The mood is gloomy around Tyneside at the minute, but a bumper crowd is still expected as ticket sales have remained impressive despite the less than inspiring transfer window.
It seems that I, along with many others, have been saying that the squad is down to the bare bones now through injury for some time now,but it is particularly pertinent in the striker department where we now only have Leon Best, Nile Ranger and Peter Lovenkrands as fit first-team striking options after the loss of Shola Ameobi to what is a suspected fractured cheek bone at Fulham on Wednesday night.
Shola will join Hatem Ben Arfa, Stephen Ireland, Steven Taylor, Ryan Taylor, Dan Gosling and Alan Smith on the sidelines whilst Fabricio Coloccini is a fitness doubt with a hamstring strain. It isn’t all bad news though as the home side will welcome back Cheik Tiote after his three game suspension.
Points on the board is a must, although against an Arsenal side that is one of only two unbeaten sides in the league in this calendar year you would have to say that we should probably prepare for no points tomorrow. Mind you, I said that back in November when the team went to The Emirates and we managed to grab a win so who knows? Hope may just spring eternal?
Assuming Colo is out, but with fingers crossed that he isn’t, I would go with a team that looks a little like this:
Newcastle: Steve Harper, Danny Simpson, Mike Williamson, Sol Campbell, Jose Enrique, Joey Barton, Cheik Tiote, Kevin Nolan, Jonas Gutierrez, Leon Best, Peter Lovenkrands.
Arsenal are flying high in the league at the moment and currently sit in second place in the table. It isn’t all sweetness and light for them though as they carry their own injury problems at present.
In-form Samir Nasri will miss the game with a hamstring injury as will Brazilian midfielder, Denilson. Alex Song has also been ruled out and will join Thomas Vermaelen, Emanuel Frimpong and Lukasz Fabianski on the sidelines. Sebastien Squillaci will return from his ban for the trip to St James’.
Arsenal beat Everton 2-1 in midweek to keep their title hopes alive. In that match they lined up with a team of:
Arsenal: Wojciech Szczesny, Bacary Sagna, Johan Djourou, Laurent Koscielny, Gael Clichy, Alex Song, Jack Wilshere, Theo Walcott, Cesc Fabregas, Tomas Rosicky, Robin van Persie.
Newcastle have only beaten Arsenal twice in the last 16 Premier League meetings between the two sides, with one of those victories being the 1-0 win at The Emirates earlier on in the season.
Kevin Nolan is still searching for his 50th Premier League goal and if he can find time is schedule of praising other clubs he could get it tomorrow. Hopefully.
It doesn’t need me to tell you that this will be a tough match, but at least we won’t be wearing that horrible blue away kit again. We are at home so I expect us to have a go at them, but ultimately that could prove to be our downfall.
I’d love all three points, would be happy with a draw, but can only see a defeat unfortuately.
Howay the lads!
I thought both of ya were away 😆
richietoon(Quote)
Dave……..no I’ve seen Ice oot with his real dogs, miniature poodles, the cat would have them for dinner and spit oo their ribbons with the bells on them 😆
richietoon(Quote)
😉 💡
Big Dave(Quote)
Toonsy doesn’t like people who take drugs…………. Customs men for example 😆
richietoon(Quote)
Reet, I’m defo off now. Neet lads
richietoon(Quote)
well i’m here…..let me explain..
i was down me mam’s today helping her take down the xmas decoration when she fell off the ladder whilst trying to take the,,,fairy…off the top of the tree and hurt her ankle.
anyway i told her to leave it till later and decided to take her her to her doctors….that’s the gateshead practice on prince consort road. on the way in i heard a voice asking…..is that you komfort ? i turned around and coudn’t believe my eyes…it was paul weller!! i’d never seen him for about 5 years and of all the places to bump into an old mate…very strange.
anyway we got chatting and i asked why was he in the doc’s ? .. he said he’d been playing in aberdeen the night before and he’d left his cholesterol and high blood pressure tablets in his hotel room and had just called in on speck to see if he was able to get them from my mam’s doctors but was told …you need to go to your own doctors. as luck would have it my mother has been prescribed the same medication as paul and without hesitation gave him the exact the dose he needed.
paul being paul invited my mam and me to his gig tonight at the metro arena and without hesitation….my mudder excepted. so without delay i whipped her down to the….stephan riche hair salon..on saltwell road for a…permanant wave.
needless to say we had a fab night and talking to paul afterwards he said he really loved playing in newcastle as it give him the opportunity to catch up with…an old flame from the 80’s and also her son…that had until recently been playing for newcastle utd !!! and that was the reason he adored newcastle utd…for the purposes of keeping his finger on the button with regards to what’s happening at the .. toon .. he says he reads this and .org on a daily basis and recommend i give it the….once over….so here i am.
andy weller…the more i see the more i know .. the more i know the less i understand………
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HC3pdKGsvo0&feature=fvsr
good night.
komfort(Quote)
saw him 3 times.
Days of speed tour was the best, nothing but him and a few acoustic guitars, legend
I Love Mike(Quote)
Is Pardew doing publicity for Cheick Tiote?
Why did he have to go to the media and say that he hopes that there are no bids for Tiote 😕 ❓
First the club sells Andy, second they come out instead of explaining the situation take a dig at Alan Shearer 😕 . Then Pardew says he is willing to sell Tiote ❓
Are these guys trying to wind up the fans to a protest?
neeraj(Quote)
Neeraj, he’s just answering the questions he’s asked. He’s not saying he wants to sell him, he said he hopes bid don’t start coming in for because like Andy, we can’t afford to hold on to players when big clubs with big money come in for them.
Why am I the one defending this bloke 😕
JerseyGeordie(Quote)
I’m just writing about that now actually 😛
toonsy(Quote)
U check Ur email Toonsy?
JerseyGeordie(Quote)
Indeed. I’ve just replied 😉
toonsy(Quote)
New thread up btw 🙂
toonsy(Quote)