Newcastle v Reading – Premier League match preview

Magpies v Royals
Magpies v Royals
Alan Pardew will send his side out chasing their first win of 2013 this afternoon as Reading visit St James’ Park.

It seems as though I’m saying this every week at the moment, but this game offers an opportunity to take three points against a team who are in and around the bottom of the league much like ourselves.

As always seems to be the way though, Reading have found a bit of form recently having won two and drawn one of their last four fixtures. However our record at home against the Royals is good and we’ve not failed to beat them in seven meetings at St James’ Park. Mind you, that is all in the past and has no bearing on what could happen today.

Newcastle:

Fabricio Coloccini will play despite ongoing rumours regarding his future at the club. Steven Taylor could also see some time on the pitch having missed the last 11 games with a hamstring injury although I personally feel that we’ll likely see a spot for Taylor on the bench. Shola Ameobi is available once more after missing the draw at Norwich through suspension.

Ryan Taylor, Dan Gosling, Haris Vuckic, Hatem Ben Arfa and Danny Simpson are all still out injured while Cheick Tiote is away on international duty with Ivory Coast.

Reading:

Mikele Leigertwood could return to action following a hip injury and Stephen Kelly may make his debut following his arrival from Fulham. Hal Robson-Kanu is doubtful while Jason Roberts and Alex McCarthy are out.

Previously…

As mentioned earlier, United have a 100% success rate at St James’ Park against Reading having won seven of seven meetings.

In fact there have only been 13 meetings between the two sides ever, with United winning eight, Reading winning three with two draws making up the numbers.

Stats and facts:

United have scored at least three goals against Reading in six of those seven meetings at St James’ Park.

Shola Ameobi’s only professional hat-trick came against Reading, and I was there to see it!

Currently United have 21 points in the league which is our lowest total since the Premier League began.

Reading have not won away from home this season.

Final thought…

I keep hearing that we’re too good to go down and have the players to drag us out of trouble, but now is the time for them to show it. We need three points at any cost and with players returning from injury the excuse of missing players is starting to wear thin.

Yes we need to sign players but the simple fact is that the majority of the ones we have on our books at the moment have been under-performing, and that is something that needs to change sharpish. It won’t be a classic today and to be honest I won’t care, as long as it’s us who get the three points on offer come the final whistle.

Howay the lads!

Date: Saturday, 19th January, 2013

Time: 3pm

Venue: St James’ Park

About toonsy

A lifelong Newcastle fan and current webmaster of this very 'blog who has the sole aim of creating a place by Newcastle United fans, for Newcastle United fans.

68 thoughts on “Newcastle v Reading – Premier League match preview

  1. We will lose… as Big Dave says, I have jinxed everything so I think we will get beaten… 🙂 🙂

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  2. we will know soon enough Aussie if your doom and gloom comes true,hope not mate,bit of positive mental think perhaps,turn that frown upside dowm pmsl.

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  3. Gg 🙂 🙂 mate, I think we will win near on every week other than games against the top 4 teams.. hasn’t done us any good to date so I am changing my views 🙂 🙂

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  4. Cant argue with that Aussie,wasnt having a dig by the way just having a bit of banter,A win would do us all a world of good though,kind of sick of bad performances from a team that can do far better than we are seeing this season.Better times coming we all hope

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  5. Good read Toonsy the fact we have a 100% record , we have players back, and the fact that Aussie is going for a loss, gives me a good feeling for today so I’ll go for a 1-0 win

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  6. Think todays performance will tell us a lot about the character of the players Dave.Im hoping they step up and show us what we saw last season,bit of gritt and desire and most of all some pride.Im going for a 2-1 😡

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  7. Gg yeah most of the time it’s not just the result it’s the grit , determination and pride that pleases me.
    And over the last few games we seem to be building on that so i’m hoping for a win today

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  8. Morning folks. Going for a win today based on our 100% win rate against them at home. Players need to give it their all, fighting for every ball and Pardew needs to let them play instead of keeping to this turgid, rigid hoofball. Howay lads you can do it. Home debut for Debuchy.

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  9. This is a must win game for us today. I think we can win but worried where the goals will come from. We need Cisse to start scoring. We need to.build on last weeks solid display. And with a bit more attacking intent we should some away with 3 points. It will be a scrapy tight game. 1-0 to us

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  10. I have to say the service to Cisse has been **** poor of late so lets get our act together and give him balls to run onto and not the 50 mile an hour stuff we did down at Norwich,and obviously more than the two or three attempts we made.If you dont supply your centre forward there never gonna score

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  11. Well that is Dave. We aren’t creating enough for him. If we create chances for him I think he will put them away. But it does worry me as I don’t think Obertan or Jonas will be able to create enough chances for him

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  12. Yeah Dave , Marv Cabaye ( if fit ) will have to step up and supply Cisse. I do think Obertan and Jonas bring certain things to the team / squad but creating chances ain’t one if them.

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  13. Danny Guthrie will be really up for it today, cannot see anything more than an 0-0, or 1-1 today I’m afraid. 🙁

    There are no easy games in this league, and we have too little quality in the final third of the field. Also have a feeling we will miss a penalty today. 😕

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  14. Cant see where we are going to get 3 goals from Prem,and we also have the small amtter of Willo on the pitch with us and he is woeful

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  15. Aussie – No I’m not speaking to Troy. I don’t speak to hypocrits. He took the mother of all hissy fits with me. He is a muddle brain and I can’t be arsed with infuriating, hypocritical, drunken muddle brains who look to wind people up and then can’t take it. It is time he took down his ridiculous disclaimer which is typically aggravational and childish. Besides, it’s not a health warning and its not a government warning.

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  16. Have to share this comment from my mate 🙁 Not sure if it is all his own, but cheeky nevertheless 🙂

    “Got to respect that Lance Armstrong though. The last time I was on a bike and full of drugs, I hit a dog and fell into the river”.

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  17. Aussie, as for pards quotes, he needs to be careful when he opens his gob. He didn’t have to say he was happy with the squad if he wasn’t. Besides, he speaks absolute ****; complete nonsense. He’s now saying Krul and Santon are staying 100% after saying he would never say anything like that again following the Carroll embarrassment! WTF!

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  18. B+B but you’s are brothers and blood, and when I said to Troy that blood was thicker than water, he said in your case I was spot on 😆
    Prem I can’t see Pards playing Jonas there imo he will play in the 3 of a 4 2 3 1 😉

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  19. Dave, I know he won’t play the team I’ve posted because according to the bloggers here he is thick. Since I’m not we obviously won’t do the same things. :mrgreen:

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  20. I guess this is the best we can field today,
    ——————————Krul
    Debuch——-Saylor——–Collo———-Santon
    —————————-Anita
    —–Obertan————Cabaye————Jonas
    ———————————–Marv
    ————————-Cisse

    With Benny back in place of Obertan, this is still a side good enough to get us out of the mess, addition Striker and Centre Back should be job done ❓ ❓

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  21. B&B, do have to agree with you, behind all Toys woo hoo’s , there is a real hypocrite. I have called him out on it in the past so this is no a stab or wind up. He knows my stance….
    As far as Pardews quotes, why put so much creedence in them if you think they are bollox…

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  22. Well ,i’ve walked to me mothers and back with me gammy knee and dodgy back ,dug the car out of it’s igloo and moved it off the hill to a flat side street and I’m knacked now. Hate this bloody snow ,got the lad home on monday as got to take him to gp for annual special needs medical ,so got to hope Ican get his wheelchair over the icey road to the car 👿 .All in all not much joy with more snow coming on sun/mon 👿 . Need a win today to put me back in a better mood ,will be mighty pissed off if we lose and want a far better display than what I saw at Reading . HWTL

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  23. The league table is frightening! Ba out, Debuchy in. Doesn’t look good. 😥

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  24. Aussie, I find it astonishing that people are happy to let Pards spout loads of contradictory **** that makes no sense, and just shrug their shoulders. This man will take us down. He is clueless. I hope he flukes one today though! I’d love him to prove me wrong. I’m setting off now in the 4×4.

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  25. B=B @ 29

    “Besides, it’s not a health warning and its not a government warning.”

    Hahahahaha! 😆 😆 😆

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  26. Kim 🙂 🙂

    B&B, its the use of his quotes as supposed truth that Pardew is not good enough that gets me. It goes a little like this. “Pards is **** blah blah blah”………. then insert bullshit quote as confirmation.

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  27. Amazed people want Jonas playing ahead of Perch.

    Perch is a better tackler, better passer, better in the air and more likely to score.

    Hoping for wins for the Toon, Wigan and West Brom.

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  28. Well it’s either 4-4-2 with Shola and Cisse up top, or Cisse on the right, or Shola as a number ten looking to hold up/flick on for Cisse?

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  29. Hopefully Shoal doesn’t mean hoofball. Surely our players are good enough to outpass the likes of Reading?
    I also rarely see Shola play well unless he comes on as an impact sub for max 30 mins…

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  30. Newcastle: Krul; Debuchy, Williamson, Coloccini, Santon; Anita, Cabaye; Shola Ameobi, Marveaux, Gutierrez; Cisse.

    Subs: Elliot, Perch, S.Taylor, Bigirimana, Obertan, Sammy Ameobi, Ranger.

    Reading: Federici, Harte, Kelly, Pearce, Mariappa, Leigertwood, Guthrie, McAnuff, McCleary, Kebe, Pogrebnyak.

    Subs: Taylor, Gunter, Morrison, Akpan, Karacan, Le Fondre, Hunt.

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  31. This from the guardian’s MBM:

    Breaking news department …
    … Newcastle have agreed a fee with Montpellier’s Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, until QPR come in, organise some games of Fifa (Bayern Munich v Argentina) and get the signature of the player who, just days earlier, looked destined for the Toon.

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  32. blackley & brownley leave him alone i spoke to him a few weeks ago hes currently trying to sign shane long

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