It’s set up to be quite an intriguing game in truth. Newcastle have the ultimate motivation of knowing that a win could see us jump as high as fifth in the table should other results go our way.
For that to happen we’ll need Arsenal to lose at Swansea and for us to beat QPR (obviously) along with a four goal swing in our favour, so if Arsenal lose by two goals we need to win by two clear goals. Easy. More realistic though is the opportunity to jump into sixth place in the table ahead, of the ultra ambitious Liverpool and their expensively assembled squad.
However QPR aren’t the prospect they were just a week ago. They are still without a lot of first team players, but they do have a new manager in the shape of Mark Hughes who will want to avoid defeat in his first game in charge. Add to that a group of players who are all pretty much trying to justify their future at Loftus Road and you can see why they too have motivation for the game today – and that is not even considering the fact that they slipped into the bottom three yesterday!
I honestly hate these type of games. You would have to think we are favourites for the match. Home advantage and finding some form once more, fresh from a last minute win against Blackburn in the FA Cup last weekend and resounding 3-0 victory against Manchester United prior to that it would suggest that we are the favourites. It’s a dangerous place to be and some fans will be expecting a relatively easy game. I personally don’t think it will be as straight forward that but we’ll see…
For more background on the match, some tactical thoughts, analysis and stats why not check out Shamrock’s most excellent match preview article by clicking here, or if you want to crunch some numbers and look at a boatload of stats why not take a peek at NUFC_Stats’ preview by clicking here.
The match is on Sky this afternoon so those who can’t get to the game can be fairly safe in the knowledge that there is a fairly good possibility of picking up an internet stream. Once again, if you come across one on your travels please feel free to leave a link to it in the comments section below.
Right now though it’s time for the lads in black and white to do the talking and try and claim that sixth place in the table. Surely not? Sixth in the table with 21 games gone? We’ll find out later on this afternoon!
Howay the lads!
Newcastle: Tim Krul, Danny Simpson, Mike Williamson, Fabricio Coloccini, Davide Santon, Ryan Taylor, Danny Guthrie, Yohan Cabaye, Jonas Gutierrez, Leon Best, Shola Ameobi
Subs: Rob Elliot, Shane Ferguson, James Perch, Dan Gosling, Mehdi Abeid, Gabriel Obertan, Hatem Ben Arfa
QPR: Paddy Kenny; Luke Young, Danny Gabbidon, Anton Ferdinand, Clint Hill; Shaun Wright-Phillips, Shaun Derry, Akos Buzsaky, Jamie Mackie; Heidar Helguson, Jay Bothroyd
Subs: Radek Cerny, Bradley Orr, Fitz Hall, Hogan Ephraim, Tommy Smith, DJ Campbell, Federico Macheda
(shock) mmm al have a bit of that.. all aboard! oh Sailor 🙂
mark(Quote)
MARK… 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆
wolfie(Quote)
WOLFIE@447 although i agree with what your saying about people only seeing the Best and worst in some players i truly think Ameobi is starting to become useless . The lad has always had games were he looked ineffectual , then turned it round with a brilliant piece of skill to ethier score or set someone else up but that side of his game seems to have be vanishing . The pieces of brilliance imo are becoming fewer and the lad is becoming a liability . Still i am not the manager and Pardew must see something in him to let him stay on and take Best off who imo was having a much better game and not just because he scored .
Axel(Quote)
AXEL, I agree he’s deteriorating with time and that’s why I say he’s better as an impact sub, basically a 60 odd minute mark or even 70 minute mark player who can come on when defenders are tiring and not on their full game.
As a full starter for 90 mins,there’s no way I would start him unless we had no other option but he could still contribute some much needed points in the games we have left to play , barring injury as he does have that knack of producing something out of the bag.
The point I’m making though is, he’s not dead and buried just yet but isn’t too far off and until then he could literally bag us 6 or 7 points before the season is out as an impact sub though.
wolfie(Quote)
Maybe your right about him being an impact sub WOLFIE but one thing is now blatantly obvious , if Ashley wants European football next season its time to buy another striker in this window . With BA in africa i dont think we have enough with Best &Shola to get us through . Lovenkrands seems to have vanished off the map .
Axel(Quote)
If we had of had another striker today and scored 3 we would be 5th!
Come on Ashley, u little sweaty boar! get yer finger out and make us big again on the cheap, if he does I’ll happily spitt-roast the little hog with wolfie 🙂
mark(Quote)
Geordie2 posted this yesterday:-
“. I’m very interested to see how we cope without Ba and Tiote. It may take a couple of games to get settled but would love to take the points from QPR. Surely Ben Arfa must start? Even on right wing he would be much more creative than Obertan. I would rather use him up front with either Ameobi or Best. I hope Guthrie can start. I’m going for a 1-0 win for us with Best to score.”
Now can you please advise me of the next 6 numbers on the lottery. 😆
Good call fella, but not having read all the comments above YET, I would have to say Ben Arfa is no more a right winger than Obertoon.
and also the lofty heights of 6th. Liver who? Enrique who? Judas who? Meh who needs em?
Ha Ha he cant cross with his right peg atall 😳 and proved that today.
Pardew gets a good slagging for not starting him, yet I actually can see why not.
I didn’t like Pardews tactics today of hold on to what you have got, But once again it worked out fine in the end. Not the way we like to see football played up here, but effective all the same.
Loving the 12 point gap over the unwashed
Toon Toon.
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)