In a season that has been full of first real tests, the game against Mancini’s title-chasing outfit provides with another as we go toe to toe with the superstars of the Etihad Stadium.
There is an edge to this game today. Whilst a lot of Newcastle fans aren’t expecting much apart from a decent performance, there are some other interesting sideshows that could develop today. The first one being Hatem Ben Arfa who will revisit the scene of his horror injury for the first time since Nigel de Jong put him out of the game for a year. The other one being an unbeaten record that both teams possess, with only one being the overwhelming favourite to hold that accolade come around 5pm this afternoon.
This is a match that needs little build up. The task is huge and the odds are against us, but we’ve dealt with that already this season and at the end of the day it’s only 11 v 11 on a little grass field. Simple, yet true.
If you fancy having a look at some impressive stats, potential team news, injury updates and a bit more background to the fixture then why take a look at Shamrock’s fantastic match preview article here. Honestly, it’s a cracking read.
In terms of streaming, the match is on numerous overseas channels so picking one up should be easy enough. Once again the emphasis is on the word ‘should’ as trying to grab a stream can sometimes be hard work. However, should you stumble across a good one then make sure you leave a link for it so others can share it.
That just about wraps it up for me and now we must leave it to our boys to write the rest with their actions at the Etihad this afternoon.
Howay the lads!
Manchester City: Joe Hart, Micah Richards, Joleon Lescott, Vincent Kompany, Gael Clichy, Nigel De Jong, James Milner, Yaya Toure, Samir Nasri, Sergio Aguero, Mario Balotelli
Subs: Costel Pantilimon, Kolo Toure, Aleksander Kolarov, Garteh Barry, Adam Johnson, David Silva, Edin Dzeko
Newcastle: Tim Krul, Danny Simpson, Steven Taylor, Fabricio Coloccini, Ryan Taylor’ Jonas Gutierrez, Danny Guthrie, Yohan Cabaye, Sammy Ameobi, Hatem Ben Arfa, Demba Ba.
Subs: Rob Elliot, James Perch, Davide Santon, Alan Smith, Dan Gosling, Peter Lovenkrands, Shola Ameobi
The bigger question is why wasn’t jonas watching when silva made a run into space for the throwing?
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
Ah well, we normally concede 3 at City… The lads have actually looked pretty good today, just silly individual mistakes costing is along with below par finishing. On another day it could have been a very different story. No shame in this performance as a team that’s for sure. The scoreline is misleading, but it shows the difference in class.
Shamrock(Quote)
still only a loss, just 3 points. a few errors but we have played well (up2now)
mark(Quote)
Fucking dive it looked to me…
We needed a bit of luck today and instead got the wrong kind by the ton
MDS(Quote)
Spencer – So where was our left-back if he wasn’t at left-back when the whole team was defending?
toonsy(Quote)
Lovens on for Jonas 😯 Raylor will have his work cut out for him
Big Dave(Quote)
Can’t believe Pardew isn’t taking Raylor off. His confidence is gone.
JJ(Quote)
R.Taylor has been woeful. Don’t normally get dropped for one bad game, but he has had a total shocker.
~ El Toro ~(Quote)
wow looks like Raylor is turd of the week again.. shame
mark(Quote)
Well done Sammi. Think he has played well against such good players.
~ El Toro ~(Quote)
Raylor on for the full 90 😯
Against Johnson and Richards 😕
toonsy(Quote)
Lads whats with all the fighting we are getting beat by one of the best and richest teams in the world 🙄 it’s no shame and doesn’t take away from the fact that we have had an unbelievable season so far.
COME ON LADS WE ARE UNITED 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
Raylor has had a nightmare game cannit even pass a ball today lets hope he bounces back next week
HebburnMag(Quote)
@Big Dave
well said m8
mark(Quote)
JJ @ 307 thats maybe why he isn’t taking him off, maybe taking him off will make it 10 times worse in the longterm, this game is gone now
Big Dave(Quote)
Dave
I prefered Mel Gibsons speech in Braveheart. But not bad 😉
JJ(Quote)
fkin gifted them 3 goals..
hitman(Quote)
did they just say that was a record attendance ❓
Big Dave(Quote)
Big Dave agree entirely. Why are people disappointed that we lose here at the one place we really couldn’t expect anything else realistically?
Venison(Quote)
Dave I would have given Santon some time and started Raylor in the next game. If he has other poor one Santon comes in.
JJ(Quote)
Well we done better that Man Utd
Paid for individual mistakes unfortunately. Although on balance of play we deserved to lose but there is no shame in that. We had eough good chances to make it a different game on a different day and I’ve seen enough to not be concerned about this .
HWTL 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
would love to get a goal just for moral
Big Dave(Quote)
I would gladly ram a very rusty blunt screwdriver between this jock **** commentators eyes…
CC(Quote)
Here comes on the most overrated player in the premier league.
King Arfa(Quote)
Why Perch why not Smith
HebburnMag(Quote)
Got to agree with Dave, we played pretty well and got beat by a team that stuffed Man U 6-1. So what? I thought we’d lose and we did. No shame there. It was always likely with the pressure of defending for 90 that we’d concede after a silly mistake it just happened to be Raylor.
Having said that I think Santon deserves a chance.
SJP14(Quote)
maybe Perch will get some revenge for us 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
As an overall performance we can hold our heads up high. However, too many individual errors and wastefulness in front of goal.
Good things from the game. Hopefully it is the start of Santon and Ben Arfa in the starting 11…
~ El Toro ~(Quote)
Perch on the fightback starts here… 🙄
CC(Quote)
Dave it is. They’ve only come to watch us. Apparently all the seats and corporate boxes are full for the first time today.
Micky Toon(Quote)
Does Pardew not rate Santon? Or is he trying to make a point to the board about needing to invest in the squad? Why Perch? Why?
SJP14(Quote)
I think Saylor has fuked his nose up again 😕 thats the spirit I love to see, you wouldn’t have got that from Nolan the fat Bastad 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
Cc not sue why the roll eyes. Our squad is woeful next to theirs
Micky Toon(Quote)
Yay gosling
CC(Quote)
Good lads 🙂
Shamrock(Quote)
Well done boys never say never gotta love this team !!!
HebburnMag(Quote)
go on the gozzy
hitman(Quote)
Cracking through ball by Perch there.
Hatem who? 😆 😆
toonsy(Quote)
Get in Gosling lad that will do the job and stop them whit washing us
Big Dave(Quote)
Well done Dan, son. Perch hat trick coming up…..
Venison(Quote)
Well done lads!
~ El Toro ~(Quote)
Watch time wasting not be picked up from the ref here
HebburnMag(Quote)
Ba went in there like a fuking steam train 🙂
Big Dave(Quote)
Come on Lads we can get a point here 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
Get in.
Micky Toon(Quote)
47 408 is there record attendance 😯 fuking glory hunters
Big Dave(Quote)
47,408 biggest attendance so far money can buy you players, but not fans
HebburnMag(Quote)
We never give up. Love it just love it.
Micky Toon(Quote)
Well couple of stupid mistakes, but overall a very good account has been given by the Toon against an extremely good side away from home. Very promising for the rest of the season 😀
Shamrock(Quote)
well thats that game outta the way and no shame in that.
Big Dave(Quote)
Still a bEtter result than manure
Micky Toon(Quote)
good effort, Unlucky to come away with nowt
CC(Quote)
Thanks for the links as always guys…..a decent performance…..many teams wil get a hiding there this yr!
ToonTom(Quote)
42 goals citeh have scored so far 😯
Big Dave(Quote)
Seriously, who would have thought this far into the season and only lost 1 and to the strongest team in the league. No shame here.
Micky Toon(Quote)
If Benny scored that goal that hit the post the out come would of been totally different
HebburnMag(Quote)
1-1 in the second half and we really should have had AT LEAST one more goal. It’s a shame, but I hope the press give the credit we deserve.
~ El Toro ~(Quote)
@big dave 3 goals per game ratio last time I read.
No shame in losing (be it a few mistakes) to the new prem Champs imo.
and we had players missing..
well done lads. roll on ManU 🙂
mark(Quote)
Like I said, got to bury your chances. We didn’t simple as that.
Micky Toon(Quote)
well done to the lads, a couple of daft mistakes to give penalties away but let’s face it…. the class that man city is in is unbelievable.
micah richards in and unbelievable RB.
Silver lining? Dand goslings goal means we’ve still got joint best defensive record…. get in!!!!
bring on manure, if we play with that heart i fancy something from that game
Nobby(Quote)
thought we deser ateast another goal. Ben Arfa looked good, but I thought we were missing Oberton. I’m probably the only one who thinks that last point though
steverd(Quote)
Couldn’t be prouder of the lads. What a run we’ve been on. Sloppy mistakes today but our luck was bound to run out some time. I say we meet United with a full head of steam and nick all three points next week. HWTL
DevonMag(Quote)
Our goal apart we never created a single goal scoring chance………that’s how MOTD will show it anyway 😕 😆
richietoon(Quote)
Come on man get off Ryan’s back, we arn’t gonna play Man City every week some ppl need to hit their head off a wall. This is what happens when your owner sells the only LB in the squad, is that Ryans fault? the lad just wants a game.
DJG(Quote)
Good performance from the lads we’ll play worse than that and win this season. Hope we keep it up for the manure game and cut out the mistake s and we could get a draw at manure.
1892(Quote)
Can’t say I’m disappointed in the slightest with the lads. Horrible luck and a 3-1 loss to Barca North on the road. Heads held high
2 pens (one questionable), a Raylor mistake, and at least 4 great chances for us, 2 of which would normally have gone in. Very pleased with the way we kept fighting which is becoming a hallmark under Pards…
A lot of players played well today. Sammy proved he belongs and Ben Arfa showed his ability to create something out of nothing which will serve us well moving forward. Though Staylor/Collo were outstanding again. Happy for Gosling as well.
MDS(Quote)
re Raylor – he lost his head after that howler for 2-0. A concern going into next week
Overall though – decent shift from the lads, couldve been very different if Ba had’ve scored at 0-0……
M(Quote)
Roll on Man U and cheers for the fixtures PL you always manage it 😉
Can you imagine a team getting Inter Milan away then AC Milan away? Neither can I.
DJG(Quote)
oh yeah, and benny is back – get in there
M(Quote)
I thought we played well, probably didn’t deserve anything but that was our own fault
I hope we get the credit we deserve in the press as we weren’t hammered today, and could have scored a few ourselves. Not many teams will play as well away to City this season so we can’t be unhappy with it really.
NorthernPaul(Quote)
Only got to hear and second half and see from 60 mins, but hey, we can’t complain, no matter how they got there, Man City are a different class. At least we didn’t give up and got that goal back toward the end. Only saw the 2nd pen and a silly mistake to make. but we have only lost 1 game this seaon and against a class team. Lets bounce back next week
Simon(Quote)
well ime not down hearted,we gifted them two we missed two thats your luck sometimes had the bonus of benny getting a good run out although he should have put that one away,it will come good again imo.
hwtl
not going to say dave got it wrong and toonsy got it right 😀
icedog(Quote)
M – In contrast I though Raylor did well after his **** ups in the first half and came back strongly.
toonsy(Quote)
Demba ba in the first half should have scored, Ben Arfa in the second half should have scored, Gosling did get a goal. To be beaten by 2 penalties which in truth flattered the scoreline in city’s favor is not the worst result.
I declare myself proud of the team. You do not win the league by beating city but by beating the Boltons, Everton, and Westbroms of this world.
My assessment from the game suggests we lacked in the midfield battle. Had Tiote been able I think we might not have lacked so much so as we did. Ba upfront alone was a bad tactic if I am to be critical. The style and formation we played today needed a big centre forward i.e. Shola not Ba.
All in all, great start to the season and may we navigate our way through the next two fixtures with at least 4 points at the end I would be happy.
Michael12(Quote)
‘Some have been pleasantly suprised by Newcastles start’
Not you though Lawro and I’m sure you are thrilled by today. Ya silly ******.
DJG(Quote)