Game On! Newcastle v Manchester City

Game On at St James' Park
Game On at St James’ Park
Good evening everyone. and welcome to this match article which will take us through every twist and turn of our Capital One cup tie against Manchester City.

Before I get onto the match tonight I wish to offer an apology.

You’ll notice there was no match report on the game at the weekend which is basically because I couldn’t bear to write about it. Fickle perhaps, but it was a hard defeat to take and I don’t wish to relive it. I’d also like to apologise for the lack of a match preview for tonight. I had planned to write it yesterday but by the time I finished it was 11pm and after working for 15 hours I was pretty pooped by the time I got home and decided to hit the hay before starting work again just nine hours later. One day I’ll win the lottery and not have to worry about money. One can dream…

Speaking of dreams, this game is about silverware and it would be nice to see us actually win something. Unfortunately though I’m struggling to get myself motivated for this because of the club stance on cup competitions which are, in their own words pretty much, not the priority. For me,we’re in it so why not try and win it?

To stand a chance of winning it though we first have to beat a side who we’ve failed to record a win against in eight years. Manchester City always seem to turn it on against us and no doubt we’ll transpire to give another insipid performance and limp out of what is most likely our most realistic chance of silverware.

The game itself is live on Sky here in the UK so finding a stream shouldn’t be too difficult. If you do find a good one then please share it with your fellow United fans by leaving a link in the ‘comments’ section below. Full team news will be published as and when it becomes available.

I’m not usually so downbeat but with everything that has gone on and continues to go on at our club I can’t help but feel disillusioned about it all. Hopefully tonight the players can give a performance that will start to heal the wounds suffered at the weekend, but this is a cup game and it’s only the result that counts, whether that comes in 90 minutes, 120 minutes, or even with penalties.

Howay the lads!

Newcastle: Krul; Debuchy, Williamson, Yanga-Mbiwa, Haidara; Sissoko, Tiote (c), Anita, Gouffran; Shola Ameobi, Cisse

Subs: Elliot, Dummett, Cabaye, Sammy Ameobi, Ben Arfa, Obertan, Remy

Manchester City: Pantilimon, Richards, Boyata, Lescott, Kolarov, Rodwell, Garcia, Navas, Milner, Jovetic, Dzeko

Subs: Hart, Zabaleta, Nasri, Negredo, Silva, Fernandinho, Demichelis

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.

230 thoughts on “Game On! Newcastle v Manchester City

  1. That was a fucking garbage goal top concede by the way… Pardew must be pulling his hair out.

    Cisse man, make an effort to get on the end of that brilliant ball from HBA 👿 👿 👿 Pish por in the final third today.. 👿

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  2. When a team just a put a little bit pressure on our defense they score automatically. We keep clean sheat only again team like fulham west ham who come at St james park just to got one point.

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  3. @the kid
    You disapear guy, come here to defend your top top defender Mbiwa. *** this guy has to make one or 2 big mistakes per game, Thats mandatory.
    Even Willo look like Thiago Silva near him

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  4. Man City didn’t get a shot on goal til 78mins into the game!. We had opportunities to take the lead long before then!.
    We knew which areas we needed to strengthen in the summer and fucking didn’t!!.
    Without Remy we have nee sod else who can put the ball into the net other than a Cabs or Benny screamer.

    MYM and Willo and Tiote for that matter all played well tonight. MYM made a mistake for the goal but he shouldn’t be vilified when plenty others have made mistakes at the other end

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  5. Man is the Man City goalie one muckle gadgie 😯 😯

    Powder puff toon cannot last 90 minutes.

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  6. Shzarpy17@162, spot on there, look how many good half chances we create, but Cisse couldn’t fight his way out of a wet paper bag, and seems to have absolutely NO instinct as to where the ball will land. Our final ball, and our WILL to WIN the ball is so lightweight and half hearted it’s pathetic actually.

    What a disappointing way to go out of the cup.

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  7. Well we can concentrate on the league and our push for the CL places 😐

    …and flick owa to the Madrid game, 2 for Bale(so far)

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  8. TLR @159
    Embarrassing that that is true.
    I know last year people said “how many chances do we create for him?”, but half of the issue is his movement – you watch him and it’s awful! You can’t create stuff for a guy that barely makes the right move.
    He needs to go.
    We need a statement signing. Sell Cisse, buy one striker of proven quality, play HBA and Remy either side of him.
    A striker with a bit of presence could give us a lift like Ozil did for Arsenal.

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  9. Munich – we did last 90mins – we just dropped our **** in extra time.

    The difference between a team that pay around £9m (Cisse, Shola, Gouffran) and a team that paid around £90m for there from 3 players (Dzeko, Negredo, Jovetic)

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  10. Its exactly that one goal down, we have no fighting spirit.
    We continue to sit down at 1-0 down, no pressing, try to put some pressure to score, that’s make me crazy.
    But it’s why we have to really buy a good striker so we can score in our first chances. Because tonight we could win easily. But we don’t have a decent striker.

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  11. In my opinion now we have to impose Remy upfront and let him some games there even if he plays no good.
    Stop changing player position every game because it works one game, and after next game we loose so we change again.
    Be convinced by one system by a starting eleven and change only if some player injured or suspended.

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  12. Sharpy17, Cardiff beat Man City, 30 bob Hull City are giving big spending Spurs a real shock.

    What’s your point mate ?

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  13. Gouffran is a 1 goal in 6-7 games player – more of a grafter than a finisher.

    Cisse is fucking **** poor!. Don’t know if this Wonga and gambling thing in the summer has got to him.

    Shola has never been a first choice CF throughout his whole time at NUFC.

    Campbell could come good but never gets a chance, probably still too young at the moment, same goes for Armstrong.

    For me, we need at least 2 CFs in January otherwise we could have a relegation fight on our hands. Teams will quickly know that only Remy is a real goal threat and snub him out – like they with Benny it seems. We desperately need options up front, coz at the moment we look completely toothless IMO

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  14. @183 DJG.
    Spot on .
    But we look a little bit afraid because its Man City and not much interested than them.

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  15. We’re having a laugh if we think the toon will win anything whilst Ashley & Pardew are there. Might as well by put out of our misery in the third round of the FA Cup again as well like a sick dog getting the vets syringe.

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  16. and I don’t know if someone else remarks it but since 3-4 games Gouffran is a new JONAS.
    We only see him when it’s time to defend. Or he wins corners sometimes.
    But brings almost nothing offensively.

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  17. Sharpy – Totally agree mate, Shola wouldn’t get a game for Hull or Cardiff. Cisse has just lost all ability / interest that got him here and should be looking to see what we can get for him in Jan IMO, hell even if we can swop him for a half decent physical old fashioned type CF would probably be better than what we have at the minute. I would rather we had a Danny Graham / Shane Long Calibre striker to Cisse now. Someone who puts themselves about and creates chances even. Gouffran is a good grafter but like Lovenkrands he can not be a main man. I would even take Leon Best over Cisse at the moment. 🙁

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  18. Munich – you’re picking out one game mate. Do you really believe that Hull have enough firepower to stay up? – feel free not to answer that bud coz I’m not really arsed about Hull.
    My point is that our options up front simply aren’t good enough – because we have spend around £9m on them!.

    Put it this way, I’d take Leon Best back ahead of this lot like.

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  19. cannot complain really. We looked a lot better, although a changed Man City team, they still had quality.

    A few great missed chances and players out of form, Arfa and Cisse.

    If our only forward, Remy isnt playing or is playing badly we cant rely on any midfielders scoring as they’re not capable, apart from Cabaye we havent any goal scorers..

    We need to spend big in Jan to secure a couple of forwards..

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  20. DJG – great minds mate, I was busy writing my post while you were mentioning Best – bang on tho buddy.
    I wouldn’t thank you for Danny Graham, but I’d happily take Shane Long right now like.

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  21. Lost in extra time. Too bad but at least we pushed them a little. I wonder where that leaves us for Saturday? I imagine Cisse will be back on the bench?

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  22. @HBA39

    do you reckon? we would expect him to create a couple of chances. He’s definitely out of form tho.

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  23. Well TBH I was pretty happy with the 90mins but as I said it seems that when we go a goal down we just seem to let our heads drop and collapse most of the times.

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  24. yes maybe, because he has to much weight. But when I don’t think he has lost his acceleration or his pace. What he lacks for me is that he doesn’t read the game good. He never anticipate what will happen, where the ball will come. He wants so much the ball so that he comes too deep and in bad position to have it and after tries the impossible.

    But tonight if you compare him to Sissoko, Gouffran, Cisse or Ameobi he was far far the best. He gives really one delicious pass to Cisse, and 90% of professional strikers will score that but Cisse not, and 3 minutes later we concede one stuupid goal and the game was over.

    But I agree he is not at his best in the last games benny. but tonight he was good.

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  25. hopefully Haidara isnt too badly injured.

    Surely Campbell could do better than Cisse at the minute, If he’s not in an offside position hes missing sitters or generally playing ****. I’d give him a chance.. is he injured at the mo?

    Mbiwa looked a lot better apart from their first. Willo also looked decent again.

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  26. To be honest I think we should have gone back to basics when Pardew was given the eight year contract. Carr and whoever scouts the players should have just got some old fashioned CFs and wingers who cross the ball like Ferguson, then we could have still had players like Cabaye, Tiote and Collo. We have too many square pegs in round holes for Pardew. Wingers who don’t cross the ball, strikers who don’t hold up the ball / spend more time defending. Defenders who go AWOL. When they play near 100% it’s alright, but when they are at 60% it’s a nightmare.

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  27. The fact is that Benny is ineffective because teams know that he’s our main/only offensive threat!. It may be lost of form but its also teams getting 2,3,4 players round him every time he’s got the ball.
    It was one of the main questions asked when the teamsheet was released – where’s the midfield threat?.

    As I said before kick off, Pardew may have been better off playing 4-4-2 with Obertan and Sammi wide to hopefully get the ball in for Cisse and Shola or Gouffran. But then maybe that would have been an obvious tactic and easier to defend against. Who knows, I just know that we don’t have enough options at the moment and we have some bloody tough games coming up.

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  28. @Sharpy.

    I agree with what youre saying mate but it comes to something when Obertan and Sammi can offer the team more.

    We are seriously stacked with **** players. Too many central midfielders and a boat-load of similar wingers. Sammy, Obertan, Goofy, Jonas, Marv, Fergy, Arfa, Sissoko.. theyre either not good enough or played out of position. sell them all and buy a couple of decents ones instead.

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  29. Mark – Adam Armstrong is scoring for fun at the moment and playing well. He was in the squad for Morecombe but hasn’t featured yet. He’s only 17 but then so was Rooney and Owen weren’t they?. Not ideal but you’re right, if the senior players aren’t doing it, what harm in giving the younger lads a crack at it.

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  30. At the moment I really think we need to give a change to a youngster as a striker, I cannot see how he can be worst than Cisse.

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  31. Mark – totally agree. We needed a good clear out in the summer and get the right players in then, but we stood still – again. I’d add Gosling and Vukic to that list as well by the way.

    I know that turning to Obertan and Sammy to offer more than Benny and Sissoko looks bad but it’s a case of average players in a system that works ahead of good players in a system that doesn’t. Which works best?. The likes of Hull and WBA and even Swansea (before this summer) who suggest that average players in a formation that suits them are better than 11 internationals in a formation that doesn’t.

    I hope Joe isn’t playing on hitting the Jan sales at the Eldon Square, coz I’m hoping he’s gonna be a busy beaver in the transfer market.

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  32. MARK
    I agree mate, against Chelsea if we just had two centre forwards and wingers I would be pleased to watch that to be frank. Remy and Gouffran playing as centre forwards and running around closing down the Chelsea defenders and goalkeeper and Sammy and Obertan just instructed to take it wide and whip the ball in to the box or hold it up. With the fullbacks staying at home more in a solid back four with Tiote and Cabaye in front of it. Why is Pardew and Carver not even capable of that? Time is nearly up for me and I am very patient.

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  33. I think some of you need to watch some of the performances of Obertan. When things goes wrongs, it’s good for players who doesn’t play, but really obertan cannot cross, cannot shoot, cannot take on people, he just can run and at the end loose the ball.
    Just take a look to his statistics since he is professional, it’s scaryyyy.

    I would prefer samy who had put some decent performances this year.

    BUt i agree for some players their contribution to the game need to be asked,.

    Benny, Cisse, Sissoko, Mbiwa and I will put Gouffran to because he works hard but at the end zero end product as a winger apart defending.

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  34. Just to recall Obertan stats:
    He has played 50 matchs in Premier League with 2406 mins played: scored 1 goal assist 5 .
    In Ligue 1 (France) : 69 matchs played(2010 mins) -Scored 4 assist 3.

    For a guy considered as offensive winger, it’s more than poor for me.

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  35. Well, Cisse was poor last night. No defending him. However fans need to wake up. Two months ago everyone was saying Tiote was dog ***** (he had been for a year) now he’s great again?

    Mbiwa got praise but he was at fault for the goal.

    Cisse, Ben Arfa, Gouffran, Sissoko, Cabaye, Tiote, Marveaux have all gone backwards under Pardew. It’s only a matter of time before Remy has his confidence coached out of him too…

    I hate Pardew with an absolute passion.

    The only players who look good under him are the donkeys because he is a donkey manager. Utterly clueless.

    His record is god **** awful. On the whole his football is awful too.

    If it were just Cisse flopping, he’d have to take the blame. but its virtually everyone. There confidence is shot.

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  36. We are a lower mid table side who slightly raises their game for bigger opponents (but still normally loses).

    Fans are so defeated that we are now satisfied with a loss against Man City reserves who were in second gear for the whole match until Silva came on.

    When they were in second gear against Cardiff they got beat.

    But still I see “how can you blame Pardew”.

    He is Gus Poyets *****. That tells you his level of ability.

    I don’t think the club has ever been this rotten.

    There isn’t ONE player you can say looks happy. They ALL have personal or confidence issues. which tells me his man management is **** poor. His discipline is **** poor.

    And looking at how many are out of position or the set piece success or defence. Well his coaching is beyond **** poor.

    His summer transfer record is pathetic. Although he has no influence there so he can be forgiven. He has no balls to stand up and fight. He is like a sleazy car salesman trying to sell himself to ignorant fans.

    Can’t stand the sight of him and I don’t think most of the players feel Amy different to me. Most of them don’t look like they want to be here. I don’t blame them.

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  37. Gouffran arrived as an attacking outlet, great movement, great pace, played high…

    He’s since been converted to a defensive left wing like Jonas.

    Cisse arrived as a prolific goal scorer. Great instinctive finisher. He was shifted into the wing and since then looks lost for confidence and has completely lost his energy and finishing ability.

    Sissoko arrived as a powerful physical midfielder with pace and stamina. He drive us forward and chipped in with assists and goals.

    He had one good run down he right and Pardew saw a right wing.
    He has since got slow, lost his presence and drive and runs around lost.

    Ben Arfa arrived as a unknown and unpredictable talent. He could beat anyone and always looked dangerous.

    He too was shifted to the right, left isolated and told to defend. Which he can’t. He has become impotent and selfish trying to win games on his own.

    Others: Tiote was rubbish and unhappy for a year. Cabaye wanted to leave and was nowhere near his best. Colo wanted to leave (our captain), Marvauex looked good in the middle but when played out wide looks ineffective. Now he hardly ever even makes the bench.

    Our best players are the youngsters who still have passion and movement that Pardew hasn’t coached out of them yet.

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  38. Are these references to people’s wives a South African thing, JJ? I noticed you’ve said something similar about AMF’s wife a while ago. Is it meant to be a cutting remark or something?

    Btw, I don’t have a wife.

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  39. Bris,
    It’s banter. Intended to get a bite. Which is all too easy with you.

    And no, its not a South African thing. It’s universal and done in jest.

    But it would appear your self worth is a bit low because most of what I say seems to personally offend you. So I apologize.

    I’m sure Aussie didn’t take offense. Much like Richie. its back and forth. Perhaps Aussie can explain it to you in your native tongue.

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  40. Wow, doesn’t take much to rile you, does it? A simple query about cultural interests and you go flying off on a tangent. 🙄 Get a grip, mate.

    I don’t think Oz can speak Geordie.

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  41. To those who didn’t see the game. To get an idea how bad Cisse was think Frank Pingel, George Reilly and Tony Cunningham. Then think worse again

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  42. Hey hey hey, I’ll have nowt said against “Rambo Reilly”, nae need, nae need at all 👿

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  43. Stu I’m growing disillusioned by the day.
    We’ve had worst times in our history, for sure. But even when we’ve been falling, we’re always usually looking up, aiming for higher.
    This stagnating feeling is fucking awful. Knowing that we aren’t even going to strive for anything more, pointless.
    I don’t even know who to blame. Pardew?
    Unfortunately, In Pardew I Trust
    (See next post…)

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  44. Disappointed and frustrated but I think some of the criticism is over the top. I enjoyed the game but not the result. When Man City went forward in the final third they got forward in numbers providing options for the man on the ball and making defending and marking difficult. We still don’t get enough men forward. As someone had said our movement is poor and certainly our players lack confidence. As for players going backwards at NUFC, what has happened to Bigi? He looked good PL material when he came. Where is he now?

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