Turf Moor
Lindisfarne
Oct 29, 2017 at 8:12 AM
Comment #2With one of the meanest defenses in Europe I am not sure any of our strikers have the ability to directly win the match. Gayle gets easily quashed, Mitro is pedestrian and Joselu can not score. We are going to rely on counter attacking and quick interplay, not that we compare to Man City and Perez does not contribute to quick decision making.
I can not see how we are likely to win but I am interested to see how Rafa will try.
Vask
Oct 29, 2017 at 8:16 AM
Comment #3Morning Jib,
I enjoyed the Arab sports page you posted up last night. Read some of the articles pertaining to the takeover but the only reference to 500 million I could find was stating that the recent estimate was most likely exagerated.
Anyhow, their reports seem like a well balanced account of what’s going on at the moment. Appreciate the link.
Jail for Ashley
Oct 29, 2017 at 8:17 AM
Comment #4Lindisfarne,
Surely you jest, Joselu is on course to win the golden shin pad!
Vask
Oct 29, 2017 at 8:22 AM
Comment #5Lindi, if we can keep a clean sheet I reckon Ritchie is due a goal. So the key I suppose is keeping it tight and shapely and being patient. Catchy was saying the other day that he doesn’t expect to play attractive football under rafa, I completely disagree with his determination. I think being able to see the tactics implemented and the strategies unfolding game on game his absolutely fascinating I feel when watching Newcastle play under rafa my understanding of football has improved. These are exciting times takeover or not.
Lindisfarne
Oct 29, 2017 at 8:29 AM
Comment #6Jail – LOL
Vask – there is a lot to be said about the beauty of keeping a clean sheet and nicking a winner.
lochinvar
Oct 29, 2017 at 8:34 AM
Comment #7It might be that if Gayle is used to buzz around the box then there should be some free kicks and corners coming our way and Shelvey and Ritchie can certainly do damage with dead ball free kicks and penalties which we must be due. Corners give us loads of options.
Lindisfarne
Oct 29, 2017 at 8:35 AM
Comment #8Perhaps we need to alter the song (not sure how it really goes):
“We’re gonna score more goals than you.
Especially since you’re gonna get none!”
Lindisfarne
Oct 29, 2017 at 8:39 AM
Comment #9Ok, you may have a point about set pieces as we have won twice directly from them but how many do we actually convert?
Jail for Ashley
Oct 29, 2017 at 8:41 AM
Comment #10Has catchy started with his attractive football craic already, purists like McLaren are a dying breed.
Lindisfarne
Oct 29, 2017 at 8:42 AM
Comment #11Jib / Lochinvar – last question was to you both
Lindisfarne
Oct 29, 2017 at 8:45 AM
Comment #12I am still trying to fathom what Wally was doing and its McClaren
AncientC
Oct 29, 2017 at 8:54 AM
Comment #13Joselu certainly does not lead the line. Joselu drops so deep he makes Perez look like the all out attacker in the team. I am not exactly sure what it is Joselu is supposed to be good at… my guess… he scored a great volley in training once, and his teammates all raved about. That’s Joselu for you… that one time he scored a volley in training. You had to be there to see it. Great player. Honestly.
Jib
Oct 29, 2017 at 8:56 AM
Comment #14Perhaps Jail was talking formula 1
sparky55
Oct 29, 2017 at 8:56 AM
Comment #15If Gayle starts we’ll get nowt. Whilst I appreciate Rafa’s “soak it up and get them on the break tactic” has been reasonably productive this year, we’ve done it with the slowest striker in the premier league…so you don’t necessarily need a speed merchant up top, you need speedy transition via Atsu, Yedlin and Ritchie with a good final ball for the on-coming striker…so for me it’s Mitro every time and really hop he starts.
Lindisfarne
Oct 29, 2017 at 8:58 AM
Comment #16chortle chortle
Jib
Oct 29, 2017 at 9:00 AM
Comment #17Interesting Stats
Top Goal Scorer: Jamaal Lascelles (2 Goals)
Top Assists: Matt Ritchie (4 Assists)
Highest Pass Accuracy: DeAndre Yedlin (80% Pass Accuracy with 99 Comp. Passes)
Highest Shot Accuracy: Jamaal Lascelles (80% Shot Accuracy with a Total 5 Shots)
Most Completed Passes: Mikel Merino (241 Completed Passes with a 76% Pass Accuracy)
Most Chances Created: Matt Ritchie (14 Chances Created: 4 Assists and 10 Key Passes)
Most Cards: Isaac Hayden (4 Yellow Cards and 0 Red Cards)
sparky55
Oct 29, 2017 at 9:01 AM
Comment #18That pretty much backs up my argument..Joselu couldn’t hit a barn door from 5 yards
Jib
Oct 29, 2017 at 9:02 AM
Comment #19NUFC were the Championship’s most productive side from set-pieces last season
The Magpies scored a total of 25 goals from corners and free-kicks last term
Jail for Ashley
Oct 29, 2017 at 9:02 AM
Comment #20Surely that should read joint top scorer as Joselu has managed the ball over the line twice as well.
hibbit
Oct 29, 2017 at 9:07 AM
Comment #21love him or hate him Joselu 2 goals still count . yet no sigh of them in Jibs stats
sparky55
Oct 29, 2017 at 9:07 AM
Comment #22I guess goals bouncing off shins do count but the most important stat missing off that list is.
Most wasted chances Joselu at least 6
hibbit
Oct 29, 2017 at 9:10 AM
Comment #23sparky55 @22
Joselu he wont be the only one on that list
sparky55
Oct 29, 2017 at 9:13 AM
Comment #24hibbit…agreed but he’d defo be top
Jib
Oct 29, 2017 at 9:16 AM
Comment #25Rafa’s teams have always had scorers from all over the
pitch
One season at Liverpool Jon Arne Riise was their top scorer up to Xmas
Just because you aren’t capocanoniere in a side doesn’t mean you are
not contributing
Look at Matt Ritchie’s stats – yet some goons have been slagging him off
hibbit
Oct 29, 2017 at 9:16 AM
Comment #26sparky55
but he’s also top of the goal scoring list !!!!
YoungMag :P
Oct 29, 2017 at 9:28 AM
Comment #27I think we will see:
_____________Elliot
Yedlin_Lascelles_Lejeune_Manquillo
_________Shelvey_Merino
Ritchie_______Gayle______Atsu
____________Mitrovic
First time I’ve seen Rafa mention the fact that we could play 2 strikers.
Jib
Oct 29, 2017 at 9:32 AM
Comment #28PL goals
Joselu 2
Jamaal Lascelles 2
Aleksandar Mitrovic 1
Christian Atsu 1
Ciaran Clark 1
Isaac Hayden 1
Mikel Merino 1
Ayoze Perez 1
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Oct 29, 2017 at 9:39 AM
Comment #29I like the first to paragraphs and how Rafa’s words it or spin it if you like…
…he’s great at man-management 🙂
Looking forward to the game tomorrow. The league table can be very interesting tomorrow night
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Oct 29, 2017 at 9:43 AM
Comment #30I hope Mitro will start tomorrow! Rafa needs to boost the confidence of the strikers…
…Hoosy Loo has had his run now. Let someone else have a crack at it for some consecutive matches
Jail for Ashley
Oct 29, 2017 at 9:44 AM
Comment #31Which goons have been slagging Ritchie off?
Jail for Ashley
Oct 29, 2017 at 9:45 AM
Comment #32Jesper,
On that reasoning, what will dropping Joselu for Mitro do to the Spaniards confidence?
Novocastrian66
Oct 29, 2017 at 9:53 AM
Comment #33I don’t know what percentage of our set pieces are converted, however I do know we are scoring from corners and free kicks.
We went years not scoring from them. More importantly they are crucial goals that are winning games as opposed to consolations. Long may it continue.
sparky55
Oct 29, 2017 at 10:09 AM
Comment #34Hibbit
We’re a quarter of the way thru the season and our main striker has two goals and we are 7th. He has missed 6 sitters that I can remember and IMO had mitrovic been on the end of those chances we’d have at least another 3 more points…possibly 5
Mark Hughes was one of the best strikers the Premiership has seen…he knows a good striker when he sees one and letting him go was a clear sign his early promise has not been realised and he is anything but a premiership striker.
He’s top end championship at best…IMO
hibbit
Oct 29, 2017 at 10:12 AM
Comment #35sparky55
sorry mate i was just messing i get what your saying
Jail for Ashley
Oct 29, 2017 at 10:14 AM
Comment #36Sparky,
From what we’ve seen of him so far imo the best that can be said of him is that he could be handy to have on the bench. Unfortunately it is a classic case of false economy in not paying the loan fee for Abrahams.
The next Mike Williamson
Oct 29, 2017 at 10:16 AM
Comment #37Set pieces will be difficult against Burnley. We’re both well drilled teams only they rely more on ariel players, whereas we have a few flair types which I think will be the difference. For this game I’d bring Merino in for Shelvey as it will be a real battle in midfield and I can’t see Burnley attacking us much even though they’re at home which should nullify our counter attacking players.I watched them at home to ten men West Ham and even at 1-0 down they didn’t attack apart from the occasional lump forward to one of their target men. I think Lascelles and Lejuene will deal with their ariel threat and the only other quality they have is high work-rate all over the pitch. They’re an awful team to watch, worse than Allardyce’s teams and maybe even worse than WBA. I predicted they’d be 20th and still think they’l be bottom 4.
sparky55
Oct 29, 2017 at 10:16 AM
Comment #38hahahaha…I’ve got the blog disease of reacting with too much gusto!!!
Too early for a beer so I’ll go listen to some ibiza chill out music 🙂
sparky55
Oct 29, 2017 at 10:23 AM
Comment #39I think we can play Uncle fester, Merino and Hayden and Atsu and Ritchie in midfield and sacrifice the poor performing Perez.
They can all defend, they can all attack, they’re all getting better at getting the ball forward quickly and I just don’t see the need for Perez anymore unless coming on to disrupt.
IMO
sparky55
Oct 29, 2017 at 10:24 AM
Comment #40Jail
Couldn’t agree more!