Newcastle continue a very difficult stretch with a clash at Stamford Bridge. The Magpies are coming off a very disappointing 1-0 defeat against Brighton at St. James’ Park. Now the terrain gets much more difficult.
It’s back to back matches against the Blues, who come to Newcastle for the Carabao Cup on Wednesday. Then it’s Arsenal at home to finish off a potentially revealing week.
Eddie Howe has been forced into changes for today’s critical fixture with Anthony Gordon out injured. Here is today’s team which has two changes from last Saturday’s defeat.
HOWAY NEWCASTLE. ? pic.twitter.com/G9B6omkflM
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) October 27, 2024
This is who Blues boss Enzo Maresca has named for the hosts.
Your Sunday team news is here. ???#CFC | #CHENEW pic.twitter.com/0UCfmwN8jQ
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) October 27, 2024
Newcastle are in the bottom half of the table and in desperate need of a result. The Magpies just haven’t gotten fully going this term and a poor summer window may be a partial culprit.
Change can be swift in the Premier League and today holds a possibility for redemption against a Jekyll and Hyde Chelsea side. Hopefully, its Newcastle’s day with three points and a corner turned.
Howay The Lads!
902 comments so far
onmeedsun
Oct 29, 2024 at 7:44 PM
Comment #801Frenchie
Rope a dope tactics.
Offer very little threat for 60 mins except lots of running and spoiling, then bring on the bigger guns for final 30. Risky I know but we need to have strong options on the bench. Anyway, I know SFA so it’s over to Eddie. I just hope he doesn’t go with the same team and then the same on Saturday. We’ll lose both.
onmeedsun
Oct 29, 2024 at 7:46 PM
Comment #802And agreed.
Waste of money in Jan.
Suspect we’ll be so far off European places by then there’ll be little point chucking money at it.
Next summer has to be the transformative one, even if it includes selling Isak for big money.
Poet Of Prudhoe Park
Oct 29, 2024 at 7:51 PM
Comment #803If we dont buy in jan we dont have to sell isak unless he wants to go
Poet Of Prudhoe Park
Oct 29, 2024 at 7:52 PM
Comment #804Id look at buying couple of no. 9’s so isak can play off them
check the toastie
Oct 29, 2024 at 7:58 PM
Comment #805Evening Folks – Eddie under pressure if we bow out of cup and lose to Arsenal.
Personally think he shud be allowed to see out the season whatever position we stuck in. We still nailed on for top 8 for me.
Unsure why i wud have such faith mind. Seem to have lost our way.
Bruno is my new big worry, he needs to get himself proper fit. He’s coasting outside of playing the match. Has came back from the summer miles away and Eddie has allowed it. Soft touch
cyprus
Oct 29, 2024 at 7:58 PM
Comment #806O,
Did you say transformative?
Rings a bell 🙂
cyprus
Oct 29, 2024 at 8:03 PM
Comment #807Bruno et al not a concern of mine. We’re doing alright in MF, apart from not getting any goals from that lot.
Last two games, you know how many shots we’ve had? Look it up.
35!
We should have bought a 9 and a 10. Not a CB for 70 million.*
” Oh yes, we didn’t do that either.
How many goals? You know that.
cyprus
Oct 29, 2024 at 8:07 PM
Comment #808Looking for a culprit?
The big R.*
*Recruitments, or lack of. Last time we done this was following our 5th place finish.
We never learn.
NY Mag
Oct 29, 2024 at 8:09 PM
Comment #809It was transformative…..just not in the way we envisaged
magscar
Oct 29, 2024 at 8:21 PM
Comment #810Tricky game for Eddie tomorrow
His mantra is to pick a side to win every game so he will want a strong side tomorrow but whether he admits it or not the spectre of Arsenal at weekend will be haunting his thoughts
As Check says out of cup and a loss to Arsenal will see pressure mount on Eddie but can’t see it buckling PIF’s trust in him mid season
Poor transfer windows ( no matter who we blame) are catching up on us but January is no longer good for sales in Retail nor Premier League
We’re seeing the reverse of early season – poor performances but getting points ( ignoring Fulham) to now improved (in general if not some individual) performances and few points – frustrating
I’m hopeful of a win tomorrow and at least a point against Arsenal( if we can stop giving stupid goals away)
Looking ahead after that there’s a run (except Liverpool) of winnable games so through in Cup and a performance with point(s) on Saturday and we might all be feeling a little more confident of season not just ebbing away
Christmas period is tricky so we need to hit form now
As to Cup if we get passed Chelsea there are still very good sides left to possibly face and knowing our luck we’ll face one of them away in Quarters !
check the toastie
Oct 29, 2024 at 10:16 PM
Comment #811Not wrong Mags.
Toon need to start being ruthless, rather than just being content
lochinvar
Oct 29, 2024 at 10:41 PM
Comment #812I thought if we played a cup game on Wednesday the next League match would be Sunday but no so.
Saturday we need to give Arsenal a good old fashioned thrashing. Cheer everyone up apart from Artyteta.
lochinvar
Oct 29, 2024 at 10:41 PM
Comment #8136 hours ago
Newcastle United have completed a deal to sign highly-rated Georgian forward Vakhtang Salia from Dinamo Tbilisi.
The 17-year-old will officially join the Magpies on his 18th birthday in August 2025 and will remain with Dinamo in the meantime.
Vakhtang made his professional debut for his hometown club in November 2023 as Dinamo narrowly missed out on winning the Erovnuli Liga title.
Ooooo........it's Nicky the ball tosser
Oct 29, 2024 at 11:11 PM
Comment #814I think we’ll spend in January for sure, if a good deal presents itself, and not otherwise. It’s basically how we’ve always operated, which makes the Guehi pursuit so perplexing. He wasn’t available, and our bid to most eyes just too high, yet seemingly he was our only target. Bizarre. We definitely need a couple of attackers brought in, or at the very least one, to freshen up the squad and give us some much needed impetus, as we hopefully are still in with a shot at top 6. Obviously need Botman, Wilson and Trippier back also, and of course playing well. We really are missing them.
mctoon
Oct 30, 2024 at 3:46 AM
Comment #815On Guehi, hind sights a wonderful thing.
We were scoring freely last season, by the finish we had scored 85 goals the 4th best in the league. (1 shy of Liverpool and only 11 shy of Man City.
It wouldn’t have been considered the concern it is now.
Our problems appeared to be defensive (62 conceded) especially with Botman and Lascelles confirmed as side-lined for the long term too.
It’s not really a surprise that we chased Guehi so long and so hard when you factor all that in.
He was the perfect signing to step in for the injured Botman, playing the left sided centre back role that he’d played so successfully for both Palace and England.
Then once Botman returned, being right footed he would then be heir apparent for the aging schar on the right hand side.
Maybe there were more CB’s out there (?) but how many fitted that criteria so perfectly and how many of them wanted to come … and on the right wages (for the club currently)?
mctoon
Oct 30, 2024 at 3:50 AM
Comment #816Botman might be back in training soon and for sure he’s been sorely missed.
Not sure what the score with Kelly is, but the rest of any team takes confidence from a solid backline, and we’ve had to face the bulk of games this season with two aging CB’s and two young and fairly inexperienced full backs.
Great prospects but still learning their trade are Tino and Hall
Burn and schar not only have had to try and strike up a partnership together, they’ve also had to babysit the young full backs to some degree.
Even when back in training, Botman’s gonna take a while to build up his match fitness and whilst it would be fantastic to see him hit the ground running later this season, we might not actually see the best of him until the season next … With a decent pre-season behind him.
mctoon
Oct 30, 2024 at 3:52 AM
Comment #817PSR will still be biting, wether it’s January or the Summer.
I have doubts it will be a huge spend in either.
Not unless we’ve got large additional APT sponsorships (now) able and willing to be signed off by the EPL.
As mentioned by others without additional revenues it’s a big player that possibly has to be sacrificed to fund a major build.
From what Eddie’s been saying about Isak, our wage bill must be fast becoming a big limiting factor too under PSR (Painfully Sobering Reality).
mctoon
Oct 30, 2024 at 4:02 AM
Comment #818Man City 825.9 Euro’s
Man Utd 745.8
Liverpool 682.9
Tottenham 631.5
Chelsea 589.4
Arsenal 532.6
Newcastle 287.8
West Ham 275.1
Aston Villa 250.5
Brighton 231.3
Fulham 209.8
Crystal P 206.5
Everton 198
From figures released by Deloitte June 24, although based on the accounts end 22/23 season. (I presume they are / were latest available)
It shows how we’re still a lot closer to Everton, Palace and Fulham in revenues than the bottom performing Top six team.
Tottenham’s a surprise, I presume due to their new stadium.
We need ours….
mctoon
Oct 30, 2024 at 4:03 AM
Comment #819Sorry should have mentioned … it shows revenues in Euro’s.
mctoon
Oct 30, 2024 at 4:29 AM
Comment #820Sorry very last one, before I head to work.
Deloitte also gave the wages to revenue ratio figures for some of the teams too.
Man City 59%
Man Utd 51%
Liverpool 63%
Tottenham 46%
Chelsea 79%
Arsenal 51%
Newcastle 75%
West Ham 57%
Aston Villa 92%
It gives a good idea on the profitability of the clubs.
We know we’re experiencing PSR issues.
It also shows why Chelsea were too, and why they sell hotels and so many academy products to fund their huge spends.
Aston Villa, ran into PSR trouble too (selling Douglas Luiz)… They’ll continue to do so if thy don’t reduce their wage bill. Selling youth products might aid them too though, in the short term.
Unfortunately Ashley may have left us debt free, but he also left us fcuk all ourselves, in terms of saleable assets. (players)
mctoon
Oct 30, 2024 at 4:32 AM
Comment #821Again, figures are 22/23 so things may have got better, or may have got worse.
I guess we won’t really know until June 25.
Ooooo........it's Nicky the ball tosser
Oct 30, 2024 at 4:49 AM
Comment #822You do have have to get him though, if you have got all your eggs in that one basket. Not to get him, and then no one else, to improve the starting 11, was something we could clearly ill afford, and other stuff too, like selling Minteh and Anderson, and bringing in a keeper we clearly don’t really rate and for a big outlay, albeit
fudged both ways, and failing to move on a few we might’ve to generate much needed funds, such as Miggy, Wilson and maybe Tripper, and this after the Tonali fiasco the previous summer. It’s probably fair to say we haven’t operated as well as in the past two summer windows as we have needed to, given the reality of PSR restraints, and it’s contributed certainly to the situation we find ourselves in, ie somewhat stalled, or atleast choked a little for fuel.
cyprus
Oct 30, 2024 at 5:00 AM
Comment #823I get that they looked at the stats and said we’re alright up front so why don’t we buy ANOTHER CB, you can’t be too careful.
But, it’s a bit like looking at GPS and not the road itself, so you drive into a lake.
We had Wilson up front, surely someone should’ve said maybe he’ll stay injured, just maybe? And we had Isak who has been troubled with injuries and loss of form. AND who’s had his head turned.
No matter, what’s done is done.
I read, above, that most of you are saying let’s hang on till summer and then we’ll do a big transformative window. I get the logic, January is notoriously hard.
But that means we throw this season in the bin. Even if we’re not in actual danger.
Why? Plenty of football from January till May.
We need to, ahem, box clever. Plenty of smaller leagues out there with super talented readymade forwards who are scoring aplenty and whose price is very realistic at 10-30 mil. And who’d jump at the chance.
Not another deJong
Oct 30, 2024 at 6:20 AM
Comment #824Despite what he says to the contrary and to the press, I think Paul Mitchell is throwing Eddie Howe under the bus. The head coach appears to be isolated from wider decision making and when ever the match camara is on Mitchell & Bunce the vibe is not great. Completely the opposite to Amanda and G.
I feel another underwhelming and dragged out transfer window will be repeated. With daily contact only superficially happening between all parties. Sink or swim Eddie in your own transfers and mottos.
I maybe wrong but Howe may have dug his heals in, just as Rafa did when faced with ‘the short blanket’. But this time it is the PL that is suffocating the club and deflating all the progress that has been accomplished in a few short years. Currently this season looks like a right off unless we see both Howe & Mitchell in a joint press conference.
Not another deJong
Oct 30, 2024 at 6:25 AM
Comment #825I wonder how many conversations the players have had with the new Director of Football, in comparison to Staveley.
Not another deJong
Oct 30, 2024 at 6:31 AM
Comment #826“Hey Isak, don’t you worry son you’ll be in double figures by Christmas and you won’t want to go anywhere.”
Or is it….
(what is he worth if we sold him)
Shh, don’t say anything.
Wor B
Oct 30, 2024 at 6:53 AM
Comment #827Haha, very different optics!
Wor Mandy, the posh girl who loves the smell of the stables and wears her heart on her sleeve ala Keegan.
And Mitchell, sitting in the posh seats looking concerned.
magscar
Oct 30, 2024 at 7:13 AM
Comment #828We seem to spend a lot of time in regret mode 🙂
If it’s not Minteh and Anderson it’s Mandy and Mehdad or it’s Ashworth – well maybe not
Need a win tonight and at least a home tie draw to get us looking forward not back 🙂
magscar
Oct 30, 2024 at 7:31 AM
Comment #829Since Ferguson and with exception of Pep possibly (?) there’s not a manager that effectively controls direction of a club
We have a very mixed up ( even backwards) sequence of appointments which if you wanted to have a perfect set up from the start you simply wouldn’t have done this way
Of course we entered takeover in crisis mode and got most things right to get us stabilised in pretty quick time
Now we face not only bigger hurdles and after some enforced boardroom changes but with the growing reality that our selling policy was really non existent
To be fair that isn’t necessarily down to say Eddie’s reluctance to sell on but simply a final kick in the teeth from the Ashley contract policy years
It’s not going to be a quick fix from what we can see but we need to start to creating a system that involves planned succession sales not PSR forced ones
Mitchell is hopefully well on with such a strategy and taking Eddie with him ?
It has crossed my mind that although I first thought Eddie could be a casualty of all the upheaval, maybe Mitchell now understanding the actual size and difficulty of the task he faces (from being within not at a distance) might just look for an easier job ?
Unused Substitute
Oct 30, 2024 at 7:54 AM
Comment #830Vibes’s not been good since Mitchell talked trying to deflect criticisms and stoked unnecessary controversies. Since he couldn’t have done that without PIF’s backing, Eddie could indeed be on borrowed time. No wonder the team is unsettled when the team boss is unsettled. Mitchell’s slash and burn strategy may have worked at PSG but we’re no PSG.
Not another deJong
Oct 30, 2024 at 8:05 AM
Comment #831#Monaco
Not another deJong
Oct 30, 2024 at 8:10 AM
Comment #832Talking of different optics, the clinical Palmer pass for their first could be seen as a bit ‘route 1’. Whilst our goal, rather clumsily, worked all the way through the opposition for a very similar assist and tap in, had more about it in footballing involvement.
Davas
Oct 30, 2024 at 9:06 AM
Comment #833Nadj
I don’t think it’s Bunce next to Mitchell when the camera pans to him during the match. Bunce was doing the 2nd half warm up against Brighton and sits in the dugout. Eddie says good things about him.
Poet Of Prudhoe Park
Oct 30, 2024 at 10:49 AM
Comment #834Quiet on a matchday 😀
Poet Of Prudhoe Park
Oct 30, 2024 at 10:49 AM
Comment #835No happy clappers saying how we gonna win tonight 😀
Davas
Oct 30, 2024 at 11:08 AM
Comment #836Been musing again.
Maybe one of the problems with the perceived lack of press this season is that the squad are not as Eddie fit as previously. Maybe, with the introduction of bunce, they are on a slower build up.
With the, unwarranted, finger pointing at the medical/fitness team last season, perhaps they’ve gone too much the other way and can’t sustain the press yet.
Fenham to Chalfont
Oct 30, 2024 at 11:09 AM
Comment #837Filthy Troll
There’s a message for you on THAT thread.
Fenham to Chalfont
Oct 30, 2024 at 11:11 AM
Comment #838Some reports are saying that NUFC beat the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich to the signing of Vakhtang Salia from Dinamo Tbilisi.
I watched a clip of the lads best bits and he really does look the real deal regular for his first team and only 17. Good work by Paul Mitchell I’d say 😉
Fenham to Chalfont
Oct 30, 2024 at 11:14 AM
Comment #839#834
“ No happy clappers saying how we gonna win tonight”
And this imposter on an NUFC blog would just absolutely love to see NUFC turned over tonight. It ain’t an NUFC fan as aren’t a few others that gloat on here when the chips are down, then disappear like a fart in a hurricane when we play well. Strange times indeed.
Fenham to Chalfont
Oct 30, 2024 at 11:22 AM
Comment #840I’m really looking forward to the game this evening. We need the lads to really turn up for this one and get the required result to take us to the next round.
A good result will do the lads a world of good to take us into the Arsenal game who are not playing at their best, maybe they’ve been unlucky as we have. NUFC need the luck to change as we have been so close to decent results.
We simply cannot afford to lose tonight then another loss at the weekend. Eddie must garner the best possible performances from the lads. If the worst did come to the worst, unfortunately for some on here IMO Eddies job is still safe, I’ve said it many times on here he is the best man for the job and once the results come all this talk will disappear and all the bed setters will have to find something else to complain about.