Game On! Aston Villa v Newcastle

toonsy

Villa Park
Villa Park
It’s back to work for both sets of players as both Newcastle United and Aston Villa look to bounce back from recent disappointing results.

It’s 17th versus 16th this evening at Villa Park as both sides eye three points that will drop the other deeper into the mire.

Neither side has been getting results and neither side is full of confidence although a recent spate of new signings at United seems to have added some renewed energy into the mix. Whether that will be enough tonight remains to be seen but United need the three points ahead of fixtures against Chelsea and Tottenham where, if you go by the form book at least, it would appear unlikely that we’d get anything from those games. Stranger things have happened though…

Up to four new faces could be making their debut for Newcastle tonight. Moussa Sissoko is likely to play but the rest may have to make do with a spot on the bench before making an appearance. However a bench with Yoan Gouffran, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa and Massadio Haidara gives us infinitely more options than what we’ve had recently. As always, full team news will be added in at the bottom of this article as and when it becomes available.

Unfortunately we aren’t on TV either, at least not here in the UK anyway, which means that a lot of people are going to be after a stream of the game. Not one to encourage this behaviour of course, but I can’t really stop people posting links to good streams in the ‘comments’ section below. Ahem…

Which just about wraps it up. It will be interesting to see how our new faces do this evening although I’m hopeful that the team as a whole decides to turn up tonight. Time is running out and we need to average over a point a game (1.267 actually) to make sure we hit that supposedly magical 40 point mark that is deemed as enough to keep a team safe from relegation.

Howay the lads!

Aston Villa: Guzan; Clark, Vlaar (c) Baker; Lowton, Westwood, Bannan, N’Zogbia, Bennett; Benteke, Bent

Subs:Given, Lichaj, Holman, Bowery, Ireland, Agbonlahor, Weimann.

Newcastle: Krul; Debuchy, S.Taylor, Coloccini (c), Santon; Perch, Cabaye; Gouffran, Sissoko, Gutierrez; Cisse.

Subs:Harper, Yanga-Mbiwa, Williamson, Bigirimana, Anita, Sammy Ameobi, Shola Ameobi

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.

View all posts by toonsy →

You may like these posts

490 thoughts on “Game On! Aston Villa v Newcastle”

  15. Well, three points is three points and there were positive.

    Can’t wait for Benny to replace Jonas and we really do need another striker. Shola is gash.

      (Quote)

  18. Great result. That is exactly like the type of battling performance we had countless times last season.

    Jonas was the only bad spot for me. Oh and Kruls long kicks.

      (Quote)

  19. Well that was an important victory. Still worried though, Pardew’s devisions scare me.. Howay the lads.

      (Quote)

  22. Another look at the penalty.

    Looks like it may be from behind, but then when you see it from the front, its a blatant dive… only defence for the ref may be the angle from which he saw it.

      (Quote)

  23. Getttttiiiinnnnnn!!!!!!

    Crazy scary 2nd half but what a result!

    Sissoko is a beast and Cabaye is a genious! lol

    Onwards and upwards lads. 😀

      (Quote)

  24. Great win.
    Seriously questioning AP’s loyalty towards Jonas and Shola though.
    Sissoko looked immense in the 1st half 😉

      (Quote)

  26. A much needed win. We really needed that considering we play Chelsea on Sat so we have a buffer to absorb a defeat on Saturday.

      (Quote)

  27. January 29, 2013 at 20:40

    <<<<< thinks villa will struggle the more the game gos on we got to much energy for them
    😳

      (Quote)

  28. Toby,

    No, I think Shola had one clearance where he booted back to a Villa player, and other than that he ran (if you can call it that) around like a lost fart in slow motion.

    For a 90kg man to be outmuscled by a fullback. 🙁 All his flick-ons go to the opposition and with him on the pitch playing in the middle. Villa can afford to push up as far as they like. He ain’t gona catch nobody on the break.

    Anyway, we survived the onslaught, so I’m happy.

      (Quote)

  30. I really don’t know what happens in our dressing rooms half time in matches but we go from looking very strong in the first halves to playing gash in the second halves. We’ve looked sooo poor this 2nd half, almost frightened.
    Questionable subs again, but think he’s resting new boys for spurs and Chelsea games.
    Debutants looked good tonight but still got a poor bench and for me nobody on the bench who Pards can put on to nick a goal – defo not Shola!
    Jonas to be dropped now for me like – looked poor again tonight.

      (Quote)

  32. Toby le Rhone,
    Hope you kidding when you say Jonas’s Clearance wins us the 3 points…? You must look again Tim Krul was just behind him to block the ball.

    Jonas is the biggest **** in this team, the quickest he will seat in the bench, better Newcastle united wil be.

      (Quote)

  33. To be fair to Pards, I don’t quite understand what he was going for, but there’s still not much on the bench with Raylor, Vuckic, Marveaux and Benny missing. That wasn’t a game for Sammy, and Shola was our only other attacking option!

    To put it in context – Villa started the 2nd half with more senior strikers on the pitch than we have IN OUR SQUAD.

      (Quote)

  34. First half was full of positives. Second not so much…

    Think Pardew is by nature a conservative manager and as we’ve seen in the last few games will look to protect a lead with negative substitutions. However when you’re in a dog fight that just invites more pressure on yourself. Luckily we didn’t crumble.

    Hopefully now we have that monkey off our back and 3pts on the board we can start to be more positive and push on.

    Think we should start with same 11 against Chelsea (except if Marv is injured in which case drop Jonas).

      (Quote)

  35. Santii

    Battling performance. Spot on.

    As much as I can criticize a couple individuals I can’t fault them for effort (apart from Shola).
    Its up to Pardew to get the right players on to do the right job. I think once again individual brilliance saved him him. But he got three points so fair enough.

      (Quote)

  37. reckon we are 2 signings short of a good team a striker to replace shola and a manager ,watching pardews second half tactics I don’t think he could manage to find the bog seat with his ****. Glad my hair is white that second half would have drained the colour out of it 😉

      (Quote)

  41. Great 3 points. Feed Cisse the right service and he will score!

    Villa are Bipolar, they really are

    New signings:
    Sissoko – What a talent we have here. Unreal composure & strength on the ball.

    Gouffran – Looks a quality player as well. Strong on the ball, but technique to go with it. Reminds me of Marveaux.

    Debuchy – Aside from the first 15 minutes of the 2nd half, absolutely superb.

    Yanga M’Biwa was only on a short while and managed a match winning clearance. He has to go straight into the team against Chelsea.

    Negatives:
    Surely Jonas has to have just made his last start under Pardew barring injuries? Awful, awful player who has no right to be on the pitch alongside our new signings.

    Shola was **** poor again.

    Did I mention how s**t Jonas is. Get rid!

      (Quote)

  43. I wont be going to work tomorrow, pulling a stressy. **** me that was awful. Jonas is shocking how does he keep getting on.

      (Quote)

  45. Obertan instead of Shole or Jonas in that match would have meant they could never push up that high + he can keep hold of the ball even if he does nothing with it.

    Jonas is a liability.
    The Substitutions were shocking tonight aswell.

      (Quote)

  46. Shola is ****. He’s not even very good at winning the ball or holding it the only thing he supposedly had ‘in his locker’.
    Saying he was good at defending is missing the point (and wrong anyway).
    And its the same attitude Pardew will demonstrate when he tells us Jonas’ contribution was vital.

      (Quote)

  48. JJ – all well and good having a go at Shola for flick-ons to Villa players, but I didn’t exactly see anyone for him to pass to.

    2nd half performance was that of a scared team who haven’t won for a while and away from home for even longer! I’m frustrated the
    lads retreated so much, but I can understand why…

      (Quote)

  50. Wow, that was tense, don’t know how we didn’t end up with a draw. Apart from his clearance at the goalmouth Jonas offers very little, it’s painfully obvious. Really enjoyable first half though, think we might have had three if Anita or marv were taking our corners, cabaye’s are always dissapointing. Sissoko looks excellent and can’t wait to see him in action again especially after a few more days training. My only worry is that the second half will have sapped some of the confidence we oozed in the first.

      (Quote)

  53. Santii,

    Exactly.
    Obertan on keeps Villa nervous pushing up and he can run the ball into the corner and keep it there. Even if he doesn’t cross it, if he wins a throw in/corner he keeps Villa in their own half.

    Shola offered nothing. with him and Jonas we then has two players offering nothing.

      (Quote)

  55. Lambert obviously gave the right half time team talk.

    “Get stuck into the French lads, they haven’t a clue what the Premier League is about yet”

    It worked and to be fair to them they were unlucky not to get something

      (Quote)

  57. HBA39 Didn’t see the clearance but guy on the radio said it was going in unless Jonas made the clearance

      (Quote)

  58. People blaming the 2nd half on Pardew?

    Villa upped their game and would have given any side problems. They were also roughing up our lot with some poor challenges, which went unpunished until Cabaye used his brain and bought a couple of fouls. This saw that idiot ref begin to clamp down on the overzealous Villa tactics and we regained some composure.

    I don’t think Pardew did much wrong today.

    We killed two birds with one stone too. We proved we can win away and we can be resilient.

      (Quote)

  60. Blip

    A target man should have strength to position himself where he can bring the ball down with his chest and hold it up. He shouldn’t be flicking the ball on. If he has to he should head it out for a throw in so the defence can re-organise.

      (Quote)

  61. That game was a good introduction to the rigours of Premier League football for the new lads. MYM had a few shaky touches but put an absolutely crucial block in. Sissoko will be key for future games but he’ll need an outlet better than Jonas on one side.

    Also, isn’t it amazing what Papisto can do when he’s not offside?!

      (Quote)

  62. Also did anyone see Pardew go up to Jonas and give him a massive hug at FT? Dunno what it is with those two.
    Someone mentioned our throw ins earlier too, they are one of the basics that we are consistently ***** at, handing over possession almost immediately every time.

      (Quote)

  64. Well that was most certainly a game of two halves.

    1st HALF: 😯 😮 🙂 😎
    2nd HALF: 😐 😡 😕 ❓ 😐 😮 😎

    …BACK OF THE NET! 😯 :mrgreen: 😎

      (Quote)

  65. Cabaye was absolutely dead on his feet, Jonas was absolutely pish, so Pardew took off Perch and Sissoko ?

    Does anyone really know where Jonas plays ?

    That was a pathetic last 10 minutes, allowing Villa ball posession, then sitting back with 10 men and inviting the attack. Absolutely shocking tactics by our manager.

    I’m ecstatic with the three points, but the ability of the team and the manager to come so easily undone is really concerning. We just knowingly surrendered the midfield. 👿 👿

      (Quote)

  66. JJ

    I don’t care if he was good today. M’Biwa is Champions League class. Steven Taylor isn’t fit to lace his boots.

      (Quote)

  67. The Kid,

    Aye but the subs again….defensive midfielder off for Shola….then 10 minutes later when it wasn’t working (obviously) he then took an attacking player off for a defensive midfielder.

    This means twice the team, under the cosh, are having to adapt to new tactics and formation within 10 minutes. Nay good in my opinion

      (Quote)

  68. Tim Krul 😎
    great saves today kept us in the match. My Man of the Match,
    Pardew utterly clueless what to do to change things.
    Total shambles in the whole 2nd half 😳

      (Quote)

  69. Taylor didn’t win a single header. The main reason we were under so much pressure 2nd half to say he was brilliant is a bit much. He was ok at best.

    Sissoko nailed on our MOTM
    Cisse second him and Sissoko linked up great i thought

      (Quote)

  70. Blip
    “2nd half performance was that of a scared team who haven’t won for a while and away from home for even longer!”

    Agree, they were very nervous. The win should do their confidence wonders. Four points gap.

    If we could stretch that to six then we can start playing without so many nerves.

      (Quote)

  71. So relieved I can finally start watching MOTD and highlights on the net again.

    Why the **** aint MOTD on tonight!? tampin

      (Quote)

  72. People advocating keeping Taylor in the side ahead of M’Biwa haven’t seen M’Biwa. There’s no way you would say such things if you had. He is as good as Vertonghen! (Maybe even a little bit better)

      (Quote)

  74. We need another CF without a doubt as Shola won’t get us the goals needed to stay up if Cisse gets injured. I know we were missing Marv and Benny as forward options but we need a goal scorer – even if its nicking Graham off the Scum.
    I’d also try and take Puncheon from Saints, he’d be a good bench player aswell I think – there’s about £7m I’d think.

      (Quote)

  75. With ya, Kid. That 2nd half wasn’t easy to watch, but Villa looked very, very good. And that wasn’t just because we were poor.

    Weimann was a d**k, but looked good, Zoggy had a good game and Benteke was an absolute handful.

    Their gameplan 2nd half was to stretch our already jangled nerves, and it almost worked. Fair play to our lads and their resilience, though… they can take heart from that!

      (Quote)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *