Newcastle’s recent lack of prowess in front of goal is a point of intrigue heading into Tuesday’s first-leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final at Southampton. The Magpies have created plenty of chances but just haven’t had their finishing boots on in recent weeks.
That could lead Eddie Howe to alter his team tomorrow. Conventional wisdom is Howe will go with his preferred eleven. However, tweaking the lineup could spark the desired result of more goals.
I suspect Howe will make a bold change by dropping Callum Wilson and handing a start to Alexander Isak. It would be harsh on Wilson but giving him a break may benefit the 30-year-old in the long run.
This is the team I am predicting Howe will select with just the one change at the top of the pitch. It would be Isak’s first league start since the 1-1 draw against Bournemouth in September.
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217 comments so far
sparky55
Jan 24, 2023 at 5:53 AM
Comment #121Sir…Nae stotties doon here in Harrogate…and defo nae stotties in the airport either…we have some sh1te called barm cakes!
I’ll try and find a restaurant where Im off to that can knock me up me match day breakfast
Not another deJong
Jan 24, 2023 at 6:20 AM
Comment #122Tyne bridge to be 100 yo in 2028
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jan/23/tyne-bridge-restoration-newcastle-city-council
Not another deJong
Jan 24, 2023 at 6:30 AM
Comment #123Is Breton training ground nearly as old
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/newcastle-training-ground-upgrade-benefits-26052129?ds=
Not another deJong
Jan 24, 2023 at 6:39 AM
Comment #124If eventually the plan was to relocate the stadium to the quayside, I wonder if PIF would donate some silver paint for the bridge.
Wor B
Jan 24, 2023 at 7:17 AM
Comment #125Benton… No bar, no smoking area, no Greggs. WTF is wrong with architects these days.
Raj of Hailsley
Jan 24, 2023 at 7:38 AM
Comment #126Talking about paint Nadj, I hope Amanda hasn’t painted herself in to a corner by saying we’ll never move.
sparky55
Jan 24, 2023 at 7:40 AM
Comment #127Jail…has she said we’ll never move from SJP?
sparky55
Jan 24, 2023 at 7:41 AM
Comment #128Modern architects…nae imagination!
Raj of Hailsley
Jan 24, 2023 at 7:52 AM
Comment #129Talking about paint Nadj, I hope Amanda hasn’t painted herself in to a corner by saying we’ll never move stadiums.
sparky55
Jan 24, 2023 at 7:54 AM
Comment #130Have they got a chauffeur car rank for those that cant drive?
sparky55
Jan 24, 2023 at 7:56 AM
Comment #131Jail…I must have missed that…thought it was still up in the air!
Architecturally a nightmare to extend but who cares.
Any ideas on numbers increase?
CLINT FLICK
Jan 24, 2023 at 8:01 AM
Comment #132Nadj
Silver, gold or Black’n’White stripes mitht look nice?
Wor B
Jan 24, 2023 at 8:04 AM
Comment #133“In February 2022, Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi gave an interview with George Caulkin for The Athletic, and stated that the club would be looking to extend St James’ Park to 60 – 65,000 and that a new stadium wouldn’t be considered as “it would be like tearing your soul out”.”
https://true-faith.co.uk/st-james-park-an-experts-eye-on-expanding-newcastle-uniteds-home/
Raj of Hailsley
Jan 24, 2023 at 8:17 AM
Comment #134Aye sparky55, she made a big spiel about our spiritual home and all that. I think if it’s not under FFP we should build a 60K somewhere else that can be a multi use then demolish ours and rebuild it as a 70K that can be modified to hold 50/60K without looking empty on certain matches.
Transfer Sage
Jan 24, 2023 at 8:19 AM
Comment #135On a stadium move, not being from the city and not being a regular attender of matches I wouldn’t have a strong view. I think any change, regardless of commitments made, should be done so with the consultation of fan groups.
I’m never against a new stadium but if we were to have one, I’d love us to get a unique design as a lot of modern stadiums look a little soulless and generic, as if just picked off a shelf. It may be difficult but I’d love them to try and do some sort of modern twist on the architecture of the city.
Raj of Hailsley
Jan 24, 2023 at 8:23 AM
Comment #136TS,
I’ve got no issue with moving as long as it’s kept in the city and not out by an area with nothing surrounding it. That concept idea by the river is class.
Transfer Sage
Jan 24, 2023 at 8:30 AM
Comment #137Jail
Totally agree. A stadium needs to be part of the city, not some tourist attraction on the outskirts.
Is there a link to the concept idea anywhere or was it just something somebody here proposed? I’ve tried reading back through posts but haven’t seen anything.
Raj of Hailsley
Jan 24, 2023 at 8:30 AM
Comment #138Wow,
Another record broken.
https://twitter.com/OptaJoe/status/1617509967325696006?t=QePWVvaYCA-iNGl-AAHBEw&s=19
Dubai Micky
Jan 24, 2023 at 8:34 AM
Comment #139I think wor Eddie will start with an unchanged team and bring on Isak at 60 mins.
Raj of Hailsley
Jan 24, 2023 at 8:35 AM
Comment #140I can’t find it TS, I’m sure someone will. It’s right on the river with a little marina for private yachts, looks excellent.
Not another deJong
Jan 24, 2023 at 8:49 AM
Comment #141Turn around, bright eyes.
There’s a song in that.
Not another deJong
Jan 24, 2023 at 8:50 AM
Comment #142Transfer Sage
A couple of images
https://mobile.twitter.com/onee111even/status/1551490579862880256
Darnik
Jan 24, 2023 at 8:52 AM
Comment #143This is the young Jamaican coming for a trial
Darnik
Jan 24, 2023 at 8:52 AM
Comment #144https://twitter.com/BenBocsak/status/1597267121624735744?t=qUwaTYckmz5SuvljOUS9oA&s=19
Raj of Hailsley
Jan 24, 2023 at 8:54 AM
Comment #145TS,
That’s the one Nadj just posted.
Not another deJong
Jan 24, 2023 at 9:00 AM
Comment #146Two Dwight Yorks in one
Adamn_92
Jan 24, 2023 at 9:00 AM
Comment #147Dubai
I’m the same mind as you. Don’t think Howe will look to make any changes in what is such an important game. Likely stick with what’s been working all season and have Isak and ASM to come on again later if need be.
Transfer Sage
Jan 24, 2023 at 9:02 AM
Comment #148Thanks NADJ. That does look really impressive.
Hopefully something like that is possible if we move from the current stadium.
Munster Mag
Jan 24, 2023 at 9:15 AM
Comment #149Jail / nadj is this a recent idea? Looks good. I thought it was St James or somewhere miles away?
Adamn_92
Jan 24, 2023 at 9:23 AM
Comment #150Also I don’t mind the new UEFA ruling coming in to stop clubs like Chelsea handing out 8 year contracts to get around FFP. We’ve already shown we are capable of competing at the top without the need to do that. It’s clubs like Chelsea who are scrambling to catch us with this reckless spending and still not managing it. It’ll bite them in the ass and then they won’t be able to try and rescue themselves with this FFP loophole in the future either.
We’re doing things correctly and it’s working perfectly so far, so don’t think any restrictions in place going forward is going to halt us or our plans. We have the right people in roles at the club now to find ways to ensure we have maximum money to spend in years to come anyway.
Tinos Vino
Jan 24, 2023 at 9:29 AM
Comment #151Chelsea are doing an Everton. i know it stinks them doing the 8 year contracts but it is a very dangerous game and a big gamble. They will have accounting periods to buffer them but if they are not regulars in the champions league for more than 2 seasons then they will be in trouble.
Our long term approach is the sensible one. build revenue ( we need to with the current wage bill) bring in a blend of now and future players, build an ethos for the team. i don’t think it has been said in a while but we need to believe and trust the process.
Transfer Sage
Jan 24, 2023 at 9:33 AM
Comment #152Adamn
I’m still not sold on FFP. I don’t see what it does other than stopping smaller clubs investing to catch bigger clubs in what UEFA/Prem League consider a “non-organic” method. Regardless of the course of a clubs money, 95% plus of trophies are won by teams with the biggest spending power.
If the plan is to stop clubs with rich owners investing quickly to catch big teams, it will probably work.
For me, FFP should be about levelling the playing field.
There should be a squad salary cap for one. You can pay any one player whatever you want but the total squad salary should be X amount. No creative ways around it either so include other payments and signing on fees.
There should also be rules to stop clubs hording players. If a player doesn’t play a certain amount of games when fit, then they should be free to terminate their contract if they wish and look elsewhere. There’s a great piece on the Athletic on something like this being the best way to create competition.
Tinos Vino
Jan 24, 2023 at 9:34 AM
Comment #153on the top 4 or not point. I am happy with top 6 if you look at where we started and the time frame although i can say i wouldn’t be disappointed if we didn’t get top 4 now. However the only thing top 4 and CL will increase is revenue, not only through qualifying but how much we can get away with re the sponsorship deal which is vital to where we want to be.
ToonDarnSarf
Jan 24, 2023 at 9:37 AM
Comment #154It’s funny how some fans are criticising Chelsea for using loopholes and taking risks with FFP and some fans are calling for us to just ignore FFP and go out and spend. I’m sure some of those people are the same too!
For the record, I am 100% behind our approach and much prefer the low-risk, well planned, well executed approach over the scattergun and risky approach from Chelsea. It might pay off for Chelsea but it usually doesn’t. Smacks of desperation to me. They had all the opportunity in the world to build on a very good team last summer and stay ahead of us but they blew it. Now they have to take their medicine.
Raj of Hailsley
Jan 24, 2023 at 9:39 AM
Comment #155TS,
Exactly, how can you compete with the turnover/wages ratio with the likes of Man U, RM, BM and Lpool, it’s not a level playing field at all.
ToonDarnSarf
Jan 24, 2023 at 9:39 AM
Comment #156TS – that can be what release clauses are for. But release clause amounts typically match the wages and transfer fees involved so clubs protect their assets. If a player wants more flexibility to move, they accept a lower wage and therefore a lower release clause. Haaland has done it to perfection.
Tinos Vino
Jan 24, 2023 at 9:40 AM
Comment #157@ TS this link, although a little dry shows what Uefa are wanting to do and it is a salary cap. we are currently screwed so need that sponsorship money and euro revenue.
https://www.linklaters.com/en/insights/blogs/sportinglinks/2022/october/uefas-new-cost-control-rule
ToonDarnSarf
Jan 24, 2023 at 9:42 AM
Comment #158We can’t compete YET. But which club is the top earner in world football? Man City. Who’s a to say it won’t be us in 20 years time?
At least FFP helps to prevent the boom & busy scenario where an owner comes in, spends a tonne of money, then the club gets into trouble because the owner doesn’t want to (or can’t) spend money on it any more.
Transfer Sage
Jan 24, 2023 at 9:43 AM
Comment #159Jail
Financial doping isn’t something that is taken seriously in sport.
I remember a scandal on distance running maybe 7/8 years ago now. I can’t remember the name of the drug, but certain athletes were taking this very cheap drug as it did something to mimic altitude training without the significant cost of a training camp at altitude. These were punished with some receiving lengthy bans. They were all from predominantly poorer countries and backgrounds.
You then had elite athletes staying in a Nike sponsored facility which manually set oxygen levels in the building to mimic altitude training and were regular sent to higher altitudes to train. This was deemed absolutely fine as it was “natural”.
This is what I always think of under the current FFP model. The teams which happened to be big when football as a business took off are
Adamn_92
Jan 24, 2023 at 9:44 AM
Comment #160TS
It’s a tricky one isn’t it, as I kind of understand the concept of FFP but it doesn’t seem to work that way in reality. In theory yes, limit how much clubs with vast wealth can spend so that they don’t end up running away from other clubs, buy their success and win everything with no competition. The reality, is that the rich clubs can already generate lots of income so they still are able to spend the most, so they end up pulling away more as the smaller clubs can’t generate that much money to spend. So it just doesn’t really work. A
Squad salary cap is a really interesting idea and I can see how that could work. It’d be tricky to know when to introduce it though, as if you introduced it now then some clubs probably have 1 or 2 players that take would take them well over that limit. So would it be fair to say sorry but you have to boot out their player or they’ll have to take a huge pay cut? I can’t see a player or club being happy with that. It would be a good idea though and would make sense to try and control the levels of spending. Something needs to happen as it’s already crazy the amount of money that can be spent on just 1 player, in terms of transfer fee and salary.
Fully agree about players being able to terminate their contract too. You get some players that literally go out on loan year after year and you know the parent club has no intention of ever playing them. Just loan them in the hope they can get a good fee for them at some stage. Letting players negotiate with other teams if they don’t hit certain criteria with their parents club would be a good introduction.