Redemption should be in the air this Saturday at St. James’ Park. Newcastle take on Watford in a massive six-pointer and are coming off an embarrassing defeat in the FA Cup’s third round.
Newcastle peppered the Cambridge goal in the first half but couldn’t breach their keeper Dimitar Mitov. Frustration soon set in. In the second half, Newcastle were out of sorts and a mistake from Martin Dubravka saw us knocked out of the competition.
One bright spot was the play of Kieran Trippier, who was just signed the day before. The 31-year-old looked class while being a leader on the pitch. Trippier has collected our poll as Newcastle’s best player with over 50% of the vote.
Loading ...The defeat highlighted Newcastle’s dire need for a striker. After the match, Eddie Howe confirmed that Callum Wilson would be lost until March. The focus this week was on adding a goalscorer and a center-back.
It appears that half of the mission will be a success as Chris Wood is set to become our second signing of the new era. Newcastle triggered his release clause and he should be a Magpie by day’s end.
The 30-year-old is in line to make his debut on Saturday. A win would see Newcastle leapfrog The Hornets in the table, though they would have a match in hand. Depending on how Burnley fare against Leicester City, three points could move us above the relegation places.
Wins have been difficult to come by as evidenced by last Saturday’s deeply disappointing result. Watford have lost seven straight including a 4-1 defeat at Leicester in the FA Cup.
Everything simply points to this being a must-win for The Magpies. Getting our new striker in to play a part could make all the difference.
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96 comments so far
niafron
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:35 AM
Comment #41James Brewerton
The world cup. He can’t take the risk to be in Championship next season if he want to be in the french squad.
JP...from The Rock
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:36 AM
Comment #42Would like us to sign this French kid Ekitike as cover for ASM. If ASM get’s injured we have no cover for him and we all know he’s also made of glass like Wilson.
Ekitike could even play in front three of Ekitike – Wood / Wilson – ASM.
CLINT FLICK
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:36 AM
Comment #43Pundits…s£#@ ’em!
BenbulbenMag
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:36 AM
Comment #44James: I think Trippier is a better professional than Digne and will be a better influence in the dressing room so I think we got the better deal there. Wood is an honest professional that will put in a shift for us. In terms of raw skill and talent Coutinho blows him out of the water, but will he dig deep when you need him to and put his body on the line for you ? Personally I don’t think he would, so at this point in time and with our obvious lack of firepower up top to boot, I think Wood is a better signing for us than Coutinho.
James Brewerton
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:36 AM
Comment #45Mund
Paying big wages should not be problem wen we spending 25m on wood think digne at left back would help us a lot in my opinion
Pat Mania
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:37 AM
Comment #46Have a feeling it’ll be 0-0
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:37 AM
Comment #47Depending on who we can get in the next couple of weeks would anyone take Targett on loan from Villa?
Pretty solid defensively although not as attacking as Digne but could do a job for us till end of the season
jimiley
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:37 AM
Comment #48The media are being derogatory to the Toon and using the player as the means. They are saying how can the richest club in the world only sign a crap has been?
I like wood a lot.
Some of them are calling us PIF.
It is disgusting
kilcline
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:38 AM
Comment #49Lineker – overpaid by the BBC, tarts himself out to BT sports etc.
Great player, up his own ar$e massively,
Agbonlahor – got less brain cells than Boris
I genuinely can’t see why we are hated so much. Eff em all
Adamn_92
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:39 AM
Comment #50Hard to compare Digne and Coutinho to Villa with Trippier and Wood to us, we’re in a different situation to Villa. They’re not in relegation and have a better overall squad than ours. Probably have nothing to worry about this season and will try to see how high they can finish. We need to think more carefully about what we need so based on that, Trippier is a greater leader and Wood will give his all for us and battle away up top. Digne is questionable falling out with Rafa and doesn’t have same leadership qualities as Trippier. Coutinho, no chance he’d have been up for the fight we find ourselves in.
So given what we need and our circumstances, i’d say Trippier and Wood are better deals for us than Digne and Coutinho.
Raj of Hailsley
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:40 AM
Comment #51The Tinman,
I’ve just looked and my shoes are on the wrong feet, that’s where I’ve been going wrong all these years 😀
James Brewerton
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:40 AM
Comment #52Regarding Saturday game im going with home win 3-1 HWTL
CLINT FLICK
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:40 AM
Comment #53Wood is a no bs signing, why wait ’til the last second to sign someone pundits mock?
Do it early, let them mock, they’re gonna mock us anyway.
F£&# them!
Now we can concentrate on other players knowing we have at least covered Wilson’s injury.
Who cares about 20/25m?
How much does a striker cost?
How much for prem proven?
If Wood was 25-28, how much would it be?
Pat Mania
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:42 AM
Comment #54We’re still crying out for a defensive midfielder
barkel
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:42 AM
Comment #55The biggest problem for me is that no one can see the difference between owners wealth and club wealth. Having the richest owners does not mean we are the richest club. 14 years of neglect with fairly basic sponsorship has the club in an ok place financially but no where near where we should be. Sure the last guy was a billionaire!
jimiley
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:43 AM
Comment #56Where are Villa getting all the money.?? They are backing Herrard to hilt. The wages for those two must be astronomical
DayvanCowboy
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:43 AM
Comment #57Rotonda, “Near 31 year old”? He only turned 30 a month ago, he’s 2 months older than Callum Wilson.
For me, it’s not my money so I don’t really look at the financials, I look at it as weakening a rival, their fans have said in multiple comments that he may not have scored many “so far” this season, but Burnley have looked a worse team when he hasn’t played, if anyone has bothered to go and look at his scoring stats through a season he’s a bit like Ayoze Perez was for us, he scores over 50% of his goals in the second half of the season:
17/18 – Scored 6 of his 10 goals after the Season half way mark – Also missed 9 games from December to February
18/19 – Scored 9 of his 10 goals after the Season half way mark
19/20 – Scored 7 of his 14 goals after the Season half way mark
20/21 – Scored 9 of his 12 goals after the Season half way mark
James Brewerton
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:43 AM
Comment #58Adamn
Yep I agree. we still need CB in soon as possible tho
jimiley
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:45 AM
Comment #59Let’s put it this way. Would we have signed Coutinho and Digne?
Let’s not put them down coz they chose to go elsewhere . Twats
CLINT FLICK
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:45 AM
Comment #60Guys, the pundit bs is gonna reach fever pitch…before it all starts to recede…as and when things start to change ’round here…
It’s a last hurrah for their tawdry mocking of a whole area, not just our club.
This is nothing new, but they’re being seen for what they are now. They can’t help themselves.
Would love to see us ram it down their throats…
…right, got that off my chest…
😀
Adamn_92
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:45 AM
Comment #61James
Yeah it seems like we’re trying hard to get a central defender in. Not sure if it’ll be before Watford but think we’ll make some sort of breakthrough on that front soon. Fingers crossed.
James Brewerton
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:46 AM
Comment #62I still think we should go wolves say name your price get Conor coady
kilcline
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:47 AM
Comment #63A big commanding CB will transform out team, will give keeper confidence and those in front of him.
I would drop shelvey but Howe won’t
Raj of Hailsley
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:48 AM
Comment #64Whether we want to hear it or not Villa are in the same bracket as us in size and stature. Five years ago Ciaran Clark opted for us over them, five years on and Digne has opted for them over us. At this moment in time they are in a better position than us as they have little to zero chance of going down this season so there is absolutely no risk of having to play in the championship. Most of us have accepted this as reality this window.
ITUNDERASHELL
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:49 AM
Comment #65I don’t suppose their allegiance to a contract and the fear of PIF taking over broadcasting rights has influenced Lineker and his chums panicked outburst about our new centre forward.
Their jobs are going to be on the line and I would love it, really love it, if they are begging for a job under a PIF broadcasting contract.
It just shows you how stupid these knobheads really are.
https://www.premierleague.com/news/2139168
Raj of Hailsley
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:49 AM
Comment #66I doubt very much Lucas Digne has turned us down over wage demands.
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:50 AM
Comment #67Really happy with both signings we have made so far to be honest
This season all we have to do is be better than Watford over the 2nd half of the season I believe these 2 signings with a couple more of similar quality gives us that advantage
A win on Saturday would be huge!!
Mund
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:51 AM
Comment #68James
It doesn’t mean we should be held to ransom tho mate. If the reports are true and Digne wanted close to 200K a week and also grumbling about coming here then I’d say a bullet dodged. I agree he would of strengthened us a lot but there’s better out there.
Toon Tang
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:51 AM
Comment #69jimiley 56, its all that Jack Goulash money burning a hole in their pockets.
James Brewerton
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:53 AM
Comment #70Mund
I think 40m get us Conor coady
James Brewerton
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:54 AM
Comment #71Toon tang
I think they spent most of that 100m all ready in summer
DayvanCowboy
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:54 AM
Comment #72If anyone, honestly thought that a team thats been rooted in the bottom 3 all season, with 1 win, even with new financial backing, could lure the likes of Coutinho and Digne into this dog fight you need to give your head a shake, utter delusional, Villa are light years ahead of us as a club, they have wealthy backers, experienced football directors in place for over a decade now with a modern coaching/support staff structure, a modern training ground and have seen modern upgrades to their stadium and thats before we get onto their more than favourable league position.
Mund
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:56 AM
Comment #73James
I don’t think Wolves would accept that mate.
I’m still hopeful on Botman but only time will tell on that one.
Also I can’t see Coady being cheaper than Botman
kilcline
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:57 AM
Comment #74I do wish Villa all the bad luck in the world.
I hate their fans, i dont like most of their players, i hate Gerrard
Mund
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:58 AM
Comment #75Doesn’t take much for any club to be ahead of us as we have been left to rot for the past 14 years.
The heart beats stronger than ever tho and I don’t think any club can match that
cleveleysbob
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:58 AM
Comment #76Saturdays team,
Dubs
Trippier, Schar, Lascelles, Dummet
Murphy, Willock, Joelinton, Fraser
ASM, Wood
Basic 442 or 4411. Substitute ASM for Almiron @ 60mins (or other way round)
If Lascelles not available, move Dummet to CB and Manquillo in @ LB
Willock to play CAM role making runs into box behind ASM and Wood.
Murphy, Fraser and Trippier providing the crosses for Wood.
Any additional signings obviously a bonus, but we’d win more than we lose with this 11 and certainly enough to win all games against bottom 10, which is all we need.
dazzler
Jan 12, 2022 at 10:58 AM
Comment #77Jimiley,
It’s nowt to do with manager pulling power with Digne and more to do with them willing to pay him circa £200k per week. Coutinho defo would have chosen Gerrard over Howe as he’s good mates with him though, bit like how we’ve ended up with Trippier really.
It’s swings and roundabouts.
Villa (mainly Dean Smith in reality) spent well in the summer following the Grealish sale and still have some change left over which has helped them.
James Brewerton
Jan 12, 2022 at 11:00 AM
Comment #78KILCLINE
Try living hear . I lived in Birmingham for about 7 years now as I married a brummie but she Birmingham City fan not villa lol
Great White Hunter
Jan 12, 2022 at 11:02 AM
Comment #79Happy Birthday Jail, Have a gud un……Cheers. GWH
dazzler
Jan 12, 2022 at 11:03 AM
Comment #80CleverleysBob,
I’d probably go 3 at the back and keep Ritchie in. Keep Krafth in as RCB, and bring Dummett in on the left of Lascelles.
Big Joe and Shelvey in the middle with Murphy and ASM in just behind Wood.
Go with a full blown Rafa formation with plenty of attacking threat.