Newcastle last time out in the crucial win against Huddersfield were brilliant in that first half.
And while we missed three or four good chances, the lads kept going and we won 1-0 with a late goal form the hard-working Ayoze Perez.
Joselu is available tomorrow at Leicester, but he’s just returned to fitness, and we doubt Rafa will start him.
It’s excellent news that Mo Diame has recovered from his foot injury and will start.
It looks like Rafa will start with another unchanged side, and that will give Dwight Gayle a big chance to take his chances since he knows from now on Islam Slimani will be available to start up front for Newcastle.
Dwight Gayle – can he get on the goalscoring trail again tomorrow?
Dwight missed a few chances against Huddersfield but he also didn’t have any luck, and he was in the right place at the right time.
Dwight can still score for us tomorrow at the King Power Stadium.
At the very least Gayle works his socks off when he’s in the side, and we will need to tomorrow and against a strong Leicester City side.
Here’s the side we think Rafa will start tomorrow:
Dubravka
Yedlin Lascelles (c) Lejeune Dummett
Ritchie Shelvey Diame Kenedy
Perez
Gayle
What would your team be for tomorrow?
Comments welcome.
20 comments so far
Jail for Ashley
Apr 6, 2018 at 3:35 PM
Comment #1What’s happened to Firwbug666
lochinvar
Apr 6, 2018 at 3:37 PM
Comment #2I was going to suggest that Murphy might get a start ahead of Kenedy just to allow an attacking formation with Ritchie and Murphy going forward to make Leicester think about their tactics. However Rafa is not one for making unnecessary changes to a winning side and we will probably keep it tight with breakaways and the second half being our forte. Don’t think Puel will get the open game he thinks he’ll get to help his team so not a 3-3 game. More likely 1-0 to Newcastle or 2-1 if we have to.
HWTL
Budge123
Apr 6, 2018 at 3:39 PM
Comment #3On Diame – and as welcome and unexpected as the improvement has been – isn’t mostly down to him playing in his correct position?
He’s never a 10.
So the contrary argument is that it’s taken far to long to get him to what he is now?
Not trying to knock Rafa but I’m not sure the change in Diame proves his brilliance
Keeping this squad up and without any real flirtation with relegation proves his brilliance
Munster Mag
Apr 6, 2018 at 3:39 PM
Comment #4Looking at that team ‘re the summer I guess the obvious upgrades needed are yedlin Gayle and maybe Ritchie? This may be difficult though as we will need to buy kenedy and Dubravka. Wonder if Chelsea wud allow a loan ?
RobLeenio
Apr 6, 2018 at 3:44 PM
Comment #5Bobbybee I agree with everything you said on Rafa. I think one major achievement this season was keeping the team’s collective chin up while we were on our poor run before Christmas. If they’d allowed their heads to drop then we may not have pulled out of that and we could be in the same boat as West Brom. instead, he was able to keep them motivated keep them training and therefore able to improve them individually and collectively
Bobbybee
Apr 6, 2018 at 3:49 PM
Comment #6Jail, I don’t mind constructive criticism aimed at Rafa; nobody’s perfect after all. He does make mistakes as we all do in life, but yeah, when pointless criticism like that comes in from the likes of Jim iley, bladeuser etc – although, to be fair to him he has changed his tune now – it does wind me up.
Rafa is by far and away the best we could hope for, either now or in the near future and anybody wanting rid of him is simply not a full box of matches.
lesh
Apr 6, 2018 at 4:05 PM
Comment #7Jail
Never mind what happened to Firwbug666, what I want to know is what happened to FireballXL5??
And, whatever happened to the white dog chit that used to go up in a cloud of dust,when you stamped on it on a hot summers day? And tar bubbles on the road of a hot day? Flying saucers – sherbet in a cocoon of rice-paper and liquorice in brittle stick form that you could suck to a point and poke kids with…… And Dandelion and Burdock pop….. And oh that pungent smell that used to envelop the City when they were brewing at Gallowgate (we know the answer to that one)
Come on Essex, Tynemouth, you’re old enough to know what we’re talking about.
Lascelles sells sea shells by the sea shore
Apr 6, 2018 at 4:12 PM
Comment #8Lesh
That post brought me back to my childhood… And to top it all off there were no parents yelling to stop giving us kids access to sweets at the time too…
Online Guy
Apr 6, 2018 at 4:57 PM
Comment #9Having been away for 2 weeks I seen that Munster Mag had been through his procedure . I sent him a take it easy message as we had discussed it 2 weeks back .
Having not posted For 2 weeks I’m then faced with an unprovoked attack (another one of many) from ” A Pain in the Blog “.
Never spoke to him, not a word. It’s every time I breath it seems .
Iv been on Ed’s great site here for near ten years and looking back at some old posts it seems a lot of decent writers left the blog , various reasons no doubt ..bullying and vendettas ?
A Pain in the Blog , What are you pursuing me for with this Childish Vendetta? ..it’s almost every time I post.
Going too far now .
hibbit
Apr 6, 2018 at 4:58 PM
Comment #10just need rid of Ashley to end the season on a high
Online Guy
Apr 6, 2018 at 4:59 PM
Comment #11The Next Mike Williamson
Thanks for your words on previous page ..Glad someone can see his grudge . Transparent now.
Your post received 10 likes, Hearts . Thank you.
DubaiMicky
Apr 6, 2018 at 5:01 PM
Comment #12Anglo pink bubbly, penny each, that green tartan toffee, again a penny each, thinking of massive e-numbers, what about that fizzy sherbet stuff, that can’t have been good for us either.
G
Apr 6, 2018 at 5:06 PM
Comment #13Even though there still seems to be a few minor skirmishes on the blog today, it seems very civilised compared to normal. Lets keep it up guys.
Jail for Ashley
Apr 6, 2018 at 5:30 PM
Comment #14G,
It’s because Jiblets hasn’t had his white lightning yet
lochinvar
Apr 6, 2018 at 5:31 PM
Comment #15Ben Arfa – what a waste, one year without playing a single game. At least we have some good memories of his ability
in the crazy world of Ben Arfa, he would show such ability at Nice – scoring 17 times in 34 league games – that the team that had since become the largest in the country, Paris Saint-Germain, wanted his signature.
And from that high, we’re now here: Ben Arfa hasn’t played a competitive game of football in exactly one year.
It’s yet another fall from grace for a player who seems to have a knack for them – not that he’s letting it get him down too much.
The 31-year-old took to Instagram to ‘celebrate’ the occasion, complete with a cake and a candle.
Online Guy
Apr 6, 2018 at 5:35 PM
Comment #16Watching the Huddersfield match had me knackered. The graft that the lads put in , the discipline and effort was exhausting just to watch .
Mind this is not the Newcastle United of early to mid season , this is a different
team, hard, uncompromising, disciplined . We really do have a team now . Rafa is obviously the catalyst and the players have the respect for the Gaffa that’s required to push on .
As for the players
Solid back four, solid midfield, bit light up top but that’s about to change, even Yedlins come on, he’s learning fast under Rafa.
Diame has amazed me , he’s solid and dependable .
Start of this season I was looking for a leader in the young team Rafa started with , you know like a Rob Lee, Shearer, big Duncan Ferguson type , apart from Lascelles potentially , and a good few games in I thought, we have no leader.
Team is full of Captains now ..Ritchie could do a job as Captain in a lot of teams , Diame no doubt..Shelvey would improve discipline wise himself if given the armband, Lascelles doing the job superbly for one so young. Dummet reminds me of Alan Kennedy, a future captain, no doubt .
Lejeune is also leader potential . Under Rafa I think the transfer value of each player has escalated (increased rapidly)
What a Great Manager . We are lucky to have him here . Don’t mess this one up Ashley.
The next Mike Williamson
Apr 6, 2018 at 5:40 PM
Comment #17I’ve quit this website several times (putting a stayfocsd block on it) because I got sick of wasting half an hour reading about these supposed multiples although I’ve always came back. I guess other people got tired too. Personally if blog posters are dwindling I put it down to Benitez rather than the bickering. People are much more likely to complain than they are to praise and the likes of Pardew infuriated people so much that this was the only way to vent that anger. We’re all too content now. We also have fewer Obertans & Gouffrans to complain about, and fewer mercenaries to hate.
Mister Tuff
Apr 6, 2018 at 5:50 PM
Comment #18There were actually folk on here who thought Obertron was a good player – just needed a bit of confidence.
Now such thoughts were sufficient to annoy anybody.
Online Guy
Apr 6, 2018 at 5:53 PM
Comment #19Mike
The multiple thing is no big deal really..people use it in an often vain attempt to start an argument..So childish .
And you know what, if one unearths a multiple , what do they get ? A medal ? Whoop de do!
It’s an excuse to attack someone for no reason. And then within that attack they let the grudge and the venom and hate show.
I find it laughable ..I’m amazed at how long someone can hold a misplaced grudge .
Cheers Mike.
Online Guy
Apr 6, 2018 at 5:57 PM
Comment #20Howdy Mr Tuff.
Hope yer well mate and ready for the French trip ?
Don’t forget the spray deck …I sank once.. give it up as a bad job after that one . Took a few hours to thaw out the old body.