I’m going out on a limb here, but I honestly think one win would make us safe and would ensure we have Premier League football next season after this disastrous campaign. Mathematically it’s not enough, but that one win should realistically be enough.
Getting those points as soon as possible is the ideal scenario. The pressure would be off us and would be applied to the teams below us – namely Wigan and Aston Villa – who are now the only two sides below us who can catch us.
Standing in the way of us getting those three points are a Liverpool side who have been dragged through the press this week due to the actions of their cannibalistic striker Luis Suarez and his well documented biting incident culminating in the Uruguayan being handed a ten-game suspension, a suspension he is considering contesting.
Newcastle:
It’s slightly better news on the injury front for United for this match. According to Alan Pardew, Hatem Ben Arfa is looking fitter, Cheik Tiote has trained, Papiss Cisse is fine and Fabricio Coloccini is closing in on a return although is unlikely to feature in this game.
News is still awaited regarding the availability of Sylvain Marveaux although I suspect he’ll be out and will join Tim Krul, Davide Santon, Ryan Taylor and Haris Vuckic on the sidelines.
Liverpool:
Luis Suarez is most definitely suspended for this one. Even if he decides to appeal the length of the ban he has already admitted violent conduct so will serve the mandatory three-game ban that such an offence carries. The only part of the punishment he could appeal is the additional seven games added onto his violent conduct charge which hopefully clarifies things.
Suarez won’t be the only absentee however as Martin Kelly, Joe Allen and Fabio Borini are all out injured.
Previously…
United managed a 1-1 draw at Anfield earlier on in the season courtesy of a fine goal by Yohan Cabaye which was subsequently cancelled out by the Angry Beaver.
Newcastle have the upper-hand historically at St James’ Park. In total, 77 games have been played on Tyneside with United coming out on top on 31 occasions compared to 23 victories for Liverpool.
Overall though it is the Reds who hold the advantage when all games at all grounds are considered. There have been 157 meetings between the two sides with Liverpool winning 76 times, Newcastle winning 43 times with 38 draws making up the numbers.
Stats and facts:
Newcastle are looking for a third successive home win over Liverpool. If they are successful it will be the first time we’ve managed three home wins on the spin against the Reds for 63 years.
United have the third worst defensive record in the league having conceded 60 goals already this term. Only Reading and Aston Villa have conceded more.
The winning team in this fixture has scored a minimum of two goals in the last 12 league meetings.
Survival watch:
Reading and QPR play on Sunday in what is essentially a relegation play-off. Whichever side loses will be relegated whilst the other side will live to fight another day. A draw could see both sides relegated if Aston Villa manage at least a point at home to Sunderland on Monday night.
Wigan host Tottenham prior to our match. If Wigan lose and we win our game they will be nine points behind us with only four games to play meaning that we would have to lose all of our games whilst Wigan try and win three of their four remaining fixtures after the Tottenham game. A Wigan win though would see the pressure cranked up on us, especially if we fail to beat Liverpool.
Bizarrely, if all results go our way including ours, then we could find ourselves in 12th place come the end of the weekend, above the Mackems, nine points away from 18th place with two of the three relegation places gone.
Final thought:
It’s going to be another cagey affair but a win at any cost is what matters the most. I’m even past the stage of caring how we play as long as we get the three points.
Of course not having to face Luis Suarez is a massive plus, but Liverpool are still dangerous and still have other players who can inflict damage upon us, and by that comment I mean the likes of Steven Gerrard and Daniel Sturridge.
To sum it up, anything could happen.
Howay the lads!
Date: Saturday, 27th April, 2013
Time: 17:30
Venue: St James’ Park
A Spuds victory and a Stoke / Norwich draw would give us an excellent boost going into our game. The reality is we shouldn’t be relying on these other results at all
Toby le Rhone(Quote)
GEORDIETWO 😯 you wouldn’t be happy with a point against the Dippers 🙄
TLR @ 68 thats a bit harsh on Rodders 😆 atleast Rod is always in a good mood and not a grumpy old ***** 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
Big Dave I don’t understand a word he posts whereas with Munich it is so easy
Toby le Rhone(Quote)
Just out of interest. Am I the only one sitting naked whilst blogging? 😯
Troy Stavers(Quote)
TLR @ 78 😆
Troy 😯 🙄
Big Dave(Quote)
Dave
I’m in the back garden and its secluded. 😯
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Troy,
I think in Germany there are the “big clubs” who have a tradition of slugging it out at the top of the Bundesliga….FC Bayern, Borussia Dortmund, FC Schalke 04, perhaps Leverkusen, Hamburg and Stuttgart…
Of those only FC Bayern could be classified as financially well run. Both Dortmund and FC Schalke 04 have flirted with huge losses in the course of the last 4-5 seasons. Dortmund were in a really bad way a few years ago.
Regarding Dortmund, things really started to build when Jürgen Klopp arrived, which also seemed to co-incide with a wealth of talent coming through the Dortmund academy..Götze, Schmelzer, Grosskreuz, Sahin, …. Hummels was bought from FC Bayern, Reus for around 18 million euros from Gladbach, so whereas they have spent a bit of money, they have also financed the buys with sales of top players at the same time.
FC Bayern are FC Bayern the Man Utd of the Bundesliga, with a huge infrastructure of big money sponsors, a 70,000 stadium which has been sold out for every FC Bayern game for the last 2-3 years, so needless to say the rest of the money income is obvious where it comes from.
I’m not sure if the Bundesliga exports it’s top stars to the EPL so well….the players which come to mind are Hitzelsperger, Podolski and Mertesaker, average Bundesliga players who have also become average EPL players. Kagawa was brilliant at Dortmund but hasn’t had a sniff this year since his multi million pound move to Man Utd….
Equally so, I’m not sure if Lewandowski could be exported to the EPL, I really thing the type of football typicaly played in the EPL, where athleticism and effort is the be all and end all of the performance, may squander a talent like Lewandowski, who basically came from nowhere in Poland to be a top striker at Dortmund, and even he has came on a huge amount in the last season.
Basically the ticket prices are sensible in Germany, invariably each club has a couple of big money sponsors which keeps them ticking over, whilst the Bundesliga is as popular as ever and plays to full houses pretty much throughout the country. A really healthy situation if you ask me. That 2 German clubs are at the pinnacle of the EPL is a one off scenario which will probablky never happen again. However, FC Bayern are combining thir financial clout with player and manager recruitment which could see them at the peak of European football for the next couple of years at least.
Munich Mag(Quote)
@MM
Euro football goes through a cycle. I remember in the 70s and early 80s it was the English clubs dominating Europe. Then it was the Italians, then the Spanish, then English and now Germany seem to be surfacing. The previous was not an exact reflection but it was broadly that way.
Troy Stavers(Quote)
MM do they have as many teams and leagues as England, ? as it allways surprises me how many there is
Big Dave(Quote)
Max Clifford gets charged with 11 counts of sexual assault. How ironic that he has advised countless stars how to deal with adverse publicity and now he finds himself doing it for himself.
Troy Stavers(Quote)
If take a 1-1 tomorrow and I don’t rate Liverpool so I assume it shows how far we’ve dropped this season.
Think Suarez missing is a huge bonus but its time we put in a performance as we deserve one. Another sell out – deserves one!!!
Stuart79(Quote)
aye troy he sounded like clifford was saying if saville hadnt of been found out then him and his mates wouldnt of
batty(Quote)
@Stu
Liverpool are hard to weigh up. As I’ve said earlier Suarez is a huge player for them and without them they are weakened immensely. On their day they can be unbeatable. But, due to our weaknesses and frailties we will still struggle to get a result tomorrow even without their talisman. I’ve seen enough of our **** performances this season to know , if we win, it will be marginally. We simply don’t do big wins or dominate games.
We just need to creep over the line this season and regroup.
You going tomorrow stu?
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Batty.
11 charges! That means 11 victims have come forward. I would be sceptical if it was one but 11 is too much corroboration.
Troy Stavers(Quote)
defo troy guilty
batty(Quote)
🙄 the odds on pardew have dropped from 66/1 to 4/1 tonight,have you been at it again BATTY 😆
icedog(Quote)
Pardew statement;
“To finish above the teams we finished above – Chelsea, Liverpool – you can’t just have a good side.” “The finance we have compared to those two clubs is not even half.” “
“We did a marvelous job last year and people might say we over-achieved, but we had momentum.” “When you have a team that has struggled for momentum all year it’s difficult to reach those levels.”
“Are we as strong as last year? We’re not. But in terms of individuals, we can be, quite quickly.” “If we got a great result on Saturday, I wouldn’t put it past us to win two more games.”
“But if we lose, then we lose that little bit of momentum we gained at West Brom and suddenly you’re fighting again to try to get those three points. It’s a different pressure.”
“I haven’t got to the end of this season yet and you’ve got to get to the end to understand exactly what has gone on.” “When you throw a blanket across the division, there’s not a lot of difference between clubs that have been described as having great seasons and us.”
“It’s very difficult to assess at the moment with all the problems we’ve had. That should be done at the end of the year.” “It really has been one thing after another. For example, to lose Tim Krul for a second time, to another serious injury, sums it up.
“For Ryan Taylor to have another cruciate on top of a cruciate is galling – we keep looking at our players and cursing some of the injuries we’ve had.”
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Troy – No, I’ve given my ticket to a mate as I’m in Spain, but I’ll certainly be watching in the bar with pint in hand…
Stuart79(Quote)
@Stu
Its almost as good as being there! Bloody love watching the toon games abroad in the sun! 😎
Troy Stavers(Quote)
I see Martinez is playing the old mind games then . He’s in the mirror today saying how ,Scum, Toon , Stoke are still just as likely to go down as Wigan or Villa. He goes on to say how his players are better placed to deal with the pressure as they have been through it 3 times now and stayed up. I dunno ,it’s hardly something to brag about is it managing your team to the relegation places and having to scrap for survival every year 🙄 😳 .
KIMTOON(Quote)
For Rodz;
He will get it. 🙂
Just because you’re nobody
It doesn’t mean that you’re no good
Just because there’s a reason
It doesn’t mean it’s understood
It doesn’t make it all right
It doesn’t make it all right
It’s the worse excuse in the world
And it doesn’t make it all right
Some people think they’re really clever
To smash your head against a wall
Then they say, you got it my way
They really think they know it all
It doesn’t make it all right
It doesn’t make it all right
It’s the worse excuse in the world
And it doesn’t make it all right
Just because you’re a black boy
Just because you’re a white
It doesn’t mean you’ve got to hate him
Doesn’t mean you’ve got to fight
It doesn’t make it all right
It doesn’t make it all right
It’s the worse excuse in the world
And it doesn’t make it all right
It doesn’t make it all
It doesn’t make it all
It doesn’t make it all right
Troy Stavers(Quote)
I agree with everything Troy has said in the comments on this article 😯
Troy one of us needs to change tack. We can’t have this agreeing malarkey going on 😉
toonsy(Quote)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2315502/Newcastle-consider-Marseilles-Nicolas-NKoulou-Steven-Taylor-way.html
Not sure how I feel about this, he’s supposed to be one of the best young defenders out there with the potential to be the best but to lose Saylor would be horrific. He’s the bridge between the team and the fans, bleeding black and white, he is also a very capable and committed defender, though injury prone and pretty stupid with his decisions and actions. If this goes through AND we sell Colo then we’ll need to either promote Good or buy a young British defender for 3rd choice (Willo to be sold in summer).
Andymag(Quote)
Liverpool will clogg up the middle of the park and make it very hard to pass through there. Be prepared for some hoof ball unless we can get at them with our wide men. It won’t be pretty if we don’t go wide…
It’s good to see Troy has been keeping tabs on what Newkie and I have been saying on here for the past months. It is a bit of a shame that he thinks it is own idea. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
*his own idea*
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
COME ON TOOOOOONS ❗ ❗ ❗ 😀 HBA THE KING ❗ ❗ ❗ 😈
djebs9(Quote)
I’m also agreeing with Troy. Wierd. Don’t know what you were doing whilst you were away but it obviously worked. Perhaps you should post your therapist for the benefit of one or two others.
Add to what you posted at 64 that since the in our last 13 EPL games we have won 6 and drawn 2 which would project to a 58pt season, which we would have been nearly happy with. If all we were really bothered about was results then whats the problem. We also picked up 16 points off our first 10 games ending with the 1-1 at Anfield. It was the November to Everton Game in early January that cost us.p11 wd d0 l8 That included ManU, Arsenal & City but also home defeats Swansea & west Ham. If we wan’t a proper analysis of whats went wrong that is the period to look at.
Premandup(Quote)
Big D@84
http://bundesligabreakdown1.blogspot.com/2012/02/structure-of-bundesliga_02.html
Munich Mag(Quote)
Troy@83, spot on, that’s how I remember things too. Ajax were also in the mix there for a period of time…
Munich Mag(Quote)
Troy and Batty@89 and 90…. it’s quite odd how many of these persons seem to be part of some kind of media orientated group in higher profile positions..
I recall growing up in the 70’s and 80’s the guys being invesitgated at the moment where pretty much on TV radio of every other day and quite high profile.. the narf narf wink wink tongue in cheek mentality was par for the course in those days.. 🙁
Munich Mag(Quote)
Who is the toons greatest ever Frenchman…? Cabaye, Ginola, Robert, Bernard….? ….if HBA get’s anywhere near this lad we’ll be in great shape.
Look at these goals, did the bloke aver score a run of the mill tap in goal ? 🙂
http://www.themag.co.uk/the-mag-articles/newcastle-v-liverpool-video-flashback-the-original-hatem-ben-arfa/
Munich Mag(Quote)
MM
I’ve no doubt that in 30 yrs time there will adults coming out he woodwork left right and centre accusing Aussie of stalking them when they were kids. Once the investigation is started more and more victims will come forward and the police will have to call their investigation Operation Blog.
I can see it now, in the media, Bris, Mark, Aussie and many more from this blog being accused of stalking kids! 😯
(Please take this as a joke – I’m not really accusing anyone of being another Savile.). 😯
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Troy@107, one bloke I recall from the 70’s who showed serious “merve” tendencies was Benny Hill with his daft dittys at the end of the show with naked lassies being chased in slow motion to that wacky signautre tune. As far as I know that bloke is pretty much squeaky clean, and there has never been a hint of association with this current mob of reprebates being accused in the media…
The whole Carry-on film genre was also underpinned with underhand lechery and ****-phobic double-entendre…
Munich Mag(Quote)
@MM
I’ve got to admit, I get accused of being Benny Hill’s double. Not that I look like him but in real life, I walk like him as he did in those clips where he was speeded up. 😛 strange but true. 😆
I also slap Stardust on his head like Benny did with the bald bloke. Actually he is Stardusts double. 😛
Troy Stavers(Quote)
“Troy @ 27 I have said for a while that this bad run could make Pards a far better manager, as in the past he would have been fired when in trouble, so he has no experience of how to get out of the hole but when he does he then knows what to do different.” 😛
Big Dave. Comedy gold. That’s what’s great about this blog. It can put a smile on your face or have you on the floor crying with laughter at any moment, sometimes when you least expect it.
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
In 12 hours time how will we all be feeling?
For me the most likely outcome is a draw and we move on anxiously to the last three games.
A victory and there will be relief everywhere with Villa or Wigan having to produce a string of results that look beyond them on what we have seen so far.
A defeat and its squeaky *** time. A heavy defeat and I can see the crowd turning on the manager. There will be more dissenters and the clamour for his head will increase.
An interesting day ahead.
Toby le Rhone(Quote)
The reality train’s stuck in the sidings and so the crew have jumped on the bleedin love boat. 😛 Look’s like they found the store of rum too. 😛
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
Troy, pedophile jokes eh……. classy stuff.
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Troy@109… 😆 😆 I have to readjust my image of you now mate, cos I had forseen a Les Kellet lame skin cape flosbury flop like persona… now I have a Benny Hill slapping stardust imagery flashing before my eyes 🙂 I suppose it makes for an entertaining pre-match banter in Shearers bar 🙂 😆 😆 😆
Munich Mag(Quote)
B&B, Troy just looks for a point of difference with majority of the bloggers and runs with it like he knows something that others don’t. I guess it makes him feel wanted and the centre of attention… 🙂 🙂
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Troy isn’t it nice that B&B has singled someone else out to “banter” with ? 😆
Munich Mag(Quote)
TLR@111, the toon were confronted with a similar scenario against the makkems, and failed miserably.
Today is a hugely important game, and it’s in the hands of the players to put it right.
Agree 100%, squeaky *** time if it goes wrong..
Munich Mag(Quote)
I would look to play Gouff or Campbell on the shoulder of Carragher because I reckon Liverpool will play a high line as they try and compress the game. I know long balls are frowned upon but I reckon we could put a few over the top for our speedsters to run onto. It may catch Liverpool out??
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Got to leave. 😉
Troy Stavers(Quote)
AMF agree 100%. Looking forward to that match up today, Cisse v Carragher :-).
Liverpool’s biggest threat without Souarez in the team are Gerrard’s dead ball / free kicks.
Munich Mag(Quote)
AMF what does a 17:30 UK kick off mean for you in Aussie currency ? Do you have the Lowenbräu on hold ?
Munich Mag(Quote)
I’m not looking forward to the match at all tbh ,if we lose and lose heavily it will completely derail us of that I’m certain. Please please lads and Pards gives us a day to remember for all the right reasons.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Eminem 🙂 there is always a frosty Lowenbrau on hand mate 🙂 the game is on at 12.30am which is a *******!!
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Aussie, talk about testing a fans loyalty ,thank god you got the beer on hand ,you can either celebrate or drown ya sorrows 😉
KIMTOON(Quote)
AMF it must be hard asking the wife if you can stay up late,bet she makes you record it lol
icedog(Quote)
Ice LOL
KIMTOON(Quote)
aussie how come you drink Lowenbrau,its well known as a drink for women or weak men in this country 😆
batty(Quote)
Kim 🙂 🙂 hopefully it will be a celebration 🙂
Ice, I am the man of the house and have to ask permission from the missus, so obviously I just sneak out and watch it once she is asleep 🙂 🙂
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Batty, **** I didn’t know that, it must be true as you are an expert on all things womanly and weak man 🙂 🙂 🙂
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
MM is that what you call banter 😆 i would call it fishing but fishing must get boring when you cant catch owt 😳
is it not time for you to hit the tent yet or are you being good today
Big Dave(Quote)
*don’t have to ask* 🙂
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
aussie iam quite an expert on drink 😉 **** watter
batty(Quote)
Looks safe to comeback on 😉
@Aussie
I thought we established last time you only drank Fosters? 😛
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Different strokes for different folks mate… 🙂 right I need a glass of watter 🙂 🙂
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://hywelsbiglog.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/image15-dw-bottle1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://hywelsbiglog.wordpress.com/2008/04/29/beer-review-gaymer-diamond-white-cider/&h=640&w=480&sz=32&tbnid=fIE07GiVYmBDmM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=68&zoom=1&usg=__P9GNpOcpnEQ5Aw4CehNysmVbkzs=&docid=585aJmDs6lY2UM&sa=X&ei=4pB7UfzwJfKb0AWLsICwCA&ved=0CEUQ9QEwAA&dur=7648
batty(Quote)
I see the game is on ESPN then ,luckily I got Virgin so get it for free:)
KIMTOON(Quote)
aussie i used to have 12 bottles @135 in the 1st hour just to get me heed as straight as it would ever be 😆
batty(Quote)
Batty 🙂 does your husband drink cidar as well?? 🙂 🙂
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Bloody good effort Batty, cidars gash tho mate 🙂
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
AMF now a days BATTY is over the limit after 4oz of wine gums
icedog(Quote)
@Kim
I haven’t got Virgin but my next door neighbour has. I normally just peer through his window and watch it. He doesn’t seem to mind. He threw an old settee out a few weeks back and me and young Chip Stavers sit on that in his garden.
He’s a nice bloke as he sometimes comes out and tells us to clear off but he’s that nice he never throws punches at us or swears. We’ve always had nice neighbours and that’s one of the reasons we like living round here. 😯
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Ice 🙂 🙂 I can only imagine how out of control he gets when he is on the cough medicine 🙂 🙂
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Batts is Aussie trying to bully you 😆
kim how come 😕 is it for a limited time
Big Dave(Quote)
Troy ,Why didn’t you just park that old sofa you was trying to get shot of the other week outside his window ,I’m sure he wouldn’t mind 😉
KIMTOON(Quote)
Big Dave, come on mate, you can’t be the only bully on here 🙂 🙂 🙂
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
aussie @139 tell me about it ,it used to reek havoc with me gutts or it mite have been the pernod i used to stick in it 😆
batty(Quote)
Dave ,no , I got the ex large deal so they chuck in ESPN for free like. Don’t know what’s happening next year though with BT getting loads of games that will be ppv I assume.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Troy @141talking about settees my lad put his old 1 in the drive was gonna pay 15 quid for the council to shift it but some 1 nicked it in the middle of the night 😆
batty(Quote)
Aussie 😆 😆
Kim the extra large package 😯 right 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
Big Dave @130, we all know who has the biggest rod mate 😉
Nah, i’ll be watching the game on the internet today mate, so I’ll be close by with the worry beads .. 😆
Munich Mag(Quote)