It’s set up to be quite an intriguing game in truth. Newcastle have the ultimate motivation of knowing that a win could see us jump as high as fifth in the table should other results go our way.
For that to happen we’ll need Arsenal to lose at Swansea and for us to beat QPR (obviously) along with a four goal swing in our favour, so if Arsenal lose by two goals we need to win by two clear goals. Easy. More realistic though is the opportunity to jump into sixth place in the table ahead, of the ultra ambitious Liverpool and their expensively assembled squad.
However QPR aren’t the prospect they were just a week ago. They are still without a lot of first team players, but they do have a new manager in the shape of Mark Hughes who will want to avoid defeat in his first game in charge. Add to that a group of players who are all pretty much trying to justify their future at Loftus Road and you can see why they too have motivation for the game today – and that is not even considering the fact that they slipped into the bottom three yesterday!
I honestly hate these type of games. You would have to think we are favourites for the match. Home advantage and finding some form once more, fresh from a last minute win against Blackburn in the FA Cup last weekend and resounding 3-0 victory against Manchester United prior to that it would suggest that we are the favourites. It’s a dangerous place to be and some fans will be expecting a relatively easy game. I personally don’t think it will be as straight forward that but we’ll see…
For more background on the match, some tactical thoughts, analysis and stats why not check out Shamrock’s most excellent match preview article by clicking here, or if you want to crunch some numbers and look at a boatload of stats why not take a peek at NUFC_Stats’ preview by clicking here.
The match is on Sky this afternoon so those who can’t get to the game can be fairly safe in the knowledge that there is a fairly good possibility of picking up an internet stream. Once again, if you come across one on your travels please feel free to leave a link to it in the comments section below.
Right now though it’s time for the lads in black and white to do the talking and try and claim that sixth place in the table. Surely not? Sixth in the table with 21 games gone? We’ll find out later on this afternoon!
Howay the lads!
Newcastle: Tim Krul, Danny Simpson, Mike Williamson, Fabricio Coloccini, Davide Santon, Ryan Taylor, Danny Guthrie, Yohan Cabaye, Jonas Gutierrez, Leon Best, Shola Ameobi
Subs: Rob Elliot, Shane Ferguson, James Perch, Dan Gosling, Mehdi Abeid, Gabriel Obertan, Hatem Ben Arfa
QPR: Paddy Kenny; Luke Young, Danny Gabbidon, Anton Ferdinand, Clint Hill; Shaun Wright-Phillips, Shaun Derry, Akos Buzsaky, Jamie Mackie; Heidar Helguson, Jay Bothroyd
Subs: Radek Cerny, Bradley Orr, Fitz Hall, Hogan Ephraim, Tommy Smith, DJ Campbell, Federico Macheda
Half time report – c+ could do better. and d- for Raymondo.
kimtoon(Quote)
anyone see cabayes tattoo on his leg? wouldnt mine me one of those
buddy(Quote)
Cabaye’s injury/strop, Ryan Taylor can’t pass but his FK’s are superb, Best looks super sharp, Guthrie way off the pace and we’re playing a super funky 4-3-3 thing since benny came on.
Good job QPR are *****
M(Quote)
[email protected] you keep your fanatasies to yourself please? 😆
richietoon(Quote)
Dave – 5 times we have been winning at half time. Of those 5 times we took all 3 points too!
Shamrock(Quote)
I rember Ray Wilkins as a soft midfielder, who when not playing the ball backwards, which he did the most of his career, would have hated that Cabaye tackle on himself…..the guy is a waste of space… 👿 👿 👿
HOway the lads !!!!
Munich Mag(Quote)
it fkin baffles the fk out of me how shola is still here.
hitman(Quote)
As expected I think it took the lads a bit to settle- Guthrie understandably looks rust and we don’t have Ba storming through the defense like a freight train. Still we got it together there towards the end and I can see us bossing it from here.
MDS(Quote)
That Derry will be sent off if he isn’t subbed and that Ray Wilkins is an absolute ******.
I’m waiting for a tackle from us and for Wilkins to say that it was disgraceful or something.
I’d absolutely love to shove a hot set of curling tongs down his Jap eye whilst shoving a dry rolling pin right up his bumhole whilst whispering in his ear…” what do you think of this then you Q.P.R. biased ******” 😆
wolfie(Quote)
Used to have alot of respect for Wilkins but not anymore.
sime(Quote)
@ richie toon just fishing mate im just fishing
ice pup(Quote)
Taylor LCM–Guthrie CM–Jonas RCM
Ameobi LF—-Best CF—-Benny RF
It’s funky, but it’s working. Everything is going down their right, but when crosses come in from that side only Best is in the middle
M(Quote)
Wolfie….I think comment 229 applies to you also
richietoon(Quote)
What the hell formation are we playing?!!
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
We started off badly but we have built some momentum, so we just need to keep the tempo the same for the second half and Q.P.R should be there for the taking.
Leon Best isn’t as bad as people make out is he lol, class goal that and ANY top striker in the world would have been proud of that. 😀
We are comfortable now so as long as we keep our shape we should net another or 2 maybe or maybe more if Derry or someone gets sent off.
wolfie(Quote)
woflie what on earth is it with u and inserting objects in the rusty bullet hole !
ice pup(Quote)
we need an early goal 2nd half
hitman(Quote)
@238
😯 😛 😀
ice pup(Quote)
Pup 😆
richietoon(Quote)
Ray Wilkins is such a ******
Lecky67(Quote)
RICHIE, you’re right hahahaha.
SOLANO, we are playing the 4 111111 system lol..
I Think Jonas and Benny are just interchanging and I still want to ram a set of curling tongs down Wilkins’s Jap. 😀
wolfie(Quote)
@M: i think best is LF,Shola is the CF. 😎
AngelOfDeath(Quote)
They reckon Guthries got some knob about him like. So Troy told me. 😀
wolfie(Quote)
I think most of the time when Benny is on the pitch we play in a better way, even if sometimes it’s not productive the game is more nice for spectators
HBA39(Quote)
Buddy @ 227 what was it ❓
Big Dave(Quote)
jesus wolife ud make chubby brown blush
ice pup(Quote)
Best will defo get another me thinks, fancy a free kick to go in as well. 🙂
kimtoon(Quote)
Rob Hawthornes got “some knob about him”…he’s called Ray Wilkins 😆
richietoon(Quote)
My word 🙄
At some point I’ll have a nervous breakdown when I hear those two words in the future. It’s like the fecking sandman
toonsy(Quote)
@ big dave it wasnt tattoo made it was part of derrys studs stuck in his leg i think 😆
ice pup(Quote)
Shola central now, best playing LF
M(Quote)
Don’t get Dave started on Tattoos, he’ll never shut up 😆
richietoon(Quote)
Richietoon @253 😆
kimtoon(Quote)
PUP @ 255 😆 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
Will someone please plug Raymondo into the mains .
kimtoon(Quote)
shape looks more coherent now
M(Quote)
‘Kin waste there from Guti. Lucky QPR are so brilliant, or they would be in some kind of relegation fight this season… 😯
Shamrock(Quote)
@ kimtoon it could be worse can u imagine wolfie commentating it would be X rated
ice pup(Quote)
Richie @ 257 😆 I just never knew he had any but if they’re like the rest of our players I don’t think I( would like it 😮
Big Dave(Quote)
Shamrock 😆 😆 😆
League positions are deceptive 😉
toonsy(Quote)
That’s because Woolfie is a frustrated bloke fresh out of the closet judging by his persistent ‘colourful’ comments. 😉
Shamrock(Quote)
sure he has one around his wrist to dave colo has a big one on his chest
ice pup(Quote)
Well at least we’re winning, that makes me less pissed off about being blocked fom watching it 🙄
Keep up the commentary please you do better than BBC! Er, with the possible bizarre exception of Wolfie 😆
Susan(Quote)
We need to be more alert here…
Shamrock(Quote)
That ball is actually off the pitch……My word 👿
toonsy(Quote)
well done Krul
Big Dave(Quote)
@ 266 😮 😆
ice pup(Quote)
my word why would someone do that well I don’t know
Big Dave(Quote)
Not clearing the first man at the corner. Pet hate 👿
toonsy(Quote)
Ice pup- I like Wolfies style, could be fun him doing it 😈
kimtoon(Quote)
We need a 2nd goal 😉
TonyGreenSupreme(Quote)
why do wilkins feel the need to bash newcastle at any time
ron(Quote)
Wilkins has hit the nail on the head there like
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Well done Guthers
richietoon(Quote)
Is Leon Best on the left? 😕
toonsy(Quote)
Raymondo on dodgy ground now moaning about Benny 👿
kimtoon(Quote)
ST – About Ben Arfa? Absolutely.
toonsy(Quote)
Benny needs to learn how to decide when to take a man on and when to just play keep ball.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
My word, Wilkins is a ****
richietoon(Quote)
@ Kim toon you worry me if you like wolfies suggestions !!!!
ice pup(Quote)
OK, Ray Wilkins is not doing a good job of being impartial as a pundit, but fair play. He’s a QPR fan having played for and managed them and is being loyal to his team….As annoying as we find it!
Shamrock(Quote)
Shamrock – My word 😮
toonsy(Quote)
Ray states the obvious yet again.
kimtoon(Quote)
Haha Toonsy – If you or I were in his position today, we’d be bigging the Toon up and you know it! 😀
Shamrock(Quote)
That was handball 👿
toonsy(Quote)
hand ball bastads
Big Dave(Quote)
feckin pen that like
richietoon(Quote)
Get Shola Off
TonyGreenSupreme(Quote)
wilkins>>newcastle blah blah blah BUT blah blah blah
ron(Quote)
How was that not handball!
SJP14(Quote)
Shamrock – It’s the “my word” that annoys the **** out of me 😆
toonsy(Quote)
Class for Ben arfa to set up the break though
SJP14(Quote)
**** OFF WILKINS
TOONPIPES(Quote)
benny is really playing well in my opinion some nice ball
HBA39(Quote)
my god ameobi is shocking, cannot read a pass for his life!! he looks so clueless out there! on the other hand, Best has worked like a bloody trojan…fitness really doesnt seem to be an issue today
buddy(Quote)