Now lets get to the point – football. More specifically our visit to West Brom this afternoon.
I had the dubious honour of following the United team bus yesterday as they made their way to the Black Country. I didn’t see anything spectacular or controversial and nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but for all I know they could have been getting twisted and playing shot games behind the blacked out windows, but I guess that will soon show in our level of performance.
Performance is key, in every game. I picked up some comments in the match preview thread which hinted that this may be an easy game owing to the poor form of West Brom. Make no mistake, there are no easy games in the Premier League, especially away from home and even more so against sides which are now gearing themselves up for the business end of the season where titles, European qualification and relegation are to be contested.
Anyway, sermon over. For more of a background on the match including news of injuries for both sides, a look at the history of the fixture and some stats and facts why not take a look at the match preview which you can view here? Latest team news will be published at the very bottom of this article when it becomes available.
The game itself is not being shown live here in the UK owing to the fact that it is a 3pm kick-off. However it’s not all bad news as a host of overseas channels are showing the game so hopefully picking up a stream should be too much of a problem. Once again though guys please share it if you do find one and leave a link in the ‘comments’ section below.
And that is just about that. Will we return to winning ways? Was Arsenal just a blip? Was it the start of a decline in fortunes? Have we peaked too soon? All questions to be answered soon of course.
Howay the lads!
West Brom: Foster; Jones, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell, Mulumbu, Yacob, Amalfitano, Sessegnon, Brunt, Anelka
Subs: Myhill (gk), Vydra, Berahino, Gera, Morrison, Long, Lugano.
Newcastle: Krul; Debuchy, Coloccini (c), Williamson, Santon; Cabaye, Tiote, Sissoko; Remy, Shola Ameobi, Gouffran.
Subs: Elliot, Haidara, Yanga-Mbiwa, S.Taylor, Anita, Ben Arfa, Cisse.
the most dangerous runs upfront are made by Debuchy
HBA39(Quote)
Can see Ben Arfa being much more of a threat than Gouff in this game.
West Brom’s main attacking strength is down their left side.
JJ(Quote)
JJ – I think Remy is more of a goal threat played with a CF rather than Benny.
Sharpy17(Quote)
To me, Gouffran passing is freaking poor. 👿 👿
AngelOfDeath(Quote)
Haha, Shola actually made the first foul. Won’t complain if we score though 😛
JJ(Quote)
come on lads
Big Dave(Quote)
Shola needs to be subbed – done nothing
stevep(Quote)
Sharpy,
Agree, but I’d like to see Ben Arfa down the left. West Brom are no real threat down that side so you don’t really need Gouff tracking back as much. Would rather go with the more attacking option.
He’ll also give us more space in midfield because they’ll double up on him. And their defense lacks pace. He could do serious damage here. That’s why Pardew’s decision making baffles me a bit.
JJ(Quote)
ffs lads c’mon get a grip ,**** this is 👿
KIMTOON(Quote)
well I think the game plan was for Shola to hold the ball for us to attack. Aint happening, we’d be better off playing Ben arfa to open up their midfield
mark(Quote)
JJ
it’s easy to say that we don’t see Benny in the pitch.
But I m sure with some of the space Gouffran has to run he will kill them.
ANd hopefully in this situation it was not benny defending on Amalfitano, because people will slate him for bad defending.
But gouff is more lucky than Benny, Anelka doesn’t score.
HBA39(Quote)
Ugh, they almost nailed us there.
Lots of sterile possession for us so far. Seems like Ben Arfa could slice this game open.
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
Should be one up West Brom. Amalfitano is a good player. If he had a decent right back supporting him he’d be even more effective. Wouldn’t mind signing him. Just a bit old I guess.
JJ(Quote)
oh speak of the devil 😀
mark(Quote)
Pards:
“Hatem, I don’t really have another plan B and we’re playing *****. Shola is already on, I thought he’d bag a hat-trick by now. I want you to go on and win it for us.”
JJ(Quote)
They have the better chances of scoring in this half.
But really did you see the pass of SIssoko here…?
And anyone seems to criticize him.
It’s why i said that sometimes people are really harsh on Benny.
HBA39(Quote)
Right half time now, let’s put plan B into action starting with Shola off as he has done nowt so far.
KIMTOON(Quote)
JJ
I think the words of Pardew are not far from that you said.
So after you have to understand Benny to, he always come to win the game. And in his head he must think If i don’t win the game, i will not play against,.
So he tries too much all the time in general when he comes as a sub
HBA39(Quote)
HBA,
Its Santons job to mark Amalfitano. And West Brom don’t really have an attacking right back so I’d give Ben Arfa free reign to stay forward and push up that left flank.
For me, I’d be taking Shola off ASAP and replace him with Anita. Then replace Gouffran with Ben Arfa not long after.
JJ(Quote)
scores on the doors..
swansea2 – 3FTMan City
Arsenal0 – 0 CardiffC
Palace 1 – 1 Norwich
Fulham 1 – 1 West Ham
Liverpool 1 – 0 Hull City
Southampton 0 – 0Chelsea
Stoke City 0 – 0 Everton
Sunderland 0 – 1 Villa
West Brom 0 – 0 Newcastle
mark(Quote)
HBA,
I think we’re harsher on Benny because he’s got more ability. So we expect more. I don’t think he should have played against Arsenal, but this game is crying out for him.
It was a poor pass from Sissoko to Shola, but bare in mind he has to take into account Shola’s lack of pace so the ball must be lofted otherwise it’ll have too much on it for Shola to get on the end of.
He could have played it earlier but then it slows the momentum and Shola ends up closed down on the flank then passing backwards.
Still the pass was poor.
JJ(Quote)
JJ – yeah I was thinking Haidara down the left to get the crosses in but Benny over there is a good shout.
I’d be swapping Shola for Cisse as well personally
Sharpy17(Quote)
Get Benny on, Shola off.
he’ll be a lot more effective than battering ram Shola.
mark(Quote)
yes its santon but in this occasion where Amalfitano crosses for Anelka it was Gouffran against him and this chance was 95% a goal, but i see that people don’t slate some players when they defend badly but slate more others.
It’s what i call a biased opinion.
HBA39(Quote)
The final ball from Sissoko and Gouff has been poor overall in this game. Even Cabaye.
They look so tired. Like they all celebrated too much last night.
Ben Arfa and Anita would change this game completely.
West Brom also look jaded, and their defense is slow, so playing Shola who only slows things down more, just suits them IMO. It was a pathetic choice up front.
JJ(Quote)
Nutjob stream is dead…. that’s the only link working decently. 😥
AngelOfDeath(Quote)
HBA, @99
Fair point mate 😉
JJ(Quote)
AOD
refresh, i just did.. and my full screen is now working 😀
mark(Quote)
When I one day look back on his career, this is what I will picture as the majority of the highlights reel 😆
http://i3.chroniclelive.co.uk/incoming/article1357401.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/shola-ameobi-278749685-1357401.jpg
JJ(Quote)
Yeah, the passing has been poor. Seems like their main threat is Amalfitano on our left, right? Would Benny there keep him busy tracking back?
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
Poor game. Both sides very average. Wba slightly better but really not by much.
I can understand why wba are poor but why are we? We have a full squad of very good players with a manager that has had the second most stable job in the league.
Rotating players is a basic thing to do. If we make it back to europe we’ll do **** again because the players won’t be rotated.
Cisse, Anita & Ben Arfa on.
Gouffran, Cabaye & Sissoko off.
Cisse on for Sissoko at 70mins. The other 2 changes should be made at ht.
Wouldn’t have had to make any changes if these players had started the game.
Pardew has done well in some games, he’s been lucky in others & rubbish yet more games
KK(Quote)
afra for Goofy
mark(Quote)
so its benny in place of Gouffran
HBA39(Quote)
Looks like i am right about Gouffran sub-par performance…
AngelOfDeath(Quote)
I’d personally have subbed Shola. but what do i know.. **** al
mark(Quote)
FSOTC
Ben Arfa wouldn’t need to track back. Its not like Amalfitano has a marauding right back overlapping him causing problems.
Amalfitano is Santon’s problem. If he does his job. Amalfintano will be left isolated.
They’d have to double up on Ben Arfa too which would mean Amalfintano has to defend more which eliminates their main attacking threat.
Gouff has had plent of space. Just hasn’t made very good use of it this game.
JJ(Quote)
To have in the same pitch Benny and Ameobi it’s just something not normal.
HBA39(Quote)
Mark (62)
Think full screen is down all over
Porciestreet;(Quote)
See Pards has listened. Difference between him and me is I see the errors without having to play 45 mins first 😆 😉
JJ(Quote)
Santon in the last 3 games is really poor.
HBA39(Quote)
AOD@101 ,Just refresh it and start again ,that’s what I did
KIMTOON(Quote)
Stoke beating Everton 😯
KIMTOON(Quote)
did you see the quality of the cross of Sissoko, or the pass by Remy after.
Thats fucking joke really.
HBA39(Quote)
we’ve been one decent pass/touch away from being in on a number of occasions now… frustrating stuff
M(Quote)
Nice try Tiote
KIMTOON(Quote)
Well done Benny
KIMTOON(Quote)
@PORCIESTREET
aye, seems to be. Zoom works well tho
mark(Quote)
Been a pretty poor game up to now, reckon Pards is on a backhander from the Nigerian FA to play Shola, we would not even make Sunderlands team, got to be demoralising for the rest.
ash1001(Quote)
Their long balls keep catching us out in a minute they will score, Shola has to go off
KIMTOON(Quote)
even Cabaye has miss some many passes today.
I will bring Anita in place of Ameobi to control the game a little bit.
HBA39(Quote)
Cabs and Tiote clearly need help. So why Anita isn’t on is beyond me.
JJ(Quote)
aye, same goes. get Anita on
mark(Quote)
I am getting full screen on the Firefox browser.
Seems like their change worked better than ours… not looking good at the moment…
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
Why must we wait till 65 mins to make a change every week? Why not make the changes when they are needed?
JJ(Quote)
We play like the games where we was the poor long ball from Krul to Ameobi, this tactic was never effective but we continue to use it.
HBA39(Quote)
Please Pards take off Shola for Anita
KIMTOON(Quote)
Doh.. silly lad
mark(Quote)
stupid from Debuchy in front of the ref.
HBA39(Quote)
No harm to Debs he deserves to go off
Big Dave(Quote)
ffs Debs he’s off, we’ll defo lose this now and he’s now out for City game great.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
Debs still can’t tackle then. **** sake.
Newkie(Quote)
now he has to took off Ameobi because of this red card. Only good thing about this red card
HBA39(Quote)
Shola is basically playing as a midfielder anyway.
Under so much pressure it had to break somehow and that is how. Debuchy RED.
**** poor management today from Pardew from start to finish.
JJ(Quote)
Colo injured ❓
KIMTOON(Quote)
Now Anita can’t come on. Well done Pards. Done your best to lose us this one!!
**** manager.
JJ(Quote)
red card will not make too much difference. Shola has effectively been off all game.
Sub him and we’ll be back to full strength 😆
mark(Quote)
what has cabaye today….?
HBA39(Quote)
thats a foulll
HBA39(Quote)
Mark, we can’t sub him, we’ve used all our subs.
JJ(Quote)
Sissoko is loosing some dangerous balls..
HBA39(Quote)
that was a bad tackle
Big Dave(Quote)
That should be red.
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
committed challenge, wasn’t dorty..
mark(Quote)
I actually can’t think of much more Pardew could have done wrong today… He’s made so many bad decisions its ridiculous.
JJ(Quote)