Match highlights of the 1-0 victory over QPR yesterday for you all to digest now. The win takes us to 6th in the table snuggled nicely behind Arsenal on goal difference. Do you dare to dream?
Leon Best scored the goal that gave us the win with a neat bit of footwork and a cool finish. You wouldn’t think he’d gone four months without a goal would you? In fairness to Best he looked a lot better yesterday than he has done in recent weeks but whether that is enough to at least partially fill the void left by Demba Ba is something we’ll have to wait and see about.
Moving onto the managerial interviews now, and first up we have Alan Pardew who praised what was a disciplined Newcastle United display. He also praised Hatem Ben Arfa for his contribution and said that we should be looking up at challenging for Europe now providing we can get decent results whilst Demba Ba and Cheik Tiote are away at the ACoN.
Meanwhile Mark Hughes was happy enough with his sides attitude and application despite the loss and insists that he has seen enough to suggest that it’s only a matter of time before QPR start burying some of the chances that they create.
At the end of the day it wasn’t the greatest performance from either Newcastle or QPR and it wasn’t great fun to watch. We did play some decent stuff at times though which as nice to see, but the problem was there wasn’t enough of it. It was never going to be easy but we got the job done in the end and looked defensively sound in the process.
Oh and we sit 6th, in mid-January, which isn’t too shabby!
If we manage a win against Fulham and Man United can beat Arsenal, then we go fifth! With 16 games to go… 😯
It would also put us about eight points clear of eighth place.
JJ(Quote)
Wow, just saw the goal for the first time. Great work from Best. Lovely feet.
Well done!
hydeous(Quote)
JJ
I can see Manure beating the gooners but i think we’ll have a job on our hands against Fulham. Not to lose… but i predict a 0-0. Our records not glimmering at Craven Cottage. They look a different side with Jol at the helm n’all. Still though, if Liverpool don’t win we can still go 5th with a draw
nobby(Quote)
Nobby
We’ve been written off for most fixtures this season, and everyone has been waiting for the bubble to burst.
We’ve never had great records at Stoke or Blackburn or Old Trafford either.
JJ(Quote)
Good morrow fine gentlemen.
Over the moon with win yesterday.
Wasn’t pretty but few stand out performers for me.
Santon looking like Enrique being a distant memory. And the kids only 20!
Guthrie. Midfield General. End of.
HBA HAS TO START ON RIGHT!
And back up to 6th.
Could be 5th on Saturday aswell if results go our way.
Happy days!
Anyway, I’m off to drag the bairns, kicking and screaming, to school.
PS anyone heard out about potential signings?
skipwallsend(Quote)
Nobby….not saying we’ll win at Fulham, but we’ve put a few “bogey” teams to bed this season 😉 ….actually I am saying we’ll win 1-2…though I’d be owa the moon with a hard fought 0-0
richietoon(Quote)
@Richie
Beat you to it again mate…
JJ(Quote)
JJ…aye, I was having my 1st cuppa so I’m still a bit slow(no jokes, they’re beneath you)
richietoon(Quote)
They aren’t beneath me though slow coach
toonsy(Quote)
Toonsy,
My comments are beneath you.. 😎
JJ(Quote)
Delighted with yesterdays result , good finish by Best , hopefully he can get a few more over the next couple of games ( and the rest of the season for taht matter ) til Ba comes back, be delighted with 5 points over the next 3 league games and into the next round of the fa cup. And hopefully we can bring in atleast a defender and maybe Morrison and a new striker!
Johno Toon(Quote)
Just now seeing the goal. Quality move from Best! Really hope he can push on now
AndrewT(Quote)
Tell you what though, it really was a cracking goal and Redknapp was right when he said about if it was Henry it have got loads more attention.
Always knew Best could do stuff like that but he needs to work on his consistency.
toonsy(Quote)
The more you watch Besty’s goal the more incredible it is.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
It’s such a shame that our defensive record is a bit tarred by those two games with basically no centre backs.
Still a huge improvement on last season though. We clearly still need a second striker/right mid at some point but at least we have the defence pretty sorted. (without squad depth though)
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Just makes you wonder what we could have achieved if the club had shown some real ambition like QPR!!! 😆
Toon Chicken(Quote)
Out of interest – what’s the worst case scenario in terms of the number of games Ba is going to miss?
Toon Chicken(Quote)
5 toon chicken , the last game he could miss is away to Spurs as far as I know
Johno Toon(Quote)
Aye, 4 league and the cup game.
richietoon(Quote)
I still think we should have rejected Liverpool’s bid for Enrique and risked losing him on a free
I genuinely don’t think he’s in it for the money and i think if he’d been part of the progress this season he would have signed up.
Imagine our defence with him and Santon either flank 😯
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Best thing is all those twats who said we’d plummet down the league after we lost a couple and kept harping on about Hull, Blackpool etc……
well **** em all – we’re joint 5th on 36 points and worst we’re likely to finish is top ten which I’d have taken at start of season although I’m now getting a bit greedy and want top 6 especially want to finish above bindippers
stevep(Quote)
Though the initial replacement is someone who for me should be up there as one of the players of the season, the man known as “Toonsy’s Obertan”:
Mr Ryan Taylor!
How many positions has he played for us this season now? Massively impressed with his effort and adaptability, and like Guthrie and Best he has shown himself to be a valuable part of this squad.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Wait until we have our first “real test”….then we’ll be in botha!
richietoon(Quote)
well said stevep
Greed is good, nowt wrong with aiming high.
6th would be awesome with L’pool 7th.
Got some tough games ahead still, but we are doing just fine.
Howay the Lads
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Cheers for the info guys!
Toon Chicken(Quote)
who do the bindippers play on sat/sun?
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Lets just hope Demba and Tiote come back fit and not crocked. 😯
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
enjoyed the game yesterday took the missus the only thing that got up my nose was the 40 od year old chaver and his young chav girl friend effing and blinding through out the game…..never mind some people eh!
john(Quote)
Stevep @ 21 I really want us to finish above Liverpool as well , got a 50 quid bet on with my mate who supports them that we will finish above them 😉
Johno Toon(Quote)
Saw the Swansea game on MOTD and didn’t the play sweet football – reminiscent of our Keegan days and far better than hoofball!
However, ugly or not, three points well taken. Onwards and upwards!
lesh(Quote)
“enjoyed the game yesterday took the missus the only thing that got up my nose was the 40 od year old chaver and his young chav girl friend effing and blinding through out the game…..never mind some people eh!”
John, never mind Richie, he gets a bit carried away at the games, but I wouldn’t go as far as to call him a chav… Its a bit beneath him…
JJ(Quote)
Speaking of Swansea, you think they’d do a swap deal… Shola for Danny Graham? 😛
JJ(Quote)
Had a great view of the goal – amazing skill from Best, and beautifully set up by Jonas, Raylor, Shola (if I remember rightly – not able to watch vid here so haven’t seen highlights).
Some amazing performances in there, and credit to QPR who didn’t give anyone a moment on the ball. Can’t think of any weak performances in there – plenty of ‘doh’ moments, but all made up for in other ways. Also, looked like the ref missed a clear penalty for handball – was that the case? It was at the other end from me but looked stone-wall even from a distance.
One more thing: why did nobody tell me how much totty there is in the 1892 section? My QPR-supporting mate missed half the match ogling women!
Whumpie(Quote)
The best thing for me is going above Liverpool. They are the new target for me; finish above them and prove several points:
1. Jose made a bad decision
2. Carroll made a worse decision
3. Dogleash makes terrible decisions and spends shedloads in the process
It also gives me bragging rights over my bindipper-supporting bro-in-law.
Whumpie(Quote)
hehe jj…
john(Quote)
Aye Bests goal was a cracker, I just hope he grabs this chance of being the main man.
A few names mentioned already,
Guthrie should be proud of himself, i know once or twice he left a gap but he was only back after being iut injuried.
Santon really does look like a real class act, I just hope he can remain fit and keep going as I have high hopes for him.
Raylor isn’t the best player but he never gives less than 100% but then he has always been the same. Tbh I think he provides more out on the right wing, thats when he isn’t swapping over as I seen Jonas and him mix it up yesterday a few times, which makes me wish Jonas was kept out there as he seems to play better on the right.
Big Dave(Quote)
JJ…..
😆
richietoon(Quote)
We were very scrappy and nervy for the first 15 minutes; nobody really getting things right. But it all started to come right, albeit more by individuals doing well than the team gelling, which never really happened.
I’m glad Pards has acknowledged Barfa’s improvement in defending and linking up; he worked hard and did well. The only criticism could be that he kept trying to replicate the FA Cup wondergoal and lost possession when he should have released to someone earlier. But that’ll come.
Raylor was amazing in the middle; really took to it and gave it full beans for the whole match. Guthrie wouldn’t take no for an answer from anyone and caused problems all over, although again the final link-up was often missing. Perhaps that was the other players not getting into good positions (I noticed some huge, unexploited gaps) and probably the QPR players deserve credit for closing off passing routes.
Scrappy, but I actually enjoyed it. Next time I’m bringing wor chava – he’s desperate to go. Good lad.
Whumpie(Quote)
Not a stellar performance but we got the three points. Perhaps a few worrying signs over what may happen when we play the tougher teams without Ba and Tiote but the whole team did well enough, and yes that includes Shola.
Really liked the formation change which allowed Jonas and Benny to drift into positions they liked and run at the defence more centrally. We got slated for only having the one shot on target but if QPR weren’t so fecking dirty I’m confident we would have had more chances.
Newkie(Quote)
Best proved that he has quality in his feet with that goal [already suspected as such with the way he took his opportunities against Arsenal last season] Need to stop rating him as only a stop-gap striker….he’s better than that! Impressed again with Santon, although he did show a few tendencies to allow himself to be bullied ‘by the bigger boys’ now and again …should toughen up! [or get some nuts!…in the immortal words of Mr T] but on the ball he’s sublime! Ben Arfa will one day become a legend, in the mould of a certain Tony Green, if he can learn when to release the ball, and finally James Perch gets way too much flack…admittedly he was a liability to begin with, but suspect Pardew & his team have been working on him, because he’s a lot more assured now. Suspect this could be the case with Obertan if we fans will give him a chance!
JoeSoap(Quote)