Toon V Forest – Goals and Discussion as the action unfolds.

Follow this blog for the latest goals and reaction to this must win game as Newcastle United looks to reclaim the Championship top spot, as Brighton look on following the postponement of their home game against Cardiff due to fog.

Anita, Gouffran & Diame dropped.

Half time Newcastle United 1-1 Nottingham Forest.

Half time stats

3-1 Toon. Gayle’s 19th goal.

Full time Newcastle United 3-1 Nottingham Forest. Top of the table for New Year. Goal difference 5 better than Brighton, who are a single point behind with a game in hand.

Final game stats:

What is interesting is that despite having 6 out field players under 5’8”, Newcastle managed to win 61.5% of the aerial duels. The Toon also won 68% of their attempted tackles compared to Forest’s 47.6%. Newcastl completed 26.9% of their crosses compared to Forest’s 14.3% and interestingly Forest were awarded 16 fouls to Newcastle’s 12 – showing the Toon were not as bullied off the ball as the commentary suggested.

Click here for full highlights

Shorter highlights:

About Shamrock

Like everyone here, support Newcastle United. Not the easiest side to feel good about at times, but it's our side!

148 thoughts on “Toon V Forest – Goals and Discussion as the action unfolds.

  1. strange statement from Rafa during a tour of coachs from Spain,i have been following a player in an eastern country.???

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  2. Ice- it did seem an odd comment. Maybe he was stressing they’re not just watching in Spain?
    Very ordinary performance last night. Colback and Hayden just doesn’t work and although Diame was better he’s off to Africa. We’re strangely weak on crosses at the back too which is a worry. Don’t know what’s happened to Perez, he’s a pale shadow of his former self. Still think we’re in a great position but the way it’s going we’ll scrape through to promotion rather than the gallop that seemed likely.

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  3. georgio:
    Ice- it did seem an odd comment. Maybe he was stressing they’re not just watching in Spain?
    Very ordinary performance last night. Colback and Hayden just doesn’t work and although Diame was better he’s off to Africa. We’re strangely weak on crosses at the back too which is a worry. Don’t know what’s happened to Perez, he’s a pale shadow of his former self. Still think we’re in a great position but the way it’s going we’ll scrape through to promotion rather than the gallop that seemed likely.

    aye could be mate,agree with your comment also

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  4. Delusional Jawdee: what negativity are you talking about? Something like what YOU said on the last thread:

    “I’m glad we picked up those lucky points at the beginning of the season.
    We’re being shown up for what we are, a team of journeymen totally reliant on our only decent midfielder.
    Lascelles my favourite involved in the Forest goal, a decidedly average defender”

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  5. I also wonder about Lascelles. He seems to get lost on crosses into our box. Mbemba is still the best centre back at the club I think.

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  6. Quite an ordinary performance but a win was very important after losing against Wednesday and losing top spot. Clearly we miss Shelvey but to be honest, any single team in this league would miss a player as good. He’s clearly the best player in the league by a mile – so obviously we will miss him. It’s a case of “getting by” until he comes back and/or we can bring in another player in January. Loftus Cheek would be my preference on loan.

    Still pretty convinced we will get promoted by a pretty big margin and that will become apparent in Feb/March when our squad depth and rotation starts to pay dividends. It’s not coincidence that all Rafa’s teams finish seasons really well.

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  7. Whilst I do not agree with Jawdee, I do think we will need a significant upgrade for the PL. We do have the best squad in The Championship though and that is where we are playing. We are top of that league after all and comparing that squad to PL squads makes no sense because we are in The Championship and the squad is built for that league. I have said before that when we do an overhaul for the PL we will most likely be able to get our money back on players sold because of the current state of the transfer market. What did Ross McCormack cost at age 29, something like 12 mil? I think we would break even on the likes of Diame and Clark if we sold. Even Hanley who hasn’t played much but is still relatively young would be attractive to another Championship team.

    I will say it again that I know this team would struggle in the PL, BUT, we are not in the PL.

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  8. Eric – Persinally I think our current squad would stay up – but it would be a bit of a struggle. If we added a quality centre half, midfielder, striker and winger we’d be competing with the rest. Considering the likes of Southampton, WBA and Stoke are competing and finishing 8/9/10th we should be able to crack that if you add Rafa into the equation.

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  9. As I sit in Syracuse airport waiting for my delayed flight to JFK, I still ponder and shake my head in disbelief that Rafa Benitez is actually our manager! It’s kind of crazy considering we’re in the Championship!

    My New Years predictions are as follows;

    1) Mike Ashley will sell the club when we get promoted (oops, I mean if)
    2) We will be bought by a Chinese man
    3) We will win something

    🙂 😯 😯 😡

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  10. Rafa has basically remade this team since last season:

    Darlow: was 3rd choice before injuries.
    Anita: hardly played at right back
    Lascelles: didn’t play under Schteve
    Clark: new signing, MBemba was 1st choice and cost more
    Dummett: was a regular and still is
    Shelvey: looks born again under Rafa
    Hayden: new signing
    Ritchie: new signing
    Diame: new signing
    Gayle: new signing
    Gouffy: from outcast to regular

    So, the team has been rebuilt for The Championship and I think it will be again for the PL. Rafa has been given the keys to the castle and I think he would walk if he is not backed when we get promoted. As I said, I think we will get our money back on any players we have bought that are deemed not good enough for the PL and that money will be reinvested in the squad. We will also expect to stay in the PL under Rafa so I think that Charnley will be willing to take out loans against future revenue in order to do so.

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  11. Stuart: I think we will be bought as well. Someone just offered 650 million for West Ham. They are in London so that is a massive premium, but still… Might have something to do with the gift of a 723 million pound ground they got. It is bad enough that the porn merchants got this but allowing them to make a massive profit from it should cause uproar and also be cause for a renegotiation of the contract. Actually, I think there is something in the contract that they have to pay extra if they sell in a certain period but it will still not make much of a hole in their profit.

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  12. Burnley against Mackems is massive. Burnley could distance themselves from the relegation battle with a win. I expected them to be fighting with Swans, Mackems and Hull but so far they are on course for survival. A Mackem win would lift the mood of the unwashed. They have a **** squad but Moyes usually does well in the second half of the season.

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  13. Stuart: is JFK any better? I was there a few years ago and I was surprised that such a big city had such **** airports – Laguardia FFS. Newark was also a sh!thole but I think they renovated it a bit.

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  14. JFK is ok – just busy but it’s NYC so they’re all busy. We’re flying back via Newark. Laguardia is perfect for location but having said it doesn’t matter where you land the traffic is just shambolic!

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  15. Eric Sykes:
    Burnley 3 Mackems 0. Pickford saved them a few times this season but is out for 6-8 weeks.

    They will be in massive trouble now he’s out for sure.

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  16. Stuart79:
    Mackems surely down this season.No money and a ***** team.

    i heard the China storey as well mate,plenty money flying around there and you know how they are they hate someone getting the better of them

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  17. Agree with Georgia that Mbemba is our best cb. He is also more constructive than the other two. In any case given his age he is surely the best long term prospect.

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  18. How easy is the PL this season? ‘Boro have only 18 points from 19 played and are 4 points safe. West Brom are 8th place in the league by having 26 points, 7 wins, 5 draws, 7 defeats (average form). We have to do better next season.

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  19. We just need to be smarter in future. It’s felt like our players have put a shift in against the top 6 clubs and have been protecting their egos, then haven’t turned up in games against average clubs. I wouldn’t care if we were beaten 6-0 and didn’t knacker ourselves against Chelsea, if we then went on the beat Burnley at home and West Brom away. This is how other clubs survive, by beating the bottom half teams. We need to get so much better at that and we could even get into the top half from it (like West Brom do). Our players need to be realistic about who they can beat and when they need to give 110%.

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  20. Sham or Andymag, I have a little filler thread for tomorrow until our next game on Monday if you are interested ?

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  21. Stuart79:
    The bizarre thing is that not even sacking Moyes would make any difference.

    How many times have we said that about the Mackem managers?

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  22. Depends who Sunderland bring in if they sack Moyes or he walks. It’s common knowledge there is no money as such to significantly upgrade players, Moyes said so a week or so ago. There is now talk that Defoe will likely leave in the coming weeks and with pickford injured too they got to be certs for the drop.

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  23. Kimtoon:
    Depends who Sunderland bring in if they sack Moyes or he walks. It’s common knowledge there is no money as such to significantly upgrade players, Moyes said so a week or so ago. There is now talk that Defoe will likely leave in the coming weeks and with pickford injured too they got to be certs for the drop.

    getting beat off a lower PL team will fairly knock them ,Kone is now carrying a injury,i watched Moyes sitting in the dugout he looked totely dejected,bye bye PL imo

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  24. icedog: getting beat off a lower PL team will fairly knock them ,Kone is now carrying a injury,i watched Moyes sitting in the dugout he looked totely dejected,bye bye PL imo

    How sweet would it be to pass the Mackems on the way back up.

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  25. Like most people, I thought at the start of the season that relegation was between the promoted teams, Mackems and Swans. With Burnley pulling away I think the Mackems are odds on for the drop. I hate to say it, but Palace probably acted in time to save themselves although a tonking from Arsenal tomorrow would start the New Year of well. I don’t dislike Toad of Toad Hall as much as Arrogant Alan but he is only one level down on the arrogance scale and is a bent gobshite.

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  26. Kone and Anichebe went off injured as well. I wonder if NUFC fans will chip in to get a banner to fly over the SOL or are they so inconsequential that it is not even worth the trouble?

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  27. Karma is a wonderful thing. The Mackems were gloating last year but forgot that we had Rafa and some very salable assets. What they really failed to grasp was that they were 173 million in debt with an owner who had lost interest and a **** squad. They were always going to struggle unless there was a Chinese buyer and their location and debt has made other clubs more attractive. The only positive is their stadium.

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  28. A Chinese take over of the toon would be horrendous.

    Hope that ends the negativity on here…

    p.s. the makkems are going down, Swansea have joined the race by appointing a manager without a track record. Might just keep the Boro up…

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  29. Happy New Year everybody! Hope 2017 is good to you and sees the Toon rightfully back in the Premier League.

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  30. Why not? 13 England caps,can score the odd goal and a definite step up from Colback – so he’s an improvement with no long term commitment if it does not work out…

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  31. Shamrock I would take Cleverly on loan to keep Colback out the team. Delph is another player we are being linked with. Loftus cheek also. I certainly don’t rate them PL wise but Rafa might get the best out of them. I see Toite getting no offers, Siem De Jong might get sold depending on how well his doing.

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  32. Stem:
    Shamrock I would take Cleverly on loan to keep Colback out the team.Delph is another player we are being linked with.Loftus cheek also.I certainly don’t rate them PL wise but Rafa might get the best out of them.I see Toite getting no offers, Siem De Jong might get sold depending on how well his doing.

    only as a loan mate as he hasnt been able to prove himself at any PL club Fergie got rid as he knew he wouldnt make it which proved it at Villa and Everton we need better in the PL

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  33. Icedog I wouldn’t sign any of those player’s permanently mate. I think they would be good for the short term but not for the long term. I still don’t see Colback making it in the PL. His at his level now and will be no good to us if we win promotion.

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  34. Sham, Don’t know if you are still around but I sent the article to you. Sorry it’s late I been to the walk in centre with Lew for hours. 🙄

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  35. Just watched the Arsenal v Palace game. Unreal goal by Giroud.

    But watching Palace, Townsend looks so bang average for them – like a different player than he was for us. They are struggling in the same way we were last season, but for us he was a stand out player. A player who could win a game – MOTM whether we won or lost, he’d be the best player on the pitch.
    But for Palace he’s never yet looked that player. I don’t know what his stats are for them, but in the same period (half a season) I bet they are nowhere near what they were for us.
    Yes he would have dropped a league with us, but he’d be playing regularly, he’d be a stand out player, winning and having a major influence on games. Then next season he’d be back in the PL. He made a huge mistake imo.

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  36. Wasn’t there talk of us wanting James McCarthy from Everton at the start of this season. I reckon I’d rather have Cleverley given the choice.
    I’d take Delph too personally. I think he’d be a good player for us.

    I’m not so sure about Loftus Cheek. Good young player, but I’m not sure he’s what we need just now. I think we need older more experienced players to get us through this season. He’s not going to leave Chelsea so it would only be a short term loan, which is hardly building for the future.

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  37. Sharpy I think Shamrock’s wants Anthony Knockaert to sign for us. With 11 goals to his and a winger I can see why.

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  38. Stem:
    Sharpy I think Shamrock’s wants Anthony Knockaert to sign for us.With 11 goals to his and a winger I can see why.

    Stem – I want Knockaert to sign for us, but as Brighton are our main rivals in the league I really don’t see that happening any time soon.

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  39. You’re right there Sharpy Brighton would have fool’s to sell him mate. I wouldn’t mind a winger like that going into the PL.

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  40. Stem:
    You’re right there Sharpy Brighton would have fool’s to sell him mate.I wouldn’t mind a winger like that going into the PL.

    Stem – I’m a fan of Jesse Lingard mate, but I think he’s happy being a bit part player at Man Utd.

    I like Tom Ince & Will Hughes at Derby, but again I don’t see them selling when they are up in the play offs and pushing promotion.

    I watched Robson Kanu for WBA yesterday & I think we missed a trick there. Could have had him on a free but opted to spend £5m on Murphy instead. I’m not saying he would have been our super star, but would have been a better option than Murphy IMO.

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  41. Sharpy17: Stem – I’m a fan of Jesse Lingard mate, but I think he’s happy being a bit part player at Man Utd.

    I like Tom Ince & Will Hughes at Derby, but again I don’t see them selling when they are up in the play offs and pushing promotion.

    I watched Robson Kanu for WBA yesterday & I think we missed a trick there.Could have had him on a free but opted to spend £5m on Murphy instead.I’m not saying he would have been our super star, but would have been a better option than Murphy IMO.

    I think Kanu was always holding out for a PL club though Sharpy, being a free agent he could take his pick. Don’t think we’d ever of stood a realistic chance.

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  42. Kimtoon: I think Kanu was always holding out for a PL club though Sharpy, being a free agent he could take his pick. Don’t think we’d ever of stood a realistic chance.

    Don’t even think we went for him to be honest Kim. There wasn’t many PL clubs chasing him, and to be honest I don’t think Pullis even wanted him. Had we had a serious effort I think he’d have jumped at the chance to play for Rafa at Newcastle.

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  43. Sharpy you would like to think he’d of wanted to join for sure.
    Re Lansbury, looks like he might want away as I doubt Derby would of bid on him if there was no chance of getting him.

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  44. Kimtoon:
    Sharpy you would like to think he’d of wanted to join for sure.
    ReLansbury,looks like he might want away as I doubt Derby would of bid on him if there was no chance of getting him.

    Kim – Lansburys contract is up in the summer & I think he wants away from Forest. He sees himself as better than mid-lower EFL, and he probably is it be fair. Forest will cash in rather than loose him for nowt, but I’m not sure how much they want.
    I’d probably give them £2m plus Colback for him.

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  45. Kim I can’t access the article. It says file won’t open? Could you resend the article with the writing g on the email instead of an attachment?

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