A different slant on a source of irritation for fans?

toonsy

I hope you guys and gals are ready to get your fill of NUFC action Saturday?

I only say that as after the Everton game the domestic season once again grinds to a halt for yet another international break.

This forthcoming break will be the third of the season already and has caused some concern for Newcastle fans. Understandable really. We’ve been in great form and a disruption to the flow of games always leaves me wondering if we can return in the fettle we left off in. Fortunately it’s not been an issue this season. International breaks are part of the football calendar. Love them or hate them or whether you’re just plain indifferent to them they are here to stay.

I argued during the last one that the stance on international breaks is largely dependent on the form of the team. For example the last round of international matches was unwelcome as we’d been on a good run of form and didn’t really want the break. In my view it would have been entirely different had we been on a poor run of form. Instead of a hindrance it would have been a chance to regroup etc etc.

I’m getting that feeling this time around.

You see once we come back from this international break we have that run of fixtures that is apparently going to send us crashing to earth – Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea. For a number reasons I believe that this break is perfectly timed.

The first one is purely because we have players carrying knocks and players who are still injured. A two week break will allow players like Gabriel Obertan to near enough recover and for Mike Williamson to start training again and be available if needs be.

Then there is the rest that our players will get. It’s been revealed just how hard our team works these days. Some players run over 13km during a match which is up there near the top of the distance charts. Inevitably this will take it’s toll so a break in the fixture list is just the tonic to recharge those batteries.

Finally we have the opposition. The squads of all three of our post international break opponents are littered with international players. Ours isn’t. While the majority of our players are resting up, the majority of their players will be in various part of the world carrying on with a hectic football calender. The unfortunate thing is that they have bigger squads with more quality in depth than us.

Maybe I’m looking into it too much, but for some reason I’m not annoyed by this upcoming break and feel that, for once, it could actually help us instead.

A positive slant on international footy? Surely not…

About toonsy

A lifelong Newcastle fan and current webmaster of this very 'blog who has the sole aim of creating a place by Newcastle United fans, for Newcastle United fans.

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75 thoughts on “A different slant on a source of irritation for fans?”

  1. My word toonsy you are in a good mood and wholeheartedly agree with you 😀

    you have mail too 😉

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  5. I hate these breaks too, but I don’t mind it for the club this time around since we will be able to rest our defense. Plus, though I hate to spoil our momentum, a bit of a rest might do us good before 3 very difficult matches. And as the article says the Mancs and Chelsea will have plenty more playing than we will.

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  7. To be fair I think Spurs had a run of 4 or 5 wins in a row before the last international break, so it wasn’t just us that was hindered.

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  9. Lawro is actually predicting us to lose for the 7th time this season! Based on his predictions we won have won 3, drawn 1 and lost 6 so far! I think I’ll stick with reality 🙂

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  10. it is pointless international **** but depending on result against everton could prove helpfull and give pards plenty of time to do his home work and set his tactics to get something from theses next three games

    hopefully everyone comes back fighting fit and we go steal a point or three at city fingers crossed and hope pards gets the tactics rite

    gotta get through everton first though

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  11. Lawro is a ******. Just read his predictions for the game and I’m laughing. Anyways, it means it’s another win for us this weekend!

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  13. Lawro predicts on the basis of ‘what he wants to be the results’ without any consideration of the realities involved…..he’s probably thinking that if he keeps predicting us to get beat he’s bound to be right sometime….wouldn’t it be great if he was wrong all season!! 🙂

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  14. Hitman – there’d be no games whether England had arranged those pointless friendlies or not. As the name suggests it is an “International break”.

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  15. Anyone else really worried about yhis match? It just seems too good, people (bar Lawro) think we’ll get an easy win and so I can see us losing just like against b’burn in the Carling Cup. 🙁

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  16. Na. We only lost to Blackburn after extra time with a weakened squad on a wet Wednesday at Ewood.

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  17. personally I agree. Couldn’t really have been better timed. Just hope Cabaye/Demba/Tiote aren’t put under too much strain.

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  18. Good one Jobey and yeah it is **** having to stop for shitty breaks, but as you say we have a few players carrying a few knocks so will give them time to get up and running 😉

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  19. It makes for a boring weekend but the break may help us again providing our internationals don’t get injured. Everton will be tricky because Moyes is a great manager. Always does better with a thin squad than others think he will. Are we going to use Marveaux on the right since Obertan is out? Surely he has earned a chance. Or is this where we put Ben Arfa in with Best and Ba using 4-3-3 or 4-3-1-2? After seeing Obertan have his best game so far against Stoke I’m a little concerned about what our formation will be. Also wondering when Santon will begin to get some serious playing time.

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  20. WE…the fans can be as overly optimistic as we like so long as Pards keeps the players feet on the ground we should be ok [except when defending corners and stuff like!]

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  21. My feeling is that Ben Arfa and Santon will have to be worked into the starting team soon or they will start to become very unhappy. Pardew has made a lot of glowing statements about how good Ben Arfa is so he will have to play him or face the consequences. We have played fantastically well so far but we can improve by bringing Ben Arfa and Santon in. Our weakest links are Simpson at RB and sometimes a lack of attacking play from the midfield. So why not Santon at RB and Ben Arfa in behind Best and Ba in a 4-3-1-2 formation at home at least to start? Bring in Marveaux as a sub if Ben Arfa is struggling and play 4-4-2, but we must give Ben Arfa a good stretch of playing time now after everything that has been said about him.

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  23. GeordieTwo I take it your talking about playing Benny with Gabby out ? but who is going to play on the right because Benny doesn’t like out there .
    I’ll catch your answer later must get back to do a bit

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  24. Yes it is a concern about who to drop Big Dave but I think I would at least try to play 4-3-1-2 to start at home. This would be:
    Krul
    Santon Saylor Colo Raylor
    Cabaye Tiote Jonas
    Ben Arfa
    Best Ba
    If this doesn’t work pull Ben Arfa off in the second half and go with Marveaux on the right in a 4-4-2 formation and push the wings forward on attack to support Best and Ba. Jonas always tracks back but Marveaux would have to help Santon out as well (work his socks off as with Jonas). We must start working Ben Arfa and Santon into the lineup. We will be facing very tough games for most of November and these players could make us a stronger side.

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  25. there’s only one way aroond the international break,a proper “GEORDIE REPUBLIC FOOTBAAL TEAM”!!!!! 😀

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  28. Toonsy, I agree it’s a well deserved break for our boys, who have been playing out of their skin so far this season.
    However, of the 3 games coming up (after Everton), there is only really Man City in a real rich vain of form at the moment.
    Man Utd are struggling at the moment (for them), getting turned over by City and scrapping a win against Everton.
    Chelsea are also having their slump on the pitch at the moment, and of course have their off the field problems as well.

    What I mean is, this break may also give Chelsea and Man Utd a chance to regroup after a difficult couple of weeks.

    To sound like a footy manager, “let’s take it one game at a time” oh and “were only as good as our last result”…… So a cheeky little 3 points against Everton will be lovely please, worry about the rest later.

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  29. I’m always annoyed when we miss proper club football, but I can see your reasoning Toonsy, lets pray for some injuries to all the internationals! Well, except Gareth Barry, he can stay fit.

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  30. Evening peeps, agree with ya Toonsy that the international break will come at a good time for us. Give some of the lads time to get fit again and the others not involved a bit rest before taking points off the mancs 😆
    (well ya never kna 😕 ) No point in being beaten before turning up.
    I think it is great that Pardew has the Lads believing in themselves and always looking to be positive.
    As for this bullshit about Pardew for England, I hope he tells them, they can gan scratch for a few more years. He’s got a far more worthy and important job to do here 1st.

    On a lighter subject, have yous seen this picture of Demba:

    http://www.talksport.co.uk/magazine/big-picture/2011-11-01/funny-picture-demba-ba-celebrates-hat-trick-growing-mullet

    funny 😆

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  31. aye it will be along two weeks tho 👿
    Tho if by some freak results on sat/sun, we are sat 2nd in the league, then it will be fine :mrgreen:
    HTL

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  32. G2 @ 24. I would maybe be tempted to start with your 4-4-2 and if thats not working then go for the 4-3-1-2. Bring HBA on to finish them off 😀
    I dont think he is ready to start a full match yet.
    He should have played for the ressies the other day imo, but clearly that aint gonna happen. Does he think he is too good for them or summit?
    I would have thought any match time would be better for him than none???

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  33. got to be just about full house on sat,ive just bought two tickets for my son and me,they where the last two where we could sit together bloody level 5, 🙄
    only the odd single ticket left 😯

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  34. aye last game together owld dog before i leave

    i appreciate the offer to buy my beer and food all day as a farewell leaving prezzie :mrgreen:

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  36. Beardsley’s boots and MDS. We could start with Marveaux in place of Obertan and go 4-4-2 but we have to try some new formations very soon to get Ben Arfa in and settled. Not so much of a hurry with Santon but I’m sure he will be the better player eventually (better than Simpson and hopefully better than Raylor). I still think Everton is the game to experiment before we hit the big three so I would go 4-3-1-2 as I showed @24. If we get too conservative and make no changes the team will stagnate and Ben Arfa won’t be happy on the bench from now on if he is healthy. Soon this won’t be just an irritation to him. He didn’t come to us to sit healthy on the bench.

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  37. icicles – 😆 lets hope the lads put on a good performance then seeing as it will be a full house. Should be a good atmosphere so shouldn’t hear you two bickerring 👿
    HTL

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  38. G2 – HBA will have to put up with things until he comes on and shows what he is capable of. No way should he play on reputation alone. Thats why I think a few ressies matches would do him the world of good.

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  40. Icedog you’re being too generous there. Make icepup pay your way as a reward for your company!

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  41. Beardsley’s boots and MDS. We could start with Marveaux in place of Obertan and go 4-4-2 but we have to try some new formations very soon to get Ben Arfa in and settled.
    ——————-
    Think we will see Marv on the right in a 4-4-2 for the weekend.

    I’m intrigued by the 4-3-1-2 becuase I had been trying to think of a way to get Cabaye/Ben Arfa on the pitch together with 2 strikers. That would work, but perhaps a bit too dramatic for me at the moment….

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  44. Everton aren’t the same team now that Arteta has left. 3 points in the bag before the international break would be great, then a week to recharge our batteries, the excitement will be electric as the Citeh game approaches. We need to keep the momentum going.. Howay the lads, cannae wait for Satda.

    Tricky decision who is going to replace Obertan. Perhaps Guthrie wide on the right ? He deserves to retain his place after a great performance against Stoke. Then if things aren’t working out, HBA and Marveaux as impact subs.

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  49. BB @38 if Obertan wasn’t hurt I would say he plays until he has a bad game. If Ben Arfa got hurt trying to impress in the reserves it would be a real shame. I guess we will have to trust Pardew’s judgement. He has done well so far!

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  50. @g2 totatly agree but for me Marv’s chance here i think oberton may regret having a bad toe ❗ 😯

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  51. Hmmm 😕 fair nuff, but dont want to hear he is refusing to play for the ressies ‘cus his ego wont let him or anything.
    Like you say, just gotta trust Pardew.

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  52. Beardsleys Boots…you’re right mate, it is 2 weeks. Aaargh…

    It’s imperitive that we avoid defeat against Everton. To spend two weeks stewing after a bad result would be horrendous.

    Hopefully Obertan’s injury will heal quickly. I think the lad is more important to our team than a lot of blokes realise.

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  53. pup, thats the name of the game tho isn’t it. Wait for your chance and make sure you take it when it comes along. If things work out ok then Pardew wont drop him, and Obi will have to warm the bench.
    They all know how it is now, nobody is guarranteed a place unless they are performing out of their skins.
    Good init?

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  54. “Birmingham have a mountain to climb at St Andrews after first-half goals from Meunier and Akpala give Club Brugge a 2-0 lead. They will have to do more in the final third if they are to get anything out of this one, with a free-kick from Murphy, which hit the crossbar, their only real chance of the half.” 😳 😳

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  55. If it’s to be Marveaux hope he has a great game! The work rate has been brilliant. Press them high up the field. 2-0 to us. Howay the lads!

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  56. MM marv is a class player m8 and he has pace,just dont know if he will track back as much as obertan,we just have wait and see imo

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  57. @bb its a good head ache to have think oba will come right i think hes lacking big time in confidence ……

    but i really do think his ((bad toe)) may come back to haunt him i can see marv grabbing this chance i really can

    like the krul = harper situation

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  58. With Stoke playing so well in the Europa league I could see us really come good in there next season. Our current form means we will be fighting for 6th place come the end of the season. I’m hoping for 60 points on 16 wins, 12 draws, and 10 losses.

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  59. Ice…I think Pardew will go with Guthrie on the right in place of Obertan. He won’t switch Gutti to the left cos he needs him to babysit Raylor, that’s why I’m sure he’ll play Guthrie.. 🙄

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  61. Don’t think so Munich Mag. Guthrie doesn’t work out on the wing. It’s been tried before. He plays best in the center. Marveaux on the wing for me if we play 4-4-2. Leave Jonas on the left. He has been brilliant there this season.

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  62. Ice…you’re right there, we’re all assuming that Mr T will make it. 🙁 Hope he does..

    If not, then as you say Guthrie will probably retain his place, then Marveaux must be the next in line in my opinion.

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  64. GeordieTwo…you’re right, Marveaux on the right would work, it’s been tried before I recall. Still a canny strong midfield there even without Obertan and Tiote..

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  65. Here’s another idea. How about 4-4-1-1 with Ba up front, Ben Arfa in behind but linking up with Marveaux or Jonas in 3 way attacks? Bring Best on as they tire if Marveaux or Ben Arfa sags.

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  66. Didn’t realise sky not showing the uefa matches 👿
    Will have to get espn when we qualify 😆

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  70. BB few clubs and pubs use them now m8,got friend with one,trouble is they cost £300 but you pay only £15 a month but get everything,all sports films ect ect about 600 stations 😉

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  71. Toonsy how about an article letting us decide who the best player has been for us this season? I saw the idea in a recent post and thought it would make a great article. My vote would be for Ba as his goals have brought us many points already but there are many other possible candidates. Would love to see how a vote would turn out.

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