The unfortunate thing for us is that the word struggling could also be used to describe our form, and with both us and Villa struggling at the foot of the table dare I say this is yet another one of those “six-pointer” games we hear about?
However despite the home loss to Reading in our last outing things have perked up for United. Whilst Villa have exited two cup competitions to lower league opposition since the last round of Premier League games, United have signed four players who have real ability to shake things up in the remaining 15 games of the season which has boosted fan morale and will no doubt put a spring back in the step of some of our players.
Aston Villa:
Richard Dunne, Fabien Delph, Chris Herd, Marc Albrighton, Gary Gardner and Stilyan Petrov all remain unavailable through various injuries. Nathan Baker is fit again but is unlikely to be risked. Christian Benteke and Gabriel Agbonlahor are likely to be recalled after sitting out Villa’s FA Cup exit to Millwall on Friday evening.
Newcastle:
As you were really in terms of injuries for United. Hatem Ben Arfa is still sidelined, as are Ryan Taylor, Haris Vuckic and Danny Simpson. Dan Gosling is back in training but is still quite a way away from being anywhere near match fit.
Yohan Cabaye is fit after asking to come off against Reading and Steven Taylor has another week of fitness under his belt after picking up a hamstring injury in November while Fabricio Coloccini should start having committed to the club at least on a temporary basis.
In terms of debutants, it’s unlikely but we could see as many as four new faces make their United bow tomorrow evening. Of the quartet I would think Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa and Moussa Sissoko are the two most likely candidates to start, with Yoan Gouffran and Massadio Haiadra having to make do with strengthening the bench for now at least. Still it gives us depth and options which what we’ve been lacking all season.
Previously…
Earlier on in the season Villa held United to a 1-1 draw at St James’ Park. It was the same score when we last visited Villa Park after Leon Best gave United the lead and I remember Yohan Cabaye having a cracker in that game. Hopefully he can do the same tomorrow!
At Villa Park there have been 76 games played between the two sides. Villa have won 40 times, United on 18 occasions with the other 18 matches ending in a draw.
Overall 154 matches have been played between the two sides over the years. Newcastle have come out on top 66 times, Villa 55 times with 33 draws making up the numbers.
Stats and facts:
Newcastle have beat Aston Villa 18 times in the Premier League era. That’s more than we have beaten any other team.
United could set a new league record for French players used in a season. At the moment five French players have been used by Alan Pardew and the league record is seven.
Villa are the joint lowest home goalscorers in the league having scored just eight goals at Villa Park. They are joint lowest with QPR.
Newcastle have yet to win away this season in any competition.
Final thought…
I’m wondering if too much is expected of our recent signings, and whether they’ll be rubbished should we lose at Villa Park? Understandably fans want to see our new faces and the argument for a change in our starting XI is kind of overwhelming given how we’ve played this season. However, is it too risky to put them in from the start in such an important game? Would we perhaps be better with players who know the league,like Steven Taylor, coming in for this one?
We need to win this one. It’s achievable but we’ll need to be at our best. Villa will be smarting after last weeks cup exploits and will want to answer some critics, but the fact is that they can be got at easily and if we strike first and hold our heads we can turn the crowd and hopefully use that in our favour.
Howay the lads!
Date: Tuesday, 29th January, 2013
Time: 7:45pm
Venue: Villa Park
Dave ,spot on ,I thought once Ba left issues would be resolved yet here we are with this new ongoing saga ,no wonder the team has been so **** this year ,reckon the whole squads been effected by lot’s of stuff we havn’t heard about too.
KIMTOON(Quote)
@Santil
Is it a case of not booing him in case we hurt his feelings ?
Tough I say. If he takes the huff then he’s not strong enough mentally to be in the fight to stay up. It might be the shock he needs to find something in him that drives him on and come out fighting.
Troy Stavers(Quote)
oh collocini your not the love of our lives oh collocini you cant shag our wifes 😆 oh collocini why dont you fck off to
batty(Quote)
@Kim
Being a Toon fan is all an ongoing saga 😀
Santii(Quote)
Oh coloccini…. You ****** broke my heart
Oh Coloccini you shagged some ****** tart
Oh Coloccini please take Williamson too….. 😛
Troy Stavers(Quote)
🙄 😆
batty(Quote)
SANTII @154 ,You ain’t wrong there 🙄 .
KIMTOON(Quote)
Santii as you said there is not one quote in that 2011 story just someone saying that he says and feels this and that 😯 ,Re the Colo letter if thats the type of actions and respect you expect from our captain thats your choice.
But I expect more from our players and even more from our captain
Big Dave(Quote)
@Troy
Not at all its more to do with being positive for the whole team show these new signings a great welcome and getting behind the team.
I dont see any point in singling out players (unless its Nile Ranger :D).
Santii(Quote)
@Dave
I cant find the interview he did but there is quotes in that of him saying those things.
Santii(Quote)
Re Colo, to be honest I don’t care much about the letter as long as he does the business on the pitch. He’s not leaving, he will be playing, so support him. Any bad reaction towards him is really cutting off your nose to spite your face. It could unsettle him more, thus bad performance and thus potential loss f game…
If he does the biz in the B&W I will support him!
Cologne-toon(Quote)
Troy @ 155 – Brilliant
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
i have read that R Taylor is back in training , thats good news we have missed the lad this season .
Axel(Quote)
Santi
From the journal Nov 26th 2010.
“I don’t know what will happen in the future.” “ I have two kids, Tiago and Augustina, so maybe I will stay in England or somewhere in Europe.”
“She is seven and he is four and they love Newcastle. Argentina is not very safe for them, I would have to worry about their security.”
“They speak better English than me, my daughter is fluent, she is much better than me, she helps teach me now.”
“My son is a little bit less as he had a problem when he was a small baby. He had a fit, a convulsion and it affected the part of the brain that deals with speech, but he is a lot better now.”
“It was hard for them in that first year as well because when we came here they were put into a school and did not speak English.”
“Now my daughter has English friends and plays with them so she is happy and that makes me settled.”
Geordie Deb(Quote)
Quite honestly the letter stuff is water under the bridge. Colo is staying. We don’t know the reason why he has been behaving as he has which appears very out of character. I will noit be booing him on Saturday or any other time
Geordie Deb(Quote)
Really? People are this soap-opera upset about Colo? I can’t believe it… Really? I’m stunned.
If he plays a blazing game at Villa and continues till the season’s end, will all be forgiven?
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
Also, I keep thinking that there are so many Spanish teams in serious financial trouble… Why aren’t we taking advantage of that and poaching their best players?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2013/jan/28/depor-valencia-once-were-warriors
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
FSOTC
We have an important relegation battle to win. Colo is one of our best players and we need him to give his all. He ain’t gonna be doing that if he is receiving dog’s abuse from our own fans. We should be behind the entire team including him, regardless of this **** situation he has got himself in
Geordie Deb(Quote)
Colo won’t be booed. It’s a non-starter.
The Kid(Quote)
Colo is a disgrace, and pardew has mishandled it, just like he’ll mishandle the team selection tomorrow with some of the usual suspects starting.
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
Pardew has already dropped a whopper by not replacing ba when we need an in form goalscorer to get us out of this tailspin.
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
He played fine against Reading, despite it being out that he wants to go. If he plays hard till the end of the season and a good transfer can be arranged, fair enough: Services rendered and happy trails.
I don’t care who or even what he bangs (allegedly). If he plays at his usual level, which I believe he will do (perhaps until or unless the booing piles on), who cares what he yearns for in his heart of hearts? So he wants to go home. I want to go home, or to Jamaica, every effing day at work, but I bust my *** to do a good job while I’m there.
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
Cheers deb could not find that.
@FSOTC
I think the spanish league players have higher wages and less taxation than the french players. Could be one reason. I dont know to much about La Liga apart from the big guns of course and playing as Bilbao on FM.
Also maybe our scouting network isn’t as strong in spain.
Santii(Quote)
Yeah, Santi, I was just reading that about the wages in the other Guardian article about our recruitment policy and kind of went “Oh, I see.”
Funny, I kept thinking the CB at Osasuna might be a good buy, so I wathced him against Barca yesterday and sure enough, he got sent off in the first half, so I didn’t get to see him much after all.
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
Bingo, Deb. Totally agree. Booing is utterly counterproductive.
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
I watched that match as well that was never a red card. The first hand ball was never even a freekick never mind a booking. The second on was harsh and i dont think was a booking either.
Santii(Quote)
I thought the same thing! I was psyched to watch the kid and I think he did okay (though Xavi burned him with that little shimmy to get the pass off to Messi, but getting burned by Xavi is no Wall of Shame) until the ref put the whack on him.
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
Madrid vs Barca on Wednesday i think. Should be a decent game 😀
Santii(Quote)
Yeah, maybe, but Barca seem to have their number lo these last years. Still, I won’t cry if RM get hammered for six…
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
The cold draught keeps blaming Pardew for not getting players in but in previous posts the draught says the manager only coaches.
Close the window Toonsy. It’s cold 😉
Troy Stavers(Quote)
@ The Kid
The away support won’t boo Colo.
They will probably do the opposite and give him a rousing reception.
The fans who travel away are a different breed from some of the home support. They cheer the team on no matter how we play.
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Pardeiu looked a different bloke last night on TV.
He looked far chirpier.
I bloody hope he’s chirpy after the game tonight. This is massive!!!
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Troy
You’d look a lot ‘chirpier’ too if your lacklustre team got an injection of international talent, and you were about to face a team that just lost to a league 1 and championship team in the space of a week whilst are players were resting and gaining full fitness,
Andymag(Quote)
I would love pards to be ultra brave one day and try this;
—————–Krul——————
—-Saylor—Mbwia—-Colo——-
Debuchy——————Santon
—————-Tiote——————-
—-HBA—-Sissoko—–Cabaye
—————Cisse—————–
Bench: Harper, Simpson, Hiadara, Willo, Anita, Marveaux, Obertan, Ameobi, Gouffran
Liam Southern Toon(Quote)
@Andymag
I’m hoping the last 6 months has been a lesson learnt for Pards. I hope he survives this period and it makes him a better and stronger manager.
Sometimes loyalty lights a flame within which burns into an inferno and emanates to those around them.
Jeez I’m on fire here!! 😛 😛
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Troy
Not sure about flame, but the new signings should show some Gallic flair. 😉
Andymag(Quote)
As long as Williamson and Shola don’t start I’ll be happy! As for Colo I thought the last 2 games he played his heart out for us despite wanting to leave so don’t think the guy should be booed, cheered more like!
Jill(Quote)
Encouraged by VILLA RESULT & recent activity in the transfer market.
This squad plus TIOTE (A WALKING FREE KICK !) & Ben ARFA could be a promising team..
we still need an ENGLISH STRIKER after selling S AMEOBI & RANGER
(if we could find a buyer) or give them a free.
BBC 5 Commentators made me mad saying ASHLEY spent £15 million in the transfer market
no he didn’t he already had £ 40 million in hand from CARROLL & BA sale
I still dont trust Mr ASHLEY with the TOONS FUTURE..
OLD BEAR(Quote)
Troy @181
Totally agree. The away support are amazing. By far the best.
We do have some Muppets at St James.
As much as I don’t rate certain individual players. To boo them is only going to make them play worse. Some Toon fans are idiots.
Which reminds me. I watched an episode of this series Geordie Shaw…
Wanted to get a feel for the city of the team I support.
Hope to God that’s a huge misrepresentation of what Geordies are really like… What a bunch of ******* pumping, fake tan naffs.
No offense to yourself. I know you like your tank tops and fake tan.
JJ(Quote)