I know we spannered them 6-0 last season and in some way it compensated for their tw*tish behaviour upon our relegation, but the wounds run deep with me. I know too many Villa fans and not many of them are high on my Christmas Card list so I’d love us to give them another going over.
That’s just my personal circumstance though. I’d take three points however they come right now as we have eyes, at least for now, on a bigger prize. That prize being a rather surprise stab at European qualification via the league, and not the Fair Play league either!
A win will take us back into 5th place in the table. A significant win for us and a significant loss for Chelsea could see us in the top four come the end of play today. The maths involved means it’s unlikely, but I’ll be happy enough with 5th place anyway and a Tottenham victory over Liverpool. That’s the ideal world though…
Enough waffle!
If you wish to read yet another cracking match preview courtesy of Shamrock then click here. Alternatively, or supplementary, you can have a look at the numbers involved with another one of NUFC_stats fantastic ‘Stat Attacks’ by clicking here. They are both well worth a few moments of your time.
The good new for fans not lucky enough to be in attendance today is that the match is live on Sky. For those who don’t have Sky there are plenty of overseas channels showing the game so the chances of a stream are looking pretty **** good. Should you happen to stumble across a rather good link please feel free to share it with your fellow NUFC fans and put the link in the comments section below.
That just about wraps it up and now it’s up to the boys in black and white to do the rest of talking. Will Demba Ba score on his return? Will Papiss Cisse notch a debut goal? Well we shall soon find out…
Howay the lads!
Newcastle: Tim Krul; Danny Simpson, Mike Williamson, Fabricio Coloccini (c), Davide Santon; Ryan Taylor, James Perch, Danny Guthrie, Jonas Gutierrez; Leon Best, Demba Ba
Subs: Rob Elliot, Shane Ferguson, Dan Gosling, Gabriel Obertan, Hatem Ben Arfa, Shola Ameobi, Papiss Cisse
Aston Villa: Shay Given; Richard Dunne, Carlos Cuellar, Stephen Warnock, Alan Hutton; Stiliyan Petrov, Ciaran Clark, Charles N’Zogbia, Stephen Ireland; Robbie Keane, Darren Bent,
Subs: Brad Guzan, Emile Heskey, Eric Lichaj, Nathan Baker, Barry Bannan, Andreas Weimann, Gary Gardner
Prem was Pancrates goal not on his debut or was that before Xisco ❓
Big Dave(Quote)
@Big Dave
yes Jonas provid the assist, but I mean it was not really a decisive pass, it was just the magificient finish of Cisse that made this cross an assist. Imagine the same cross to Lovenkrands, Best or Ameobi that will never end with a goal.
HBA39(Quote)
JJ you wanna hear some of the stuff I didn’t tell you about but I wouldn’t repeat it on here as it was real abusive 👿
Big Dave(Quote)
Bet it’s really pissing the Mackems off. They keep winning then we keep winning!
Problem for Pardew when Cabaye and Tiote come back. What about Gurhrie? Looking like a real player. Does his contract expire this summer?
Stuart79(Quote)
fook me everytime i come in here big daves always got someone in the corner giving them what for……..
😆 😉
ice pup(Quote)
Haha, fooking deluded HBA. No credit to Guti for his assist 😯
So far this season I’d agree that Obertan has not been good enough, in fact I have given him strong criticism and gone as far as saying I doubt he’ll ever be good enough for the 1st team – but today he played well and credit should go where credit is due.
But then what do I know, I’ve never played at semi-pro level in a different country.
Shamrock(Quote)
Dave
Na, mate. All that kind of stuff is beneath me…
JJ(Quote)
Anyway, lets end this childish ‘discussion’. Now. 😉
Shamrock(Quote)
Dave, I never say anything bad about anyone, so when it gets done to me, I get really hurt 😥
By the way, have you managed to pull your head out of Troy’s are yet?
😉
JJ(Quote)
PUP 😆 me 😆 😆 😆
JJ I knew it was beneath you mate as you dont stoop that low
Big Dave(Quote)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16896348
Best out until nearly April.
funkyjesus(Quote)
JJ I would need to have a hell of a long neck to reach Troy 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
Shamrock,
To be fair, Guti did a lot of good work leading up to Cisse’s goal. But it took some remarkable skill to on Cisse’s part to turn it into a goal.
On the whole, I actually think Jonas had a poor game, but he seemed to come alive again after we scored our second.
JJ(Quote)
Shamrock – Is that the marker is it apparently? Not been reading. Is someone saying an opinion is more valid the higher the level of football he has played?
I used to be on the books of a Premier League team. I am the oracle if this is the case! 😯
toonsy(Quote)
Gary…aye it’s a cracking spine, was talking about that with my mate the other day, not masny you would swap them for…if any.
JJ…divn’t listen to Dave, he’s just a cyber bully……anyway, I tell you to your face what a knob you are 😉
richietoon(Quote)
Match review up now. Sorry for the delay. Watched the match in full again 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
Where’s the match report? Toonsy just made a fleeting appearance, almost screwed up the game for us, and then disappeared. Now he’s probably pissed as a coot… Unable to type.
Oh well, here, let me do a match report.
Newcastle scored
Villa scored
Newcastle scored, Papisto!!
We won… we’re fifth… Whoop whoop!!
The end…
JJ(Quote)
Toonsy…..Aye, and by definition why is the guy who played “semi-pro” questioning Pards who played pro? 🙄 😉
richietoon(Quote)
I agree with JJ @463 – Jonas had a very poor game up until we went 2-1 up. He wasn’t his normal self for one reason or another. On the day Danny Guthrie and Papiss Cisse stood out for me.Guthrie once again proved that he is a very talented centre midfielder and Cisse looked a real live wire upfront. Ba seemed a little jaded yet still managed a goal. Overall I can only think positive thoughts right now and I’m delighted with the events of today.
Gary Watson(Quote)
Toonsy @ 464 carrying the nets doesn’t count 😉
Richie do they have a rent-a-mate in Alicante ❓
Big Dave(Quote)
Lads, just got back from the match… i’m not sure why guti is getting a lot of grief on here – he was mint!! Fans sang his name for most of the match.
Toonsy – The crowd wasn’t a morgue – atmosphere was only 2nd to the man u game.
Atmosphere was class all game!
Nobby(Quote)
http://www.jonathanrosenbaum.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/theburbs.jpg
does anyone else think this fella is the spits of Santon
TOONBERT(Quote)
Dave….I only talk to the “renta mate” on Thursdays, this was one from UK……anyway, stop bullying me 😥 😆
richietoon(Quote)
@JJ Post @369: Guthrie was good today looking for the ball is a player attribute and being able to do so is definitely important. My criticism of Pardew is one that is now long running.
It is similar to the criticism I have of Guardiola @ Barcelona the players are so gifted or gifted enough that it covers the managers weaknesses. I see Pardews weaknesses though we are in fifth it makes me ask if we had a better manager what would our potential be?
Pardew has two main problems. He is slow to react only ever making the necessary change after the the event despite several warnings. Today we played a high line in defence and how many times did Bent and company threaten us? Only after the scored did Pardew change things at the back.
Papiss scored a very good Goal today but we could have easily walked away with only 1 point which I am sure you would agree with me would not have been a satisfactory result!
My second gripe with Pardew is he has a one size fits all philosophy. I.e. one formula works anywhere which is the sign of a lazy manager. He does not identify weaknesses of our opponents or our strengths which we should exploit. E.g. If we played against a team with 5 foot defenders we would exploit that with our tall strikers and therefore concentrate on crossing and flank play. Pardew does not do this he just plays what won him the last game.
No scientific approach. This is why we have been terribly inconsistent not only game to game but between halfs of a game. Beating united, Losing so badly to Fulham, losing to Brighton. We are not reacting to different challenges or exploiting new opportunities . Tactics are alive and always changing and adjusting.
Pardew does not do this. Our inconsistencies this season are evidence to this fact. If you analyse the games critically not just watch them, look at stats. I emphasise critically because when we win it is easy for the pleasure you feel to pave over the cracks we saw.
Michael12(Quote)
Halves I meant post 474
Michael12(Quote)
ToonBert…..I think a trip to Specsavers is in order mate 😉 😀
richietoon(Quote)
NOBBY @471 – You must have been at a different game to me mate. There is no way in hell that was our second best atmosphere after the Man United game! In fact, I’d almost certainly say that it was one of our worst all season.
Us fans in the Gallowgate End/Leazes Corner were singing about Jonas quite often, however this is always the case whether he plays well or not. For me, it was one of his worse games this season up until we scored our second and he began to get on the ball.
Oooooooooh Gutierrez,
From Buenos Aires,
He’s Spiderman!
He’s our super hero playing on the left or right,
Wearing black and white,
He is f*****g dynamite!
Oooooooooh Gutierrez….
Gary Watson(Quote)
MICHAEL12 @474 – Aye mate, Pardew never adjusts our tactics in order to get a result does he?…. GIVE OVER!!! Stoke away????
Gary Watson(Quote)
maybe your right richie……haha…..thought Guthrie was my man of the match today! tiote and cabaye are shoe ins but i think its gonna be harsh on him when the two lads are available again as he is getting stronger and stronger every game!! reminded me a lil of tiote today in possession of the ball. was always looking for it and was twisting and turning…..hope he signs up for us. he could walk into plenty of 1st teams in the prem.
TOONBERT(Quote)
Stoke away? Blackburn? Man Utd?
toonsy(Quote)
As I pointed out, We have very talented players or talented enough to overcome that paste over the cracks. I am happy like everyone about our result today but the fact is if we stand back and critically analyse the game today or any of our games you will see it all. We have a hit and hope and not a methodical approach.
Whenever you watch a Newcastle game, don’t you find yourself asking Why this formation? Why this player over that one e.t.c? The only thing that makes Pardew change formation or personal is if we have suspensions absenteeism, or injuries, Otherwise if everyone avoided these issues we would play all our games with the same starting personnel, formation and tactics.
Michael12(Quote)
MICHAEL12 – Every team will struggle now and then tactically. That’s just how it is! The fact that you are insulting a man that has guided our team to 5th in the Premier League after 24 games is pretty disgusting to be honest. He has shown marvelous tactical knowledge on numerous occasions this season and that has played a huge part in getting us to where we are right now.
Please don’t make the quality of our players an excuse, as Alan Pardew is the man that brought many of those players to the club. How disrespectful could you possibly be? Our club is on the verge of something rather special and instead of dishing out praise you decide to abuse the man that has been pivotal to our success.
Gary Watson(Quote)
Michael12
February 5, 2012 at 19:40
“Whenever you watch a Newcastle game, don’t you find yourself asking Why this formation? Why this player over that one e.t.c?”
I must admit I do, but then I quickly realise I’m not a football manager and don’t see the players every day in training and can only form an opinion based on 90 minutes I see and not knowing the full picture.
I mean Pardew’s tactics can’t be that bad can they? They’ve been sussed out maybe four or five times in that time frame which is fairly decent surely?
Of course tactics are now apparently the nexus of everything and any failure is down to them. The mere thought of players having collectively poor games (Brighton) or switching off (as the players admitted to against Fulham) doesn’t happen…
toonsy(Quote)
@ Gary Watson: There is no insult or disrespect to Pardew here we are simply debating and I am critical of some of his tactics or lack thereof.
I acknowledged we are up to fifth place and Pardew is at the helm. Barcelona could win the Cahmpions league with Shearer @ the helm making him look a tactical genius we all know he is not.
I am simply being critical because our results of late are increasingly, seemingly more out of luck than a deliberate effort. We Go into each game hoping God Demba Ba is on form glazing over all inefficiencies within the team including tactics.
I am not an enemy of Pardew and will support him while at the helm. If we lost today or Drew people would be happy to discuss areas in which our tactics were so lacking. Today were lucky in that Best got injured and Papiss came on. Had best not been injured we might not have had that moment of brilliance from Papiss.
Orbatan came on adding value to our attacks but that was only because Taylor got injured NOT Pardew tactical prowess but rather circumstance i.e Luck! Recently he has giver Jonas a free range role. That is neither playing to his strengths nor exploiting a weakness within the opposition. There was simply no logic behind the ploy just doing it coz you can.
Michael12(Quote)