Realistically it’s a battle for fifth place at the moment, although the result will have a defining impact on where both team are pitching themselves for the end of the season. A win for Newcastle, or a draw, would see the Magpies sour into fourth place again and go four points ahead of the Blues, whilst a win for Chelsea would see us drop to sixth.
You can’t help but feel the importance of this game. If Alan Pardew’s men can recover from the debacle at the DW at the weekend they could just spring a surprise. Remember, we don’t have to qualify for the Champions League like other teams! However springing a surprise will be a monumental task, which I will detail later.
Chelsea
Gary Cahill and David Luiz are both out injured although Branislav Ivanovic is available after suspension.
Newcastle
Peter Lovenkrands, Steven Taylor, Sammy Ameobi and Haris Vuckic all remain sidelined and aren’t expected to feature this season. However on the plus side, Danny Guthrie, Gabriel Obertan and Sylvain Marveaux are all available for selection again.
Previously
We lost the reverse fixture at St James’ Park 3-0 earlier on in the season, although the referee can take a large bulk of the credit for the result after failing to send David Luiz off in the opening minutes of the match. Credit to Newcastle though, they still tried and carved out a number of chances although unfortunately none of them found the back of the net.
The overall head to head doesn’t make for good reading, especially at Stamford Bridge. We’ve not won down there (League Cup aside) in the Premier League era although we have managed six draws since 1993! One of those was last season where Steven Taylor grabbed a point for the away side after a late equalizer.
In total there have been 149 meetings between the two sides. Newcastle have won just 48 compared to Chelsea’s superior 62 victories.
Tactics and team selection
So where do we go from here? 4-3-3 didn’t work last time out, neither did 5-3-2 or whatever you wish to call it. Will we stick with the 4-3-3 that has generally served us so well, or will we switch to 4-4-2 perhaps and get both of our strikers in the central area of the pitch, where they can cause the most damage?
I’m not sure on this. Perhaps we can have a mass debate about it?
Final thought
Whatever happens, happens. I’m looking for an improvement in player application though, especially after the weekend. Getting a result at Chelsea will be tough enough but if the players approach it in the same manner as they did Wigan then getting a result will be out of the question.
Howay the lads!
Date: Wednesday, 2nd May, 2012
Kick-off: 19:45
Venue: Stamford Bridge
4-3-3 for me. We played 4-4-2 vs Bolton and it doesn’t quite work. Jonas gets restricted on the left and can’t really create anything, Cabaye doesn’t have the license to get forward and roam in a 4-4-2, especially as we would get over run anyways by Chelsea’s own 4-3-3 formation.
dan4toon(Quote)
We have to go for it, so 4-3-3 its got to be
DB(Quote)
4-3-3, pointless changing what has been (apart from the debacle against Wigan) a winning formation….Ba still has the opportunity to score goals, its up to him to change his form around though, and I don’t want him playing through the middle with Cisse out wide just because he’s frustrated. By all means rotate the front three to cause confusion, but Cisse is our best finisher and therefore needs to be at the head of every attack.
Ivanovic being back is a shame, but we can still come away with something. No excuses this time, especially not tiredness. I don’t mind losing as long as they actually try this time! 😉
Newkie(Quote)
I don’t know why your saying this is a battle for 5th? Your talking as if Spurs haven’t won just twice in there last 10 outings and are a lock to beat Bolton who must get a result to stay in the Prem! Spurs haven’t even won an away game in 2012. There’s every chance that a point tomorrow will put us ahead but you would think we need all 3 points to give us the best shot, but still we shouldn’t pretend like Spurs are red hot, just a 2-0 win against one of the worst performances from a team (blackburn) this season ending what was is an atrocious run of form.
seba(Quote)
Atm,we are not playing 4-3-3 at all. is more like 4-2-3-1. with ba missing. 🙄
Is time to drop Ba to bench,use 4-2-3-1. Although chelsea still tends to play high line right? Correct me if i am wrong.
on sidenote: So am i right. The FA soley choose Roy due to his previous international experience. =.=” But for goodness sake that’s like more than 10yrs ago stuff,and he never last more than 3yrs.geez.
AngelOfDeath(Quote)
Although there are still ways we can make ba score again.
4-3-1-2?
Since both ba plays well down the middle,ben arfa can play just right behind the two strikers.
We Need BOTH strikers to score,not just rely on cisse hot form. Or else it defeats the purpose of getting cisse in,when ba was the only one scoring. 😕
AngelOfDeath(Quote)
AOD-Ba may have luck against Bosingwa, presumably he will be right back for Chelsea….it could be ivanovic with Bosingwa in the middle, in that case Ba can outpace Ivanovic….
Ba needs to start playing well again to justify being put through the middle, its not just his shooting boots but his touch and runs that are letting him down atm.
Newkie(Quote)
Pardew is a very conservative manager so he won’t change much because of one poor game. I think we will try 4-3-3 to start but quickly go to 4-4-2 if it isn’t working in the first half. We must get Ben Arfa and Cabaye on the ball from the get go to have a chance. Tiote must dominate Torres right away and Colo has to back up Willo very carefully, no forward runs in this game please Colo. All in all it will be a very tough one with Chelsea now in their best form of the season. I would be happy with a 1-1 or 2-2 draw.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Geordietwo I think your right there 😉 we might aswell try what has been working for us bar the onetime that the players went awol.
Big Dave(Quote)
@NEWKIE: in fact,i think chelsea have given up PL games,judging with his rotation policy,he is putting more games towards his bench players,and key players for UCL.
So i do hope Bosingwa starts,and not ivanovic. 😆
AngelOfDeath(Quote)
I really,thought Chelsea would be off form a wee bit due to heavy game load and ageing creaking players and preoccupation with the cup games ,but if anything they seem to have thrived on all the added pressure!. It’s gonna be really hard getting anything tommorow and maximum effort and and concentration will be required ,anything like saturday will result in a proper thumping.
kimtoon(Quote)
Ba is still playing well no need to drop him, its important we stay solid as Chelsea have goals all across the park and don’t normally get beat by more than 1 goal. So if we apply pressure on a team who my have 1 eye on 2 finals we may steal 3 points.
DB(Quote)
I think it’ll be 4-4-2 with an away game mentality, Pardew won’t want to get it wrong and go behind early again, if it’s 0-0 at half time then go for it in the second half.
Lobacka(Quote)
-AOD. But Terry and Ivanovic are already out of the CL-so you can imagine they will definitely be used against us. Unless he’s planning on resting players for the F.A cup….
I still think he’ll be going for league ahead of the cup, but CL most of all. But with so many suspensions from the CL they will play against us…..
Newkie(Quote)
AOD – I think the FA went for Roy due to his experience as Liverpool manager. He was pulled to bits there and will be again as England manager 😆 clearly a gluten for punishment.
I agree with Newkie, I’m sure Terry and Ivan will start in CBs and the other players suspended for CL will play with players being rested for the cup final. Will be interesting to see if he goes with Torres after his goals at QPR.
regardless, I think we have to go with the line up and formation that destroyed Stoke. Chelsea are beatable but we have to get into them and work for the ball when we haven’t got it.
And Williamson HAS to turn up tomorrow night coz he was terrible at the weekend like
Sharpy17(Quote)
Frankly I couldn’t give a tits **** about England
Chelsea players are all banging on about how they need to get 4th in the league and therefore not have the pressure of having to win the CL to qualify next year
They’ll be up for it tomorrow and we need to get out of the blocks from the off – think we can win but I said that about Wigan 🙁
Stevep(Quote)
this is the time of the season when everyone has SOMETHING to play for!!
i fancy us to get 6 points out of the last 3 games, but, i dont know which games that’ll be 😐 😐
chelsea are looking to finish in 4th, so they dont have to rely on winning the CL for qualification,, man city need to win on sat, if they want to win the league, and everton might need to win the last game to finish above l/pool,
Last , but not least, WE need to win all of our games , if we are to finish in the top 4, this is why i said “i fancy 6 points, but dont know who off”
i also think, its a must that we finish off the season in the 4-3-3 formation, let the other teams worry bout us!! 🙄 🙄 🙄
toonsoldier9(Quote)
Any game is winnable…we should have beaten them last time, or at least got a draw, but the ref ****** it up and we went on to miss a load of chances/concede 2 very late goals with only 10 men.
All those misses before were a bit like Wigan the other day…hopefully we can put them away tomorrow.
Newkie(Quote)
off topic steven taylor singing in local bar,pity aboot the old bag being a pain in the ***
at bottom of report
http://nothingbutnewcastle.com/2012/05/blogs/picture-papiss-cisses-message-for-manchester-united-fans
icedog(Quote)
4-3-3 worries me against Chelsea and Man City who both have very attack minded full backs which may leave our very average full backs exposed and vulnerable.
I think we should set up 4-3-1-2:
————– Krul ————
Simmo/Willo/Colo/Santon
–Tiote/Cabaye/Perch–
———-Benny———
——Cisse/Demba—–
I know this completely go against what I posted earlier but on reflection, I really believe that Tiote and Perch could provide FB cover and Cabaye could get at Mata against Chelsea and Toure against City. It would still allow Benny freedom to find space and try and get Cisse and Ba in behind.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Ice….that bars a bit more local to me now than you…he’s a **** singer like 😉
richietoon(Quote)
RICHIE were aboutis the bar like,i know your have a masters degree when it comes to bars 😀
hes a canny singer no-doubt you havent heard batty sing 😆
icedog(Quote)
Ice….Tenerife in 2010, they redecorated it 2011 so I know it was just before then 😉 😆
…and no I’ve never had the pleasure of hearing Batty sing 😕
richietoon(Quote)
Sharpy-I’m interested in what Benny could do playing in the centre behind two strikers and in front of Cabaye who could supply all three of them with decent balls. Its clear that Benny playing just behind one striker doesn’t really give him that much room to manouvere-although that was earlier in the season when he wasn’t in top form, maybe he could cause more problems like this…
Still if we were going to switch to 4-3-1-2 then I’d still have Jonas on the pitch, imo he’s much more experienced at helping out full backs than either Perch or Tiote and has more of an engine on him. That means we could bring on Perch later on to shut the game down if we take the lead, or leave us open to swapping Jonas for Marveux/Obertan if we’re chasing a goal.
Newkie(Quote)
chelsea have a couple oot
http://www.ealinggazette.co.uk/sport/chelsea-fc-ealing/2012/05/01/chelsea-duo-to-miss-newcastle-united-clash-82029-30878559/
icedog(Quote)
Newkie – Im fairly confident that Pardew would stick with Jonas anyway to be fair. I just think Jonas looks a bit knackered.
I really think that if Benny saw enough of the ball in that position behind Ba and Cisse.
I know it would mean playing Cabaye abit more defensively again but only for 2 games against Chelsea and City because of the formation they play.
I’m sure there may be periods of the game which would allow him to get forward but I think this would definitely be the most effective formation.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I hope Marveaux makes the squad soon. Give him 30 mins in place of Ba on the LW and reap the rewards. 😆
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
I dont think we will start 4-3-3, but rather 4-5-1. Especially for the first 30+ mins. Keep it tight in defence and try to catch them on the break.
Once we score it will be full on 4-3-3..
Hopefully Chewsee underestimate us and think its gonna be easy, being as they are so great and have the best manager in the world NOT.
By the 90 min mark you should hear the ‘pop’ of their bubble borsting.
😛
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
I cant stand them kunts anyway. specially terry and limpturd.
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
BB @ 27 im not sure about playing Marv maybe give him more time to fully recover, but then I don’t think he would be in the side unless he was fully fit and ready to play
Big Dave(Quote)
aye your right Big Dave.
Just wishful thinking really.
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Marv must be close to 100% if he’s in the squad now? Would be nice to see him again, but a sub appearance is probably unlikely, no sense risking him now, not when europe isn’t far around the corner!
Newkie(Quote)
That 4312 does look enticing. However, I just don’t see Pards going for something different like that at this stage of the season.
I’m expecting 433 right on through, hopefully. Although I read somewhere that both Cabaye and Simpson could possibly miss the game with knocks. If that were the case, I think we would see Guthrie and Ferguson come in. Would be nice for young Fergie to get a start this season
AndrewT(Quote)
Sounded like Daglish rested some key players, lets hope Di Matteo does the same
Moreno(Quote)
I am the first one who mentioned 4-3-1-2. 👿 👿 😥
jkjk.
Anyway,there is high possibility that Ba will indeed be benched. 😐
AngelOfDeath(Quote)
Been all over the shop, just watched motd2 highlights.
First goal is a combination of Santon and allowing the cross, and Willo somehow losing out on a header to Moses, awful defending.
The rest is just amateur ball watching.
2nd – Tiote
3rd – Simmo
4th – half the team
Wigan did seem to play well, but we made it to easy for them. I know Pards has shouldered the blame but I see the goals we conceded more as down to the players than him. Lets hope they make up for it tonight. HTL
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
2 GOALS FROM BA TONIGHT!!!!!!
believe me…………
From Rwanda with loVE
Chris(Quote)
I think we will get a result tonight , and I have a feeling Bolton will get something off Spuds tonight. Think we keep it tight at the back , close them down dont give them time on the ball , Ben Arfa Ba and Cisse can combine and nick us a goal. Gonna go 1-0 to us!
Johno Toon(Quote)
I think we’ll thump chelski tonight 😯
Big Dave(Quote)
Not so confident 😥
Newkie(Quote)
how about playing 4 3 2 1. put ba through the middle with cisse and barfa given licence to roam, that way their back line wont know whos coming from where, let us give terry a raping he wont forget
bazza(Quote)