Whilst Colo is yet to resume full physical training, he has been doing fitness work for a week or so and will be tested this week to see if he is ready to return in any of our final four league games of the season.
This poses an interesting problem for our manager. What do you do if he is fit enough to return? Do you put him straight back into the team given the fact that he is our captain and is arguably our best defender on his day? Or do you stick with the Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa and Steven Taylor partnership which, aside from a couple of blips, has generally been fine and seems to be getting better?
The issue is clouded even more with the uncertainty surrounding the future of Coloccini who may well be off in the summer anyway. So do you then focus on the shorter term aim of staying up by including a player who hasn’t played since the 4-2 win over Southampton in February or do you continue with what is likely to be our first-choice defensive partnership next season, barring any new central defensive recruits in the summer of course.
I really don’t know. If Colo had been in the same kind of form he was in last season then these questions would have easier answers and Colo would walk straight back into the team for me.
But it’s not that simple. Colo hasn’t been great this season. He’s shown flashes of what he can do such as his performance away at Sunderland but, much like the rest of the squad, he’s failed to hit the heights of last season consistently enough this term.
I honestly can’t make my mind up but I think a lot of that is to do with the nonsense in January which is playing on my mind a bit.
So, lacking in match fitness, would you usher Colo straight back into the team in the hope that he can hit the ground running? Or do you stick with Yanga-Mbiwa and Taylor at the heart of defence?
Stick or twist?
JJ-Actually, I agreed with Kinnear about Simon Bird.
As for your opinions, aren’t you a sports journo? I think you start off with some notes, re read them a few times, reply to your own article and slowly work yourself up into complete fury where the dead have risen and Pardew becomes a horseman of the apocalyspe. Stop ranting to yourself and chill out for a bit…
..Get behind the lads…
Newkie(Quote)
Newkie @76
That’s exactly what I do 😆 😆 😆
JJ(Quote)
getting a bit lost off here or is it a old picture???
http://www.themag.co.uk/the-mag-articles/all-smiles-papiss-cisse-back-back-in-training-after-injury-scare/?
icedog(Quote)
Ice 😯 wtf is going on..
Newkie(Quote)
Jez JJ what has happened to you lately 😯 you used to bit a laugh 😆 even Aussie has more craic than you 😀
Big Dave(Quote)
Cisse was in training this morning after being in France yesterday to have his rib assessed. Apparently according to Ryder he will play on Saturday wearing a protective vest
3hourswasted(Quote)
Apparently he was in France. Is back. And is now training with a protected device over his ribs.
He is expected to play with the injury.
Probably stupid. Because the first thing I would do as a defender is put an elbow in his rib cage. 🙄
They should never have leaked the story if they intended on playing him.
JJ(Quote)
@lee_ryder: Cisse was in Paris yesterday . Trained today with protective vest on under kit. Looks set to play with rib injury #NUFC
3hourswasted(Quote)
JJ @82 your dead right,i would for sure 😆
icedog(Quote)
Dave,
Aussie? More craig?
Ye, but he just tries too hard. It should come naturally 😆
I’m trying to work myself up into a frenzy so that when the Toon tour South Africa I can kidnap Pards. 😎
JJ(Quote)
@81-I say suit him up like Ned Kelly. Or maybe we should just do that to Shola permanently..
Still don’t see why we need to send him to France to have a medical? He can speak good english now anyway, and its not like we don’t have translators…
Newkie(Quote)
Ice but then you were a dorty player, well so Richie told me
Big Dave(Quote)
April 23, 2013 at 13:54
Stuart
Would Sports Direct not get massively more exposure if Newcastle were winning trophies or at the very least being televised every week in the Champions League.
Don’t get that arguement…
They would benefit nowhere near as the amount of money it would cost him to get us there.
Stuart79(Quote)
JJ@85-Send the lions after him, I’ll put money on him being too tired and one dimensional to get away.
Newkie(Quote)
SHARPY17
April 23, 2013 at 14:10
What an outrageous comparison! Comparing us with a club that had a gate of less than 18,000 every home game and turned over about £50m even in the PL!
Don’t insult anyone’s intelligence…
Don’t compare Rangers either – they’re where they are because they were on the fiddle.
Stuart79(Quote)
Not too many Lions in Cape Town, but I could always push him off the mountain. 😈
JJ(Quote)
JJ-Aye, send him plummeting down Table Mountain.
😆 😆
Newkie(Quote)
I can see why Pardews saying what he is, The long term plan would be blown to pieces if we were relegated we’d lose 3 quarters of the squad and have to start from scratch again.
I’d hope in private hes telling the lads a different story that we are closer to the top half than the relegation zone, That liverpool have lost to soton, villa, stoke, west brom and anzhi who we’ve beaten this season, Wham are safe and may well be on their holidays, QPR will be down already, Arsenal might have already qualified for the CL and might not be at it on the last day.
I said yesterday that Ashley is the root cause for this god awful season. They thought they had cracked it last season, Perch, Ryan Taylor and signing Anita would plug any gaps we had Paul Madeley style. They were wrong and i hope the january window was an admission of that. Without the european distraction we can have a really good season next time round but they can not make the same mistakes again this summer…
CC(Quote)
Yes, because he’s our best defender and we haven’t exactly had amazing performances to mean it would be difficult to drop someone. Not sure whether i would drop mbiwa or Taylor. Mbiwa has more talent but isn’t quite settled yet so i’d probably play him with Colo. Hopefully saylor can finally show some passionate English grit and give others a kick up the **** when they start to lag.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Cisse may be out for the season..?! Seriously? **** me. If marv is out i’d go hba and ober either side of goofy.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
http://www.nufcblog.com/2013/04/23/newcastle-have-to-thing-big-very-big/
Classic Ed
JJ(Quote)
@NUFC_Stats: In 23 PL games prior to January signings, NUFC picked up 21 pts, 0.91 per game. Since, they’ve picked up 16 pts from 11 games (1.45) #nufc
Where would 55 points finish in the league after 38 games?
Stuart79(Quote)
Stu – it’s got nowt to do with their attendance figures mate, it’s about a club spending beyond their means – as we were doing under FS.
I agree with you that having our finances in order isn’t something to tell the grand kids, but it’s surely a foundation to build on isn’t it?!.
I mean look at the lads we signed just in Jan. MYM and Sissoko could have easily went elsewhere I’d have thought – there must be a valid reason they picked NUFC when at the time we were still in a poor league position.
Please don’t say because of all the other French players here coz then you’d be insulting intelligence.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Stuart. Top 10 every time.
Premandup(Quote)
@96
More Classic Ed
He writes this in one of his articles
“But the FA have very little to hide behind this time – but we’ll just have to wait and see – maybe one official saw it and did nothing.”
and then posts the article with this headline:
Rumor – An Official Saw Suarez Bite – Did Nothing 🙄
http://www.nufcblog.com/2013/04/22/rumor-an-official-saw-suarez-bite-did-nothing
Chris G(Quote)
Stuart-interesting stats those. And we have been without our best player (arfa) and after selling our top scorer since
Newkie(Quote)
DAVE@87 your reet i was a dorty player,loved to file a couple of studs to a point it was just for grip like 😉 shame the refs started to twig it 🙁
icedog(Quote)
That’s another thing about this season it’s seen some awful officiating ,very very poor , should get very interesting with the new goal line technology but it’s a shame all debatable decisions can’t be judged with technology.
KIMTOON(Quote)
i agree with the lad hope pardew reads it not that it will do any good 🙁
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/sport-opinion/mick-quinn-newcastle-united-fans-2997078?
icedog(Quote)
What’s up with Lee Ryder has he fallen out with the regime , perhaps it’s cause season is nearly over and he ain’t got to worry about getting access to them until the summer .Nevermind ,plenty of time to implant his head back up Ashley ‘s **** befor summer 🙄
KIMTOON(Quote)
Ice @104 ,Yeah great article by Mick ,totally agree with all he says too. 😎
KIMTOON(Quote)
Why on earth tell the whole world about Cisse’s rib injury then play him 🙄 😳 😕 doh !
KIMTOON(Quote)
Kim Lee would have a hard job doing that, he would have to get Stardy surgically removed first, 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
Just been talking to Mark Halsey in Tesco
Sharpy17(Quote)
Oh dear Stuart reverts to type – and starts giving *** packet financial advice – grabbed out of thin air made up tosh – last time he did that he claimed to have a degree in Business them denied it – dying for him – dying 😳
Stardust(Quote)
Dave 😆 😆
KIMTOON(Quote)
Message to Ryder – **** out – its my gig
Stardust(Quote)
Stardy 😆 😉
KIMTOON(Quote)
Saw someone say the other day that Colo could come in and M’biwa could play at LB, he played well in Europe at RB and can apparently play both sides. Maybe Cissé’s protective vest is just an investment for the tour in SA 😕 😆
Andymag(Quote)
A tough call on Colo toonsy. I would say he shouldn’t go straight back into the lineup at this stage of the season but if either Mbiwa or Saylor is having a bad game then he can be subbed in. I know he’s off in the summer but his ball control and vision can still help us. It’s not like we’re sitting in mid-table or anything. We must use any and all resources at the club to keep us up. As for Cisse if his rib is cracked then hats off to him for playing but if we weren’t so thin at striker we would have someone decent to bring on. I’ve been worried about this all along. Why is the club so slow to spot potential trouble brewing?
GeordieTwo(Quote)
The comment from Pardew that we need to compete for a top 10 finish next season is one I find very disappointing. Is he already preparing us to be a mid-table team next season? The fifth place finish and the manager of the year awards have put him in a very tight position but now he should be demonstrating his managerial talents and next season as well surely? We’ve had too much talk from Pardew already. One minute he claims we have a fine club who should be fighting for a European position and the next we are going to compete to be a mid-table club. Which is it Pardew and why should we believe you?
GeordieTwo(Quote)
G2 ,He’s on record as saying our 5th place finish was unexpected and 2 years too early!! ,by that reckoning we should be aiming for 5 th next season if he is working to a plan .Why then the about turn now ,truth is he is running scared cause he must realise he hasn’t the attributes to get us to that level again. You have to factor in teams like Saints ,Swansea , even newly promoted Cardiff all showing more ambition and flair football than we are at the moment . This should be a real cause for concern at board level ,end of the day Hoots was fired because it was felt he couldn’t take us further ,why then would the board settle for the incumbent manager saying he’s aiming for 10th !.
KIMTOON(Quote)
I agree 100% with Stardy @ 102 😉 Ryder needs to back of and respect Stardy and the fine job he has been doing
Big Dave(Quote)
Kim I agree top is not good enough for our squad and I think a fair few of our squad wouldn’t be that happy either, we need to be fighting for top 6, and if Pards isn’t up to it then Jabba will need to think hard about where the club is aiming.
Big Dave(Quote)
Absolutely spot on Kimtoon @117. That’s really it in a nutshell. To me we’re being embarrassed by the quality football being played by other teams with smaller grounds and far less support. Swansea is a great example. They play entertaining attacking football and know what they want to do when they get the ball. Half the time we look confused and slow. And we never seem to play well for a full game. The board should be taking a serious look at the management issue again in the summer.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Top 10 I should have said and yeah I know the top 6 is in the top 10, but I like to break it up into top 4 top 6 then the also rans 7-10
Big Dave(Quote)
Kim – check mate!!. Absolutely spot on with that observation young lady! … and not a smiley face or wink in sight 😛
I don’t know if this is some bullshit way of under promising over achieving thing but its absolutely not what you want to hear as a toon fan like.
No disrespect to the teams in the top 10 current but if you look at it we should be aiming to finish comfortably 8th at the ever least.
If I were Graham Carr I’d be insulted by Pardews comments, and if I was one of only current ‘purples’ I’d be concerned!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Personally I think Pards is just trying to lower/lessen the pressure, because we perform better as underdogs. But myeah.Top 7 is where we should be fighting.
Newkie(Quote)
KIMTOON@105, I read the article and I found it really refreshing from Ryder. He went up somewhat in my expectations… 🙂
Munich Mag(Quote)
I’ve just had another look at the table after writing that and top 9-10 is still realistically achievable NOW despite how ***** our season has been.
I know we have players missing and the form were in its highly unlikely, but points wise were only 5 away from 9th spot – so I’d sooner Pardew spoke abit more positively and motivated what players he does have and made that his focus this season!!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
If Pardew can’t see where changes need to be made by now to the club then he never will. We can’t go along with Shola as the number 2 striker. We can’t underspend bottom 10 teams in the summer and hope to improve (that’s more for Ashley to take note of I know). We can’t stick with players like Obertan, Gosling and Willo. We’ve got to have more quality depth in the squad all over the pitch. We need some of the youngsters to push the veterans harder. Most of the older players feel no pressure at all to keep their places. I’m thinking of players like Jonas and Shola. I think the only younguns that might be ready to battle for places might be Vuckic if he can ever stay fit, and Bigi and eventually possibly Campbell, Inman, Good, and Ferguson. But we can’t sit still there either because it’s likely only one or at most 2 of the younguns will eventually be good enough. This summer offers a huge challenge to the club after this dreadful season where many of have been shocked by the drop in performance.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
It is genetically impossible for Pardew NOT to blather about all kinds of less than important things…topn ten this that the other.
Just get the immediate **** taken care of and let’s get the 4-6 points we need to stave off the relegation debacle.
The players too need to get there collective fingers out.
Staylor and Mbwia are not the answer, though I’m not convinced a half fit Collo should walk back into the team. ….. hmmm….Staylor out, Collo and Mbwia middle two …gets my vote now… 😆
Munich Mag(Quote)
Tell you what’s said – Troy just text me to say he had been reading the blog and was still too upset to post ! What a baby! B&b is victorious – lol bro troys in a right hissy fit.
Man up Troy – get back on and misrepresent your bro!
Or are you going to bubble for a year longer – as you would say wooooo hooooooo hoooo hooooo
Stardust(Quote)
Sharpy@122 ,I refrained from using them cause JJ@38 told me they were out of fashion! lol
KIMTOON(Quote)
Looking at our final four fixtures I’m not sure where 4-6 points will come from Munich @127. I could see a draw at QPR and possibly West Ham. If Cisse is out can we beat either Liverpool or Arsenal at home? So if we end up with 39 points I think it will be just enough as both Villa and Wigan are unlikely to pass us. Maybe one of them but not both. That’s a worst case scenario but it’s pathetic to be in this position at this stage of the season mate. 😥
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Troy it’s time to forgive and forget mate. Get the plastic cow back out and join us. You know you really want to. 😀
GeordieTwo(Quote)
The club have a target of top 8 everytime (well publicly anyway) so actually Pardew is performing admirably since January when he got the players he should have got in the summer (minus the striker that is).
So in fairness I think them stats show Pardew doing a decent job. Not sure anyone out there who could do better so stick with him.
Stuart79(Quote)
MM @ 127 so what are you saying should Colo walk balk into the team or what 😕
Stardy is Troy not on a religious retreat to outer Mongolia or somewhere similar ❓
Big Dave(Quote)
G2 we need to get as many points as we can mate. I’m fed up with Pardew playing the low ball and lowering expectation. We have been gash ALL season and it has been on his watch..
Munich Mag(Quote)
Big Dave says:
April 23, 2013 at 18:36
Top 10 I should have said and yeah I know the top 6 is in the top 10, but I like to break it up into top 4 top 6 then the also rans 7-10
————————
That’s how I view it as well
MDS(Quote)
Kim – what would JJ know about fashion?! 😆
Sharpy17(Quote)
Big D@133, after a slight deliberation……basically aye.
B&B has also gone MIA (Missing in Action)….
Munich Mag(Quote)
Nah Dave – he has been sat bubbling away like a big girl wooooo hooooo. He is furious he got asked to take his disclaimer down too – says its about free speech and how he feels he is not respected by others on the blog – wooooo hooooo – grow a pair man Troy FFS
Stardust(Quote)
Stuart79@132… I was following you ok until you got to the “Pardew performing admirably” bit, then you lost me mate 🙄
Munich Mag(Quote)
GEORDIETWO I don’t know about you but I think the blog misses Troy as he was good craic and I have to admit I enjoyed seeing him constantly mopping the floor with B+B 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
Spot on Munich Mag @134, so am I. In all honesty how can you say Pardew has performed well since January Stuart79 @132? I’m not having a go at you but we sit 16th with teams like Norwich and West Ham above us (only marginally I know) and tied for points with Sunderland and Stoke! I thought at the very least we would be fighting it out with Liverpool and West Brom for 7th or 8th place after last season.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Aye spot on Big Dave. Howay Troy man, show yeself on the blog again mate! 😀
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Stardy tell him will to get back on here for a bit of craic, and just ignore B+B just like most others do 😆 plus he was good at keeping Aussie in line 😀
MDS @ 135 well mate your in good company with them thoughts 😉
MM so is Saylor getting dropped then ❓ oh and on B+B being MIA maybe that other night was too much for him and after here he went over the ledge
Big Dave(Quote)
MM – brings a new meaning to Double Bubble 😆
Stardust(Quote)
Munich & Geordie – The club have ambitions to finish top 8 and since January when the club brought in some players for him he’s averaged 1.45 points per game – that could be top 8 more often than not – so since the club give him players to do his job he’s doing a good job. My admirable comment is what Ashley probably thinks as he’ll keep the club in the PL.
Stuart79(Quote)
Well time will tell Stuart @145. Just barely keeping us in the Prem isn’t much of a goal. And as well as points per game I’m also worried about the quality of our play and the fact we can’t sustain a good level for a whole match. Surely some of that comes down to management and coaching? Several of us have suggested other possible managers with decent pedigrees to come in. I definitely don’t want a repeat of this season in the next. We do need some incoming but the core of this team is solid and we should be performing better game in, game out.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Off for a bit now mates but hope to return in a bit.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Woo hoo hoo hoo ! You have to love the Gulper Eel Stardust. 😆
Just keeping off the blog whilst B&B was on as it is he, that chose not to speak to me. I don’t do huffs or hissy fits. Never have but for my mothers sake I didn’t want a family feud played out on a blog.
If he shows up I will disappear again.
Anyway, its good to see Lee Ryder agreeing with the reality train crew. Mediocrity was our cry. Looks like the train is on schedule. 😀
Also, Simon Bird makes good points in his article. We need to give Pards time just like Everton gave Moyes.
Unless Ashley chooses to spend some of his own fortune to make us better than also rans. 😉
Good to see Big Dave kept B&B in check in my absence. 😀
Troy Stavers(Quote)
I love how Bayern have absolutely drenched the middle of the pitch… 😆
Newkie(Quote)
@Stardust
I have to say, Stu speaks a lot of sense. You could learn a lot if you listened to him.
Anyway, watch out cos I’ve just emptied the contents of my toilet from my boat. It should reach the sea bed shortly where you are skulking around looking for sea cucumbers to put on your sea food salad.
Do Gulpers always scavenge on the sea bed or do they venture near the sewage pipes as well ? 😛
Troy Stavers(Quote)