In fairness Norwich went on a ten game unbeaten streak prior to their poor run, a luxury that hasn’t been afforded to Newcastle United this season.
I was going to write a match preview for the game, as I usually do, but my alarm clock either didn’t go off or didn’t wake me up so unfortuntely I haven’t had the time to do so. In a brief kind of preview though we are awful at Norwich generally, we’ve been awful all season and the stats don;t look pretty. That just about covers it really…
Dominating the build up to the game has been the stroy regarding the future of Fabricio Coloccini. Personally I think a big indication will be his inclusion, or exclusion, from the team today. I reckon if he plays then things may be getting blown out of proportion but if he doesn’t, what with being fit apparently, then something could be amiss and we may have to wave goodbye to the club captain.
Speaking of team news, it’s looking a little bit better on the injury front as Yohan Cabaye may make an appearance at some point today, Papiss Cisse will play and there should be a debut for Mathieu Debuchy after his signing from Lille just over a week ago. You can of course see full team news below as and when it becomes available.
Being a Saturday 3pm kick-off means that unfortunately we aen’t being broadcast here in the UK. However a rake of overseas channels are showing the game so hopefully a stream will be available. Normal rules apply, those being that if you happen to find a decent stream don’t be shy and share it amongst your fellow NUFC fans.
Which just about wraps it up. Will Newcastle manage to secure a first away win of the season or will we be faced with more travelling woes come full-time? We shall soon find out…
Howay the lads!
Norwich: Mark Bunn, Russell Martin, Sebastien Bassong, Michael Turner, Javier Garrido, Anthony Pilkington, Bradley Johnson, Alexander Tettey, Ryan Snodgrass, Wes Hoolahan; Simeon Jackson
Subs: John Ruddy, Elliott Bennett, Leon Barnett, Ryan Bennett, Danny Fox, Harry Kane, Grant Holt
Newcastle: Tim Krul; Mathieu Debuchy, Mike Williamson, Fabricio Coloccini, Davide Santon; James Perch, Vurnon Anita; Gabriel Obertan, Sylvain Marveaux, Jonas Gutierrez; Papiss Cisse
Subs: Steve Harper, James Tavernier, Gael Bigirimana, Yohan Cabaye, Romain Amalfitano, Sammy Ameobi, Nile Ranger
I have to confess that I have no idea what man flu is. I’ve never heard that before. I’m a New Yorker, so maybe this is a UK slang? I’m actually looking it up online. Please spare me the research as I’m too foggy in the head to parse it. What is man flu?
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
we never looked like getting the ball thru to Cisse until Cabaye came on.
Why we constantly lobbing it to him in the air begs belief. He never got on the end of them once.
Cabs threaded one ball thru on the ground but it was going wide. But Cisse nearly got on to it.
Feal really sorry for Cisse today. Not given a proper chance, because our midfield were gash and never supported him one bit.
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
FSOTC its just a general flu but men get it worse than women lol
icedog(Quote)
FSOTC here this should explain 😆 😆 😆 😆 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_flu
Big Dave(Quote)
Beardsleys Boots@373….I’ve just got home having not watched the match I may add, and just winged through the blog comments for the toon game today.
The conclusion is that everyone posting here on the blog, all 375 hits today were utter cack, they don’t know what they are talking about. Pardew saw a completely different game. The bloke is just way of his heed if you ask me.
With his track record, managing a club like Newcastle United he must get up in the morning, look at himself in the miror, and think “fook…you’ve made it Alan”. He must be absolutely ecstatic, man oh man what a lucky lucky lucky break. How on earth can HIS team turn out such an absolutely dross performance, then he goes on national television and blathers so much rubbish. What an embarassment. 👿 👿 👿
p.s. Howay the lads…
Munich Mag(Quote)
I was just reading that. My wife always busts my chops because I always get sick and she gets nothing. I’ve read that women actually have stronger immune systems than men, so it’s only natural.
She’s a rock.
I’m a fucking pansy.
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
Cisse played a lot better with that dastardly Ba in the team.
Munich Mag(Quote)
so I make that 8 points from a possible 39 over the last 13 matches.
😯
How unbelievably shyte is that ❓ 😕 👿
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
I agree that we looked a little more incisive with Cabaye out there. I haven’t been his biggest booster, but it’s maybe been a revelation to NOT have him for so long and see how unstable the midfield has looked.
Hopefully, he’ll be back to something like his best from last season. He didn’t seem great at the beginning of this season, but maybe playing through the summer at the Euro really took it out of him and this rest and recuperation through injury will help him out.
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
I have been Cisse’s biggest critic this season, rightly or wrongly, he has fluffed a few too many chances for my liking.
But I cant fault his efforts today. The whole team let him and us down badly imo.
There is no excuse under the sun that can justify an absolutely disgraceful performance that we put out today. Nothing.
How that sets us up for a win against Reading mystify’s me all the more.
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
BB@392, I would say that when it comes down to being *****, 8 points from a possible 39 is up there with the best of them.
You’ll never stop me going out of my way to watch a toon game, but I’ve stopped listening to Pardew’s blather now. I cannot watch another Pardew interview I’m afraid. God knows what the players think having to listen to him every day. Maybe that’s why we are down at the bottom ? 👿
Munich Mag(Quote)
https://twitter.com/Joey7Barton
Read the last 10 or so….
funkyjesus(Quote)
Beardsleys Boots, I’m going radge after that performance, but I think you are out-ranting me this evening 😆
Quite ironic that maybe we saw the tactical geniuses today, what was, and what has been. Houghton v Pardew, clueless v evenmoreclueless. But my goodness Pardew has a lot more resources available than Houghton. Plus Norwich haven’t been back in the EPL too long either ?
Munich Mag(Quote)
As far as I can see Pardew now officially only has two senior pro’s to winge about, Staylor and HBA, then he has no excuses. Apart from Tiote of course, but he will be back in mid Feb, and has been like a man off this season anyway…
Munich Mag(Quote)
Raylor? Arguably Vukic?
Why has Tiote been so bad? Baffling–last season, I thought he was absolutely immense.
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
Said before game that id be happy with a point and i am. Good to get a clean sheet. Certainly gives us something to build on. We need a centre back with pace and an attacker. We need them quick.
johno toon(Quote)
i think tiote has been told too calm down abit ,so its changed his game
battysback but kev will always be king(Quote)
I agree, the clean sheet is important for confidence and a point is obviously better than nothing.
Telling Tiote to lay off the two-footed studs up challenges shouldn’t have ****** up his passing like this, though. Am I right? His passing has seemed bonkers too.
Sign up this kid from Osasuna! Pardew! Lambias! LISTEN TO ME, GODDAMMIT!
sorry. It’s the foggy fever brain. I’m going to take a nap.
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
Today was a typical game between two teams who have had a bad run of results and were low on confidence. Nobody wanted to lose the ball in case it resulted in the opposition scoring, so everyone played it safe which resulted in a poor game.
Next week is so important – if we play well and win, we’ll go to Villa in good heart and hopefully with the added boost of a couple of new players.
Stuart79(Quote)
Yes, very very poor from both teams today Munich Mag. I forced myself to watch some of it over again because I couldn’t believe how poor the passing and set pieces were from both sides. Sometimes they couldn’t even keep the ball on the pitch. Pathetic passing behind players, miles in front of players. Corners taken that were out of bounds from the off. Unbelievable, and then Pardew has the plums to say it was a decent performance. He’s only embarrassing himself.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Pardew should have said something like: “we got a point out of it today but we’ll need to play much better than that in the future to avoid relegation. I’ll be roasting a few ears on the way home and having a few words with Derek as well. We’ve got to settle things down and play like we did last season. My neck is in the noose as well and I know it. Our play overall this season has been unacceptable.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Poor performance today, but just a question about Ben Arfa when is he scheduled to be back?
StateSideToon(Quote)
Physio room says Ben Arfa return is 2 Feb Stateside. He can’t come back soon enough for me. Cabaye started to make a difference but needs a couple of games as will Ben Arfa. We could be in even more trouble by then. Where are ths signings?
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Happy with the point if not the performance. 🙄 😳 . Hopeing that Colo will make some sort of statement as we need to know if it’s football reasons or personal family reasons he wants away .We don’t need to know the ins or outs obvious that’s his private life but we do need clarification imo.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Geordietwo, you are spot on when you say a poor performance, and also spot on when you say a point is a point. I don’t care how we get the points, it obviously aint gonna be pretty, and even more difficult without Ba’s goals to get us out of the mire, but we are one point closer to safety after todays gash performance.
Hopefully we’ll see the “momentum” Pardew was blathering about when we play at home against Reading.
Munich Mag(Quote)
Right now and for at least the last 3 months our club has been very difficult to watch. Confidence has fallen and the Ba fiasco didn’t help. Now it’s the Colo fiasco. These type of problems must stop. Pardew is clearly having problems on a number of fronts dealing with the players, board, Llambias and Ashley. He has been let down badly by some players and the failure of a number of the younguns means our plans for the future are threatened as well. Can Pardew pull us out of it with the useless Ash/Llam in charge? We may just stave off relegation but that may be about it for this season.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Spot on Munich Mag @399. We’re now 16th and 2 points above relegation. That is the only reality Pardew should be thinking about right now. How to lift the team to better performances and more points per game. If he doesn’t do it soon his chance will be gone. I can see Ashley naming Alan Curbishley as new manager in February. It could be a real horror show by the end of the season if Ashley isn’t bold enough to spend now.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Geordietwo@400, has the thought ever gone through your head that maybe Pardew doesn’t have the wherewithall to manage a top club like Newcastle, and what that all entails. ? That’s the conclusion I am coming to. I wasn’t always of that opinion, but what with the unrest amongst the players, general demise of the global quality of the playing staff at all levels, and most tellingly, dreadful quality of our football, that si now the case.
We played good football 5 or 6 games last season. The rest was poor and laborious, with Ba and Cisse’s absolute wonder goals saving our ****. Oh yeah, plus we had a quite solid defence. Our football has been even worse this season, and for a long long time at that.
Munich Mag(Quote)
Yes MM @402 I’ve wondered about Pardew since he came to the club mate. I wasn’t keen on him at all but I had to admit we were very successful with him last season. We did win some games with defence and wonder goals as you say. I just can’t believe the difference in Cisse this season but we also don’t play to his strengths at all and that has to be at least in part Pardew’s fault. Pardew was depending almost completely on Ba and Cisse being able to work together from the start of the season but it just didn’t happen. Ba is obviously the more complete striker but we will have to cope now but is Pardew up to it as far as tactics are concerned? I just don’t know. We’ve put ourselves in a right pickle.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Geordietwo@401, you used the C-word…. Curbishley. I fear there could be something in that 🙁
Reet off to me scratcher……..later dudes…and dudesses…
Munich Mag(Quote)
Relieved to have a point but what another dire performance. IMO Pardew must go. He’s lost the plot, can’t motivate the players, has us playing the worst football since our relegation season, and we will definetley go down unless he is removed and anothr manager has an opportunity to get something out of our players. he’s had long enough and has demonstrated he hasn’t got it what it takes.
Geordie Deb(Quote)
But can we trust the owner to hire a decent manager Geordie Deb or just another yes-man? His track record isn’t good. I remember this horrible block called Joe Kinnear.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
That should read horrible bloke Geordie Deb although he was a bit of a block as well. 😉
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Going to have to do some more thinking about this. Right now me heed’s just goin round in circles. Poor manager but can’t sack because can’t trust owner. Poor squad but can’t improve because owner too cheap. Poor managing director but can’t sack because owner in love with him. Ahhhhhhh!!!!!
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Don’t want Olssen after watching that. 😆
DJG(Quote)
I should have added poor owner but can’t sack.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
I think the reality is that we’re a team with mid-table ability who over achieved last season in a very weak league and have under achieved due to heaps of injuries and suspect managerial choices this season. We’re on a razor’s edge here and could go either way, but we need our best players back, some additions to the squad and a little luck, but I think we’ll stay up if those things come into it. Is that too much to ask?
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
Geordie Two I know what you mean. But I just can’t see how he will improve it. If we are sick of listening to his **** the players must definetley be
Geordie Deb(Quote)
I’ll say the same thing i did after the Brighton game, all you people calling for Pardew to be sacked (rightly or wrongly) are forgetting one thing;
Ashley will not sack him, end of. Ashley, Pardew and Lamarse are mates, they have known each other for years.
Pardew was given an eight year contract because of this. His remit is to keep us in the premiership (for as little money as possible) for the next few years whilst Ashley continues to grow sports direct worldwide using the newcastle brand name as an advertising machine.
Then in about 4-5 years Ashley would put us up for sale and as the financial markets would be in a much better state (hopefully) he would get his money back (or close).
However he banked on Pardew and the squad being more than capable to survive in the league with not much investment and last season went better than anyone could’ve imagined. But this season hasn’t gone right at all, as we all know! Ashley banked on the squad and Pardew being enough, sadly it may well not be!
Will Ashley sack Pardew? No chance! If we go down he’ll want a cheap as possible return to the premiership and he’ll hope puppet Pardew will do the job.
Tino11(Quote)
(THIS IS A GOVERNMENT HEALTH WARNING. THIS POSTER IS LIABLE TO DISAGREE WITH YOUR POINT OF VIEW. ONLY ENGAGE IF YOU AREN’T SENSITIVE AND DON’T TAKE HISSY FITS)
@MM & Bootsy
Any suggestions yet who you would replace Pardew with? You’s seem so desperate to get rid but the best I’ve heard so far is Martinez.
It’s beyond me why we would want to replace a Pardew with another manager whose team sits below us.
His win percentage is worse than Pardews and this time last year they sat at the foot of the table having lost 8 games in a row.
I would be gutted if we replaced Pardew for Martinez. Steve Bruce was far more successful than Martinez at Wigan. (That’s not me praising Bruce).
If you are going to bleat on about getting rid of Pards, then at least suggest a few realistic names to replace him.
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Newcastle have had a bid accepted for Marseille striker Loic Remy.
Boss Alan Pardew said: ‘It isn’t just one deal that appears to be hotting up — there are three or four and we need that.’
Toon Chicken(Quote)
(THIS IS A GOVERNMENT HEALTH WARNING. THIS POSTER IS LIABLE TO DISAGREE WITH YOUR POINT OF VIEW. ONLY ENGAGE IF YOU AREN’T SENSITIVE AND DON’T TAKE HISSY FITS)
I also thought Pardews comments on the game were very fair and a reflection of what occurred.
Troy Stavers(Quote)
(THIS IS A GOVERNMENT HEALTH WARNING. THIS POSTER IS LIABLE TO DISAGREE WITH YOUR POINT OF VIEW. ONLY ENGAGE IF YOU AREN’T SENSITIVE AND DON’T TAKE HISSY FITS)
Good news Chicken! Hope its true. Where are those comments?
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Mail on Sunday (I know). Nothing elsewhere yet…
Toon Chicken(Quote)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2261495/Newcastle-bid-accepted-Marseille-striker-Loic-Remy.html
Toon Chicken(Quote)
I’d like one of the visionaries calling for Pardew’s head to explain what good getting rid of a manager at the first sign of trouble has done our club in the past.
Toon Chicken(Quote)
Troy, I am with you on this one. Calling for Pardz to be sacked will achieve nothing other than to satisfy a short sighted need for someone to be punished for our poor form.
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
I agree re sacking Pardew, should not happen. A name for those who do. Hoddle ?!
premandup(Quote)
Prem ,Hoddle 😯 I had forgotten all about him . As the mum of a very disabled son ,I still have strong feelings about Mr Hoddle . 🙄
KIMTOON(Quote)
Having watched MOTD ,I would say QPR ,Reading ,Scum and even Villa 2nd half, showed more fight and energy than us to stay in this league. We simply have to bring in another 2 or 3 at least to shake things up cause we are majorly on the slide. 🙁
KIMTOON(Quote)
For those wanting rid of Pardew , be careful what you wish for.
You will not get the fantasy manager you crave.
The departure of Pardew will surely herald the arrival of Kinnear.
If you would prefer Kinnear to Pardew then fair enough.
sidekick(Quote)
sidekick. Kinnear has a better record than Pards. but I don’t want him sacked.
premandup(Quote)
Happy enough with that point. Its stopped the rot. Didn’t see motd just yet but im of the understanding we were poor going forward. I hope with the return of Cabaye we will improve for next weekend. We need Ben arfa back and a new striker. A good centre back in and we will climb the table.
Think people calling for Pardews head are crazy. We have a good team but a poor squad. I don’t think we have the funds to bring in 5-7 players we really need to have a squad capable of challenging top 6 every season in 1 transfer window. That doesn’t excuse the fact we should of brought more than 1 ‘purple’ player in summer. By the way I was happy with last summer window at the time as I thought the squad was capable of over achieving again this season. I was wrong.
johno toon(Quote)
Well a point and clean sheet at Norwich isn’t a bad result in a tricky fixture to stop the rot. An improvement in the performance is needed but I doubt few will complain if we win ugly in the coming weeks which I’d happily take. It was good to see our main creative source in Cabaye come back who we have missed a lot; dare I say it things may be looking up. A point to build on, players coming back from injury, Debuchy having a fairly steady debut and I’ve also read reports that we’ve had a 10 million bid for Remy accepted 🙂 (here’s hoping!)
It’s funny how we always seem to be the biggest spenders in January, although it begs the questions: why couldn’t we do these transfer dealings in the summer to avoid situations like the one we are currently in. I’ve read a lot of posts wanting Pardew sacked but I hope he stays. This club needs some stability and every manager goes through a tough period. We’ve got enough about us to survive this season and hopefully challenge for Europe next season.
HWTL!
Mihesh(Quote)