This isn’t your regular match. This is the Derby. There are many others like it but this one is ours.
You may recognise (sort of) those lines from the movie ‘Full Metal Jacket’, but whilst its not outright conventional warfare that will be taking place on the St James’ Park pitch this lunchtime there is most definitely a tribal feel to it.
Who will come out on top? Who will take the bragging rights in what is one of the most hotly contested duels in Premier League football between two top-ten sides? Its been a while since that has been applicable, which is maybe why this one feels bigger and somehow more important than recent encounters.
A win for Newcastle would set us up to attack the rest 
of the season and look towards European qualification while a win for the Mackems will set them dreaming about what they could salvage from this season. This is not a place for pretty football or fancy footwork, instead all that matters is getting those three points!
Anyway that is enough chest thumping. This match needs little build up as it is. Everyone knows what it means to us and them so I need play on the emotion no longer.
Now it’s down to the boys in black and white to do the business, but first off we need to find out just which boys in black and white are tasked with getting us a result. To help with that we must consider injuries and team news which you can do with the help of match preview, which you can view by clicking here.
Now it really is ‘Game On’. Team news will feature below as and when it becomes available but for now it’s time to crank up the noise, increase the fervour and really become the 12th man by roaring our team on to yet another success against the Mackems.
Howay the lads indeed!
Newcastle: Tim Krul, Danny Simpson, Mike Williamson, Fabricio Coloccini, Davide Santon, Ryan Taylor, Cheik Tiote, Yohan Cabaye, Jonas Gutierrez, Demba Ba, Papiss Cisse
Subs: Rob Elliot, James Perch, Danny Guthrie, Gabriel Obertan, Hatem Ben Arfa, Peter Lovenkrands, Shola Ameobi
Sunderland: Simon Mignolet, Phil Bardlsey, John O’shea, Michael Turner, Kieran Richardson, Seb Larsson, Lee Cattermole, Craig Gardner, James McLean, Stephane Sessegnon, Nicklas Bendtner
Subs: Craig Gordon, Wayne Bridge, Matt Kilgallon, Jack Colback, David Meyler, David Vaughan, Frazier Campbell
I know Benny gave the ball away a few times but imho he done more in the 2nd half than anyother player
Clatterhole red carded 😆 😆 😆 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
Unbeaten AGAIN against the unwashed 😆
toonsy(Quote)
Cattermole sent-off well after the full-time whistle. A straight-red for dissent. Idiot.
AngelOfDeath(Quote)
Will settle for a draw, but our dynamic duo up front were pretty poor today… Until the sending off they had made a really poor job of holding the ball up…
Munich Mag(Quote)
Dave – Cattermole red carded?
toonsy(Quote)
Is it fair to say our boys were TOO hyped up to start with?
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
Catts sent off AFTER the game the GOBSHITE. 😆
No sess no Catts that will effect next few games for Scum.
kimtoon(Quote)
Well
Cheers Clattermole!
If you’re going to draw with the great unwashed, seeing a second mackem sent off is at least some consolation.
Archie Brand(Quote)
My word, he has been sent off. Straight red hahaha. That’s Sessegnon and Cattermole out for three games 😆
toonsy(Quote)
Simply luck nothing more but I will take the point. No tactics we don’t play to a strength we just play. This is the sort of game in which experience should have got the nod over our brand new purchase.
We rely on individual moments of brilliance or luck. We are not deliberate in our play suggesting to me we have no tactics.
Pardew tells the players Just give the ball to Ba something might happen.
Michael12(Quote)
Fair result.. had the better of them 2nd half even without Sess sending off, they were better 1st half.. Benny made big difference, don’t think I saw McClean in our half 2nd half.. Mackems must fckn hate Shola! 😆
KeithR(Quote)
Satisfied with that. We finally seemed back to our old selves from the start of the second half.
Cattermole new he was getting a ban for 10 yellow cards so I don’t think will the red card add anything on top of that? Either way, he’s a disgraceful captain.
Jon R(Quote)
i have no nails left after that.
that was fkin nerve rackin
hitman(Quote)
Toonsy yeah he was slabbering to the ref and got a straight red, 😆 that will help them get points in the next couple of games without a couple of their main players
Big Dave(Quote)
MICHAEL12
you are spot on.
but this club dosnt need more up heavel
hitman(Quote)
Watching the game in frustration.. I wish benny starter the game. He simply changed the side and imagine what he would have created had he started the match..Thanking shola for his goal.. We arent supposed tp be happy but at least we didnt lose..Hope pqrdew realise the importance of benny after this match..HE REALLY CHANGED THE STYLE OF PLAY..to better ones..SORRY FOR THE TYPOS..Quite pissed considering the intensity of.the match…
EPISAG (IndonesiaGeordie)(Quote)
I think I’ve broke my hand the amount of times I punched the wall 😈
NUFCgt(Quote)
Game highlights a lack of a plan B which has been our downfall all season. We only seem to know how to play one way we need to change our style of play more often.
LoonyToon(Quote)
Well, I suppose I’ll settle for that. Should’ve won it. Why didn’t Shola take the penalty? The ref was a fucking joke for that decision; he should have made his statement in a more neutral way. He’s a ****** though.
Still, we had enough about us to finish them off anyway and couldn’t do it. Against 10 defenders all talk of tatics flies out the window and it becomes a question of guile. Hoofing it into the box and hoping for a lucky break ain’t my idea of guile.
But it worked out in the end – sort of.
However, we were good enough to push them back into a total defensive game. That doesn’t always happen against 10 men. So that’s something to be happy about. It’s a bit of straw clutching though. The best I can say is: we didn’t lose.
brisvegas(Quote)
Ba looks gutted in the post match interview
Big Dave(Quote)
We played better in the second half but do not fool yourselves that It was Pardew’s brilliance.
On the contrary O’Neil applied text book tactics to play deep and attack only on the counter. They were 1-0 up and Newcastle were in desperation and the onus was on us to make something happen. Indeed Sunderland had a fantastic counter attack opportunity where they should have scored thank God they did not but they should have! This flattered us!
Michael12(Quote)
I think more than a complete change of the game, Benny brings some creativity and the most important gives some forward pulses to the team, because he always goes forward so the complete team win 10-20 meters and thats make big difference to take the ball back and to put pressure.
But now we will see if Pardew will give him a run of games in the last part of the season, and not only one or 2 start and at his first bad games in the bench.
HBA39(Quote)
@Michael12
If it was not Pardew’s influence then what was it? We looked a completely different team all over the pitch, from way before the red card. Bringing HBA on clearly had a big impact too.
Jon R(Quote)
You can’t really complain about the tactics today. Pardew responded well to the situation and it is the first time in a long time that we had a strong second half.
I think the switch at half-time was excellent and I hope that Benny starts with Obertan sub as he tires. Benny has improved his defending but still missing the pass.
But the missus was wondering why I was annoyed when Ba stepped up to take the penalty. It had Shola’s name on it. Lucky Shola had enough time to make up for the tactical error 😉
griff(Quote)
R.Taylor set piece specialist? Majorly Overrated at dead balls imo.
Ben Arfa – Like him but he isn’t a winger he should be playing just off the striker as he has less men to beat.
LoonyToon(Quote)
KK is right Pards showed a lot of passion,
Michael12 so do you not think Pards had some effect on the way the players came out and battled in the 2nd half ? or was that nowt to do with him ? I know he makes mistakes and some of his tactics are a bit suspect at times, but all you ever do is go on and on about Pards
Big Dave(Quote)
SACK PARDEW AND GET RAFA
hitman(Quote)
HITMAN
I think your on the wrong forums mate. The Chelsea ones are that way —->
😛
Jon R(Quote)
So glad we at least managed a draw but I was surprised they wasted 2 mins of extra time in celebration of the goal instead of getting straight back into it to try to get the win.
jill(Quote)
Where have all the shola haters gone?
steve(Quote)
Jill, yeah I was thinking that as well
B1GSTEVE(Quote)
Steve
Right here buddy…
If I see Shola start a game I’ll be devastated, because he isn’t good enough. But as an impact player in the last 15minutes, he has a role to play.
JJ(Quote)
@JON R. If you read my post entirely you would see why we appeared better. Had it still 1-1. We were better because Sunderland abandoned all attacking intent and chose to play on the counter attack. You have to agree with me that they Sunderland should have scored when they had a great counter attack forcing Krul into a double save. They did not due to Tim Krul brilliance but on another day 9/10 times they would have scored.
That is reason I say we were lucky. Sunderland losing a man who in all honesty Tiote used foul tactics to get sent off by overly exaggerating to contact but that is football. Yes we missed a pen but again that is football.
My point is Sunderland were deliberate in their play, We relied on luck, foul play and Shola.
Michael12(Quote)
@Michael12
I would disagree that they “abandoned all attacking intent and chose to play on the counter attack”. They did have one counter attack that is true, but one counter attack does not mean that they had changed their whole tactics. Why would MoN make the decision to completely change things when they had been completely dominant through 95% of the first half. It just doesn’t make sense.
Jon R(Quote)
@micheal12 – eh! On that basis HBA would have scored at least one of those 9 times out of ten, they defended well but you can hardly say we were lucky. Surely they were lucky that their pen was given when 9 times out of ten those aren’t given, our pen would have went in 9 times out of ten
You’re talking ***** I’m afraid
4411(Quote)
Where do you start with that? Take a bow Shola, brilliant for both the goal and winning the penalty, and listening to O Niel whingeing about Tiote, Cattermole should have been sent off in the first minute for a disgusting lunge at Cheik, got to say that is the dirtiest 5under1and team i have ever seen.
Robert(Quote)
Benny made the world of difference 2nd half, even though he overplays it at times you could see they were terrified everytime he ran at them. Put simply why just give teams Ba & Cisse to worry about when you can add HBA to the equation. Should start him more often at least we get forward and take some pressure off the defence with him on, o.k he may lose the ball now and again but Tiote and Cabs plus defence should be able to deal with that. What’s the alternative been without him ,oh yes defending all game with a big dose of hoofball, we have become predictible and been found out .Bringing on HBA change our style and impetus and gave us the edge even befor the sending off.
kimtoon(Quote)
jill- i was shouting at the tv telling them 2 get the ball and stop celebrating haha,
any one else gutted we diddnt win that though, though ben arfa was fantastic today. we don’t have any width when taylor plays on the right.
Alex(Quote)
Look I am not attacking Pardew I am criticising simply pointing out gaping weaknesses in his thought process tactical decisions and logic.
@Big Dave. They had the lead but found it hard to breach our defence their goal coming courtesy of a penalty. What do you do in O’Neil’s shoes come second half?
Look for the second goal which is very hard to come by or play to Newcastle’s predicament which is being at home, Losing to our biter rivals and fans on the back of their team. Clearly Pardew was going to have to throw the kitchen sink at it but Sunderland’s tactics nearly paid off forcing a double save from Krul. Sunderland’s tactics were text book ours were Luck and bit of foul play. Sunderland were compromised they had a man sent off so we were lucky again.
These sort of slices of luck are not always going to go our way and so we cannot rely on them. Rather we need a deliberate effort and moments of brilliance. A day like this when neither Ba nor Cisse could produce that moment we were found wanting. Pardew’s tactics lack congruence. We played the same team we did against wolves and I said this last week Pardew was going to do so and he did.
If you asked O’Neil why he played these tactics he can explain so can I it is that obvious! If you asked Pardew why he played what ever tactics he played today he would be lost for words so am I. I don’t know why he played Taylor on the right wing, I don’t know why Cabaye played so deep, I can understand why we played a high line with a long ball because the two are congruent but you need a big man up front i.e Shola and so you lose the synergy.
Most of Pardew’s tactics, choices of player and style of play show no congruence. Are we playing to our strengths or attacking an opponents weakness? We do neither.
This is my biggest criticism of Pardew and note it is a criticism I am not insulting him or the team.
Michael12(Quote)
@Jon R: We must take into account they were compromised after the sending off of Sessegnon. That is going to impact on any team. I am sure you agree that Sunderland should have scored with that double opportunity but for Tim Krul’s brilliance.
Michael12(Quote)
Finally Shola scored him 50th PL goal. 😆 😆
AngelOfDeath(Quote)
glad I’m ****** pissed
Needed anaesthetic to get through that ****.
All the daft twats been on think were still easy gonna be 4th?
All the clapping seals still happy with our one-trick-pony approach to each game?
Shola the saviour? Haha. If we are having to rely on him to even stand a chance of scraping a drawagainst the mackems then we really are ****** for inspiration.
Same ****** team, get played the s ame way, same ****** result. Look like we can’t do anything else.
We’be been found out, every manager should know how to play us now. Same pattern no surprises.
Well keep clapping knackersacks.
I’m going to get more pissed so i can forget what i watched
Pootle(Quote)
@Michael12:
The double chance you keep going on and on about happened BEFORE the sending off, so did MoN decide to “completely abandon all attacking intent” before or after the red card? If it was before, then your previous post does not explain why he decided to change tactics, given his sides total dominance in the first half. If you reckon he changed tactics after the sending off, then how do you explain our complete change in performance from the moment the second half started? Could it possibly be Pardew sitting them down at half time and changing things?
I really can’t be assed to carry on with this, as you seem completely fixed in your opinion that Pardew has no tactics. But I will give you one expample of a tactic which paid off: bring Benny on and tell him to get at Richardson.
Jon R(Quote)
Watching Fulham v Wolves and Fulham very impressive demolition job on Wolves 5.0 as i write ,pity we couldn’t be so ruthless last week.
kimtoon(Quote)
Just back from the game. First half Raylor was the same as he was against Wolves. He contributes nothing. RW has to be either HBA or Obertan. Sunderland did not dominate the first half but neither did we. Wolves were a much better side.
Groucho(Quote)
Maybe one of the armchair managers could lend pardew the Big Boys Book of Soccerball Tactics.
It’s got 400 pages. 😆
Im beginning to think pardews book only has 1
😈
Rights. I’m getting another pint now
Pootle(Quote)
1 page, 44 points, 6th in the league.
Jon R(Quote)
Yeah. It’s just a shame the season isn’t finished yet, then isn’t it.
Pootle(Quote)
Areet peeps.
Gotta say in first half our midfield was awful. Not seeing enough attacking intent from Cabaye, Really poor by him imo. Jonas infuriates, Raylor is no winger.
Thought Santon was our best player, Would have kept him on and just dropped Raylor for HBA.
2nd half was better in so much as at least we attacked the *******. If only HBA would look up and pass the ball instead of always going for the glory goal.
I would play him inplace of Cabaye as he isn’t a winger. but he does attack and frightens the oppo with his pace.
Cisse was anonymous and the game passed him by completely.
Was screaming for Shola to get up and take the pena. He never misses.
We could have won the game after that if he had.
Relieved with a draw in the end.
Looked like AP was losing the plot on the touchline. wtf ? cool.
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
When every comment is awaiting moderation on .org does that mean your banned?
it’s strange that a website that were such fierce opponents of the disbandment of the singing section doesn’t actually have an opinion section.
Youre a little **** & I hope your reading this. CANT
witters(Quote)
@Pootle: Spot on mate. No inspiration. Ben Arfa carried the team in that second half managing to do more alone than we have in the whole game.
Wolves were beaten 5-0 before playing us then drew 2-2 and now beaten 5-0. Were they good against us or were we just rubbish?
Fulham are going to catch us and if we finish in 8th or 9th this season I am sure we would not be happy with that.
Think Ben Arfa should replace Cabaye Benny did more in that second half than Cabaye has done in his last 6/7 games.
Michael12(Quote)
Michael12 over 90% of your post are basically you ranting and raving about Pardew, it doesn’t matter what anyone else says you wont see any other point of view because your dislike of Pards has blinded you to anything else.
Twas interesting to hear that Pards thinks bringing Benny on was the game changer, and he thinks that’s the best 45 mins he has had. Maybe now we will see him getting games because no other player in our team can have as big an effect in changing a game as Benny, yeah I know he can lose the ball but imo he makes up for that.
Lastly I can’t believe how poor Willo has been he is a player I liked from he came here, but he is a disaster waiting to happen
Big Dave(Quote)
Been thinking ahead to the Arsenal game, we really have nowt to lose, so I would go Obertan on the right wing, for his pace if nothing else.
HBA n Tiote in the centre. Two Dembas up front.
Drop Raylor n Cabaye.
Just dont know who would take the corners, but Demba Ba takes a wicked free kick.
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
A couple of things that do puzzle me are, firstly, if HBA has the ball and does pass it off to another player and then makes a lovely run for the return ball, the other player rarely returns the ball to him preferring to send
it sideways or backwards to another player whilst HBA is calling for its return to him. Secondly, when Jonas has the ball and has 3 opposing players on him trying to close him down, why does no one else come and support him so he can get a pass off?
jill(Quote)
Big Dave@427 -Yeh credit to Pards for bringing on HBA and admitting he made such a difference . Truth is he should be starting games now as he holds the fear factor in attack,doesn’t matter that he loses the ball now and then as he’s always likely to create that magical moment and so nearly did today.
kimtoon(Quote)
Big Dave – AP does make some strange decisions tho.
Like why take Santon off. He was doing canny imo 😕
Raylor is dogshit most of the time. His free kick just before halftime for example. It was obvious he was too far out, so all he had to do was dink it into the danger area. Anything can happen from there. But NO always has to go for the glory shot, over the bar.
His corners are generally poor too. Just my opinion from what I saw.
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
ya right lads, not disapointed with the result as we were dominated in the first half, good job by pardew to realise we needed ben arfa’s creativity, though he needs to realise he should start him instead of taylor at rm/rw. Will be very annoyed if we start with the same team next week.
andymag(Quote)
Michael
Honestly, Ben Arfa should replace Jonas on the left or Jonas should move to the right.
He beats everyone gets down the byline and then he looks like my grandmother trying to get a cross in…
What he needs is a left footed left back overlapping him to whip a quality ball into the box.
JJ(Quote)
@Jon R. 418 Ur point is only helping my argument. Had Sunderland not had that red card there may have been more counter attacks from Sunderland. What that red card did was limit them even more on the counter attack front.
As for benny, come on Jon R surely even you knew the game needed Benny. Are you suggesting to me that was a moment of brilliance from Pardew or was that rather the obvious thing to do? Ar you implying that the need for benny to come on totally eluded the faculties of members of this forum and the only person considering this was Pardew? Everyone knew benny had to come on, a monkey could tell you the game needed Benny.
I would have taken Taylor off and leave Santon on because Santon was our best player in the first half.
Michael12(Quote)
Didn’t Cabaye provide the assist for the goal? I agree with Troy he is playing too deep though. Still wouldn’t drop him. If Santon wasn’t injured can’t believe Pardew would drop him for Raylor.
Groucho(Quote)
Jill I noticed that a couple of times today, I seen him pass to Tiote and run on for the 1 2 but Tiote then crossed the ball the full width of the pitch to Raylor only for a mackem to intercept. and yeah the same with Jonas there is never anyone there shouting for the ball. I will be honest I am disappointed in Cabaye I really want him to help the attack more, because surely Tiote is enough to help the defence
Big Dave(Quote)
JJ
thought jonas played brilliantly today. was taking on players more than hes ever done before and his crosses were the best of any player on the pitch.
andymag(Quote)
First half we were a joke in fairness but we played really well in the 2nd half and in my opinion HBA had his best game for us. He was absolutely fantastic.
All in all a point in the derby is not a disaster, but can’t help thinking we should have won it with Willo at the end.
Stuart79(Quote)
– Jill
Jonas is unlikely to take the easy pass, often just running blindly at several defenders. After 4 years of that, I assume that his teammates aren’t killing themselves to get open when he has the ball.
He did play fairly well today though.
Free Scoring Smudge(Quote)
On another topic
what do you guys think of the link to Toby Alderweild the Ajax belgian international centre-back, 23 years old?
andymag(Quote)
BB I have said that before and I know he makes mistakes, and I know that sometimes he sticks with certain players when imo we have better options on the bench. but when you hear someone repeat the same thing week in week out, and even when Pards does something right it will then be the players that get the credit, but when it goes wrong and the players don’t turn up its back to being Pards fault. 😯
Big Dave(Quote)
We should have won, a poor first half, a fantastic turn around in the second half. Ben Arfa made a huge difference and I really think he needs to start.
Ba missed his penalty and yes it was bad BUT does anyone else think it should have been retaken? Rules are rules a tug on the shirt is a penalty, rules are rules if the keeper comes that far off his line on a penalty it should be retaken………
anyway we didnt lose and can take positives from a dominant performance and the stats show it. HWTL!
pearceet(Quote)
Andy@440 Where did you read/hear about that?
kimtoon(Quote)
@Michael12:
It’s not proving your point, because you are saying that the game was changed by Sunderland making a conscious decision to change tactics after half time. I’m saying I don’t think they did change tactics, but that the the game was changed because we improved our performance. The HBA substitution was not rocket science, I agree, but our whole attitude and tempo changed which I think was more important.
You talk about the Wolves game, and I agree we were dreadful. But I really don’t think that was down to the manager. The players could barely string 2 passes together and that’s why we drew the game, not because of Pardew.
I do not think he his perfect by any stretch, but I do think he is doing a very good job with what he’s got, and i’m sick to **** of miserable gets who moan moan moan about everything.
Jon R(Quote)
@JJ: 433. You are right that is a very good consideration. A weakness of ours is we cannot cross, but our style of play uses the flanks and crosses. That is simply ignoring our weaknesses.
What we critically lack on the field are players who run at the opposition in the opposition’s half. Jonas does this, Ben Arfa does this and Obertan does this but two of those three never play 😯
Playing with two strikers upfront means we need a player with the ability to run at the defence from the middle of the park but we play with Cabaye who cannot do that and he plays too deep to boot. This is why people complain about long ball and no link up from midfield to strikers because there is that big hole between our strikers and the deep sitting Cabaye , Tiote pair.
In fairness Cisse and Ba are not known for their play outside the box. Their strength is only in the box but we are asking them to come deep the receive the ball and play outside the box which is a weakness of theirs.
Michael12(Quote)
Pearceet @442 That crossed my mind too ,he was off his line and at one time refs were clamping down on it wern’t they. Still it was a poor poor pen by Ba but i will overlook it as he has been such a star for us.
kimtoon(Quote)
Big Dave, Great minds think alike 😀
jill(Quote)
Kimtoon @446 yeah true and thanks to shola! The ACoN final had a retaken penalty though so some refs still do it!
pearceet(Quote)
a kna what you mean Dave.
Has there been any interviews with AP. I would be interested to hear wot he has to say. He is pretty honest and admits when he gets things wrong.
Its important to remember that he is still learning and hopefully improving game to game. We all know he is not SAF. 😕
I think its fair to say he is doing a good job over all.
Dont forget, the target this season was top 10 and an improvement on last season. I think we are seeing that, but we still have a long way to go.
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
@ Jon R: With all due respect I do think Pardew is to blame. His one trick pony for all games is the sign of a lazy manager. No other manager in the leagues does this.
Today’s game needed experience and passion from players who know the meaning of this fixture. He should have started with Shola not Cisse, The latter coming on later in the game so he can get a taste. Cisse does not know the meaning of this game and as such will lack the same passion as someone who does. Shola comes on and did more in his short cameo than Cisse all day.
He won the penalty which he should have taken, he scored the goal. this is an ingredient an experienced manager should consider when selecting the team. All this continuously either eludes Pardew or he ignores it. Either way eluding or ignoring is not a sign of a competent manager.
Michael12(Quote)