With just seven games remaining United find themselves just three points off 18th placed Wigan and time is running out if we are to ensure we don’t suffer another relegation.
Results yesterday mean that it’s technically possible for us to end the afternoon in the bottom three should we lose and other results go against us. Aston Villa are now level on points with us whilst Sunderland could overtake us if they pull off an unlikely (but again not impossible) victory at Stamford Bridge. Meanwhile Wigan visit QPR where a victory for the away side combined with a defeat for us and a five goal difference in the scorelines (say we lose by two and Wigan win by three for example) would see us drop to 18th place.
That’s the worst case scenario though. Looking up, a win would see us jump to 13th place ahead of Stoke and Norwich whilst a six-goal swing between the results of our game and West Ham’s visit to Liverpool (again as an example, say we win by three and West Ham lose by three) would see us jump into 12th ahead of the Hammers on goals scored.
Before looking elsewhere it’s important that we get ourselves sorted. Win at all costs is the message of the day as getting points on the board is all that counts and goal difference would only be important at the end of the season anyway.
We are the home side and the pressure is on us to get the victory, but we’re up against a Fulham side who are unbeaten in five and with players like Dimitar Berbatov they have the ability to cause problems. Martin Jol will no doubt have a plan to frustrate us and should they manage to do that in the first 20 minutes or so it’s important that we keep our heads and carry on.
You can read even more build up to the game in my match preview which is viewable by clicking here. It details injury news for both sides ahead of the game, outlines a brief history of the fixture between the two clubs and dishes out some rather interesting statistics along the way.
The game itself is not being shown live here in the UK although it is scheduled for overseas broadcast. That means that those who aren’t going to the game or those currently in a country not showing the match (like me in Belgium) will be looking to watch the match online so if anyone happens to come across a decent stream then please feel free to leave a link to it in the ‘comments’ section below.
Team news will be provided by my good self assuming I have no problems at work so I’ll endeavour to add the team sheet in, in full, at the very bottom of this article.
Which neatly wraps this up and now it’s over to the players and management to put us through the mill once more. I just hope that after 90 minutes all the pain, tears, anguish and tantrums are worth it and we have a priceless victory to celebrate!
Howay the lads!
Newcastle: Tim Krul; Danny Simpson, Steven Taylor, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Davide Santon; Sylvain Marveaux, Moussa Sissoko, Yohan Cabaye, Jonas Gutierrez; Yoan Gouffran, Papiss Cisse
Subs: Rob Elliot, Mike Williamson, Vurnon Anita, Gael Bigirimana, Gabriel Obertan, Adam Campbell, Shola Ameobi
Fulham: Mark Schwarzer; Sascha Riether, Philippe Senderos, Brede Hangeland, John Arne Riise; Stanislav Manolev, Eyong Enoh, Giorgios Karagounis, Damien Duff; Bryan Ruiz; Dimitar Berbatov
Subs: Neil Etheridge, Aaron Hughes, Kieran Richardson, Emmanuel Frimpong, Urby Emanuelson, Kerim Frei, Hugo Rodallega
I think Cisse has been poor this season. He’s missed a good number of sitters even since he got his wish of being made main striker.
However is contribution to play has improved a fair bit of the season, and Cisse poor still = goal every three games, even slightly back on form next year sees a 20+ goals a year striker.
On Benfica – I wouldn’t risk HBA, to be honest unless he’s 100% I’d leave him out for the season.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
I wish we could get this side out before the end of the season.
……………………… Krul…………………..
Debuchy…..Mbwia…..Colocini…..Jonas..
………………Sissoko……Tiote……………
…….Benny……..cabaye……..Marv…..
…………………….Cisse……………………..
kev(Quote)
Kev ,Agree but as good as Jonas was Haidara in there even better:)
KIMTOON(Quote)
Kim I realise that strikers don’t score every chance they get but some on here are a bit ott.
ST I tend to agree with you
Big Dave(Quote)
Kim, yep in time, not seen enough of him yet, but he looks good in the short time he’s been here.
Marv’s position in there is a debate too, Gouffran/Santon could both do a job there, but Marv deserves a bit of a run in the side, he’s not really had that, again flashed here and there.
kev(Quote)
Kimmy, Big D, Santi…. I love Cisse, don’t get me wrong… I love the bloke.
His first touch for the goal today was outrageous, fantastic.
However, really not trying to be a crouton but how many times has Cisse scored more than 1 goal in a game for the toon ?
However, I still love the bloke… I think next season he’ll score 20 league goals or close to it, once we get a settled team buzzing around him…and maybe a supporting striker who can help him out…
Must say I was well pleased with Marv’s contribution today. And what about Jonas, I love players coming back from the dead, he was out of it a while back, today he was magnificent.. and what about that header from Staylor whilst lying on the floor, mental :-)….and the contribution from Simmo…and Mbwia’s blocks…and Timmy’s save from Berbatov’s header…world class…
TTBAWA !!!
Munich Mag(Quote)
MM thats what I like about you no matter what Richie says your a true fan
Big Dave(Quote)
Off the top of my head Swansea and Chelsea he got a brace in both last season.
Marv was a contender for MOTM today. If he could play like that every week he would be worth about 25 million. and B&B would love being his agent then 😛
Santii(Quote)
Munich – I go to the home games, and watch them on tv if I can. It is like chalk and cheese. When watching tv, I get frustrated that I can’t follow the man I want to follow or see the bigger picture of the whole set up. On the other hand, on tv you get a much better close up and replays. Cisse’s goal, for example. Everyone is talking about how good it was. I don’t mind admitting that tv viewers obviously saw it better than I did because I couldn’t reliably describe to you how it reached his foot or quite what he did to finish it. I’m looking forward to seeing it on MOTD because I’m bound too see so much more.
My point is simply that you see a completely different game at the match compared to tv. No more and no less than that. The good thing about being at the match, particulary in a slightly elevated position, is how you see the shape and all the possibilities for 90 minutes. If you can be there and see it on tv later so much the better.
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
@B&B
If you cant wait to see it here it is
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8392/8627475751_6cdb07f2c9_o.gif
Santii(Quote)
wow, I thought it just bounced up off him….. he’s flicked that…
kev(Quote)
Think we should play HBA on Thurs or at least put him on the bench if he is fit, by all accounts he only just failed a late fitness test today so I presume he’s almost there.
stevep(Quote)
@Kev
I thought that to Bergkampesc i tell you 😀
Santii(Quote)
If that had been messi or ronaldo the press would have had a heart attack by now, sheer class
kev(Quote)
Santi, I’m still not sure after all these years and many repeats if Bergkamp meant his, a true world class player, I’d like to think he did but still not convinced. Cisse’s was though
kev(Quote)
Great finish to the game today and fantastic atmosphere in the stadium throughout as always!
Marveaux was class today as was Jonas. Marv just tips it for my motm though.
I think we looked better in the 4-1-3-2 formation today. When Santon went off we reverted to 4-2-3-1 and we looked flat.
Would love to see us line up like this before the end of the season…
——————Krul——————
Debuchy Saylor M’Biwa Santon
——————Tiote—————–
—Sissoko–Ben Arfa–Cabaye–
————Cisse—-Gouffran——
Sort of like a narrow diamond. Tiote protecting the back four, The full backs provide the width, benny in a free role and Cabaye and Sissoko providing the box to box support for both defence and attack. Wish we could play 12 so Marv could fit in there as well!!!
Oblong(Quote)
Oblong I would give that a go mate
Big Dave(Quote)
I nearly wet meself when Cisse scored ,Ilept out my chair like a salmon forgetting I needed a pee !
KIMTOON(Quote)
Kim well we’ll forgive you for that
Big Dave(Quote)
Cheers Santii – Looks brilliant. I would have said it just rebounded up fortunately for him if I hadn’t seen that. I couldn’t remember him going so far to the right either. I would have said he was more central.
I’ve seen so many great skills on tv where pundits have said they were flukes, and I never see it like that. Perhaps because the same used to happen to me so often.
I’m looking forward to seeing Pardew’s celebration now.
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
B&B
Pardew and Cisses 😀 im ruining MOTD for ya 😀 Sorry
http://cadfael.tv/image/src/1365350479134.gif
Santii(Quote)
Munich – The atmosphere was decent enough. The Gallowgate corner was in good voice as usual. There was a little frustration creeping in at times, but the crowd rallied particularly well in the last quarter of the game.
I was with the old grumps in the 1892. I let off steam near the end of the first half. When it went quiet, I shouted at Pards, “What’s the plan, Pardew?” I was saving the chorus of “Pardew, Pardew what’s the plan? Pardew, what’s the plan?” We rallied enough in the last 15 minutes for me not to have to use it.
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
Dave it’s my own fault ,should of went at half time . Was gonna put an emoticon there but they are refusing to move again .
KIMTOON(Quote)
See, no problem, I knew we were going to win! 😆 Actually I predicted a draw but thanks to Cisse we take the 3 points. Pardew looked ready to collapse with relief. It should take some of the pressure off of Cisse after some of his earlier misses and the lack of a pass to a wide open Marveaux with the 2 on 1 in the first half. His finish was brilliant but why does he keep waiting for extra time and giving us all heart attacks?
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Kim – It’s dodgy territory when those emoticons don’t move. People don’t know how to take the comments. Where would we have been in the Cuban Missile crisis without emoticons? Well I think we all know.
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
Santii – Cisse’s celebration looked better. It looks like he was making a bee line for the bar where a nice chilled pint was waiting. It would make a good advert for some brewer. What would the strapline?
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
How was the night out Kimtoon? Maybe you should have more of those if it brings us luck! I’m happy for Pardew but our first half wasn’t good enough. Still a lot of work to be done. Gouffran was decent and worked hard to get the ball back. I was disappointed when he came off. All in all a decent performance but I would hope we could take control of home games earlier on and dominate mid table teams more.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Carlsberg make the best god dam celebrations in the world 😀
Santii(Quote)
Gouffran has a very good shot on him. We need to find ways to spring him more often for an actual shot on goal. More creativity in attack definitely required for Thursday. I realize Gouffran can’t play in that one but he looks as if he’s ready to break out for us. When is Ben Arfa finally going to be fit and back in the side?
GeordieTwo(Quote)
B&B @400 ,exactly mate.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Right, going to watch MOTD. Final thought is that we’ve still got a long way to go. Our best chance of 3 points was today. The derby has so much more riding on it than the usual derby. If we lose it, we’ll be back in the **** IMO. We’ve got to win that one. Not just for our survival, but to drop Sunderland right in it.
Was it Mark who said he would drive through Sunderland in his b&w clad car honking his horn if we beat them? Brave man. It’d be like Top Gear going through the midwest with “gay love” plastered all over. Lucky to get out alive. Dare you to get out and run through the Bridges, Mark!
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
Santii – Probably!
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
B&B@400 Exactly mate.
G2@402 ,very nice thanks ,Went to zaza Bazarr it’s like an market of eateries from around the world ,you get to wonder around putting different food on your plate and can go back as many times as you like all for a set price ,plus it was happy hour at the bar lol ,Richietoon would love it.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Off to watch MOTD laters peeps.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Kim @ 408 Richie would love that
Big Dave(Quote)
What a goal by remy. Would people still take him even though he picked the money over us? 😕
Newkie(Quote)
@Newkie
Yes he would be my first choice target in the summer. Though his reported £80k a week wages will be an issue. Can see him going to a bigger club than us though once qpr are relegated.
Someone said earlier he has a £6 million relegation clause aswell.
Santii(Quote)