Game On! Manchester City v Newcastle United

Game On at the Etihad
Game On at the Etihad
The Premier League returns this afternoon following the international break, and the task could hardly be tougher for United.

A trip to Manchester City is on the agenda which is seldom good news for fans of Newcastle given our dismal record when visiting the blue half of Manchester. Actually, come to think of it, when visiting Manchester full stop.

The talent that Roberto Mancini has at his disposal is there for all to see. They have some truly world class players within their ranks and are always a dangerous team to play. Yet this term they’ve failed to build on the success of their title last season and look a shadow of the team that wrestled the Premier League trophy from their city neighbours on the final day of the last campaign.

As I mentioned in my match preview, for me this game is a write off. Damage limitation if you like. Just because they are pretty much out of reach of Manchester United it doesn’t mean that they are no longer a good side. They have a mean defence and a home record that compares with the best. It will be tough.

They also have a lot of players back in contention for them, again as pointed out in my match preview. We, on the other hand, are starting to see our injury list lengthen again and will struggle to name two actual full-backs for the game.

Being a 3pm game on a Saturday means that we aren’t being shown live here in the UK. However we are being shown live on a whole host of overseas channels, probably due to the fact we’re playing Manchester City. We’ve also sold out our ticket allocation so there will be plenty of fans who can’t make the game today who will perhaps be wanting to watch it online. Normal rules apply regarding streams, those being that if you find a good one then please share it with your fellow NUFC fans by leaving the link in the ‘comments’ section below.

Team news will today be provided by Big Dave. I’m at work and will be finished in time for kick-off (hopefully!) but I won’t be able to post the team news when it becomes available. You can see it in full at the bottom of this article.

Which just about wraps it up and it’s up to the players to perform at the Etihad. Will it be a case or more misery in Manchester or will we see some unlikely heroes instead?

Howay the lads!

Man City: Hart; Zabaleta, Kompany (c), Lescott, Clichy; Barry, Yaya Toure; Silva, Nasri, Tevez; Dzeko.

Subs: Pantilimon, K Toure, Kolarov, Garcia, Milner, Sinclair, Aguero

Newcastle: Elliot; Simpson, S.Taylor, Yanga-Mbiwa, Gutierrez; Anita, Cabaye (c); Obertan, Sissoko, Gouffran; Cisse.

Subs: Harper, Good, Perch, Bigirimana, Gosling, Marveaux, Campbell

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.

172 thoughts on “Game On! Manchester City v Newcastle United

  1. ash1001
    March 30, 2013 at 15:45

    “City are better every position other than keeper”

    Tends to happen when £400 million is spent on a team.

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  2. Game over then. Not in the least bit surprised or bothered really that we’re losing this. Always been a write off game for me.

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  3. Everybody gives City a game. They poosle us every time. Somebody explain. We look like 5under1and in disguise

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  4. Agree with TLR. We always seem to raise our game against all the big teams yet against City we always get tonked. Been that way fr a decade, even before the billions. Are they our bogey team?

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  5. Given up on watching this load of rubbish, OK we have injuries, but we are not at the races

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  6. This could end up a right hammering – it’s like all the players are expecting to lose so aren’t putting any effort in – Simpson looks way short of match practice, surprised Pards started him – although to be fair we look poor all over the pitch

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  7. I’m sure City have just played great against us since Andy Cole scored against us for them in that thrashing like 7 years ago. Fookin bastards 😕

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  8. We should now just go all out attack. We have nothing to lose! We are going to get slaughtered if we continue to play with every man behind the ball and the defense sitting just in front of the 6 yard box.

    Hope all the other results go our way today cause this is over.

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  9. Toonsy.

    Do you honestly think we are having a go, No closing down, Pass where you want to City.

    Obertan for the second goal was a disgrace, Sentanta have just said exactly the same thing

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  10. It is more in Pardew’s nature to try and keep the goals against tally down. No time this season have we shown attacking flair.

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  11. Well we are losing so have nowt to lose from makeing a few changes now . You all know I’m Cisse’s biggest fan but maybe it’s time for young Campbell to have a go and take off Obertan too ,how many times does he get forward then make the wrong pass 👿 it’s beyond irritating now. I would think we need to replace one of Cabs or Anita as both on yellows which has rendered them impotent . Knew this was a write off but there is zero passion from us and frankly that’s not good enough imo. It’s not the loss but the manner of it for me. Key injuries doing for us again it’s like pre Jan all over again .

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  12. ash1001 – No I think we’re playing ****, but I also understand that sometimes the opposition just play well all on their own without us helping them.

    Personally I have reservations about this formation that people fizz about. We have literally NO width which is fine when you have Santon and Debuchy as wing-backs almost who will bomb on, but we don’t have that and we don’t have presence in the wide areas in attack so all City have to do is close down the middle and bingo.

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  13. Maybe against Man U and Arsenal away we did show some attacking flair but generally and against poorer sides we have been too defensive in approach.

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  14. We need Norwich to beat Wigan or we are back in the poo. That is if we have ever been out the poo

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  15. Bloody Saints beating Chelski 2.1 ffs ,gonna go above us now 👿 ,we’ll be 6th from bottom tonight the way things are,wish we could get to 39 points ,just 2 wins ,2 little wins ffs.

    Reading 2.0 down now 😀

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  16. Toonsy there has been recent talk of giving Simpson a new contract. I hope his performance today kills that.

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  17. Christ, you know it’s bad when even manchester city players are working harder than our own 🙄

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  18. Newkie
    Aye, the million dollar men are actually showing passion, typical that its against us.

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  19. I feel that we didn’t have ben arfa for the entire season…. 😥 😥

    Out of three recognised right back, we got only two that are good in defending. And both are injured. 🙄

    Sad to say this, Ryan Taylor where are u? 😐

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  20. This is what happens when we have Toon players saying City don’t play as a team but as individuals 🙄 😳 We need to learn to stay silent on other teams percieved weaknesses and do our talking on the pitch.

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  21. Gosling, didn’t he score for us against city? Get 4 in 30 minutes and there will have been a point to having him all these years 😆

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  22. We bring on Gosling, they bring on Aguero. So close to bridging the gap with the top 4 now 😆

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