After three weeks away, Premier League football returns to St. James’ this afternoon as we play host to Stoke City, looking to make it three wins on the bounce after morale boosting wins over West Ham and Swansea.
We may be arriving into this one full of confidence, however i’m a expecting Stoke to offer a far tougher test than West Ham posed in our last home encounter. The visitors arrive unbeaten in their last three and in decent knick, holding table topping Manchester United to a 2-2 draw in their last outing.
We must match the intensity and togetherness we’ve shown in our last two games here. We have the chance to turn a good start into a great one with a win today – complacency must not creep in, with the players having a job to do on the pitch and us, the fans, having a job to do off of it.
Team-wise i’m hoping Atsu is brought back into the starting 11. Murphy never really got going at Swansea, whilst Atsu has had a pretty lively start to the season. Shelvey played no part at Swansea, but i’d be in favour of him returning to the team today. Whether that be for Hayden or Perez, in a slightly more advanced role, is up to Rafa, however i’d be inclined to see him replace the latter – who is too often on the fringes of games for me.
Joselu looks all set to continue up-top – a man who’ll have the bit between his teeth to score against his former team – whilst Lascelles and Clark look set to keep Lejeune out the team once again. I’d be tempted to see Yedlin return at right-back to give us that extra dimension with Ritchie going forward, whilst I have my concerns over Gamez at left-back, even if he did well at last Sunday. Swansea lacked width and he was rarely ran at, so I expect Stoke’s Xherdan Shaqiri to pose a totally different test this time around. He deserves another chance in the side, but I’d probably feel more comfortable see the more agile and athletic Mbemba come back in for this one.
The Opposition
Stoke may have lost talisman Marko Arnautovic this summer, but his loss has been compensated by some pretty impressive signings.
New forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has hit the ground running and arrives on the back of a brace against Manchester United, with the dangerous Jese – on loan from PSG – and unpredictable yet incredibly capable Xherdan Shaqiri likely to start either side of him.
Their midfield duo of Darren Fletcher and Joe Allen offers real industry in the middle, with several new defensive signings including Kurt Zouma, Bruno Martins Indi and Kevin Wimmer are likely to be on show in their new-look system involving three at the back.
Click here for a closer look into tomorrow’s opposition, as we’ve been speaking to Stoke fan Andy who’s shared his thoughts on NUFC and offered some insight into Stoke’s season so far.
Form
Newcastle (10th) – Played: 4 / Won: 2 / Drawn: 0 / Lost: 2
Stoke (12th) – Played: 4 / Won: 1 / Drawn: 2 / Lost: 1
Team News
Benitez has confirmed that the only players unavailable through injury are Paul Dummett and Massaido Haidara, meaning he has almost every senior player available for selection aside from the suspended Aleksandar Mitrovic.
This suggests Chancel Mbemba has made a swift recovery from an injury picked up on international duty, whilst the likes of Lejeune, Yedlin and Shelvey will be pushing for starts after returning from spells on the sidelines.
For Stoke, Mark Hughes will hand a late fitness test to captain Ryan Shawcross, however there is a feeling that their star centre-back will miss out through a back injury.
Fellow defender Geoff Cameron has been ruled out with a hamstring injury, while Ibrahim Afellay (knee) and Stephen Ireland (broken leg) are still recovering from a long-term injuries.
Predicted Line-ups
Newcastle United XI – (4-2-3-1) – Elliot – Manquillo, Lascelles, Clark, Mbemba – Hayden, Merino – Ritchie, Perez , Atsu – Joselu
Stoke City XI – (3-4-3) – Butland – Wimmer, Zouma, Martins Indi – Diouf, Fletcher, Allen, Pieters – Shaqiri, Choupo-Moting, Jese.
Head-to-Heads
It’s fair to sat we haven’t faired to well against Stoke in our last five meetings, scoring just one goal, with two draws and three defeats. Here’s hoping we buck that trend today with a win!
Match Prediction
I’m expecting a tough test here. Stoke are a decent side who won’t roll over like West Ham did.
I think we’ll put in another good effort, but fall just short of what would be a third successive win. I see Jese and Shaqiri causing problems and the midfield battle being a tight one, but do think we’ll do enough to get a point, with our shape and organisation suggesting to me that we won’t be beaten easily this season.
Prediction: Newcastle 1-1 Stoke
Howay the lads!
I am watching a rerun of the Spurs – Dortmund game and I absolutely love Clive Allen. He gives a great insight to the game and is understated and excited at the same time if that is possible. Can we get rid of Phil Neville and have Clive instead?
The main commentator gave Clive a perfect opportunity to brag saying he was Spurs’ single season goalscoring record holder. Clive said he was honoured to take that from the GREAT Jimmy Greaves and expects Harry Kane to be the new record holder soon.
Just a class act.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Thanks Olly, This will be a tough game for sure, I’ll be happy with a draw .
KIMTOON(Quote)
Better get back to the thread. 2-0 to the Toon.
Arnautovic to get sent off. For West Ham TDS 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I will repeat what I said on the last thread. Good work Olly contacting the Stoke fan and giving us their view on their team and the match.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I think if Yedlin is back & fit, he will be right back and Manq will stay left back with Memba on the bench able to cover right across the back line.
Other than that I think that line up will be right. Atsu to come back in and get at them down that left flank.
Tough game, and I’m with Kim on this one, a draw will do, a win and I think this group of players could do better than I expect.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Probably only one change – Atsu for Murphy. 2-2? We’ll see. HTL!
georgio(Quote)
would like to see Shelvey come in for Perez who has been very poor lately,Stoke would really try Shelvey temper there big rough lot
icedog(Quote)
I want us to win because:
1. I want us to win and am a NUFC fan and always want us to win.
2. There are 3 people I like to see miserable – Mark Hughes, Roy Keane and Graeme Souness. We will achieve the trifecta if we win today.
3. Paul Merson’s Giant Balloon head predicts a draw, as does Lawro as does Horsey Owen. So let’s get a win.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Oh, and Lee Ryder predicted that we might win but alternatively might get a draw or might even lose. So, I am going with Lee’s prediction since he is the fount of all NUFC knowledge.
So, 7-0 to the Toon.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Paul Ince is going for a 2-1 win for toon
icedog(Quote)
I know NUFC vs Stoke is a hard game to predict but if you are the chief sports writer at the local paper you might except better than “we might win, lose or draw”!!! FFS. Lee has just come first in stating the fcking obvious.
And… AND. They have stopped calling Mick Quinn a “Newcastle Legend”. I hope they read this blog but doubt it.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
totally Ice, was thinking exactly that too. Not convinced by Yedlin defensively tbh, if he can master that part of his game he’ll be great though. It does seem to be the price you pay for pacy R backs and left backs who love to bomb forward, at least for us anyway , was the same with Debbie and Janmaat, great forward play but cack defensively . I liked Anita .
KIMTOON(Quote)
They always used to have the lead in to Mick Quinn’s columns as “Newcastle Legend Micky Quinn says”. Now they don’t.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I have been reading Chronicle back articles so I am on my high horse again 🙂
Kimtoon: they really love Yedlin over here. They think him and Pulisic are the 2 players who can make a difference for the National team. I think he is a good player, fast.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
That ref in our Swansea game was a total bell. I think they made a conscious decision not to risk Shelvey against a booking from that plank. I don’t believe they would have favoured Diame over him ordinarily like.
Sharpy17(Quote)
KIM I liked Anita as well,silly sale imo
Icedog(Quote)
Tell me who is good ref,they all seem to put the knife into us
Icedog(Quote)
Ice, Anita was good defensively, not the fastest but had a quick brain, intelligent player imo, wish we’d kept him.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Legends is the place to be apparently. NUFC NYC fan club is there. Should be a good sesh starting at 10am ffs!
2-1 I’m going for.
Stuart79(Quote)
Looking at Palace. I’m sure many on here would have been happy with Benteke and Townsend leading their team
Premandup(Quote)
Aye mate true Benteke has lost all his confidence,who can blame him with club and players in turmoil
Icedog(Quote)
Hi all, just watching the palace match… amazing that they still haven’t scored! They don’t seem to be playing badly and have some decent players, just seem incapable of scoring. Is this the same Townsend that played for us and got his England call up..? Seems a different player…
Hoping for a win today of course. I’d like to see Shelvey or Gayle in for Perez.
Dubai Toon(Quote)
Palace need to be scoreless for another 8-9 mins to our very much unwanted record from 12 years ago… hope they do it..
Dubai Toon(Quote)
That’s our record gone… palace now the longest run without a goal from start of the season in premiership history. ???
Dubai Toon(Quote)
So is Mr Woy going to be 3 games away from the sack if Palace get beaten today?
shamrock(Quote)
Yedlin in, Atsu in. Perez still in team, Shelvey on bench.
shamrock(Quote)
Townsend made a huge mistake leaving us for Palace like. I know some could say hindsight is a wonderful thing, but it’s not like Palace were great when he went there and have struggled since.
I actually think he’s managed to go further back in his career then he would have if he dropped a division with us.
Have to be honest though, can’t say I’d swap him with Ritchie or Atsu now.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Townsend jumped ship for PL football and a chance to get picked for England . That’s worked out well then. Should of stayed, he’d of gotten loads better under Rafa.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Any links today ?
KIMTOON(Quote)
Bein sports if you can get it mate
Icedog(Quote)
link
http://www.fbstreams.me/live/stream/Newcastle%20United%20vs%20Tottenham%20Hotspur-fb-1/football
KIMTOON(Quote)
Ice I’m on PC mate don’t get Bein, that link is very good though.
KIMTOON(Quote)
I think we will be playing like the away team in most of our games this season.
Stuart79(Quote)
getinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
KIMTOON(Quote)
Atsu and that’s against the run of play
KIMTOON(Quote)
Get in!
Stuart79(Quote)
Should be three up ffs!
Stuart79(Quote)
Should have been a red. If it was Mitro…
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Jesus man alive! We have to take them chances ffs!
Stuart79(Quote)
I hope these wasted chances don’t come back to haunt us
Stuart79(Quote)
Course they will 🙄
KIMTOON(Quote)
Good half, but we should be 3 up now at least. Joselu had 2 golden chances. Playing well. I think they will score though, given what they did to Man U, so we need to get another early in the second half!
I would change Perez for Gayle. Maybe Shelvey for Hayden since he’s on a yellow.
Ref giving us nowt like today.
Dubai Toon(Quote)
Mackems winning… ???
Dubai Toon(Quote)
We are creating chances again. Butland is a good keeper.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
That, is what £5m gets you I’m afraid!
Stuart79(Quote)
1 in 4 striker. That’s £5m
Stuart79(Quote)
ffs
KIMTOON(Quote)
That’s what happens in the PL when you can’t score and you have to rely on a £5m striker as your main signing.
Stuart79(Quote)
Hi Kim, thanks for the link, but it seems not working for the 2nd half?
funrafa(Quote)
Bloody oompahloompahs.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
offside ffs
KIMTOON(Quote)
Get Joselu off. He’s *****. Who knew…
Stuart79(Quote)
mines just gone too mate 👿
KIMTOON(Quote)
should Atsu of had a penalty guys, just heard it was waved away by ref ?
KIMTOON(Quote)
Just another chance
Stuart79(Quote)
Got the ball, Kim. Another chance goes begging.
Stuart79(Quote)
Getinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
KIMTOON(Quote)
Either play him up front or let’s start every attack with a corner! Get in!
Stuart79(Quote)
see it coming. That is the quality of a star.
funrafa(Quote)
Big lads earning that new contract like!!!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
well someones gotta score cause the forwards aren’t . 😳
KIMTOON(Quote)
We will have Merino for one more season. He’ll be a £40m player and Jabba will masturbate to the bank
Stuart79(Quote)
Thank God
Stuart79(Quote)
Kimtoon. That link gave my PC a virus. Trying to get rid of it now.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
me too mate
KIMTOON(Quote)
not gonna look for links anymore, too much trouble . 👿
KIMTOON(Quote)
get in lads, great win that.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Cracking win that against a very tricky, physical side.
3 straight wins ????
Sharpy17(Quote)
Just as I predicted. 2-1… excellent win and that man Lascelles again. Good match. I know Joselu missed a few but everyone has an off day. I think he was trying too hard to make a point against his old club. I’d give him time.
Yedlin very good, Merino good again, Mbemba excellent at LB. Ritchie or Atsu get MotM for me, I think Atsu shaved it.
Top 4!! For a little while anyway. ???
Dubai Toon(Quote)
Forgot to say that Elliot played a blinder too.. some great saves today.
Dubai Toon(Quote)
Yeah bad day at the office for Jersey loo, but all strikers have days like that – he was in good positions which is a positive – yes he should have scored, but luckily today it didn’t stop the win.
Good performance again and a run of 3 straight wins and 3 deserved wins as well.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Good result. Joselu was a bit unlucky but Butland is a great keeper.
Mackems drew. Good. I don’t want them to go down. Bottom half will do me to teach them a lesson for flying banners over SJP.
Ooooh… Sir Harold of Redknapp might finally get some criticism. Nah, he has a Range Rover and sticks his head out of it on deadline day to talk to his Sky chums so he is immune.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Almost forgot about Palace. I never even took any notice of that team until their fans started trolling about Pards. Now, the worst start in top division history when you consider they have no points and no goals. And Mr. Roy. Please let him fucking fail after that England debacle. As a reminder – out at the Group stage at Brasil, sightseeing on a River Cruise in Paris, abdicating responsibility to Potato Wayne, out against a Nation of 330,000 people.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
ERIC/KIM get a fix me stick,it’s what computer repair shops use,had one for about ten months shifts everything nasty,also speeds the computer up a bit, they are £70 but that for life,it also up dates itself every time you use it to keep up with latest nasty so,think they started in the states,for KIM I think QVC sell them or they did
Icedog(Quote)
You just plug it in sub port it does the rest
Icedog(Quote)