BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson has given his Premier League predictions for this weekend’s matches. He has Newcastle losing to Manchester United by a score of 2-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Here is some of his reasoning behind this prediction:
Newcastle are the team that everyone in the bottom three thinks they can catch – realistically they are the only other team who could still be dragged into the relegation places.
The Magpies are not playing well, and that gives the sides below them hope that if they keep going they can catch them.
I don’t see anything happening at Old Trafford to change that.
Manchester United have had a few problems at home in breaking down teams who go there just to defend but I think Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will find a way through.
At the other end, I’m not convinced by Harry Maguire or Victor Lindelof as being a center-half pairing good enough to win the title – Maguire lacks a turn of pace while Lindelof is decent but not strong enough.
You know you can get at them but, without the injured Callum Wilson, the Magpies won’t carry much of a threat.
Yikes, that is a brutal assessment from Lawrenson that the battle to avoid the drop is down to a four-team race, with Newcastle being the only one the bottom three can realistically catch.
I’m not sure I fully agree with that but it’s nonetheless a sobering declaration from someone who has backed Steve Bruce at times this season. He’s also not bought into the notion that Newcastle have played well recently, despite our improved performances against Everton and Southampton.
Lawro’s belief that Newcastle don’t carry much of a threat without Callum Wilson was borne out at Chelsea earlier this week. While the opposition was better, the Magpies were a shell of their recent selves without Wilson at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea cruised to a 2-0 win with Newcastle increasing their levels in the second half after a tepid start to the match. Lawrenson is predicting the same scoreline despite calling into question the quality of Manchester United’s center-back partnership.
Manchester United were held in check at West Brom over the weekend and only managed a 1-1 draw. They are taking on Real Sociedad in the Europa League and are righting the ship up 2-0 at the time of writing. But it is a quick turnaround for them to Sunday.
Hopefully, Newcastle will come out out of the gate with much more intent than at Chelsea. The lads need to put in a performance and keep it tight at the back to have any chance on Sunday.
By the time kick-off comes around, Lawrenson’s proclamation that it is a four-team race for survival could look prescient depending on how some of the teams around us perform on Saturday, though Brighton and Crystal Palace don’t play until Monday.
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276 comments so far
Carson80
Feb 18, 2021 at 7:22 PM
Comment #1Oh shut up you Mavis Wilton wannabe. Gets on me nerves this bloke.
kimbo
Feb 18, 2021 at 7:23 PM
Comment #2We are certain for relegation.
kimbo
Feb 18, 2021 at 7:24 PM
Comment #3Bruceless has no idea how to get out of our slump over the next 14 games.
Tonyd3b54
Feb 18, 2021 at 7:36 PM
Comment #4Wilson injury couldn’t have come at a worse time. We finally look to be play decent football and the man on the end of it goes down. Maybe we’d have 9 more points if you played this way from the start brucie
lochinvar
Feb 18, 2021 at 7:49 PM
Comment #5Having admitted that we start badly, give away soft goals and loose games in the first half, Bruce has promised that we’ll start games now on the front foot and with tempo.
I wait with baited breath as to how we put Man U on the back foot for a full 90minutes.
Tsunki
Feb 18, 2021 at 7:58 PM
Comment #6I’m just wondering if it was particularly fiddly velcro straps, or a very tight fit that made it so difficult for Steve to get those gloves off for so long.
lochinvar
Feb 18, 2021 at 8:00 PM
Comment #7Perseverance and Ingenuity are soon to land on Mars. Some years hence another Mars explorer will bring back rock samples that have been collected up on the first visit. The plan is that the rocks will be back on Earth by 2031.Ten years after.
Meanwhile on earth Ashley has failed every mission over 14 years.
Runs from room screaming. Aaaagh
Tsunki
Feb 18, 2021 at 8:02 PM
Comment #8Mark Lawrenson, the thinking man’s Roland Rat.
He’s definitely the Guesswork King of the Pundits all other lousy pundits aspire to. I mean has anyone actually calculated his prexiction accuracy percentage?
Tsunki
Feb 18, 2021 at 8:02 PM
Comment #9Prediction accuracy..
Optimistic prime
Feb 18, 2021 at 8:03 PM
Comment #10Doesn’t Bruce wear mittens, with wool connecting them?
Tsunki
Feb 18, 2021 at 8:04 PM
Comment #11Actually he’s second only to….. Toon legend Michael Owen! That’s me told. 🙁
Tsunki
Feb 18, 2021 at 8:07 PM
Comment #12He’s roughly 50% accurate. Isn’t that the law of averages?
Tsunki
Feb 18, 2021 at 8:09 PM
Comment #13OP it’s possible Lee gave him his special mittens connected by elastic through his sleeves hence auto-retracting. It all makes sense now. Imagine trying to use a crayon on your tactics jotter while wearing mittens? And of they were Lees originally there will definitely be an old half eaten chewit in one of them.
Tsunki
Feb 18, 2021 at 8:12 PM
Comment #14This is exhausting. Not as exhausting as scrolling over it though you say ha ha.. trying to keep the post count up is tough so come on people – do we have to rely on the nighshift for everything? 🙂
lesh
Feb 18, 2021 at 8:16 PM
Comment #15George Caulkin’s piece is, I believe, realistic.
He’s said to have Staveley’s ear and she, like him can see relegation as a real possibility. That being so, she’s putting the reality of the need for Ashley to reconsider his asking price and or terms if we do go down. Whether Ashley’ll do that’s another matter.
Staveley’s no slouch and like the Reubens and PIF, she’s shrewd.
In saying that, that message would’ve been passed to Ashley before now and I worry that when we’ve all seen relegation as a real threat under Bruce, he’s done nothing to get the good ship NUFC on course for avoiding the drop.
I worry that Ashley might be playing hard ball and if we drop, he’ll live with that try to get promoted first time – for the third time! But will he keep Bruce to see his contract out? That is a real concern.
Moonraker15
Feb 18, 2021 at 8:18 PM
Comment #16Tsunki
As Lawrenson always predicts a toon loss he’s bound to be fairly accurate this season!
toonluvva
Feb 18, 2021 at 8:21 PM
Comment #17Lesh
Our Beloved Owner may want to play “hardball” and risk relegation and all that entails.
But there is absolutely no guarantee that we would be promoted first time, especially if Bruceless remains and can you see any capable manager agreeing to work for Ashley?
What we need is for someone to shake up Ashley and point this out to him. Sadly he only surrounds himself with “yes” men and no-one will bother to tell the truth.
toon22
Feb 18, 2021 at 8:22 PM
Comment #18Why wouldnt the turd thionk he can just bounch right back ?
Hes done it twice before
Just hoy a bunch of money at it , do some BS scripted Sky interview
Bosh
Job done
Another few years of robbing the club blind
Selling puts an end to his gravy train
Why would he ?
Hes had so many real chances before, hasnt he
Hes never wanted to sell us
Probably never will
Mund
Feb 18, 2021 at 8:23 PM
Comment #19https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/newcastle-united-failed-to-deliver-19865802.amp?__twitter_impression=true
toon22
Feb 18, 2021 at 8:24 PM
Comment #20Lets not pretend this is the only time hes had a real chance of selling
Its far FAR from it
We would like to think this time due to a bunch od wishful thinking
If he sells yes he gets a lumpa
But the money ends there
Hes built his tat shops on the back of football via us
Look at his actions at Rangers
Hes no intention of selling
Moonraker15
Feb 18, 2021 at 8:24 PM
Comment #21We have to believe we won’t get relegated because that’s doomsday for us! We just won’t get back this time for years.
The first time we had a good squad and a good manager. Last time we had a top manager who built a team to get promoted.
This time we’ll have a crap team and a worse manager because Bruce will stay and Ashley lose interest completely!
God I hate Ashley and Charnley for what they’ve done to us !
lesh
Feb 18, 2021 at 8:26 PM
Comment #22toonluvva
@17
Spot on.
toon22
Feb 18, 2021 at 8:27 PM
Comment #23Look at the net worth and the size of SD ( Fraser Group ) now
Compare it to what he had back in 2007
He bled us dry to build his tat shops
With a constant flow of cash
And a side show gambling on players sales
We are being treat like another tat shop
70% off
SALE
Everything must go
toon22
Feb 18, 2021 at 8:29 PM
Comment #24He wont leave us till we end up like Mackems
He will do an Ellis
Unless some government agency or the like steps in
He has no idea how to make money without his little piggy bank propping up his tat
toon22
Feb 18, 2021 at 8:31 PM
Comment #25You really think hundreds of millions we got in TV money over the years has gotten anywhere near the club ?
The shirt deal pretty much as payed for the net spend on players
Weve the loweest wage bill in the prem and some Championship teams
Why would he sell ?
Yes he needs to look like hes selling , hes good at that
But are we to believe this times special ?
WHY ?
Carson80
Feb 18, 2021 at 8:34 PM
Comment #26Is it just me or are these posts reading like people have had a few beverages whilst they’ve been writing them.
Carson80
Feb 18, 2021 at 8:37 PM
Comment #27The only positive Steve Bruce has brought to the club this season is on the Covid tests.
Jail for Ashley
Feb 18, 2021 at 8:41 PM
Comment #28Carson80,
Tru Dat
Carson80
Feb 18, 2021 at 8:41 PM
Comment #29Hello, HELLO, HELLLLOOOO.
Just me then, I’ll bid thee all good night.
DrGloom
Feb 18, 2021 at 8:54 PM
Comment #30Easiest assesment lawrenson will ever have to make , paid for stating the obvious..at least he’s stopped saying Bruce is doing better than Ashley at this stage in the season
DrGloom
Feb 18, 2021 at 8:59 PM
Comment #31Better than Rafa even … I’ve had a few
lochinvar
Feb 18, 2021 at 8:59 PM
Comment #32Reality is that if covid restrictions are lifter the 2021/2022 season will kick off with full house attendances and a great surge of energy from supporters letting off steam after a year being couped up like chickens.TV coverage will lap it up so Ashley wants that to protect his Sports Dire exposure. Relegation would kill all that.
DrGloom
Feb 18, 2021 at 9:02 PM
Comment #33Loch – I don’t think so , every toon fan I know is so fed up of this whole regime and have said enoughs enough , they’ve got used to not going and saving money .. will be interesting, especially if Ashley and Bruce are still here next season
Wor B
Feb 18, 2021 at 9:09 PM
Comment #34Right that’s Pointless, early evening news and dinner sorted.
I hope Tsunki’s alarm has gone off so he can join the night shift!
magicmac54
Feb 18, 2021 at 9:26 PM
Comment #35Good evening guys, disappointing but not overly surpising news tonight, our lockdown has now been extended to at least the 1st of April, boy oh boy they are crazy and very difficult times indeed.
toon22
Feb 18, 2021 at 9:33 PM
Comment #36Ok a wild guess
Id say the lockdown wont end before December 25th
They will have a relaxation
The ywill have teir systems
But it wont end this year
:0
magicmac54
Feb 18, 2021 at 9:37 PM
Comment #37Toon22
Why do you always look on the bright side of life he he he he
Wor B
Feb 18, 2021 at 9:39 PM
Comment #38OK folks, stand by…
Tonight’s non-footie subject will be addressable Fire alarm panels and optional back-up power requirements…
ADT or C-TEC ? Discuss
Should make any newcomers feel welcome. 🙂
Romford mag
Feb 18, 2021 at 9:44 PM
Comment #39https://youtu.be/SJUhlRoBL8M
Romford mag
Feb 18, 2021 at 9:45 PM
Comment #40Sorry early evening shift 🙂