Ordinarily I’d be banging on about home advantage and how we should be making it work for us but results since the turn of the year make any notion of home advantage redundant when it comes to Newcastle United.
Four successive home league defeats (or five if you include the FA Cup loss to Cardiff, although we did at least score a goal in that one) with ever increasing differences in the scorelines (0-1, 0-2, 0-3, 0-4) paint a worrying picture. Mitigating circumstances could include the sale of Yohan Cabaye, a failure to replace said Cabaye, and the loss of a number of first-team players, three of whom should return for this match, but in reality we’ve deserved what we’ve got from recent matches.
To find out if those three players have returned you’ll need to check the team news which I will get up as soon as I can once it is released. You can find it at the bottom of this article but whilst you’re waiting why not cast your eye over the match preview and familiarise yourself with some history, some facts and some injury news?
The game is being shown on Sky Sports here in the UK and has also been chosen for broadcast by a host of overseas channels so picking up a stream shouldn’t be too much of an issue. If you do find a good stream then please share it by leaving a link in the ‘comments’ section below.
Which just about covers everything I need to mention ahead of the game. I just hope I’m left with something decent to report on come full-time. Actually, not even decent, just a win will do!
Howay the lads!
Newcastle: Tim Krul; Mathieu Debuchy, Mike Williamson, Fabricio Coloccini, Paul Dummett; Moussa Sissoko, Cheik Tiote, Vurnon Anita, Yoan Gouffran; Loic Remy, Papiss Cisse
Subs: Rob Elliott, Massadio Haidara, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Steven Taylor, Dan Gosling, Shola Ameobi, Luuk de Jong
Aston Villa: Brad Guzan; Leandro Bacuna, Ron Vlaar, Nathan Baker, Ryan Bertrand; Ashley Westwood, Fabian Delph, Karim El Ahmadi; Gabriel Agbonlahor, Christian Benteke, Andreas Weimann
Subs: Jed Steer, Yacouba Sylla, Grant Holt, Ciaran Clark, Marc Albrighton, Aleksandar Tonev, Joe Bennett
Is there really anyone on here who can say that first half performance was anything other than dogs muck !!!, the marginally better second half and brilliant never say die of Remy was the difference in the end, that’s not me being a negger by the way, merely stating an blatant fact . We are still poor and very short on skill players who can easily craft openings like other sides do, to think otherwise is folly imo.
KIMTOON(Quote)
@santi
We did play rubbish. We also didn’t dominate the game.
Villa looked very comfortable in dealing with our attacks.
Perhaps you’re talking about dominating the game in terms of posession & shots taken? If so, then that isn’t dominating the game it’s dominating posession.
KK(Quote)
At least we have 40 points now so I can relax, I’m always much happier once we have 40 on the board any more is a bonus now really.
KIMTOON(Quote)
@newkie
STaylor is not that bad but i agree we should get rid because he is injury prone.
STaylor alongside Colo is quote solid.
KK(Quote)
Got to love the drivel people come out with. We didn’t make anything? We missed two fucking sitters people and Krul didn’t have a challenging save to make. We also should have had a penalty. 3-0 would not have looked wrong, although the first half was dire after the opening 15min.
Newkie(Quote)
Newkie ,Agree Saylor was NOT missed.
KIMTOON(Quote)
KK/Kim-exactly. He’s an “ok” defender, but for someone on a supposed 40k a week (loads for a defender) who will sit out half the season injured or suspended we can do much better.
Newkie(Quote)
@newkie
That performance was not a 3-0 performance.
Yep, you could argue we could have scored 3 & had a penalty.
Would a 3-0 win be a fair reflection of the performance? 1pt would have been fair for both team & Villa are unfortunate to be going away without any pts.
KK(Quote)
Villa looked comfortable dealing with our attacks yet we should have scored 4 goals (Cisse, Remy, Pen and Remy’s final goal)
How many villa chances can you remember?
They didn’t get a decent sniff at our goal and two dangerous crosses into the box doesn’t really count as a chance. Did Krul even have to make a save that game i can’t remember him having to work for anything.
We dealt with their attack easily and we should have scored at least 1 more.
We dominated in nearly every single positive stat not just possession now to me that means we dominated the game not just possession.
Of course we don’t play like Barcelona (which is what you seem to expect every week) but we were clearly the better team throughout that game.
Santii(Quote)
I’d prefer to see a young centre back on the bench instead of STaylor.
The same with Shola & Gosling.
If they are not good enough now & they are not going to be good enough in the future, what’s the point in keeping them around?
If Shola is not getting contract then let him go now to give one of our young players a chance.
KK(Quote)
“1 point would have been fair”
How does anyone take you seriously. You are clearly a super troll talking a load of garbage.
Santii(Quote)
KK – I said last week that Pardew would keep his job – we agreed on the same article.
You say the win was the only positive, but then your next post to Kim goes on to list 3 or 4 others?!.
Look, my point today is I was brought up that match day was getting behind the team, support the lads regardless (on matchday). Mon – Fri we discuss the politics of the club but match day is footy!.
KK – you’ve said in the past that you favour attractive football over winning. I say the win is the most important thing of all.
You look back at the start of the article and tell me how many people were dissecting the team select and saying it was wrong – despite thinking we were going to win?!
It doesn’t make sense to me!. I love NUFC more than I hate Ashley and will get behind the team on match days
Sharpy17(Quote)
@Santi
It’s not a case of ‘we should’ have scored 4.
We could have but we could not have. As it turns out we didn’t score 4.
If we had scored 4 would that have been a fair result?
Were we ‘robbed’ a 4-0 victory?
KK(Quote)
Newkie@230 ,It’s not drivel they looked threatening everytime they got near our box for first 25- 30 mins , look at comments @67, 69 70 71 75 77 79 96 116 119 122 and 192 that’s a good selection of our bloggers all calling it as they see it . We were really dire first half and Villa missed very good chances we are lucky they didn’t take them. Yes we should of had a pen 2nd half but the damage could and from Villas point of view should of been done 1st half , we finally got some luck today thankgod but don’t let it cloud your vision.
KIMTOON(Quote)
@santii
Ask any neutral or Villa fan & they’ll tell you Villa deserved a point.
WTF were you watching???
KK(Quote)
No it is a case of we should have scored four goals because Villa didn’t have a single decent chance to score from. That just adds to my point of game control and domination.
Santii(Quote)
KK, save your breath mate 😆
KIMTOON(Quote)
@Sharpy17
The win was our only positive as a team.
Individually some of our players did quite well but it was not a good or fluent team performance.
I got behind the team, i thought we’d win, we did win so i’m not sure what more you expect from a fan?
The team selection was strong enough to win but that doesn’t mean it’s our strongest team.
For 70mins we had no creativity until Anita stepped up. If Anita is supposed to create chances, who is supposed to support Tiote?
KK(Quote)
Santi ,The commentary team were in full orgasmic flow everytime Villa came forward first 25 mins such was the impressiveness of their forward runs , meanwhile we ambled about like we were on a sunday afternoon stroll. Anyway if we dominated and had so much of the game why were our fans in a coma until the last 15mins, oh yeah, would that be cause that’s when we started to dominate 🙄
KIMTOON(Quote)
@Kim
what amazing chances did villa have in the first half? two good crosses don’t really count as chances. I will say Villa played slightly better first half but we still had by far the best chance of the half with Cisse skying a sitter.
@KK
I just cant take you seriously anymore. If you didn’t see that we clearly deserved to win that game then just look at the statistic and they will tell you who the better team was. Though i know you only care about stats that validate your argument.
Santii(Quote)
@santii
Look at kimtoon’s post @239
Alternatively, watch the game again alongside some neutrals & tell me Villa didn’t look dangerous or the team more likely to score (especially in the first half).
KK(Quote)
The commentary comment i wont take serious judging a game by what commentators are saying says it all really..
Santii(Quote)
KK-I don’t really care what you view as a 3-0 performance and if we didn’t get enough successful passes to warrant that. My point was a 3-0 win wouldn’t have been out of the question because we had that many good chances.
Not a vintage win and it might not have been a classy 3-0 but we defo earned and deserved that win 100%
Newkie(Quote)
@santii
I’ve seen the stats. We had more possession. Sometimes that means you’re the better team, sometimes it doesn’t.
I think the Sky Sports pundits were neutral. Did they think we deserved the victory?
If Remy had not scored in stoppage time, we would have come away with a point & i doubt anyone would have been saying we deserved more.
KK(Quote)
Kim-where did I say it was drivel that people we worried? I said it was drivel that we didn’t create anything.
As for people being worried about us conceding, that’s not really surprising given everyone is down in the dumps and pretty much all things hysterical are being written about the team. I was worried as well but equally I was shocked when we didn’t make more of our chances.
My point about drivel is as soon as we win-and win deservedly-people come out and call it luck, villa being **** poor, the stars were aligned for us, pardew fluked a substitution. It’s all complete ****, we deserved that win end of. It wasn’t a classy performance but who honestly expected that with no confidence floating about the club?
Newkie(Quote)
@santii
Look back at the running commentary on this blog to see what fans watching the game thought at the time.
@newkie
We’ll agree to disagree. I thought it was a very boring game. It could have gone either way & it went our way.
KK(Quote)
Santii,
Are you sure you were watching todays game and not the 6 – 1 hammering of a few years ago? We were completely outplayed for the first half and they could have been 2/3 goals up. Glad for the win, but once again a piece of individual brilliance bails out Pardew. We just went 7 and a half hours without scoring. There was nothing on display today to give me encouragement going forward, apart from out only outstanding player who will be off to a more ambitious outfit in ten games time.
buddy(Quote)
@newkie
The substitutions did not win us the game.
Nobody said Villa were poor, it’s the opposite. Villa were better & more dangerous than us first half & ran out of steam second half.
KK(Quote)
The possession stat is not the only stat i don’t judge a game on possession like you did in our spurs win earlier in the season. We outplayed villa. We were better organized and had much better attacking threat.
I certainly would have been saying we deserved far more from the game if we had not got the winner. We had a stonewall pen turned down and missed two absolute sitters.
Again you keep going on about how dangerous Villa were tell me one time they came close to scoring? Tim Krul must have been on top form to keep out this dangerous looking Villa attack. How many saves did he have to make. Villa played hoofball throughout the game and had one good 15 minute period at the start of the game. Hardly warrants a point lol
Santii(Quote)
@buddy – 252
Spot on!
It’s so weird that some fans actually think we comfortably deserved a 3-0 or 4-0 win!
And i thought i had high expectations by thinking we should be challenging for 4th!
KK(Quote)
We earned it because of a brilliant last 15 minutes, that’s it, as Newkie says hardly vintage though.
Santii , Krul WAS kept on his toes first half, he saved from an Agbonlahor effort which was followed up by a long driven in shot which just went wide. They had a Bacuna free kick which only just missed on 5-ish minutes and Ahmadi hooked in a beauty which only just missed being connected with, and that’s just the stuff I can remember!!, I don’t know what you were watching but to say they created nothing is stupid and ignorant imo. As for your commentator comment ,all I was pointing out is that they were impressed by Villas attack play even if you couldn’t see it 🙄
KIMTOON(Quote)
Best pass combination throughout the game Guzan to Benteke lol What a super attack there next highest is Vlarr to Bacuna then Bacuna to Benteke. There hoofball clearly worked a treat in winning over so many admirers within the mighty toonarmy.
“They should have been 2 or 3 up before halftime” What chances did they create to score that many goals.
Santii(Quote)
@santii
Our win at Spurs was down to the brilliance of Krul. He was so good he set a record for most number of saves in a match.
You’re not seriously saying it was a fair result?
I agree, Villa played hoofball in the second half. We could have had a penalty by what difference did the handball make?
The ball still went where it was going!
KK(Quote)
Long shots and dangerous crosses were there best chances lol I can see why the commentators were creaming in their pants for that.
Santii(Quote)
I can totally ignore the hysterical nonsense on here throughout the week but after a comfortable win with a lovely last minute winner people still come on and complain and how “**** we were”
I am surprised i haven’t seen a comment blaming Ashley/Kinnear/Llambias/Wise/Big Sam/The FA for our “****” performance today. 😳 😳 😳
Santii(Quote)
Santii , it was their finishing that let them down but the important point is they had done all the hard work in the build up at pace, something we weren’t doing at all first half. If you seriously expect me to concede that we played well in that first half you are in la la land mate, we were ***** first half. I hate Villa but fairs fairs we edged it for the last 15 that’s all and yes it was a pen before the goal .
Anyway onwards and upwards ,oh hang on it’s Hull up next under the brucie revival train 😉
KIMTOON(Quote)
Santii, comfortable win 😯 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 who’s hysterical now 😆
KIMTOON(Quote)
Santi,
Comfortable win???? Youve lost all credibility now. That was as uncomfortable a win as I’ve seen all season. You do realise the majority of our attempts today, and all season in fact have been speculative long range shots?
buddy(Quote)
@Santii
Pardew thought Villa ended the first half the stronger side
Lambert thought Villa deserved at least a point.
The sky sports pundits think the same.
Perhaps this is why some fans from other club think we’re deluded?
KK(Quote)
Anita moving forward during the last 20 minutes made the difference. As for Villa not creating any chances that’s not true. In the first half twice in 3 minutes Villa played a ball from right to left right across our goal. It only needed a touch for Villa to score. Krul also made a good save in a one on one situation. Not much from Villa in the second half except for a last ditch wonderful tackle from Williamson on Benteke. Cisse except for his glaring miss had in my opinion , a good game. He worked hard and showed some good touches and good ball control. Pleased with the win but now for a gripe. Didn’t understand why Shola was on the bench and not Sammy or Armstrong. Why doesn’t Pardew tell Krul to stop punting the ball long. It just gives up possession. Dummett looked ok going forward but defensively his positioning and reactions were poor.
Groucho(Quote)
We need either De Jong or Gomis if we are going to keep Tim Krul as our goalie. He is a shot stopper but his overall game is shocking and has never improved since the Championship season. How many years have we talked about his lack of ability to kick the ball?
I think De Jong keeper Krul’s long ball let Anita move forward more as he didn’t need to sit so deep knowing Remy/Cisse would instantly lose it. Hence Anita’s improvement and our eventual goal/improved play.
funkyjesus(Quote)
Of course but we created 3/4 very good chances and should have had a pen. How many of Villa’s chances would you count as clear cut? The most nonthreatening amazing attack Villa must have.
More possession, more shots on and off target, more corners, more attacking third passes, passes completed, more clear cut chances and most importantly more goals.
Anything but comfortable i see lol you guys need to get a grip
Santii(Quote)
Good points @funkyjesus & @Groucho
KK(Quote)
KK you keep going on about pundits opinion as if every other week we don’t laugh at them for the amount of ***** they talk. Especially those utter toolbags on sky sports. I suppose this week they agree with you so their opinions are law.
Hahahah you think we should be in the top four how can you off all people call anyone deluded 😳
Santii(Quote)
Santii, Tis you needs to get a grip mate 😆
Dale Milligan @Elliott_man · 3 hrs
@CaulkinTheTimes any chance you could relay hoddles comments to pardew George
Dale Milligan @Elliott_man · 3 hrs
@CaulkinTheTimes he said that our football is conference level! Would like to see what ******** has got to say about that. Cheers!
😳 😳 😳 😳 😳 😳 that’s glen off Pards xmas list then 😀
KIMTOON(Quote)
Groucho @265 exactly, well said.
KIMTOON(Quote)
KK
@258
No. Most saves in a game since 2007.
Every time you use a “factual statistic” to backup your arguments I think you should provide evidence because more and more I notice that you make things up.
You still haven’t shown were it says that Marveaux has made more tackles in his 201 minutes than Ozil’s 1803 minutes.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Delighted with the result.
First half we were understandably nervous, both the players and the crowd were on edge.
Second half we completely controlled the game.
I don’t know why people are questioning whether we deserved it. I agree that possession isn’t the be all and end all. But when you combine it with more corners, shots and clear-cut opportunities (of which they had 0?) then I think it’s a fair result.
I think the manner of the result – last minute goal – is perfect for giving us the huge lift everyone connected to the club needed.
Bring on Hull 😈
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
FJ , totally with you on the constant long punts from Krul, we do keep giving up possession from them, it’s madness.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Wow this place really has sank to new lows.
.org has closed down and its spirit seems to have come here.
Glen Hoddle of all people Kim bashing newcastle and you agree with him lmao
anyway i am off to watch some battlestar before this place drags me down anymore.
Lovely win from the toon today. onwards and upwards
Santii(Quote)
before i go
ST
“is perfect for giving us the huge lift everyone connected to the club needed.”
You would think so but judging by this place some fans are determined to keep the hysteria and negativity going on.
Santii(Quote)
Solano , Aye I think we are all chuffed with the win but comfortable it wasn’t . I would quite like to enjoy a whole game not just 10-15 minutes here and there.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Santii, You are seriously pissing me off now mate , where the **** did I say I agreed with Hoddle?, I just posted a funny tweet that’s all . If you really knew me and ever really looked at what I type on here you would know I have a severely disabled lad and given what that **** Hoddle said about disabled folk and karma I could never A – agree with him or B- Like the *****.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Hoddle knows his stuff I reckon.
A win is a win, we should just enjoy it, but of course our attention turns to the summer and the rebuilding job that is needed. Some would think it’s exciting – others just know what’s going to happen and get depressed… 🙁
Stuart79(Quote)
Kim your wasting your time there girl Santi likes to make things up then when he gets caught out he then tries to get out of it by silly name calling or telling people they need to get a grip.
But others are starting to catch on to him 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
Well for my two-pennys-worth we started off where we finished against spurs had villa scored in the first half we were in deep **** IMO,second half was a lot better more so the last 20min,a draw would have been fair seeing villa were the away team,but over the moon with the win
icedog(Quote)
Ice I would tend to agree with you
Big Dave(Quote)
I agree Ice, but in fairness I just look at the squad and it’s just not good enough. I know this goes against popular opinion however I think Pardew has done a great job to get us into 8th with what’s at his disposal.
I’m also kind of proud that the club have decided to finally stick with a manager, albeit probably due to default as Ashley knows what a good job Pardew is doing as it’s him who making it almost impossible.
Stuart79(Quote)
We played some awful football for 75 minutes. Sitting in the stands watching you cannot see what our game plan is. It is as if it is eleven players thrown together and told to make a fist of it. Villa who weren’t very good at least had a plan and their midfield supported their strikers at least in the first half. We must in all honesty stop this nonsense of putting everybody in to one side of the pitch and Krul hoofing it.
A welcome three points but don’t let it cover up our deficiencies on and off the pitch
Toby le Rhone(Quote)
What let’s pardew down a lot he sticks with players that are off form or not good enough and could throw a young one in as we have nothing to win or lose,he has just said there are only two players at the club that could have scored that goal today Remy or Shola,Shola ffs the guy is a great goalscorer isn’t he!!!! he wonders how some fans just cannot get away with him
icedog(Quote)
Dave @280, It’s the twisting of posts and words that do my head in.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Whereas I’m absolutely ecstatic about our 1 – 0 today, I didn’t see anything at all which convinced me we had turned the corner. We’ll see what the next game brings, but today sure as hell wasn’t pretty. It’s a real pity that we won’t be keeping Remy…
Munich Mag(Quote)
total dross performance, villa looked the most dangerous but we came to life in the last 20mins.
A great 3 pts, chuffed to bits.
mark(Quote)
@Santii 😛
comfortable win 😯 I assume your stream was really poor 😆
mark(Quote)
Ice – I’d agree with both of your points mate.
Stu – likewise with your point.
We started the game like a team that had lost the last 7 or 8 games and played like a team that hadnt scored in as many games.
I don’t think Dummett had a very good game and Colo helped him out alot today.
I think Tiote, Anita and Sissoko had alot of work to do in forming an understanding – dare I say it but we could do with Jonas in there in Cabayes absence.
I thought Remy was very good. Cisse did ok but needs more game time and De Jong looks an intelligent player.
I would argue that Willo was MOTM today though. He looked very solid today and don’t really remember him putting a foot wrong.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Pardew said on Remy..Like Johan Cruyff, high-class players like him can slow a game down. He’s going to be hot property this summer.
shame we didnt buy last window to push on for Europe, that and a decent wage might have swayed Remy to stay. 🙄
Pardew knows we havent got a chance now..
mark(Quote)
He said: “We can build on this win now and the way we need to build is by finishing strongly and then we can go into the summer [and strengthen].
“We all know as much as we haven’t spent any money in the last 18 months, we have got a nice little kitty there and we’ve got to make good use of it. If we make good use of it we can come back stronger next year 😎
for the sake of being nice, I’m going to believe MA will give AP loads of money to make us great. but this is the very last time I’ll be trusting them 😯
mark(Quote)
Remy will score 25 goals next season at Arsenal.. 😥
Munich Mag(Quote)
Remy has Arsenal written all over him. He’d be great under Wenger
mark(Quote)
@MM snap 😆
mark(Quote)
I’d be happy to buy Ba back, weak mans Remy but just as lethal if played correctly
mark(Quote)
Mark you actually trust them to spend proper money 😆 😆 im sure Jabba will be happy he has your support, as thats what keeps him going and keeps the money rolling in 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
Would like pardew to be given a chance to build on top of what we have instead of having to keep re building.
Johno(Quote)
Johno thats for me the main problem he doesnt get a chance to build onto what he has, it is normally a rebuilding job with very little funds and normally too late
Big Dave(Quote)
Mark – Where did Pardew say the bit about a nice little kitty? 😯
Stuart79(Quote)