The build-up to the game has seen the managers of each side clash regarding comments made by Paul Lambert who made reference to our crowd and insisted his team would start on the front foot in an attempt to turn us against our own side. Alan Pardew said he was surprised by those comments and that Lambert might regret that by the end of the game. I’m not quite sure if Pardew has been watching the same games everyone else has been watching recently?
You have to look at it and say that Lambert has a point. We’ve been on the end of too many defeats at St James’ Park recently and the atmosphere amongst fans is borderline toxic at the moment although admittedly results are just one of many factors regarding feelings right now. What Lambert said is no different to what other managers try and achieve at St James’ Park, the only difference is that Lambert had the nuts to say it publicly.
The game should be nigh on a full house with just over 50,000 tickets being sold for the game. It won’t sell out completely because Aston Villa have failed to fill their away allocation but it will still be a good attendance and shows that any stay-away notion has remained exactly that. For now at least…
Newcastle:
Loic Remy returns after sitting out the last three games through suspension. Fabricio Coloccini is also available after injuring his knee on New Year’s Day whilst Cheik Tiote returns after missing the last two games with a hamstring injury. That’s three key players returning which will undoubtedly give Alan Pardew a boost.
Aston Villa:
Andreas Weimann and Karim El Ahmadi are fit again and could be recalled by Paul Lambert. However Jores Okore, who is making good progress after rupturing a cruciate knee ligament, is still a few weeks away from a return.
Previously…
United go looking for a first league double over the Villains since the 1997-1998 season after registering a win at Villa Park back in September courtesy of goals by Hatem Ben Arfa and Yoan Gouffran.
We’ve not lost to Villa at St James’ Park since that infamous game back in April 2005. It was a 3-0 home loss that day with United ending up with just eight men on the pitch.
Generally speaking we’ve had the better of Aston Villa and a quick look at our history shows that we’ve won more games against the Midlanders than we have against any other side. Of 156 meetings between the two clubs, United have won 68, lost 55 and drawn 33 times.
Unsurprisingly we’ve also been stronger at St James’ Park clocking up 47 wins compared to just 15 for Aston Villa with a further 15 draws adding up to 77 meetings on Tyneside in total.
Stats and facts…
Newcastle have played 370 minutes since scoring their last goal at home – the longest barren run since a 686-minute drought in 2007.
Only Fulham (17) have conceded more league goals in 2014 than Newcastle (14).
Aston Villa have taken 17 points from 13 away league games – the best record of any of the bottom 11 clubs.
Villa have picked up 10 points from losing positions so far this season – the third best record in the division.
Final thought…
Put simply something has to give. Whether that is our dismal recent form or something deeper within the club I don’t know but something has to change.
When you look at the away record for Aston Villa and combine it with our home struggles you can see why Paul Lambert has said what he did. Why shouldn’t he be confident? After all we are a shambles right now.
One more win would probably be enough to call us safe if we aren’t already, and that is all that is required by the club at the end of the day. A season filled with promise and expectation warranted through a good start has faded away and now all we are left with is the wait until the summer when we can see what ham-fisted attempt the club makes at trying to rebuild.
And if I feel like that then why should the players feel any different?
Howay the lads!
Date: Sunday, 23rd February, 2014
Time: 1:30pm – Live on Sky Sports
Venue: St James’ Park
Do you think demanding Jabba spends more money will make him change his mind? Hasn’t worked in the last 7 years.
Stuart79(Quote)
Chelsea won, If we win tomorrow we’ll be just 5 points off europe with Everton and Man utd still to visit SJP. Interesting to see how Mike will sabotage things if we start to pick up momentum again now the transfer window has closed…
CC(Quote)
STUART I have my doubts jabba will ever sell even if he got offered what he supposed to want,where else could he make that kind of money re adverts ect for doing feek all
icedog(Quote)
Sharpy@75 Exactly mate, no brainer,mind you I can’t stand Suarez either 😆
Ice, Re Pards being away doing the pundit stuff, maybe he figures he may be out of a job by then so needs the coin 😉
CC@77 ,Took the words out of me mouth there mate 😉
KIMTOON(Quote)
@stuart79
Yep, you’re right demanding Mike Ashley spends more doesn’t seem to have changed his mind.
However if he doesn’t change his mind then i’m not going to just give in & just accept the status quo.
I’d rather give him a tough time to pressure him to spend more or sell up.
Likewise with Pardew & the players. If they’re not doing a good enough job then i want them to improve or leave the club.
If they don’t do one or the other then they should expect to be on the end of some criticism.
KK(Quote)
Scum 1 down already 😆
KIMTOON(Quote)
http://mobile.newsnow.co.uk/A/697616700?-11058
I see Pardew has started with ‘the players are playing for their future’ bollocks again!. I’m sure it was around this time last season when he came out with a similar threat …. He was truely ruthless in the summer wasnt he?! – not!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Ref Pardew going to the World Cup as a pundit, I think it’s a great idea so the lad can get the feel of how the big tournaments go… It’ll help him a lot when he gets the England job 🙂 Pardew, the darling of the southern media, derided by the northern media…the truth is in the middle somewhere…
Munich Mag(Quote)
KIM would love them to get a right good stuffing
icedog(Quote)
Sharpy – There’s not much Pardew can do in terms of player selection. He needs to finish top ten so he cannot just play all the youngsters as he’ll risk his job.
Stuart79(Quote)
Munich – you can hear it now can’t you:
Lineker – well it’s half time and Nigeria trail to Brazil 3-0 and it’s been all Brazil in the first half hasn’t it Alan?, is there any way back into this game for Nigeria?
Pardew – absolutely Gary, this game is by no means over!. But if Nigeria have any chance of getting back into this game Keshi (Nigeria coach) has to change his tactics!. What he needs to tell his players in the dressing room is to boot the ball up to Shola at every opportunity then leave him to stand and watch the opposition defence have all the time in the world to build the attack again. What they mustn’t do is get players up to support Shola until after 60mins!
Then around 70mins – when the game is effectively over, take Shola off and bring Cisse on!.
Then at the end of the game, when they have been beaten 5-0 Keshi should blame the fact he didnt have Kanu and will go back to basics before the next game.
Lineker – yes, well thank you for that Alan 😕
Shearer (whispering in the background) – Cisse plays for Senegal you think ****!, they aren’t even in the World Cup!. Cisse will be sat in the Grosvenor Casino back in the toon!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Scum 2 nowt doon
richietoon(Quote)
His job is not at risk.
He is Mike Ashley’s puppet.
He has a contract until 2020.
He is the second longest serving manager after Wenger & Wenger is on another level compared to him.
Despite the incredibly poor season he had last year, he kept his job. If he was at any other club in the league he would have been sacked – Swansea are a good example.
The club have already said he will not be sacked regardless of the performance or result tomorrow.
Even if we lose the next 3 games, we’ll still be 10th which is just perfect for the club 🙄
Mike Ashley + Pardew = No ambition
KK(Quote)
KK, it was interesting listening to the guys on soccer Saturday chatting about the Toon. They were saying how our great start had come crashing down after the cockup of the summer window and how it’s crazy that such a big club as us don’t invest that little bit more to push on as the mid table mediocrity is all we have left. They also said they feel Pards won’t play Marv or Benny as he doesn’t trust them not to lose the ball in bad areas and would prefer to drop them to others which is at odds with the fanbase who like their flair players.
KIMTOON(Quote)
oops make that 3 nowt 😆
richietoon(Quote)
Sorry meant Jan window 🙄
KIMTOON(Quote)
Richie, Whey hay, proper stuff 3.0 😳 😳 got the second half yet too 😉
POYET OUT!!! 😆 you can hear it now
KIMTOON(Quote)
I see Hull are 2.0 up too
KIMTOON(Quote)
Kim at least they have a 15 minute respite now, they’ve been absolutely shocking like 😳
richietoon(Quote)
Stu – fair comment. So how many times has Gosling, Marveaux, Obertan, Amalfitano or Vukic played for us this season – or last for that matter?. If they aren’t good enough, why keep them?.
Why say players are playing for their future – as he did last season as well! When clearly they aren’t. Coz the only people to leave were the ones out of contract.
Sharpy17(Quote)
RICHIE you watching the scum play??,you will go blind mind
icedog(Quote)
Ice…No mate, I’m watching Arsenal “play” and I’m watching the scum being torn apart.
richietoon(Quote)
Ice…No mate, I’m watching Arsenal “play” and I’m watching the scum being torn apart.
richietoon(Quote)
Eh! how did that happen? 😯
richietoon(Quote)
😆 😆
icedog(Quote)
4 nowt 😛
richietoon(Quote)
Arsenal must be tired after playing Champions League midweek ? There again, they spent most of the game without the ball watching FC Bayern give a master class 🙂 Sunderland have had 2 weeks off to prepare so err….. get in ya beauty….. Poyet oot !!
Munich Mag(Quote)
Richie @97 and 98 , so good it had to be posted twice 😆
KIMTOON(Quote)
Sharpy – I get the feeling Pardew daren’t let the players you mentioned leave, even if he doesn’t fancy them as he wouldn’t be able to replace them.
It’s just a mess really.
Stuart79(Quote)
Kim 😆
4-1 👿
richietoon(Quote)
West ham only 6 points behind us now. That top ten finish looking like a potential battle now.
Stuart79(Quote)
Fight back on
icedog(Quote)
@kimtoon
The guys on soccer Saturday seem to have some fair points especially re Pards not trusting Marv or Benny despite flair players being so important for us over the years.
I think Ozil would look rubbish under Pardew & never recover.
KK(Quote)
Tomorrow’s game is becoming more and more important with the West Ham and Hull wins. Can Pardew and the team handle the pressure? It’s ridiculous really. We should handle them easily at home but I don’t fell that way. Still we have good players back in the lineup and it’s a chance for the team to start to redeem itself.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
I don’t feel that way either. 😆
GeordieTwo(Quote)
If we have to battle hard to get a draw tomorrow it should be another kick in the nads for Pards A wakeup call of sorts. These are must win games
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Decent goal by Rooney I suppose (sniff).
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Just wondering how Joe is performing as tea lady? Is he the world’s greatest pourer of tea? Does he have 7 tea lady of the year awards to go along with he 3 league manager of the year trophies? Beautiful.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
and his 3 LMA awards as well. Sigh. I should really learn to spell.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
“Christian Benteke has won 167 aerial duels in the Premier League this season, more than Mike Williamson, Steven Taylor, Fabricio Coloccini & Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa combined (129).”
Interesting stat that. Definitely something to be concerned about.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
We shouldn’t forget who was cheering the season we were relegated either. Down with Villa!
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Mike Ashley would let himself be cuckolded by a man with a 12 inch **** if the guy paid him enough money to doink his wife.
Fucking **** **** piece of ***** muppet ****.
funkyjesus(Quote)
And also we don’t like him! Take that Mike. Harrumph!
GeordieTwo(Quote)
You were a bit harsh there, Geordietwo.
funkyjesus(Quote)
Oh yes. You’re absolutely right FJ. Apologies everyone. 😳
GeordieTwo(Quote)
G2 ,I feckin hate Villa fans for that very reason mate, zero class and a lousy accent . 👿
KIMTOON(Quote)
Arrghhh Kimtoon. We must crush them. Grind their bones to make our bread.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Mike’s dominatrix says he cries when Cisse doesn’t score.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
G2 @123 ,Nah mate it’s cause his gimp mask is too tight 😉
KIMTOON(Quote)
We must smite the evil Villains! Smite them I say!Crush them! Destroy their spirit! Flick our noses at them. Vent our spleen! I’ve never vented my spleen, how does that actually work then?
GeordieTwo(Quote)
I guess what I mean is I don’t want to vent my spleen too soon. Premature spleen venting can be embarrassing from what I’ve been told. 😳
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Ashley also cries when the dominatrix asks to be paid.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Well I’m off mates. But tomorrow will be a big one for us.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Mark, you should mark my words mate. Others feel free to mark them also.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
I firmly believe our density is still in our own hands.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Does anybody else?
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Oh yes I was leaving wasn’t I? 😯
GeordieTwo(Quote)
I think I’ll watch the ice hockey instead. At least I’ll get a big buzz from watching Canada win.
If 50,000 “supporters” ate still turning up to ensure our club keeps Ashley’s SD share price up and thereby ensuring he has no intention of changing anything the why bother even watching?
whumpie(Quote)
Why bother indeed. I agree. If supporters aren’t going to think the same way I do then why should I care about the football team. I’m not going to watch the match either, and I’m thinking of cancelling my tv subscription because I don’t want that money going into Ashley’s pocket. And I’m not even going to look out for the result just in case Ashley has my house bugged and him and his filthy band of brainwashers think I’m interested.
Instead, I’ll watch the Roar game (I may have mentioned a couple of times that I’m a fan of Brisbane Roar. I don’t know if anybody has picked up on that or not)
Better than watching Ashley’s load of *****. I mean, they are only in the top half of the premier division of one of the best leagues in the world. Where’s the ambition in that, I ask? I just can’t understand why people think it’s ok. Why can’t they be two positions higher? Bunch of no-hopers! I’d prefer them to get relegated or go into administration than be in the top half of the league.
No, I won’t be watching either. Not until people come to their senses and start agreeing with me.
brisvegas(Quote)
lowest form of wit and all that…
I’m just telling the truth about how I see it. everyone moaning about how things need to change and nobody doing what it takes to it. It’s like watching people self-harm while moaning about how the docs don’t help. Its humiliating to be associated with it.
whumpie(Quote)
‘Gateshead U.19s remain undefeated in the the Football Conference Youth Alliance north division after a convincing 9-0 win at 4th top Farsley.
The resounding victory, their second by nine goals this season, saw the unbeaten Tynesiders replace main rivals Stockport County at the top of the table.
Gateshead went into the game without the influential Dean Briggs, who was on England U18 schoolboy duty, and fellow schemer David Carson, on trial at Blackburn Rovers.
They nevertheless fielded a strong side with the likes of Callum Hope and Curtis Coppen drafted into the starting line-up.’
Putting Newcastle to shame with less than 1% of the resources. 😉
DJG(Quote)
Newcastle = a joke that isn’t funny. Fifty thousand fans turning up to watch the grass grow and line the pockets of a man who puts the club bottom of his list of businesses. MUGS. Gatesheads owner subsidises the club because they don’t get 3,000 fans to break even. That’s it, I know where I’m going from now on. 😀 😀 😀
DJG(Quote)
pissflaps
Rodzilla(Quote)
Can someone please clarify to me, how we are lining Ashleys’ pockets! The club has barely broken even over the past 2 or 3 seasons and that is on the back of the Carroll sale. And yet we are lining his pockets? 😯
We still owe the fecker over a 100m that he loaned us… That doesn’t sound like he is raping the clubs coffers!
I don’t like the guy any more than the next man, but lets not make up ridiculous statements to support an argument against him.
Sure we should have pushed on and invested in more players. Sure, we should show more ambition, but to say we are lining his pockets is absurd.
And please don’t bring up the free SD advertising, that effectively costs you nothing at all other than sore eyes!! I apologise in advance for not being so negative, I guess it is the happy clappy gene in my DNA.. 😉
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
@aussie..
Free SD advertising… losing us 5-7mil but the bigger picture is Ashley is making a bomb off free advertising.. how u can dismiss this as “effectively costs you nothing” 😆 😆
mark(Quote)
Dear me. FTSOASWW ( For The Sake Of Attention Seekers WorldWide) 😯
Aussie is fizzin. 😛
Hate to say it tho, I’m almost with him.
Technically, Ashley hasn’t started to line his own pockets yet as the club have just broke even.
We’ll see what he does with the huge profits at the end of this season before those accusations can be thrown at him.
Re; the advertising, again technically, he may be raking the money in by getting free advertising. SD profits are shooting up and have done so since he took over the club. You can’t gauge whether that’s down to advertising or just the way he sells his gear.
The adverts would only amount to a hundreds of thousands of quid I’m guessing for the advertising hoardings to be sold off. (That’s an uneducated guess but surely a advert board can’t go into the millions).
The fat ******* is certainly unambitious as far as the team goes but siphoning off money is a wrong accusation in my eyes. At least up til now.
Aussie, you can thank me for my support if you wish.
Troy Stavers(Quote)
On another note. I have every confidence in Pardew turning this performance slump around. He’s done it before and he’ll do it again.
We’ll win today. 😉
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Mark 😯 So how much has that cost you mate (free advertising) ? Please tell me how Ashley is lining his pockets with our/your money?
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
🙄 FMDICBTTHPAWM ! (**** me dead I can’t believe that Troy has partially agreed with me) 😯 😯 😯
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
agree with Troy at 142 (partially because he partially agreed with me earlier).
With Remy back, I think we will be much better, we have really missed his presence on the park!
Looking forward to a better performance today!!
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Mark, where did you get the 5-7 million figure from that we are missing out on? I guess it sounds like a good amount so why not use it I suppose! 😆 😆
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
” the bigger picture is Ashley is making a bomb” 😯
Ashley is now a terrorist! 😆 😆
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
I do wonder why the electronic advertising around the pitch is not used to advertise more companies. It only advertises 3 companies.
Wonga, Barclays & SD.
It’s not like a permanent fixture so it’s surprising it’s not used for more.
Troy Stavers(Quote)
@Aussie..
his free advertising made me buy Lonsdale vests for the gym, never again, u could see my nipples through the mesh 😯
Our commercial revenue has halved in recent years, yes we could be making 5 mill more per season…
If only MA was a proper business bloke and could see what an adverising tool we could be for other companies to exploit our stadium. Instead he has to advertise his own company (FOR FREE), which he probably makes a loss 😯 ah bless..
mark(Quote)
@Aussie, the only bomb in sight is us falling down the premier league table 😯
because MA failed to spend Cabayes money. 48mil saved and he still wants 300mil, aye mike doesnt make anything at the Toon 😆 😆
mark(Quote)