Game On! Newcastle v Blackburn – Abeid and Ben Arfa start

FA Cup action from St James' Park
Welcome one and all to this special FA Cup edition of our ‘Game On’ articles which will take us through this afternoons 3rd Round tie against Blackburn at St James’ Park.

Fans who make the trip to SJP today will be in fine fettle after the midweek demolition of Manchester United and will no doubt be eyeing another win.

However the magic of the FA Cup has often deserted us since the halcyon days of the 1950’s and more often than not we’ve been left wanting in our pursuit of some silverware. Granted we’ve made the final a couple of times, but for every high there has been one or two lows to accompany it. Hereford….. Stevenage….. The 5-1 home defeat to Steve Bruce’s Birmingham City….. You get the point.

Standing in our way today are Blackburn Rovers – a team I dislike more than many others purely down to their party-pooping habits. I can’t help but feel that this game has the all the makings of being one of those ‘after the lord mayor’s show’ kind of affairs although as ever I remain hopeful of a win and a safe and smooth progression through to round four.

I suggest you check out Shamrock’s pointed most excellent match preview which offers everything from stats to history to some tactical thoughts ahead of the game. His previews really are a must read!

In terms of TV streams I have some bad news. The match is not scheduled for overseas broadcasting so getting hold of a stream may prove to be a little bit tricky. The coverage of the “most famous cup competition in the world” is pretty shocking to be fair unless there is a chance of an upset or it’s a clash between two of the “big hitters” like Manchester City and Manchester United. Consequently if you do stumble across a stream on your internet travels please feel free to leave a link to it and share it with your fellow black and white brothers and sister.

That just about sums it up from me. Team news is featured below and will be updated as and when I manage to get hold of it so as a result you may just see the first teams up for a bit whilst I scrabble about trying to get hold of the substitutes or something like that. Don’t panic though, they will be there in full well before kick-off!

Howay the lads!

Newcastle: Tim Krul; Danny Simpson, Mike Williamson, Fabricio Coloccini, Davide Santon; Gabriel Obertan, Yohan Cabaye, Mehdi Abeid, Jonas Gutierrez; Hatem Ben Arfa; Leon Best

Subs: Rob Elliot, James Perch, Ryan Taylor, Dan Gosling, Haris Vuckic, Sammy Ameobi, Shola Ameobi

Blackburn: Mark Bunn, Martin Olsson, Adam Henley, Grant Hanley, Gael Givet, Morten Gamst Pedersen, Simon Vukcevic, Ruben Rochina, Steven N’Zonzi, Radoslav Petrovic, David Goodwillie

Subs: Jake Kean, Joah Morris, Jordan Slew, Jason Lowe, Nick Blackman, Yakubu, Mauro Formica

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.

385 thoughts on “Game On! Newcastle v Blackburn – Abeid and Ben Arfa start

  1. Dave I never once said it stops you having an opinion. Why do people always trot out that line? If they can have an opinion on booing I should be able to have an opinion on them not supporting.

    It’s just a bit rich people sitting on the internet slagging off the fans who pay to go to the matches when most of them hardly do and either sit and watch it on the internet, or like today listen to it on the radio and try and pass judgement on the whole game.

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  2. So mark if we’re there to support what reason did the people who booed around you at the stadium give when you pulled them up on it?

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  3. Mark that should have red if the FANS arn’t happy with a player 😉
    Mark as I said I wouldn’t boo the players but I understand why some fans do boo players when their not happy with there performance

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  4. Big Dave @ 378 Same here mate I think the people who don’t go but have a go at the booers on the net are worse than the booers, in my opinion of course.

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  5. Billy by the way atleast one of the people that stated about the booing was at the game 😉 I just don’t see the point in trying to use not being at the game as a stick to beat them and basically say if your not at the game you shouldn’t be talking about it or have an opinion on it.
    So in your opinion then if your not at the game your not a supporter ?? is that what your saying

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  6. @Billy Bull5h17

    I wouldnt pull thm up about it. each to their own m8. I’m not retarded enuf to get into a spat about it at the match. I’d ignore it but obviously I wouldnt be impressed.

    @bigDAve I knew that m8.

    Ppl say what a good job Pards had done then they boo a player he’s picked and has been trying to jee-up all week. Its also a slap in the face for pards imo

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  7. @Billy Bull5h17

    lol what the f*** has not going to 2days match got to do with it m8, Ive spend grands following the Toon all over Europe so that point is out of the equation.

    I’m sure other ppl that have spend grands also boo, doesnt mean it right or I agree with it

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  8. Mark I didn’t say get into a spat over it, you could do it civilised? But it just tells me all I need to know when you won’t ask them about it or put your point across why they shouldn’t…but instead you’ll come on the blog and slag them off, why don’t you get some balls and do it to their face?

    Tbh it’s even more childish/retarded slagging people off on the net saying they should be ‘ashamed’ when they actually bothered their **** to go, sit in the cold and get red as fook hands off clapping so much, not sit on the net with a chuckle picture saying I’ve spent grands. I’ve spent grands too but that doesn’t buy you instant respect sorry mate “so that point is out of the equation” as you said.

    And to reply to “what the f*** has not going to 2days match got to do with it m8” Well maybe if you got off your **** and went and watched the shower of **** that came down in the first half masquerading as a team performance then maybe you would understand why some, in the gallowgate especially, booed at half time.
    But instead you get on your high horse and say “no place for that at st james” Well done! What good do you think saying that is on the internet? You think that makes you look smart? Or it’s going to have an effect? Most people on here don’t go man FFS.
    I’ve heard booing at PLENTY of toon matches, I don’t agree with it but I understand why some people do it and it’s their entitlement but don’t say it shouldn’t happen because that’s f*cking obvious, if there’s people around me booing I try to interact with them and explain this to them instead of doing it to look the einstein on the internet.

    Big dave I would say that people who never go are fans, not supporters. How can they call themselves a supporter if they technically haven’t been to give anyone any support? I have mates who go home and away who call me a plastic fan etc because I go to all homes and hardly any away matches anymore. I would say the real supporters go to away matches, there’s a few on here, think the lad who runs this blog (forgot the user name) is one, but most on here don’t go to either and that’s a fact. I’m not saying they don’t like the club or anything but it’s easier to be a **** when you don’t go and see them play

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  9. Billy…I don’t go to the matches now as I live in Spain but I had my season ticket up until I left last April, I don’t like booers I think they’re idiots(many probably think the same about me),but they pay their money so that’s their choice. I didn’t hear any when I went to the Swansea and WBA games recently. I did however hear it on the radio today and I think if I want to come on here and have a go at them I will,whether I was at the game or not is irrelevant imo, you obviously disagree as is your right. The rare occasion I did hear booing around me before, I did have words, it was the fecker who used to sit behind me, if you sat near him you’d hate booers as much as me 😉 that fecker used to boo when the team was being read out pre match 👿
    I’ve seen enough half hearted mercenary players over the 30 odd years I was going to games to understand the frustration people feel, but don’t like the booing at all and believe I have the right to say so 😉

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