Rafa Benitez has just announced his team for the vital game at Southampton this afternoon and it’s an unchanged team from last week which did so well against Brighton and were so unlucky to lose the game.
Salomon Rondon is on the bench along with Fabian Schar who keeps out the fit-again Ciaran Clark.
Ki Sung-yueng is also on the bench for today’s game.
Salomon Rondon– on the bench today
TEAM NEWS:
Here’s how Newcastle United will line up against @SouthamptonFC at St. Mary’s this afternoon. #NUFC pic.twitter.com/lytm1QkIRG
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) October 27, 2018
This is some of what Rafa said in his press conference yesterday about the game:
“Rondon is available, he’s in the squad. Everyone is available apart from Florian Lejeune and Jamie Sterry,”
“You can see that we signed Rondón as the main striker. We were missing him for games. When he played against Crystal Palace, he was injured and it was a pity.”
“Now he’s fit, hopefully, he can stay fit for a while and at least increase the competition between the offensive players – that is something that is good for any team.”
“I would like to see us play at the level we played against Manchester United at Old Trafford,”
“I didn’t say we were better away – that is not true. But, when you play away and you play the way we play – with the chances we had, the belief and the determination – I like to see the team playing at this level.”
“We have to try and stay calm, and try to reassure the players. What we did last year is the way to change things now – we have to try and do things in the same way.”
“We were talking about the methodology, the training sessions, the approach for the games – a lot of the things we did last year and two years ago and went right – why do we have to change all of these things?”
“Obviously, we are changing little things that we have to improve – we have to make less mistakes, and we have to be more precise in the final third.”
“But, in terms of everything that we have been doing for years and have been successful, we have to carry on like this.”
“When you start changing too many things, it’s a massive risk.”
“It’s a massive risk. When you start changing this and changing that, it could be worse.”
“I think we are so close to being out of the bottom three, and we are so close to winning the first game.”
“We to believe we will do it because we did it last year.”
About two fans in five think we can win this game this afternoon – let’s hope they are right – we need a win!
Comments welcome.
475 comments so far
beefman13
Oct 27, 2018 at 10:05 PM
Comment #441Rondon may be a massive outlet for us, I think the lad is really decent once he gets that sharpness back, that’s the positive, other than that i have got nowt else to say.
toon22
Oct 27, 2018 at 10:07 PM
Comment #442You see Welshite seems to post here as a troll as some kind of entertainment
As Wales is that dull
He claims to be a football fan,said he supports Swansea but seems to either not know or care as to their results
He seems not to realize we might actually talk to him instead of being irritated at him if he actually just talked about football and was honest about it
Shame really
toon22
Oct 27, 2018 at 10:09 PM
Comment #443As for JIB
Yes the crash is shocking news but as per your usual posts im thinking your wanting someone to post something horrible
I hope the people got out and nobody was hurt
Its never MAs fault
Genjikai
Oct 27, 2018 at 10:24 PM
Comment #444Jib what a disgraceful comment.
What a horrible man.
Mister Tuff
Oct 27, 2018 at 10:32 PM
Comment #445Jib – you callous swine.
It is only yesterday you were calling someone a mong.
A disgraceful wretch.
Most of the pigeon hearted on here will not comment on Jib’s latest outrage – their silence is tantamount to complicity. Hang your heads in shame – you disgraceful weaklings.
Munster Mag
Oct 27, 2018 at 10:53 PM
Comment #446Tuff it was an insensitive comment, but jib didn’t say he wanted to see hoddle disabled etc. That’s just toon 22 being incorrect. But toon 22 suffers from paranoid delusions anyway. So we can discount him.
toon22
Oct 27, 2018 at 11:02 PM
Comment #447Yep
blame me Munster
WTF
toon22
Oct 27, 2018 at 11:02 PM
Comment #448Just an ordinary opinion
toon22
Oct 27, 2018 at 11:03 PM
Comment #449Munster is an alt of JIB/KBA
Ive no idea
But your defending him so who knows
toon22
Oct 27, 2018 at 11:04 PM
Comment #450Place in the name
Nostradamus the Geordie
Oct 27, 2018 at 11:06 PM
Comment #451Mr Softlad you call jib callous and then call everyone a disgraceful weakling. So let’s get this straight you feel he is in the wrong for calling people names but you can do it. Trust me Mr hid behind your computer if we met you wouldn’t be calling me a weakling to my face.
Munster Mag
Oct 27, 2018 at 11:07 PM
Comment #452Paranoid fool. Did you not know I work for Ashley in a PR capacity?
Munster Mag
Oct 27, 2018 at 11:10 PM
Comment #453Munster/kba, can you see the link now? In the best halloween sense, muah ha ha hawwwww
toon22
Oct 27, 2018 at 11:11 PM
Comment #454Im not sure what any of that means
maybe get back to the blog once youve sobered up
toon22
Oct 27, 2018 at 11:12 PM
Comment #455Or is there some kind of personal threat in there ?
Hiya KBA
toon22
Oct 27, 2018 at 11:13 PM
Comment #456How many more years of MA and the toon not competing ?
toon22
Oct 27, 2018 at 11:15 PM
Comment #457No answer on the place in the name this time
Maybe once he/it sobers up
Munster Mag
Oct 27, 2018 at 11:15 PM
Comment #458That’s why I sometimes questioned Rafa’s tactics on here since the relegation season. Because I want the fans to turn on him. Then they will buy more of my hero’s quality Donnay clothing. Retail domination and 4th last!! Fans fighting and no money so. My work here is done. Fat man forever!!
toon22
Oct 27, 2018 at 11:16 PM
Comment #459Hiya JIB
toon22
Oct 27, 2018 at 11:17 PM
Comment #460Munster
Your had a skin full
Get some sleep
Nufc-83
Oct 27, 2018 at 11:18 PM
Comment #461What’s the latest on Ed anyway guys as there would normally be a few more posts out after the game?
toon22
Oct 27, 2018 at 11:18 PM
Comment #462https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/NINTCHDBPICT000439129851.jpg?strip=all&w=960
Mister Tuff
Oct 27, 2018 at 11:21 PM
Comment #463Nostril Dame – oooh oooh I’m shaking in my boots.
Munster Mag
Oct 27, 2018 at 11:22 PM
Comment #464Work out the place name question for yourself 22…..munster….6 counties… Infiltrate the Dan’s and divide them and promote Mike… M u n s t e r……. See it now boring one?
Munster Mag
Oct 27, 2018 at 11:26 PM
Comment #46522, you need to get off the recreational drugs. Which members of the blog are infiltrators, besides me and jib?
Munster Mag
Oct 27, 2018 at 11:28 PM
Comment #466Mikey…. Understands…. Newcastle…. Supporters…. Turn…
Transfer Sage
Oct 27, 2018 at 11:31 PM
Comment #467Toon22
I agree that Ashley is the one to blame for the current state of our club. He hasn’t back the manager at all for a couple of years now (well for 10 years but even more so the last couple) and we are seeing the consequences.
I don’t think that means anyone who criticises Rafa is part of his PR engine though. I also don’t think that most who criticise Rafa endorse Ashley either, the vast majority realise that Ashley is the main issue.
I like the blog is open to different ideas and comments, it’s what makes this place so good (minus the few who genuinely do come here just to stir things up).
Transfer Sage
Oct 27, 2018 at 11:37 PM
Comment #468Munster
What are your thoughts on the season?
I struggle to judge so far. We’ve lost a lot of games but they are games I expected us to lose. Usually those games are more spread out so it seems less damaging as you pick up points in between. I think having so many games against the top 6 hasn’t allowed us to get into any rhythm so far.
For me, I think we need to judge the next 10 games and see where we are. If it’s decided Rafa isn’t the man at that point, whoever took over would still have 15-18 games by the time they are appointed.
Personally I would prefer us to go for it more but I’m not sure if that’s Rafa’s fault or the fact have low quality players who can’t consustently perform and when a player like shelvey has a bad game, we don’t have others around him who can step in and do that job. Rafa always has been and will be more cautious though.
When people say “who would replace him?” I always think it’s a silly question. Some clubs, like Watford, pluck managers from Europe regularly. If you look properly there are plenty in Europe who want the chance to be in the Prem League. Regardless of our owner, people will take that chance as it’s a way to show what they can do on a world stage. For example, Silva took the Hull job and even though they went down, it helped his career. It was win win for him.
I’m not saying we’d do better with somebody else, but the argument we’d attract nobody doesn’t wash with me.
Munster Mag
Oct 28, 2018 at 12:27 AM
Comment #469Transfer, its been a shocker. Rafa is a decent man and deserves success. I travelled a long way to meet him and the players when in Kildare. But I’m not convinced by his ability to get a fairly average team to create chances. His defensiveness and his ‘control’ mantra is becoming a weakness and we should have lost 2-0 today, easily. We know Ashley is the real issue, but I can’t understand why we are far worse than last season, given we have better p layers now. It’s confusing but Rafa needs to balance defence with creativity. It’s possible that he peaked many years ago as a manager. Once upon a time, I wud have thought Martin O Neill wud be good for us, when he was at Leicester /cleric. Now he is rank. Did he peak years ago? Yes he did. Mourinho did too. Did Rafa? I’m not sure, but it’s possible. I just wish he had 50mill to get the pacy players I k own he wants, to have a team like Leicester City, with 52k cheering us on. I don’t think there are 4 worse teams than us. 3? I’m very worried.
toon22
Oct 28, 2018 at 1:23 AM
Comment #470Ok lol
Point proven
Nostradamus the Geordie
Oct 28, 2018 at 1:37 AM
Comment #471I think come January we will be around 16th place, I feel that will prompt MA to splash the cash. I can’t see him wanting Newcastle in the Championship again, Rafa has to find that number 10 somehow. I know we ain’t getting a Hazzard type, back then he cost 35 Million he now worth up to 80 Million easy, we just need a player with half the skill and confidence, one striker is a must, yes I know left back is also needed but if we ain’t scoring then it’s not that important to get one. Shakiri looks like a player worth the 13 Million Liverpool paid for him, wish we would have got him, he can turn a game around for sure.
ilovetoon8788
Oct 28, 2018 at 3:31 AM
Comment #472It’s looking like rafa isn’t cut out for us. His tactics and favoring poor players like perez who offers nothing as an attacking outlet. Just poor management all round. We have scored 0 goals against all the so called lesser sides. Yup. zero.
catchy in norway
Oct 28, 2018 at 5:21 AM
Comment #473If Rafas style has always been defensive, played Hoofball his whole career,
what makes people think we are going to come out and attack more with different players ?
His quality is with defence, but i think the guy is is lost when it comes to figuring out the final third of the pitch.
Negativity is breeding at NUFC. and it’s not me who is spreading it. it’s the football
Black and white armpit
Oct 28, 2018 at 6:35 AM
Comment #474Scratchy’s never slept all night he’s been so happy about only getting an away point, you’ve never been this excited since big Kev touched you up Windy Nook BMX track after school.
Go on now off to your mundane job you’ll be late.
Jib
Oct 28, 2018 at 6:50 AM
Comment #475Some positivity on a gloomy Sunday morning
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/exclusive-newcastle-united-prepared-offer-15337246