Rafa Benitez has just announced his team for the game tonight against Everton at Goodison Park and in the game at St. James’ Park earlier this season we were beaten 1-0 in what was a close game.
And the big news is that Islam Slimani, on loan from Leicester City makes his very first start for the club tonight.
TEAM NEWS: Here’s how Newcastle United will line up at @Everton in the @premierleague this evening (kick-off 8pm BST). #NUFC pic.twitter.com/pgoNqN13Ly
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) April 23, 2018
This will be a massive opportunity for the 29-year-old Algerian International who has been injured most of the time since he signed on loan on January 31st.
Let’s hope he can play well and lead the line well and maybe score for us tonight – goals are what will make Rafa interested in signing him permanently this summer.
Islam Slimani – makes first start tonight
Newcastle fans seem fairly confident with three in five fans thinking we can win this game to make it five wins in a row.
Footnote: It is exactly eleven years today that I produced the very first article for the Newcastle United Blog.
Howay The Lads!!
Comments welcome.
375 comments so far
9
Apr 23, 2018 at 10:57 PM
Comment #361Ah, now your’e talking, Jim. What is Rafa’s motivation, you ask (since we now both seem to agree he isn’t a greenhorn)? And you discount the fans as a possibility. Well, that doesn’t leave much except naked greed, and nobody has ever accused Rafa of that. Over to you, kind sir, to enlighten me: I hope we can continue a civillsed conversation, such as Ed intended this forum for
Munster Mag
Apr 23, 2018 at 10:59 PM
Comment #362Awful game. Hate him but gotta give credit to fat sam. For all that we say about his crap football, Everton were no worse than us in terms of style. That was a depressing game but hey ho.
9
Apr 23, 2018 at 11:03 PM
Comment #363Munster, as we all can see the game was decided by their goal. How did our goalie do there? (Just asking)
9
Apr 23, 2018 at 11:08 PM
Comment #364Does anybody else remember the corner we gave away sometime in the first half when it appeared goalie and centre half failed to communicate (should have been goalie’s shout “My ball Le Jeune”)? I don’t have anything against the goalie,at all, but he’s been described in ridiculously over-hyped terms by all and sundry.
jimiley
Apr 23, 2018 at 11:25 PM
Comment #3659
Well he is not staying at the Toon for the fans. That is for sure. Geordie players have moved on for perceived better things eg Gasgoigne, Beardsley ( Shearer is the exception) so a Spanish manager is not staying for the fans. He will stay if he gets a proper owner who will invest in the club and match his ambitions.If he stays under Ashley it us because he cannot attract an ambitious club. He will bide his time until there is a takeover. If there is no takeover he will be gone.He is a man of honour and may see out his contract but a man of honour will not work for a tw.t regardless of the fans.
Munster Mag
Apr 23, 2018 at 11:35 PM
Comment #3669 I like dupravka but am guilty of needing a hero like many fans. His positioning is quite poor at times. Tonight wasn’t the worst but the goal v arsenal was a shocker. As the ball came across he was outside of his goal post. That said 4mill is a cheap upgrade.
RobLeenio
Apr 23, 2018 at 11:42 PM
Comment #367jimiley, I disagree. Rafa likes the club and the fans are a massive part of that.
hellodjo
Apr 24, 2018 at 12:01 AM
Comment #368I don’t understand how people think they matched us, particularly in the 2nd half we were far and away the better team, we looked more threatening than they did and sharper across the pitch, they never really got in behind us and continually failed to penetrate thanks to likes of Lejeune, Lascelles and Dummett being imperious. The stats look even in regards of shots and such but reality is we had loads of nearly moments, yes quality has to improve but lets be honest we didn’t look like the team formed on a budget vs the 5th biggest spenders in Europe last year.
Nicky the ball tosser
Apr 24, 2018 at 12:07 AM
Comment #369Bit unlucky there against a solid, well organised unit with home advantage. Liked Slimani starting, with Gayle on and lively for the last third against tiring legs.
Nicky the ball tosser
Apr 24, 2018 at 12:10 AM
Comment #370He will stay for the club and the fans, but the biggest factor will be money. His own wedge, and decent backing to give the side a proper chance at silverware. Won’t matter who the owner is.
Nicky the ball tosser
Apr 24, 2018 at 12:17 AM
Comment #371Also think Sam has done exactly what you’d expect from him at Everton. Tight, solid, well organised. They clipped the ball around the park at pace, only lacking the real inventiveness you get from the senior sides. He’s done well since taking over from Koeman after that terrible start. He was having a laugh when he says he could manage RM, but he is a genuine epl manager and so are his sides.
Essex Geordie Bill
Apr 24, 2018 at 12:28 AM
Comment #372I was certain that we’d get a goal in the second half, we were outplaying them and but for the fact they had all of the refs decisions in their favour we shoulda got something from the game.
I did ask the question before the game if he was another one who hated us and so it proved to be.
Definite pen and a definite red card were the two obvious bad decisions but the “foul” on Baines was the start for me, he basically just fell over and the ref fell for it.
Contrast that with the way Perez was roughed up all of the game with very little protection said it all as far as I was concerned.
I reckon Shelvey may have been trying to hard to impress with the rumours of an England call up and tried too many of his long passes. I still thought he had a decent game for all that.
Roll on WB at least it’s not a must win game anymore 😉
Sav
Apr 24, 2018 at 3:41 AM
Comment #373Seem to be at odds with most reports of the match – or maybe I’m still just euphoric about having rediscovered ‘a team that tries’ – but I thought we played with real heart and took the game to Everton. None more so than Perez. Sure he fluffed a couple of his lines but for effort and energy, this was no end of season dead rubber, this was 3 points we hated to lose. A couple of points – they played with an extra man in midfield which stymied Mo and Shelvey and made it a game of mistakes more than quality. Same goes for the heavy watering the pitch had which had players sliding about like Bambi. And while Madley stayed out of the limelight, am I the only one to think we ought to have had a penalty with a clear handball?
lesh
Apr 24, 2018 at 6:07 AM
Comment #374With a lot of luck, Ashley might just see that the squad we have just isn’t good enough and as Rafa says, doesn’t have enough quality players to provide for change to enable him to rotate players as required.
Rafa’s done well to avoid relegation this season and Ashley really must sanction some sensible spend on enhancing the current squad. He must also see that failure to back Rafa could result in him leaving the club this summer or next and it’s likely that in that event, the whole spirit in the club, seriously damaged. Ob yes, Ashley’s ho for a new manager, the squad’ll be broken up and we’re relegation candidates again.
martoon
Apr 24, 2018 at 6:49 AM
Comment #375It was a poor game but I thought we created enough to come away with a draw. We had no luck with all the 50 50 balls seeming to go to Everton feet I also thought it was a penalty as his arm moved towards the ball but again no luck. The thing I couldn’t understand is as soon as Slimani went off we started putting crosses in the box???