Stoke have earned a reputation of being a physical side who rely mainly on set piece goals and winning the second balls and knock-downs. It isn’t pretty, but it’s certainly effective and means that they currently sit in a league position that is not too different to our own with only the two points separating the two sides.
The home to the “loudest fans in the Premier League” will also be the temporary home to 3,000 or so of the travelling Toon Army which will include, from what I know of anyway, myself, Marktoon, Jay Jay, Dan4toon, Davidtoon4life, AndrewNUFC, Shrews mag and probably a fair few more from the blog who I may have missed.
Stoke will be without John Carew for the match tomorrow as he nurses a back injury whilst former Magpie Abdoulaye Faye is rated as doubtful as he is suffering from a hamstring injury. Mamady Sidebe is definitely out, as he has been for sometime, although The Potters will be able to recall Asmir Begovic after he missed their FA Cup game with West Ham last week due to illness.
Coincidentally, to take a look at the last team that Stoke managed to put out in the Premier League you have to go back a couple of weeks to their last match, which was also against West Ham. They lost that game 3-0 and they lined up with a team sheet consisting of;
Stoke: Asmir Begovic, Mark Wilson, Robert Huth, Ryan Shawcross, Danny Pugh, Jermaine Pennant, Rory Delap, Dean Whitehead, Glen Whelan, Jonathan Walters, John Carew.
Newcastle are carrying an awful lot of injuries at the minute, although to be fair it’s mainly injuries to three players that are causing us the real issue. Jose Enrique, although not officially confirmed yet, looks set to miss out whilst Joey Barton will undergo a late fitness test to see if he can feature. Jonas Gutierrez is also officially doubtful although he has thanked the medical staff for his quick recovery via his Twitter account. Make of that what you will…
The likes of Stephen Ireland, Hatem Ben Arfa, Dan Gosling and Alan Smith are all still injured of course, so any further casualties tend to hit us pretty hard. It was against Everton the the two latest injuries (Jose and Jonas) occurred. We lost that match 2-1 and lined up with a team of;
Newcastle: Steve Harper, Steven Taylor, Mike Williamson, Fabricio Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Danny Simpson, Cheik Tiote, Kevin Nolan, Jonas Gutierrez, Leon Best, Peter Lovenkrands.
Obviously there will have to be some changes to that line up due to our injuries, so I’d put Lovenkrands on the left and play Nile Ranger or Shola Ameobi up front with Leon Best for a start. If Joey Barton is fit then it will be a right side made up of him and Simpson, and as for left-back it’s a toss up between either Jonas Gutierrez (in the unlikely event of him being fit), Shane Ferguson or James Perch.
Stoke are looking to do the double over us, which is something that they have failed to achieve since the 1970/1971 season. With an unbeaten home record in 2011 that statistic could become a reality come 5pm Saturday afternoon.
Expect an aerial bombardment from Stoke as not only do they throw the ball into the box from any position possible, they have also played 44% of passes into the final third of the pitch, which is the highest figure in the top flight this season. HOOF!
Kevin Nolan and Cheik Tiote are both one yellow card away from two game suspensions as they are both on nine bookings for the season. Another yellow tomorrow would see the pair miss the visit of Wolves and the trip to Aston Villa.
Newcastle have drawn five of the last eight games, but they have have only tasted defeat twice in 2011.
All in all I’m personally not holding out much hope for tomorrow. To me success would be a point and a decent performance as well me avoiding any kind of trouble. It finds me, honest!
I gave up predicting a while back, mainly because I’m **** at it, but I honestly can’t see anything else other than defeat. If we had a few more first choice players available then maybe my expectations would be a bit higher, but all I expect from the dump that is Stoke is a few beers and a train ride home with nothing to show for it.
Howay the lads!
truth hurts sometimes draw is a top result but cannot see it,had it been 2/3wks ago i might have had more hope 😐
icedog(Quote)
Wil be delighted with a point but fear we will get battered. 🙁
TonyGreenSupreme(Quote)
*will
TonyGreenSupreme(Quote)
i like the look of young fergie but if he plays at stoke i fear for him,against the big sods, as a winger yes but at l/b not the game for him imo
icedog(Quote)
I have faith in us 😀 I do agree with Ice Re Fergie I think they will kick lumps out of him if he is at LB
Big Dave(Quote)
Ice > http://www.dreadnought-bulldogs.com/ 😉 I was looking at them
Big Dave(Quote)
i worry for tiote and nolan too one more booking and they miss wolves game then we will up the creek
icedog(Quote)
Heard that Stoke is a horrible place for away supporters, take care all those Mags that are going!! 👿
TonyGreenSupreme(Quote)
DAVE dont know if he still does but he used to go over there and bring the sperm from the best dogs in usa,and use his bitchs here
icedog(Quote)
TGS aye and its the smallest pitch in the EPL,wonder why that is 😉
icedog(Quote)
TGS – ******* them lot mate. I’ve had bigger ***** than them tosspots 😉
toonsy(Quote)
Mind you I’ll be fooked anyway. Working from 5:30 this evening until 7:30 in the morning. Straight home, another hour of work, then shopping, then train to Stoke. No time for sleep 😥
toonsy(Quote)
TOONSY you will be ok,man mountain jay jay will be there 😀
icedog(Quote)
Ice – Aye. I bet he’ll have his running shoes on again judging by how quick he buggered off at Wolves when things got heated on the way back to the train 😆
toonsy(Quote)
Couldn’t give a **** how hard they think they are, I’m gonna be pissed, loud and proud 😀
jay jay(Quote)
just blazeing a clear trail for yous 😉
icedog(Quote)
Talking of trains, Jay if you read this my train gets into Stoke at 12:14 I think after stopping off at Nuneaton, Tamworth and about ten other random places 😕
toonsy(Quote)
Bullshit and you know it porridge **** 😆
jay jay(Quote)
Ice – I must admit that I thought my gob had got us into trouble at Wolves. Luckily, it also got us out of it
Feel my lyrical weapons 😆
toonsy(Quote)
Mine gets in 11:57, after stopping at Wolverhampton 😀
jay jay(Quote)
Jay Jay – Where did you scamper off to then? It was like a cartoon man, all I saw was silhouette of dust and you were off. Mark was just mooching and I got surrounded by chunk and his cousins/sons 😆
toonsy(Quote)
hate there accent at wolves sound like tarts imo
icedog(Quote)
I reckon they backed off because they saw my arms and didn’t fancy their chances.
Shame, I was just about to give em free tickets to the gun show 😉
toonsy(Quote)
Toonsy you will be allright with Jay looking out for you 😉 he’ll keep you safe
Big Dave(Quote)
Dave – Great 🙄 😆
toonsy(Quote)
Deluded fat knob, I was right next too you getting eyeballed by another fat ********, maybe your big cheese tits blocked your view 🙂
jay jay(Quote)
TOONSY 😆
icedog(Quote)
Jay – Maybe, or maybe I didn’t look down 😉
toonsy(Quote)
Jay I have faith in you mate
Big Dave(Quote)
I see Munich Mag is still getting radge on .organ. Him and Dave are a right pair, They’re like the Phil and Grant of the internet.
The internutters 😆
toonsy(Quote)
Cheers big dave 🙂
jay jay(Quote)
toonsy…call that radged…mild more like mate 😆 😆 ..
Just trying to spark some dailogue on the site, and there is one muppet over there who is well easy to wind up… 😈 😈
Munich Mag(Quote)
MM only one muppet mate,things must be getting better 😀
icedog(Quote)
icedog…..this slagging the club gets on my tits…theres loads of it going on over there…they can’t get over the disappointment that we lool like we’re gonna miss out on a european spot… 😯 😯
Munich Mag(Quote)
MM at least have the decentcy to say it sneakily behind my back 😀
jay jay(Quote)
What? We’re not getting into Europe? reet that’s it, I am away in a huff
Moreno(Quote)
MM theres only one decent guy on there that ive seen like,thats clint,apart from that the rest are all the same, talking to themselves useing diff nicks
icedog(Quote)
jay jay…do you feel in the firing line there…thought you were a steady and steadfast black and whiter… 😆 😆 …
Munich Mag(Quote)
Of course I am mate, I’m a natural 😆
jay jay(Quote)
Are you still too scared to wear your toon shirt fat boy? 🙂
jay jay(Quote)
I’d wager there’s nowt steady about jay @20.43 on a friday night! 😆
richietoon(Quote)
Europe?
I just wish the club showed a bit of ambition and went for the league title this year 😥
toonsy(Quote)
Rich – Only the steady stream of women who turn him down 😉
toonsy(Quote)
Moreno – I’ve sent more dorty pics of you want to check your mail 😉
toonsy(Quote)
Jay – 😆
Do you own one? I’ve never seen you in one? I’ll take you to kiddy world before kick off and we’ll get you one that fits 😉
toonsy(Quote)
thank flock the footy’s back this weekend…..these breaks get reet on me nerves..I mean we gotta get those 6 points in the bag pdq…
Sorry to give you the bad news about europe Moreno… 😆 😆
Munich Mag(Quote)
😥 I have feelings you know
jay jay(Quote)
toonsy – ya dirty wee jobbie 😉
Moreno(Quote)
TOONSY ganning owr the top there mind,top four aye 😀
icedog(Quote)
He was loud, proud and wearing his toon top at Brum 😀
richietoon(Quote)
Rich – Aye but that’s his safety zone isn’t it 😉
toonsy(Quote)
Cheeky fecker toonsy 😆
jay jay(Quote)
Think he had it on at Blackburn too but not sure,
I had mine on at Brum, but had to zip me jacket up when I took a wrong turn on the way to the boozer to meet Jay, it was looking a wee bit dodgey 😕
richietoon(Quote)
Jay just dont listen to nasty Toonsy, rise above it mate 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
Why dont these so called “celebrities” instead on coming back year on year to bore the **** off me with sob stories bung in a few quid fly a thousand doctors ower to Africa cut the bollocks off every bloke in a 100 mile radius and repeat the trick around the continent until aids is eradicated.
I’ll donate my hard earned if the saturdays lez up in me living room and i get a trolley dash at harrods otherwise fook off… 😈 🙄
CC(Quote)
Dave – Jay hangs on my every word mate. I’m like an idol to him 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
Jay I remember taking the wee girl up to the Royal yrs ago and wondered why I was getting dirty looks from the residents of the Falls rd 😕 then I realised I had a Rangers top on 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
Toonsy…ya misheard, he said ya idle and dim 😉 😆
richietoon(Quote)
Rich – 😆
Dave – Did they not do anything to you because you are THE “Internut”!!! 😆
toonsy(Quote)
Toonsy I still get a Laugh at that name “Internut”
Big Dave(Quote)
I had it on at Blackburn too mate.
jay jay(Quote)
Comfort zone 😉
toonsy(Quote)
Busy on the other side, Dave must have scared everyone off 😉
richietoon(Quote)
Toonsy put the KO time on the match previews in future please. bit sloppy that like. I had to go and look it up elsewhere. 😕
DJG(Quote)
DJG – Is that an instruction or a request?
toonsy(Quote)
A requst, I put please didn’t I. 🙂
DJG(Quote)
Was “Saturday afternoon” not a big enough hint then?
toonsy(Quote)
Technically saturday afternoon could be the 12.45, 3.00 or 5.30 kick off times…
CC(Quote)
DJG dont worry mate he was picking on Jay aswell 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
getting picky now like 😆
icedog(Quote)
Not really like, bit vague could be a changed kickoff time for police or tv or something. Sat afternoon could be 12.30 or 5.00 or anything really couldn’t it.
DJG(Quote)
It could be indeed, but I credit the vast majority of Newcastle fans to know just when the team that they support are going to play.
The real reason I’ve left it out is because I’ll only get accused of copying or some such by others 😉
toonsy(Quote)
Anyone spotted and bankers for my coupon the morra?
Moreno(Quote)
CC
Get him telt!!! 😀
DJG(Quote)
*and – *any
Moreno(Quote)