Successive yet unexpected wins at home to Chelsea and away at Tottenham may have come as a rather welcome surprise, but it could also be argued that they were needed after the defeat to Sunderland.
However the real test for United is what happens next. With two home games coming up the pressure is on us to get results once more. No team has a divine right to beat another and it depends on how things pan put on the day, but being at home against Norwich and then West Brom means that the expectation is firmly on us to make things happen.
If we can live up to those expectations and win both matches we’ll have won all of our league games in November and will have 23 points on the board – a total we didn’t reach until the end of February last season, and only three pints worse off than the season in which we finished fifth and qualified for Europe!
Newcastle:
Mathieu Debuchy will miss the match after picking up a fifth yellow card of the season against Tottenham. Ryan Taylor is definitely out whilst question marks remain over the availability of Paul Dummett. Other than that Alan Pardew has a full squad to choose from including Jonas Gutierrez and Fabricio Coloccini who are both available again.
Norwich:
Ricky van Wolfswinkel, Alexander Tettey, Elliott Bennett and Mark Bunn are all absent through injury although Anthony Pilkington appears to have overcome a hamstring problem and should be available to play should former Magpie manager Chris Hughton select him.
Previously…
United managed to avoid defeat against the Canaries last season, winning 1-0 at St James’ Park and drawing 0-0 at Carrow Road. A win tomorrow would make it three home wins on the spin against Norwich, and this is a match that generally favours the home side.
This will be the 50th meeting in all competitions between the two sides. To date Newcastle have won 21, Norwich 14 with another 14 draws making up the numbers.
Stats and facts:
As this is a match between our former and current manager it’s only right to compare win ratios. IN the Premier League with Newcastle, Chris Hughton managed a win rate of 31.3% compared to Alan Pardew’s win rate of 37.6%.
Norwich have won only three away league games since Chris Hughton took charge.
Norwich haven’t won at St James’ Park since 1988 when Dale Gordon and Robert Fleck gave them a 2-0 victory.
Newcastle have scored more goals from outside the penalty area than any other side this season.
Loic Remy has scored 47% of our goals this season – a higher proportion than any other player for any team in the league.
Final thought…
We really should be looking to win this one. The momentum is with us after two impressive league victories and we have half a team who should be busting a gut trying to get into the France squad now they’ve assured qualification for the World Cup next year.
However this is Newcastle and that joie de vivre can easily disappear just as easily as it arrives, and this is the type of match we always seem to struggle with. Complacency needs to be avoided. With the greatest of respect to Norwich, you know that you need to be at the top of your game to get results against the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham, but this has potential to be one of those after the lords mayors show kind of affairs. I hope my concerns are unfounded.
Howay the lads!
Date: Saturday, 23rd November, 2013
Time: 3pm
Venue: St James’ Park
Newkie
I think attitude on the pitch matters a great deal. Duff and Martins never looked like they cared on the pitch. Coloccini was **** in his first year, but I doubt that was due to effort.
Loyalty is a weird thing in football. Can’t think of many Newcastle players that have genuinely shown it. Shearer, Harper, Given spring to mind. Even Given gets stick, despite turning down moves to play behind Bramble and O’Brien, in the prime of his career!
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Well it seems we now have defo 2 unsettled players in Colo and Cabs and wouldn’t be at all surprised if Benny ,Anita and Marv are restless too given Pards approach to them. What an effin mess it is, are we really such an undesirable club to stay at now , makes you wonder what goes on behind the scenes doesn’t it.
KIMTOON(Quote)
When it comes to loyalty, we can look no further than The Legendary Super Eagle Shola if you ask me.
Not a hint of controversy from the lad, and now he is getting his just rewards.
HTL 🙂
Munich Mag(Quote)
I see Poyet has told Short to let him sign who he wants or he’s off 😆 😆 😆 Oh dear, altogether now ” there may be trouble ahead……..
KIMTOON(Quote)
Much being made of an old Colo story. Shame on him for being honest. He comes across as being a good professional to me.
For those of you interested (I know, that’s nobody), last night was the first time for a few years that I’ve seen the Roar have less possession than the opposition – and the opposition were the league leaders – yet we won 3-1.
Sometimes you gotta find new ways to win. That’s a sign of a good team. Newcastle have won a few different ways this season. Long may they find new ways to win.
The 2 big and dreadful losses so far have been against teams that pressed hard and limited time and space to play a passing game (as WSW did to Roar last night). I expect Norwich to play that type of game. We have to take the chances as they come and dig in hard and give as much back as we get.
Off to catch a plane to Darwin. Howay the lads.
brisvegas(Quote)
<<<<<<<<< predicts a 2 v 0 win for the toon 😉
TOONARMYELITE(Quote)
I’m guessing this is the first chance of 3 wins on the spin since 2011. Touching wood, touching wood.
DJG(Quote)
ST-I think Martins looked like he cared every now and then, trouble was that was 1/5 matches usually. But still, Colo has still had many off games since that first season for me where he hasn’t seemed fussed and, worryingly, many of those were as captain.
I would give Given some stick too although not as much as others. He jumped ship like Insomnia. Still, funny how many of us thought he was the best keeper in the league or at least in that elite bracket. Now look at him 😆 😆 Who would have thought Harper was getting a game at a dif team in the PL and not given?
Newkie(Quote)
DJG – Nah. We had a chance earlier on in the season after beating Fulham and Villa but then blew it against Hull.
toonsy(Quote)
Bad timing from Colo but he hasn’t said anything(if indeed he did say it) that he didn’t say last year so the anger and outrage is a bit much as we already knew his views. Yep he fecked up in the first place but his wife and more importantly his kids are in Argentina and want him back there and he wants to be with them(yep he should have thought about that before). If or should I say when he goes back we should get a huge chunk of any sell on, 100% if it’s during his current contract period.
Let him without sin… etc etc.
richietoon(Quote)
@Trumpet
It’s a pretty simple scenario which you are struggling to grasp. 😉
Xisco was on a huge wage and had no ability.
Carroll was on a pittance (in football terms and the toon weren’t prepared to up it) and he has loads of ability.
I genuinely don’t get your reason for comparing the two examples.
Regarding Colo, the bloke is being honest and needs to go home for personal reasons. He stayed this season, albeit forced to, but hasn’t sulked and he’s gave everything. It’s not as if he’s wanting to go to another premier club. He’s wanting to head home.
I didn’t sympathise with him last year as he got himself in the mess and wanted to leave us in the lurch. We’ve had time to find a replacement and there really shouldn’t be an issue IMO.
@TGS. has the Fool been sacked yet? 🙄
If we win today we are in a very healthy position. Will you please ask the same question immediately after our victory today as I love laughing at the way he’s making Fools out of his knockers including you. 😆
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Ahh well, just add Collo to the “out” list, no big deal.. the “out” list incudes.
Ashley
Pardew
Joe
Collo
Willo
Marv
Shola
Oba
Cisse
Saylor
Gosling
*list compiled from nufc blog comments and general hatred for the players listed! 😆
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Wot no Benny?? 😯 😉
richietoon(Quote)
Troy
The comparison has nothing to do with ability or wages.
It is just questioning the premise that any footballer can claim to be forced out of a club.
Lets just leave it there anyway, can’t be arsed going down this road on matchday,we’re all set in our ways on that anyway 😉
Newks
I would argue that that is just Coloccini’s style, he isn’t a patch on Nolan, and shouldn’t have been made captai imo, but it’s unfair to say he doesn’t care. You see it when we score and through things like hosting squad dinners.
Mate, he was only no longer the best in the league because he wasted so many prime years here under Souness amd Allardyce. If Krul stayed with us another 5 years but saw regression would you begrudge him a move ❓ I certainly won’t mind when Shola goes to Barca after his golden boot at the WC
solanostrumpet(Quote)
I actually think that we will get it right today and give Norwich a wee spanking. 3-0, Remy, Cabaye, Cisse
solanostrumpet(Quote)
How many times have we come off the back of good results to play ‘weaker’ teams at home and come unstuck? Too many. I expect this to be similar. It will be close, reckon 1-1 or 1-0.
I think we need Cisse back so I would play Remy, Cisse and Gouffran in front three.
Stuart79(Quote)
If we don’t put in the effort as in the first half against Spurs, and show Norwich respect, then we will lose today. There are no easy games in the EPL.
1-0, perhaps 2-0 Toon in a hard fought win 🙂
Howay the lads !!
Munich Mag(Quote)
I think Debuchy’s bite and attacking prowess will be missed today.
Munich Mag(Quote)
Aussie,
You left out Ben Arfa, Jonas. And previously:
Krul, Debuchy,Tiote and Gouff (until about three weeks ago).
JJ(Quote)
JJ / Aussie, what’s your point exactly, aren’t we allowed to criticise players when they are patently gash ? Or are the toon fans the only supporters who criticse there players ? 😉
JJ that must be you defending Jonas then ? 😕
Munich Mag(Quote)
It’s all a bit pathetic slagging off collo, last week shola, week before cisse, week before remy, week before cabaye – I don’t think any player has escaped a slating krul can’t kick, Debuchy can’t defend yada fucking yada
I get paid fairly well to do my job but if I fancy leaving I’ll leave
**** me, shola gets slagged off for staying and collo gets slagged off for wanting to go home
stevep(Quote)
Sometimes this blog reminds me of the old gits…. Moan, that’s ****, he’s ****, fucking ****, whinge fucking moan moan moan 😀
stevep(Quote)
Even if we win today we are likely to stay 9th. How disappointing.
Stuart79(Quote)
Eminem… no probs mate… as I said, just add Collo to the list and lets move onto the next target . moan away 😆 😆
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Thats the spirit Stuart 😆
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
All Collo needs to do is tweet how bad Ashley is and he will be a fan legend again..it worked for Joey 😛
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Aussie 😆
Stu
But… 6 of the teams above us are playing each other so we would make up some ground. A win would really make things interesting for our season.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
If we perform to our capabilities, in 2 games time we may be above ‘wonder-team’ Southampton 😯
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Colo is a ****.
funkyjesus(Quote)
AMF@99, good to see that all is well in the Aussie Mag Fan Ashram.. If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands 🙂 …
Some of the posters on here get my goat too mate, always moaning. Having a pop at Collo after all he has done for the toon is really scraping the barrel as far as I’m concerned. 😆 😆
Munich Mag(Quote)
FJ@104, sitting on the fence again as usual 😆 😆 😆 😆
Munich Mag(Quote)
Eminem, come join me and I will set you free mate 😆
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Gonna be a tight one today I reckon. Need Pards to hammer it home to the lads that they treat this game like they are playing one of the top 4,if he gets that right and the lads play their part we’ll win, simples. 😉 HWTL 2.0
KIMTOON(Quote)
Meh, meant to put 2.1 🙄
KIMTOON(Quote)
AMF…I’m with you brother 🙂 😆 😆 😆 How does it go again…”If you’re happy and you Shola it clap your hands…”…or summat… 😆
I read a post yesterday written by a supposed toon fan, and crouton of the highest order that he would like to see Norwich beat the toon because of everything Chris Houton had done for the toon…blah blah… 😳 😳 Not on this blog btw 😉
Munich Mag(Quote)
Eminem 😆 it wasnt JJ that said that about Norwich beating us was it ? 😆
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
AMF@111, nah mate, it wasn’t one of the punters on this blog… 😉 …
Munich Mag(Quote)