It’s a sell out and has been for a long time as fans take the last opportunity to get behind their team on home turf and pay tribute to what has been a stunning season.
Indeed it could yet get better. At this moment in time we are guaranteed to finish no lower than sixth, but a win against Manchester City would guarantee us fifth place and would ensure that Chelsea would be unable to finish above us, which would be staggering and unexpected if you cast your minds back to what everyone had in mind at the start of the season.
Win, lose or draw we’ve had a great season. We have European football to look forward to for the first time in years and a best league finish since the days of Sir Bobby Robson. A resounding success I’d say.
Newcastle
Cheik Tiote is fit to play despite suffering a head injury which required stitches at Stamford Bridge midweek while Danny Simpson will undergo a late fitness to see if he has shaken off the injury which removed his ever present tag on Wednesday night.
Peter Lovenkrands, Steven Taylor, Haris Vuckic and Sammy Ameobi are still injured and won’t be seen in black and white until next season, or in the case of Lovenkrands, perhaps never again.
Manchester City
David Silva is set to play despite carrying an ankle problem although Joe Hart could be forced to miss the match after picking up a foot injury in the 1-0 win over Manchester United. He will undergo a late fitness test to ascertain his fitness ahead of the match.
Previously…
Back in November we lost 3-1 to Manchester City at The Etihad, a score that was matched at St James’ Park when The Citizens travelled to Tyneside last season.
We have a dreadful recent record against City. Our last win came in 2005 when a certain little ratbag going by the name of Micahel Owen scored the winner but in ten Premier League games since then we’ve drawn twice and lost the other eight meetings between the two sides.
Tactics and team selection
I think the first thing to do is to keep things tight in the opening exchanges. Remember, all the pressure is on City so the longer we can keep them at bay and frustrate them the more they will feel it. Hopefully we can strike then, although conversely an early goal for us would have much the same effect.
With regard to tactics and team selection, we actually have a choice. Do we run with the 4-3-3 that won six games on the trot yet failed so spectacularly at Wigan? Or do we try the more conventional 4-4-2 which saw us grab an unexpected result at Chelsea in midweek.
Answers on a postcard please…
Match stats and facts
The last player to score against Newcastle on home turf was Nicklas Bendtner who converted from the penalty spot some 426 minutes of playing time ago.
Alan Pardew will be looking to guide Newcastle to a fifth consecutive home win for the first time in eight years.
Newcastle have won just one of eight final home games of the season since the start of the Premier League.
Newcastle are the only team who have scored more goals in the first half of a game (28) than they have in the second half a game (27) – one for those who claim we are slow starters…
Manchester City have scored more goal from corners (14) than any other team this season.
This is the 165th meeting between the sides. Newcastle have won 70, Manchester City 56 and there have been 38 draws.
Final thought
Wouldn’t it be nice to end the home season with a win? There is a lot of focus on this match what with Manchester City and the title race, but sod that I say! We have our own reasons for wanting to win this game so should try our level best to do so.
If we don’t will it take the shine away from a wonderful season? Not a chance, but it will continue our flirt with Champions League qualification and will put more pressure on those above us heading into the final round of games next weekend.
That has to be an incentive surely?
Howay the lads!
Date: Sunday, 6th May, 2012
Kick-off: 1:30pm, live on Sky
Venue:St James’ Park
Going to be a tough game. But although city have been wining recently they haven’t been playing out of their skin so hopefully we can put a good performance in and sneak a win!
rossco(Quote)
Toonsy how fitting that we go into our last home game in such a lofty position on the very day that Sir Bobbys statue is unveiled .What an incentive for everyone ,if the great man is looking down he’d be so proud of it all and would love to have worked with this current crop of players.
Part of me thinks we should go 442 and let them worry about trying to mark Cisse and Ba ,but 433 may be just as effective at home .Who knows I leave that to Pards to figure out as he ain’t done so bad so far 😉 .HWTL and RIP Sir Bobby.
kimtoon(Quote)
😆 😆
richietoon(Quote)
Enrique not doing owa well there
richietoon(Quote)
Sagna got a leg break. 😯
Wish him well. 😥
No offence but with that,everything seems to be in place for newcastle down to last game to claim either 4th or 3rd. 😐
AngelOfDeath(Quote)
Woo hoo Chelski 1.0 up Enrique you tool 😆
kimtoon(Quote)
Poor sagna thats tough.
kimtoon(Quote)
This is looking like it could be a good final .
kimtoon(Quote)
thats the second leg break for the lad 🙁
icedog(Quote)
Wow, that’s crazy that it broke his leg 😯 Did he not just control a ball which came at him quite hard, then go down in pain?!
Jon R(Quote)
Do you guys believe in history repeats itself.
The last time Man city won the league title,their last away game was against newcastle too. 😯
1968. End result. 3-4 Man city won.
Hopefully result is reverse tmr. 😉
AngelOfDeath(Quote)
Could Dalglish seriously not make the effort and put a suit on? You reckon he goes to bed in that mucky old coat? He looks like a scruffy womble!
Jon R(Quote)
I was at that match AOD – I think I’m right in saying Man U had to beat Sunderland at the same time and Sunderland won at Old Trafford.
3hourswasted(Quote)
Looks like the could be quite a few goals in this. Poor Enrique – not 😆 serves him right being disrespectful to our national anthem – ******. Dalglish shuffled across the pitch looking like an old tramp, they really are the pits
geordie deb(Quote)
Jon R agree re Dalglish comment
geordie deb(Quote)
Isn’t it nice that we can say to Enrique ,you will never be in a top 6 team …….well for this season at least. 😀
kimtoon(Quote)
Well it’s going to be a cracker tomorrow ,thing is though we haven’t played anyone yet and them being league leaders . I guess we will see tomorrow how far this team have come. 😀
Axel(Quote)
@3hourswasted: Guess what,Suderland is Man Utd last game of the season. 😯
Spooky.
AngelOfDeath(Quote)
Now that is spooky AOD – hopefully the results from last time will be reversed 😀
3hourswasted(Quote)
Enrique at fault for the goal, would be funny if he stopped them scumbags from getting the medals that all these rascists are pining after. Will it be a successful finish if they lose? I don’t think so 😆
As for tactics, it’ll definitely be interesting….I’d be tempted to go for 4-3-3 to be honest. I know we performed well in a 4-4-2 against Chelsea but I just don’t think we had the same incision, we had two great goals but really they were down to the absolute quality of one man-Papiss Cisse (although Santon’s assist for the first one was great)
I feel we’ll need some magic from Benny to cut through city, they’ve got a better defence than Chelski and we’ll need to be at our best to get through them. At the same time, City need to win this so they’ll be getting at us enthusiastically…sets us up well for counter-attacks and exploiting the space left behind…
Newkie(Quote)
Wow, that’s crazy about the fixtures. Would love for those 2 results to reverse!
I for one would actually love it if we surprised City by going 433 tomorrow! With SJP behind the lads after Sir Bobby’s statue is unveiled, HBA, Cisse, and Ba could really put a hurt on the Billion pound squad.
AndrewT(Quote)
Toonsy. Agree with you to frustrate them early on preferably by pinning them back in their own half. but if it is gonna need a defensive effort so be it.
Two wins will get us third. As much as i hate Villa they can get something off spuds tomorrow. Isn’t it great to have an exciting climax to the season after all these years. Whatever happens tomorrow a big well done to the players, pardew and his staff
Toby le Rhone(Quote)
Agree with Newkie on why we should go 433
AndrewT(Quote)
And the Drog piles on the misery 😆
kimtoon(Quote)
Surely that’s game over. Who might take Kenny’s place next season?
AndrewT(Quote)
As much as I don’t want to see Chelski win anything I would rather they won this than the bin dippers yeha
Big Dave(Quote)
Great to see Enrique having a mare… 😉
Badgertoon(Quote)
Carroll 👿
Big Dave(Quote)
Judas did well there like, thought he’d blown it.
richietoon(Quote)
he done well for that goal
Big Dave(Quote)
A reason why carroll is worth 35m. 🙄
AngelOfDeath(Quote)
They should have brought him on earlier really. He seems to be one of the few liverpool players who actually tries
Newkie(Quote)
Carroll starting to look like the player we had.
Stuart79(Quote)
He’s causing chelski a lot of problems
Big Dave(Quote)
See Carroll just crush bellamy there
Good lad
Newkie(Quote)
Newkie..he should have started, he’s started to show a bit of form lately.
Stuart….Cheers for that tip 👿 😉
richietoon(Quote)
Interesting article in the mirror today ,in an interview with Didier Drogba he says he modelled himself on Alan Shearer !.Apparently when he was at Marseille and they played Toon in the semi final of the uefa cup at the Stade Velodrome he realised by watching Shearer what he would have to do to survive in the PL. All the Marseille defenders agreed Shearer was a nightmare to mark. 9 months later he arrived in the PL ,having learned from Big AL what it takes to suceed. ” I modelled myself on Shearer .He was an example when I played against him. All the Marseille defenders said he was hard to mark” . Well you learn something every day ,I never knew that. 😯
kimtoon(Quote)
Carroll , see takes a geordie to put the Dippers back in contention 😆 Actually I can see Roy taking him to the Euros . 😯
kimtoon(Quote)
Richie-Aye
Thought that was a goal as well 😯
Newkie(Quote)
Sure that was over
kimtoon(Quote)
ah don’t think that was over 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
Ahh maybe not….Carroll running the show for em 😆
Newkie(Quote)
KimT….I was at that game, will never forgive Hugo Viana 👿 ….cracking 5 days though
richietoon(Quote)
Great cross, great header, great save and great decision!
Stuart79(Quote)
DAVE your reet nee way,he should have scored across the keeper,hes **** 😆 😆
icedog(Quote)
Richie@43 Don’t worry lots more to come 😀
kimtoon(Quote)
cisse would have scored it 😀 😀
icedog(Quote)
KimT….hopefully 😀
richietoon(Quote)
Fuk it’ll be funny hearing all the bin dippers gurning about that one, if you go by doglesh it was 2ft over 😆 😆 😆 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
The cup’s probably been lifted and melted down anyway 😆
richietoon(Quote)
If this goes to a draw do we get extra time or a replay i’ve forgotten ?
kimtoon(Quote)
Extra time
richietoon(Quote)
RICHIE 😀 love it 😀
icedog(Quote)
Kinda hope for a draw then ,just to tire out Chelski that bit more ,still want them to win though. I thought it got changed to a replay 😕
kimtoon(Quote)
😆 😆 😆 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
Well I didn’t care about this cup…just don’t want chelski to win the other one!
Newkie(Quote)
Oh dear Dippers 😆 😆 😆 never mind they got the league cup ,alls not lost………well o.k maybe it is. 😆
kimtoon(Quote)
hahahahah
geordie deb(Quote)
Roll on tomorrow for the “real” big match of the weekend 😉
richietoon(Quote)
I know some on here would like to see Ranger crucified at the top of leazes park but is there anybody out there who thinks the club might welcome him back into the squad
Toby le Rhone(Quote)
http://www.nufc.co.uk/articles/20120505/loan-watch-ranger-im-a-changed-man_2281670_2761253?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook
😯
AngelOfDeath(Quote)
Where have the bindippa fans gone? Shocking they haven’t stayed to support their team – you’ll never walk alone pffhh
geordie deb(Quote)
Toby ,He scored today.
kimtoon(Quote)
Deb….loads of empty houses in Chelsea to be had is the answer to your question 😉
richietoon(Quote)
Deb ,Bad winners and even worse losers. Had that been Toon fans they would still be there and probably clap the winning team i’d wager.
kimtoon(Quote)
Richie – message to west London – lock up your valuables
geordie deb(Quote)
Richie nice one 😆
kimtoon(Quote)
KimToon they are a disgrace
geordie deb(Quote)
Christ Dippers will bleat on about that 2nd goal (that wasn’t) for months now.
kimtoon(Quote)
All a bit depressing really. When will it be our turn..? Actually I think if we keep this squad together we’ve got a chance next year.
Stuart79(Quote)
Is part of the M40 still closed , you gotta love it ,no extra trains laid on either 😆
kimtoon(Quote)
If Ranger was honestly honestly changed, then yeah I might give him a few run outs, but after all the laziness and half arsed attempts he’d only have one shot and he’d have to be pretty fecking impressive. Its not like we’ve got much choice now that he’s landed a 5 year deal.
Newkie(Quote)
I’m a sucker. I hope he is a changed man. But as Toots and the Maytals sang, “I can’t believe what you say. I want to see what you do.” Go on, Nile, prove us wrong.
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
Whey time for a few sherberts, later lads n lasses.
richietoon(Quote)
Would be nice to think he had changed as the lad has talent.
kimtoon(Quote)