Game On! Newcastle v Stoke

toonsy

It'll be homely this Christmas...
It’ll be homely this Christmas…
Good afternoon one and all. I trust you had a wonderful Christmas Day full of happiness?

Well that’s all gone now. Only 364 days until the next one. So with Christmas out of the way we can all focus on football once more.

Up today we have the visit of Stoke City in what is a rare Boxing Day fixture at home for us. Usually it is fans of United who are subjected to long trips over the Christmas period but this time round it has fallen rather favourably for us with back-to-back home games between now and New Year.

This won’t be an easy game – matches against Stoke rarely are and while much has been made about our recent form, as pointed out in my match preview , it is well worth noting that Stoke have only lost one of the last eight games just like us.

Both sides are missing at least one player as Cheik Tiote sits out for United through suspension and Robert Huth continues to recover from an operation for Stoke. Full team news will be available ahead of the match and can be seen at the bottom of this article.

Unfortunately we are kicking off at 3pm UK time which we aren’t being broadcast live here in Blighty. The good news is that a rake of overseas companies are showing the game so there should be some streams kicking about. If you do find one then please share it with your fellow NUFC fans and leave a link to it in the ‘comments’ section below.

Sticking with the Christmas theme, I guess this article is now neatly wrapped up and we can focus on the football. Hopefully our players laid off the party food yesterday and we don’t suffer from a hangover.

Howay the lads!

Newcastle: Krul; Debuchy, Coloccini (c), Williamson, Santon; Sissoko, Cabaye, Anita; Ben Arfa, Remy, Gouffran

Subs: Elliot, Yanga-Mbiwa, S.Taylor, Haidara, Obertan, Shola Ameobi, Cisse

Stoke: Sorensen, Cameron, Shawcross, Wilson, Pieters, Walters, Nzonzi, Whelan, Adam, Assaidi, Crouch

Subs: Butland, Muniesa, Palacios, Jones, Arnautovic, Wilkinson, Ireland

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

275 thoughts on “Game On! Newcastle v Stoke”

  1. Exactly newkie you can use statistics in many ways to say whatever you want. Statistically Michael Owen was amazing for us. In reality he was a ****** who didn’t give a **** and captained the team

      (Quote)

  5. HBA,
    Ben Arfa will always be a goal threat. He is skillful and he is selfish.

    I’m talking about team dynamic. When Ben Arfa plays, everyone else on the pitch has to work that much harder because of his lack of workrate and his poor enery off the ball. He needs to learn to run into space.

    He lacks so much in his overall game.

    At least Atkinson is on our side today 😆

      (Quote)

  8. Why us Remy taking Pens? Whats wrong with Cabaye or Benny who both have history of taking, and scoring them?

      (Quote)

  17. GOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOALGOAL

      (Quote)

  18. Goal haha! I can’t fckin stand it when people miss penalties, but if we can’t win against 9 men then.. 😕

      (Quote)

  19. So why Benny don’t shoot this he never miss one.
    At least a decisive pass for Benny JJ so not so bad. How many assist has CIsse

      (Quote)

  23. HBA,

    This is about the only time I think Ben Arfa can be world class. When we are playing NINE men and there is nobody to mark him or the anybody else really.

    We should go on to win this 4-1 now at least.

      (Quote)

  25. Seriously Moreno.

    Pls read above. We are playing with TWO extra men! TWO!!!

    Of course Ben Arfa is going to look good now. He just has to beat one man and its a 4 on 1 situation.

      (Quote)

  26. JJ
    Completely off the ball he is really poor at least a 3rd league player.
    But in my opinion all the team dynamic is not broken by him. He has done ok for me so far today.
    For me he is very far to be the worst player in the pitch.

      (Quote)

  28. I just came here to say this JJ guy going on about his deep analysis of anchorman and **** should STFU

      (Quote)

  29. Put Cisse on this game for 45 minutes he’ll score. Pardew would be an idiot to not do that and try get his confidence back.

    Should get at least half an hour here.

    We just need to make sure we don’t get a red ourselves.

    Haha, stoke have 3 red cards (manager has one) and they still were the better side this half.

    Pardew is certainly riding his luck.

      (Quote)

  30. JJ
    Ok agree with you. I understand the football you like now.
    For you Sissoko, Gouffran, Papiss CIsse are class footballers.
    Nothing to said more about you.

      (Quote)

  32. Sorry JJ I really don’t have any time to listen to hypocrites.

    How can you attack fans and call them ‘a joke’ an then do the exact some thing you called then for 10 seconds later?

      (Quote)

  33. What is for you the workate of Papiss Cisse?
    He is always offside, miss always control under pressure, miss some easy action just in front of goals… I don’t understand your logic…

      (Quote)

  34. If i was a Stoke fan, it would be completely reasonable for me to be angry at the ref.

    From a neutral point of view it seems harsh.

    From a NUFC fan, FANTASTIC!

      (Quote)

  35. Mark Hughes with massive ego….

    what a disrespect, he threw the entire jacket off to the referee. 🙄

      (Quote)

  36. No HBA,

    Not class footballer. But they are team players.

    A team of 11 Gouffrans would beat a team of 11 Ben Arfas anyday. because a team of 11 Ben Arfa’s is the same as a team of 2 Ben Arfa’s.

    Skill wise, he’s the best we’ve got. But he must learn that things like, running into space, a quick pass, a one-two, a simple ball are also quality skills to have (albeit basic).

    Cisse is our best instinctive finisher. He hasn’t been used properly and as a result has lost all his confidence.

    I don’t think he’s the best in the world. But anyone who says he’s a “****” player knows nothing about him as a footballer.

      (Quote)

  37. the 1 st red looked harsh to me would be really gutted if 1 of our players was sent off for that.This 2nd half is a golden chance for 3 points against 9 .men we need to really kill them off now.2nd red card was right in my opion

      (Quote)

  38. I think maybe one of the wheelan yellows was harsh, the argument one, but then he was a bit late with it and you should always keep shtum.

    It was 100% penalty, i’m just so used to them not going our way I don’t expect them. Remy would have scored if they hadn’t pulled him down.

      (Quote)

  39. Most shocking thing so far is mackems winning at Everton against 10 men. 😯 Fancy us to get the points now, attacking the gallowgate and 9 men. Just don’t do anything silly and keep a 2 player advantage.

      (Quote)

  40. I understand what JJ is talking about re Ben Arfa.

    When he usually plays nobody, not the opposition, his own team players or the fans, nobody knows what he is going to do. So i guess team performances suffer but he’ll also punish the opposition.

    Today Ben Arfa has been class. Fantastic vision & through balls. Excellent dribbles & he has been the hardest working player in the team.

    So much tracking & chasing from him. Ben Arfa, Cabaye & Anita have worked the hardest.

      (Quote)

  41. Moreno, Because I’m not saying Ben Arfa is a “****” player. I’m saying he ruins the team dynamic.

    You are calling a player “utterly ****” who isn’t even on the pitch and has a much much better goal record than your hero Shola who hasn’t scored in 25 games (although to some fans this means he’s been in **** hot form).

      (Quote)

  42. Look it’s quite simple , Cisse and Remy are both class strikers they just don’t get the service they should.

    HBA39@105, are you seriously dissing Sissoko, Goofy and Cisse 😯 , Have you seen how many goals Goofy has gotten us so far and the train like runs of Sissoko when out wide? ,as for Cisse he’s had no real game time this season so unfair to criticize him imo.

      (Quote)

  43. JJ
    yes but we don’t have a team of 11 Ben arfa, we have only one I think we can handle him
    What you don’t understand is what we loose the control of the game mainly because we don’t have our 3 midfield of Cabaye Tiote and Anita. this 3 mens give us the tempo and control the game.
    Sissoko with Santon today are the poorest players in the pitch. Sissoko because he don’t have the quality to play in this position. but he has looses almost every ball he has touches.
    Benny has played some good passes today, in my opinion you are too harsh with him. Because he has bring some danger.

    And you rate Cisse really high in my opinion maybe the most natural finisher in this club, because we have anyone else here to his style. But what do you mean by not used properly….? he has been our central Forward for the last year, has missed really some great opportunities of goal…

      (Quote)

  45. The only thing Ben Arfa has lacked today is his shooting but that’s understandable, he’s still rusty.

    Very important to keep the 2 man advantage so if i was Pardew, i’d tell everyone to calm down.

    I think Ameobi on might be a good change as Stoke will have everyone behind the ball. I’m not sure who i would take off.

      (Quote)

  46. KK,
    His workrate has been good today. He’s passing has been ok. Far from top notch. My biggest issue with him is that when we’re on the break or someone is looking for a run. He needs to learn to work harder to get into goal scoring positions. Sometimes he can be the target of a good pass or an opportunistic goal. But he is too lazy to bust a gut to get into the box and too often he tries the sublime when an easy ball would be equally or more effective.

    IF he could find a balance, he’d be brilliant. He has unreal talent. But will he?

    IMO he is just as much a disruption to the team balance as he is a concern for the opposition.

    Like I said though. Against NINE men. He will cause havoc.

      (Quote)

  47. Kimtoon
    I agree they are really good team players, but you cannot call them class players. You see Sissoko today really, sometimes you ask yourself really what he is doing with the ball. Even him he doesn’t know.
    Coloccini, Cabaye are class players in our team.

      (Quote)

  49. Yep, Anita is hugely overlooked.

    Sissoko is too far forward imo. I would want him sitting much deeper & occasionally making runs forward.

      (Quote)

  50. I think Pardew will criticize the team to let the penalty to Remy like last year we let a penalty to Cisse and he missed it.
    Even if its nice from players to try to bring confidence in remy with this penalty, Cabaye or Benny had to take it.

      (Quote)

  51. Ton be honest I’d take 2-1 right now. If anyone thinks it’s going to be easy think again. Stoke may have nine men but they are also sitting on a point and won’t want to lose that. They are going to park the bus in the second half and try to frustrate us. IF we get a 2nd early on then they might open up but we need to keep cool heads.

      (Quote)

  53. HBA,
    Agree, Colo and Cabaye are class. Cabaye is the best player we have by some distance. But how much better is he when Tiote is next to him doing the donkey work?

    Its about balance in the team. Too often for me Ben Arfa disrupts that balance. I don’t think he’s “****” by any means. But he’s a disruption more often than he should be. Especially for someone with his talent.

      (Quote)

  54. Hba39, In fairness the whole team has been poor 1st half, stoke were far better. We have a great chance to steal 3 points now and I will be pissed if we don’t take it.

      (Quote)

  64. Think Benny ran that out. Lucky again. but quality finish with his left from Gouff.

    Certainly getting the rub of the green today.

    Should end 4-1 or 5-1 this.

      (Quote)

  69. Dave,

    Its not how Ben Arfa is playing as an individual. He always looks quality on the ball. Its how his movement and lack of movement for and around his team mates effects the players around him. That is my concern with him.

      (Quote)

Leave a Reply

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