BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson has given his predictions for this weekend’s Premier League matches. He has Newcastle and West Brom limping to a 0-0 draw at the Hawthorns on Sunday.
Here is his reasoning behind this prediction:
Being honest, I can’t see this one being a thriller, because both of these sides usually focus on making themselves hard to beat.
I don’t see Newcastle changing that cautious approach, especially now Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin have joined the injured Callum Wilson in the treatment room. That means their three best attacking players are all unavailable.
West Brom won’t just throw caution to the wind, especially after suffering so many heavy defeats earlier in Sam Allardyce’s reign, but this will surely be a game that he looks at as one his side have to win, or at least have a good chance of winning.
So, if it is goalless with half an hour to go, it will probably be the Baggies who go for it a bit more. The problem with that is they look better on the counter-attack than they do when they are controlling play.
Again Lawro has given no distinction between our improved attacking play over the past month and the dreadful five at the back approach earlier in the season. Bruce ditched the cautious approach and we’ve looked much more of a threat in the final third.
While results have improved slightly, they’ve just not been good enough to keep this club from sliding closer to the bottom three. Conceding sloppy goals while not taking chances has cost us some crucial points.
Newcastle travel to The Hawthorns with a three-point edge and a game in hand over Fulham, who lost 1-0 at home to Spurs yesterday. Josh Maja had an equalizer overturned when Mario Lemina was ruled to have handled the ball. It seemed quite harsh as his arm was pinned to his side but the deflected ball landed perfectly in Maja’s path creating the chance.
West Brom also suffered a 1-0 defeat yesterday at home to Everton. They too had a goal disallowed when Mbaye Diagne was ruled offside by the slightest of margins. The Baggies remain 9 points behind Newcastle and are very much in dire straights with just 11 matches remaining for them.
As Lawrenson mentions, Sam Allardyce will see Sunday’s match as a prime opportunity for a win. Especially considering the fragile state of the Magpies. However, wins have been quite hard to come by for West Brom with just 2 since Allardyce was appointed in December.
That charge can equally be leveled against Newcastle as we’ve won just twice in our last 15 league matches. Now Bruce has to try to pick up points without the trio of Callum Wilson, Miguel Almiron, and Allan Saint-Maximin.
The importance of this match can’t be overstated. The unsettling events of this past week have only heightened the intrigue of Sunday’s match. So much hinges on the upcoming performance, which could paint a telling picture of what is really going on at Newcastle United.
219 comments so far
Adamn_92
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:08 PM
Comment #1‘The Club argued for the hearing to be in public but lost on that argument.’
Carson, Georditom, please correct me if i’m wrong (which i easily could be) but does this not mean that it won’t be played out in public and we won’t know what’s happening with the hearing until it’s done?
Adamn_92
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:11 PM
Comment #2In other news, the forgotten men Saivet and Atsu are playing for the under 23s. Hope Kets is able to get a stream for it.
RToon
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:12 PM
Comment #3With no fit rightback and Hayden out we are going to have to go with a back 3 on Sunday…
……………………..Dubs
……….Fede…….Lacelles……Clark
Murphy……………………………….Lewis/Ritchie
…………………….Shelvey
……………Fraser…………Willock
…………….Gayle………..Joe
hibbit
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:12 PM
Comment #4one thing it does show and shows very clearly is arbitration hasn’t started yet
Jail for Ashley
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:13 PM
Comment #5Adamn,
I don’t know where I read it, although the actual proceedings aren’t public some important stuff is.
TheTinman
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:14 PM
Comment #6Missed bus had to repost.
Interesting and nice to finally get another piece of factual information. Not what Edwards made up, not what Caulkin theorised and not what fans made up.
So we now know exactly what the dispute is. It’s not about the specifics of why we failed the O&D test at all, it is simply whether KSA would be a Director under the Premier League rules.
The section which The Chairman helped the Premier League on was Section F (the Owners & Directors Test) this section is not concerned with the definition of a Director and therefore is not relevant to our arbitration.
As for working 12 times on Bird & Bird cases, you’d like to think this has been considered, so it would be reasonable to assume he had not ruled in their favour in an unreasonable proportion of times.
I trust the High Court and can see where the decision has come from, my guess is it is not a big issue.
It is great news that the Judge declared the arbitration details were within the Publics interest and therefore would be open. At least we will get the details win or lose and be able to interpret the decision.
Now time to do some reading on the definition of a Director in PL handbook ?
Carson80
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:17 PM
Comment #7Adamn it was about today’s hearing being public as the judge has ruled the arbitration to be public.
TheTinman
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:18 PM
Comment #8Adam, the way I read it is that the judgment will be public but the trial will not be. Therefore we will get similar information as we received today on the actual decision.
I believe they were talking specifically about this current judgement, however I would be pretty sure this sets the precedent for the overall judgement to also be published.
Jail for Ashley
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:18 PM
Comment #9Can you imagine after getting this far, this fat c@#% relegates us and it’s all called off anyway 😕
Carson80
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:20 PM
Comment #10Tinman thanks good summation.
TheTinman
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:20 PM
Comment #11So we were set to fail the test because Directors can’t be involved in “alleged broadcasting piracy”. Because KSA had been determined to be a Director then this is why they failed.
So if the piracy issue is cleaned up then the takeover could be completed should KSA be willing to be considered a Director, no matter what the current arbitration result is?
geordietom
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:21 PM
Comment #12Adam …
BREAKING: Newcastle have lost out on a High Court judgement to have Chairman of takeover arbitration panel removed. They also lose out on full case being available to public. However Mike Ashley tells SSN he is “fighting tooth & nail & wants to give NUFC fans what they deserve.”…
my bad not all info will come out , might be a few leaks though 😀
TheTinman
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:21 PM
Comment #13My pleasure mate 🙂
Carson80
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:22 PM
Comment #14Mund if your reading get yourself on the blog, some good debate here and your input is needed.
Carson80
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:23 PM
Comment #15Tinman do you work in law, you seem pretty savvy to going ons of it all.
Carson80
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:25 PM
Comment #16#CANS #CANS #CANS #CANS #CANS #CANS
B&W blood
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:29 PM
Comment #17I wouldn’t be surprised if nufc legal team didn’t expect to get him removed,just wanted to get it to public, now it is public about his history he will be under immense pressure and scrutiny to be impartial,if it is close may even lean our way to avoid repercussions, i hope!!
Carson80
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:31 PM
Comment #18Jail I don’t think there would be any point in today if the new owners were bothered by relegation imo.
Carson80
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:32 PM
Comment #19Haha has everyone gone to the supermarket to buy some #CANS.
TheTinman
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:33 PM
Comment #20Hibbit, it shows arbitration has started but not the tribunal.
– The panel has been decided – from todays judgement information
– The determination has been decided (whether KSA were a Director) – from the judges decision
– Parties must have began the process of providing their wirtten submissions, witness statements, evidence etc. to the other parties – from Ashley’s statement which says the club made the decision to challenge the Chairman 2 weeks after he was appointed due to Bird&Bird disclosing some information
So we know that the sharing of information (stating your argument) process has been going on now for at least 2 weeks + however long it takes between NUFC challenging the Chairman and the judge ruling on it. This could be another say 4 weeks at least (your guess is as good as mine).
I’d imagine they are getting close to the end of the Submissions phase and possibly there will be 1 or 2 hearings before the final tribunal. Tribunals can last anything from days to months though. But this tribunal seems simple in the grand scheme of things, surely it won’t last much longer than a few days.
cleveleysbob
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:33 PM
Comment #21Tinman, interesting take. That could I suppose be an outcome, that the greater geopolitical stuff going on between KSA and Qatar is resolved to the point that the piracy argument is somehow acknowledged as over and therefore KSA can be a director.
I feel though that there would be more certainty if The PL were simply forced to acknowledge that PIF are not the KSA and should be passed, as this removes the piracy issue from their argument.
To me it seems clear that arbitration has started, the committee selected and parties collecting evidence from each other. This is the only reason why NUFC would go to the high court to get the guy removed. Quite simply, the process had started, the guy passed info to one side but not the other, so we took umbridge and complained to High Court.
The PL’s shenanigans have been exposed for all to see, so now whatever they do privately, will come out in the final decision. Anything other than us being approved, means the PL are calling the KSA liars – they really are going to have to have 100% clear evidence to support that!!
Adamn_92
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:34 PM
Comment #22Thanks for the summary tinman and carson, geordietom for your replies.
Seems like I may have jumped the gun with my initial comments, I saw red a bit when I saw we had been rejected in removing someone with previous ties to the league. Thought just our luck! Tinmans summary has quelled those fears a bit and i’m not as worried as I first was when I saw the news break. I guess we may not hear about the trial itself but may get details leading up to it and afterwards.
Fingers crossed the piracy issue is deemed sorted as far as Saudi and Bein are concerned and KSA if required are happy to be classed as a director if that’s what is needed.
cleveleysbob
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:36 PM
Comment #23Tinman – snap!
toonluvva
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:37 PM
Comment #24It must be Ashley’s biggest nightmare, losing a sale and failing to get any compensation from EPL. Just think of all those retail companies in liquidation he could have snapped up.
So now he faces the very real possibility of his 100% owned asset be relegated and it’s value dropping off a cliff. No longer being PAID to advertise Sports Direct on TV, player valuations being well cut, low attendances at home games and still having to pay out to Bruceless when he fires him.
YCMIU!
TheTinman
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:37 PM
Comment #25Carson, I work with Construction Contracts. The most common form of dispute resolution is Arbitration. So I would say I’m an expert in the same way a Bricky might know a bit about Tiling.
Adamn_92
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:37 PM
Comment #26Tinman, you seem very clued up. If Newcastle decide to appeal the high courts decision, any rough idea how long that appeal would take and if it would have any detrimental, or any in general, impact on proceedings?
toonluvva
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:38 PM
Comment #27*his 100% owned asset BEING relegated. Oops!
hibbit
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:38 PM
Comment #28Thanks Tinman for sharing your insight and knowledge,
lochinvar
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:39 PM
Comment #29Newcastle boss Steve Bruce says he will do his “utmost” to find “the culprit” who leaked a training ground row with Matt Ritchie to the media.
er won’t that distract him for the job that he’s not doing but is meant to ?
It’s like watching ice fall from a glacier, time and time again then it sinks.
Not a good omen.
Optimistic prime
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:40 PM
Comment #30In arbitration the two parties HAVE to agree on the chairman, in our case, if they couldn’t agree, the FA chooses the chairman.
Seems odd that they wouldn’t agree to change chairman and had to go to court.
cleveleysbob
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:40 PM
Comment #31Strangely, I think we might be in the home straight!
TheTinman
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:42 PM
Comment #32Optimistic, that’s because we already had agreed to the Chairman. This was to have him removed after we found further information.
lochinvar
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:43 PM
Comment #33Tinman
catching up but the EPL stopped the process because someone was alledged to be involved with something .
If we apply that corrupt thinking to other spheres of life then Parliament, the media, the BBC , most pop stars and Man Ure and Liverpool will be empty of people sent home because they are under investigation for something they may or may not have allegedly done ?
I would sue the EPL, they don’t have a leg to stand on
TheTinman
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:44 PM
Comment #34Adam, having sat in the room with these legal experts on a few occasions, my guess would be that B&W blood is correct in the appeal was more of a tactic than really expecting him to be removed. After all they must have previously agreed to the appointment and the court has ruled against their challenge.
If they did appeal I honestly have no idea on the timescales.
Paul141726
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:44 PM
Comment #35Bob, I hope you are right. At least if a decision is made soon, we wont be
in this almost 14 year purgatory of AshLie ownership!
lochinvar
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:45 PM
Comment #36Bruce is going to be a Private Dick to investigate the training ground leak.
Adamn_92
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:47 PM
Comment #37lochinvar, nothing private about Bruce being a dick.
TheTinman
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:47 PM
Comment #38lochinvar, that’s the words in Ashley’s statement. I’m not sure whether those are the actual words in the PL document. I agree it leaves it very open.
My guess is this is what we are saying, and the word alleged is not to pee off the KSA
hibbit
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:51 PM
Comment #39Bob for what ever reason the PL don’t want this deal to go through,
i just don’t see them folding as easy as that and i think we have a few more twists and turns to go though before this is resolved purely as a face saving exercise on the PL behalf, under the heading of “we explored every avenue”
Paul141726
Mar 5, 2021 at 1:55 PM
Comment #40Oops, regarding my post @35, if the decision goes against us (please, no)
we will STILL be in AshLie purgatory. Sad face emoji.