Could This Be The Side Tasked With Beating Nottingham Forest?

There may have been a lot of positives on show from Rafa Benitez side on Tuesday night, however it was not enough to see the side through into the EFL Cup Semi-Finals.
Hull were well drilled and well organised and despite Newcastle dominating for most of the game, they were not able to win the game in 90 minutes, or after extra-time.
The fans however, seem to have taken the defeat well. Understanding that in a Premier League game, Newcastle would have gotten a point away from home. Something that is an improvement on much of last season and something that can give us all heart for next season, if the side are promoted.
However, Benitez and his side may find themselves top of the table but there is still a lot of hard work to be done. Starting today away at Nottingham Forest.
With the game on Tuesday going to extra-time, a few players may be tired, so with this in mind, just how might Newcastle line-up?
GK: Karl Darlow – Matz Sels did not cover himself in glory in the week and it would be a huge surprise if he started again today. Darlow is the obvious choice, his calmness and composure could be just what Newcastle need after a couple of difficult game.
RB: DeAndre Yedlin – Anita is likely to be rested after Tuesday, and it is seemingly between the toss of a coin which is the better of the two.
LB: Paul Dummett – Achraaf Lazaar played well against Hull, but after playing 120 minutes he is unlikely to play again so quickly. Jesus Gamez will be missing through injury, making Dummett, who is good form himself this season, the obvious choice.

CB: Jamaal Lascelles (C) &
CB: Ciaran Clark – Newcastle looked far more solid defensively, with their first-choice centre back pairing restored, on Tuesday night. There seems to be no reason that the two will not play again tonight, especially after Lascelles was rested last weekend.

CM: Jack Colback &
CM: Jonjo Shelvey – It seems that Colback has been missed during the last couple of games. This coupled with the fact that Shelvey and Isaac Hayden have played both games in Colback’s absence, suggests that Colback will return. The reason that Shelvey should remain, is that he has arguably been Newcastle’s most important player this season and, if truth be told, nobody at the club can fill his role in the side.

RW: Matt Ritchie – The Scotland international is not happy with his recent form but after such a great start to the season, he deserves a chance to put things right.

Ten: Mo Diame – Before the game against Hull, Diame, like Ritchie, raised concerns over his own form. However, in that game he impressed and with his opener in extra-time, he could have possibly done enough to retain his place in the starting eleven.

LW: Yoan Gouffran – He may not be as skilful as Christian Atsu, but Gouffran offers balance. He also offers work rate and a goal threat. The Frenchman uses his clever movement well and it seems that Newcastle are not ready to play with two attacking wingers, like Ritchie and Atsu, just yet.

ST: Aleksandar Mitrovic – He didn’t play as badly as some suggested last weekend. In the first half, he challenged well and lacked service. Dwight Gayle also played against Hull and didn’t quite do himself justice. A fresher Mitrovic could provide a goal threat and an outlet, away from home against Forest.

167 thoughts on “Could This Be The Side Tasked With Beating Nottingham Forest?

  1. This ref is completely destroying this game!!.

    Should be doing Northern league never mind this level

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  2. Based on the cards he’s given that Forest lad should have been booked – nee different to what Goof just got booked for!!

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  3. Sharpy17:
    This ref is completely destroying this game!!.

    Should be doing Northern league never mind this level

    Sky will be seething, him ruining a live game.

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  4. kimtoon: Sky will be seething, him ruining a live game.

    Kim – Sky are doing a half price Black Friday deal – I bought it coz we’re on something like 4 times this month … gonna ask for me money back thanks to this bloody ref!!

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  5. Sharpy17: Kim – Sky are doing a half price Black Friday deal – I bought it coz we’re on something like 4 times this month … gonna ask for me money back thanks to this bloody ref!!

    Fair play too mate, he’s utterly ruined it for entertainment value, unless the object was to have Forest dominate.

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  6. this is effin awful now. Lews at respite and I was really looking forward to watching this game with a couple of drinks. Want to lamp that bloody ref.

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  7. Same here Sharpy. He covers so much ground, is good in the air and with ball at his feet and he links play we’ll too. Proper player.

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  8. All things considered I’d be happy to see out a draw here like.

    Then get this ref struck off!!!!

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  9. Good thing is, whatever the result today Rafa will be able to really rally this squad. He will point out how well they did away from home on 9 men and tell them if they can handle this they can handle anything. Plus he will create a real ‘us against the world’ vibe by highlighting how biased and poor the refs are in this league. It will do wonders for team spirit and unity – especially if they get out if their with a point ir three.

    I thinkDummets red will definitely be revoked. Not so sure about Shelvey.

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  10. Let’s not forget too that we will have at least £30m to spend in January too. I expect we will spend more than anybody else now given it’s tightening up.

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  11. FA should be capable of ordering games to be replayed, or a club should refuse to play until refs are up to standard

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  12. Hope Mitro kicks Lansbury so hard he out for the rest of the season, thats the least that cheating sod deserves

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  13. Sky the swines have the balls to interview Lansbury, and hes playing the hard done guy, what a wan–r

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  14. Well what a **** way to concede a second goal.. really thought we could grab a draw out of this. Oh well, the 12 men of Forest were just too many, that wax the worst refereeing I’ve seen… not just the reds and pens, but disallowing our other goal too.. I guess we will lose top tomorrow.

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  15. Sky showing those incidents again and the linesman flags like crazy for the Shelvey incident – but he couldn’t see it – he’s reacted to Lansbury rolling round like a ****!!.

    The 2nd penalty the same linesman doesn’t flag at all.

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  16. Sorry, but Sels couldn’t lace Darlow’s gloves. Full stop. 😉 as for the referee, I hope we are appealing the first red card, the second was harsh but clumsy and stupid from Dummett. All he needed to do was run goalside as the player didn’t even have control. It was the same player who conned the linesman for the first!

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  17. Sharpy17
    I found it amazing that Clark was wrestled to the floor, as clear as you like and the linesman or ref didn’t give a penalty. They seemed happy to give the home team penalties!

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  18. Kim
    I’ve no doubt we will as they were the worst team we’ve played so far in my opinion, even Rotherham were better and we haven’t played Burton yet. They were truly awful, which makes defeat at the hands of the officials even more galling. It’s just been a total week to forget!

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  19. FFS, we were running the game. They hardly had a kick. FFS. He gave them 2 fcking penalties . What a ******.

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  20. pretty poor return on the last 3 games from the toon. rafa knows that we lack quality in key areas, though hopefully this squad will be good enough to get us promoted.

    too many average players who lack bite, and a powder puff front line who create very little.

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  21. MM, I do think this is a team we can get behind though mate. There is no doubt in my mind that we have a team with spirit now. We so nearly took a point yesterday, it wasn’t from lack of fight. When you are 9 for over 45 and the ref is their 12th man it’s a big ask. Both their goals were ugly scruffy ones and it was just a lack of numbers that did for us. Ritchies first should never of been disallowed either.

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  22. kimtoon:
    2 Man advantage and they were still dogs*** imo. We will kill them at SJP end of this month.

    Aye Kim. It’s the second game of my half season ticket in the Gallowgate. Lansbury is getting dogs abuse. Can’t f’ing wait.

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  23. Shelvey frustrated the **** out of me last night. The kid was bossing the game last night and was basically controlling how everything went. He was getting loads of time on the ball and plenty of space to pick his passes. That could have and should have been a very controlled performance and win last night – coz until the sendings off Forest were chasing shadows.

    Dummett worried me a bit last night though. He seemed to be ball watching a lot & reacted once the ball went over his head to their advancing wing back – should that have been Gouffran following him back? – not sure but we looked vulnerable down that left side.

    Perez is a big worry for me. Is he just going through a dip in form?.

    It would his (10) and Gouffrans position I would be looking to improve in Jan personally.

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  24. ime not to bothered about Shelvey being missing for a few games to me the team did rely on everything going through him now let us see how the team preform and share our attacking game i feel with one attacker up top they are often left ploughing a lonely furrow, hopefully now we might see more players trying to help the lone striker instead of waiting for Shelvey to play a 30/40 yd pass

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  25. I see nobodies mentioned Diame’s **** poor performance last night. With 15 mins to go he should have been throwing himself into it, blocking things and full of energy. Instead he ambled around like it was a warm up training session. I’d never play him again. 😡

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  26. georgio:
    I see nobodies mentioned Diame’s **** poor performance last night. With 15 mins to go he should have been throwing himself into it, blocking things and full of energy. Instead he ambled around like it was a warm up training session. I’d never play him again.

    hes done nothing all season which he does admit himself apart from that pass for Gayle to score early on this season

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  27. kimtoon, we can most definitely get behind the toon team, but solely because they have found there level. Imo Rafa hasn’t got the final third worked out yet, we are too powder puff. I’m not just talking about yesterday’s debacle because Forest were absolutely shocking, we haven’t found a formation that gets us more goals, though I reckon it’s because our players are not good enough.

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  28. the nuts on the wheels rattled a bit this week….Diames and Mitros response once coming on wasn’t the response we all expected. back to square 1 and regroup… Tiote or Collback for Shelveys position ?

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  29. Scum 2-0 up vs Leicester. ****. That makes a bad weekend even worse.

    Got my tickets for both the Sheffield Wednesday game and the Forest game on 30th. Coming home on 17th for my xmas hols… although it going to be a bit of a thermal shock… 28 in Dubai these days

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  30. Dubai Toon:
    Scum 2-0 up vs Leicester. ****. That makes a bad weekend even worse.

    Got my tickets for both the Sheffield Wednesday game and the Forest game on 30th. Coming home on 17th for my xmas hols… although it going to be a bit of a thermal shock… 28 in Dubai these days

    hope you have a great trip mate with good results,try and bring a bit sun with you 😆
    great save by scum keeper to keep 3 points

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  31. West Ham took a hiding today – could Slaven be at risk of loosing his job? – people banging on about Pardew but Slav is having a mare

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  32. Apparently Rafa isn’t appealing any of the red cards.

    Shelvey was a red. Lansbury faked any injury and should also be banned for kicking out himself but Shelvey messed up.

    Dummett? Well apparently the rule changed to be a penalty and yellow so of course he was sent off. Fucking **** head ref.

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  33. funkyjesus:
    Apparently Rafa isn’t appealing any of the red cards.

    Shelvey was a red.Lansbury faked any injury and should also be banned for kicking out himself but Shelvey messed up.

    Dummett?Well apparently the rule changed to be a penalty and yellow so of course he was sent off.Fucking **** head ref.

    Funky – I think it would only be yellow if the player is going away from the goal and it wouldn’t be seen as a goal scoring opportunity.
    The thing for me was that the lad didn’t have control of the ball – he hadn’t controlled it well and it was behind him or caught under his feet. Plus he was loosing his balance.

    The thing with Shelvey is that’s 3 match ban but if he looses his appeal regarding the racist comments that would be a further 5 I think. That’s a big chunk missing.

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  34. wow Pardew pointing up to his Chairman in the stand.. “this ones for you! a little present after winning 2 out of 30″ he also said the club have some heavy, wealthy investors that dont know much about football (ouch) and my Chairman has been trying to convince them.. there’s a guy in the north East who keeps sending me daily nude pics from his washing basket; now he knows his footy” 😀

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  35. I expected to get beat off Forest before the game tbh. high scorers and our midweek game was always going to be a tough challenge.

    If it wasnt for the 2 sending offs and an own goal we could of drew.. great effort, especially down to 9..

    All in all, we’ve lost 1 point due to Brighton drawing.. not a bad result..

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  36. we can cover Dummett’s loss but Shelvey will be difficult.

    Obvious option will be Hayden and Colback/Tiote but i reckon it’ll be a bit flat.

    Diame doesnt seem capable of passing balls around. Maybe Richie more central with Perez, Yedlin, Goofy and Atsu sharing the wing roles?

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  37. So Chelsea own up to paying compensation to brush child abuse under the carpet. How many other clubs have done this ? Big questions around all of this imo. The abuser gets off scot free, the club avoid scandal and this may seem controversial but I don’t feel comfortable about the player taking the hush money either. At the end of the day by taking the £50,000 it means he has let that man go on to possibly and probably abuse other kids. Far better to get him to court and have him locked up and then seek compensation. If he had the guts to bring it to the clubs attention then it’s not much bigger a step to take the matter to the police is it ?

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