After a week off United should be fresh and should have a spring in their step after back-to-back victories against Aston Villa and Hull City but as we know football doesn’t work like that.
The home side will be desperate for a win as they battle against the drop with new manager Felix Magath yet to taste victory as chief of Fulham with only a single draw being registered in three attempts to date. As detailed in the match preview, the Cottagers are on a woeful run of form which will surely end at some point. I just hope that today isn’t that day.
The aforementioned match preview is online and can be viewed here. It features injury news for both sides, a look at the history of the fixture along with some stats thrown in for good measure.
The game itself is not being shown live here in the UK so once again we are reliant upon picking up a stream from an overseas broadcaster. Fortunately a few have the match listed for transmission so hopefully finding a stream shouldn’t be too much of an issue. Again though guys, if you do happen to find a working stream then please share it by leaving a link in the ‘comments’ section below. Team news will be published at the very bottom of this article as and when.
And that is just about that. I said in the match preview that I hate games where we are dubbed as favourites because ultimately there can only ever really be disappointment. We either get the job done as expected of us or fall flat on our faces – there is no middle ground.
Howay the lads!
Fulham: Stockdale; Heitinga, Hangeland, Amorebieta, Richardson; Kasami, Kvist, Sidwell, Kačaniklić; Holtby; Woodrow
Subs: Stekelenburg, Riise, Rodallega, Dejagah, Roberts, Riether, Burn
Newcastle: Krul; Yanga-Mbiwa, Coloccini (c), Williamson, Dummett; Sissoko, Anita, Tiote, Gouffran; de Jong; Cisse
Subs: Alnwick, Haidara, S.Taylor, Marveaux, Gosling, Armstrong, Shola Ameobi
Did I mention tactics?
georgio(Quote)
http://www.themag.co.uk/the-mag-articles/mike-ashley-wants-newcastle-fans-signed-5-years-get-clause/
KIMTOON(Quote)
Georgio, That display was not a display on Saturday ,rather it was an afternoon kick about down the park, but then again I’ve even seen that done better 🙁
KIMTOON(Quote)
CC-Exactly that mate. I think they took them off Barton in pre season because the writing was on the wall, Ashley wanted him out so presumably we thought we should get Cabaye up to speed…unfortunately in two and a half years he never did…Altho I do disagree about the practice,I just don’t think anyone is interested in learning it. The best set piece takers practice practice practice, it’s not like the coaches at these clubs can tell players in their late twenties how to hit a ball like a peach if they’ve never done so before.
Who taught Ronaldo or Bale how to shoot at goal? They did. Just as Cabaye practiced his shooting Lower league players know the importance of drifting a ball in correctly..maybe that’s why Barton and Raylor are good at it 😀
Kim- I think you would be alone among Norwich fans claiming that they know how to score and give it a go 😯 They’ve scored 24 goals all season, the third lowest in the league!! We’ve scored three less than Everton who have a striker worth about 30 million in Lukaku. We have had our boring wins but come on, we just came off the back of battering Hull who had only conceded 10 at home. The difference most of the time is just Remy, people underestimate how important he is, he gives everyone in the side a real boost as they all have confidence in his ability to either return a pass or score should they give him the ball. The gulf in quality between him and Cisse is huge. I think people are getting tired of passing to Cisse only to see him struggle and so we lose confidence going forward, and all play worse as a result.
Having 11 players in their proper positions might help as well, unfortunately the club have deemed it wise enough to shoehorn a left footed centre back in at right back, because obviously we only needed Debuchy despite his international commitments and well known disciplinary record 😕
Newkie(Quote)
I felt sorry for Sissoko at Fulham. He kept busting a gut to get forward while the donkeys up front just stood around in the box watching him. Both marked, both poor in the air and both going for the same ball. No dropping off for the cut back, no one going to him for a one two. No near post runs. Absolute rubbish. By far the worst in the PL. Ordinary blokes like Walters at Stoke are streets ahead of our three. Streets. Nobody wants any of the 3. I’d never play any of them again. 👿
georgio(Quote)
Newkie , I thought Norwich showed a lot of spirit to fight back the way they did on Saturday , ok they still lost but the effort was defo there . Of course I’m only going off MOTD highlights like 😉
KIMTOON(Quote)
Re -Remy ,we are ****** without him ,lets hope Jabba has been to spec savers 🙄
KIMTOON(Quote)
Georgio-agreed. De Jong still has time to prove himself but it is running out. His general play is “ok” so far but ok is not good enough at this level if you aren’t going to score goals.
I’ve pretty much lost all faith in Cisse now, two great chances and he didn’t take them. He just doesn’t score one on one goals and I don’t know how you can build a side around a player like that. Sell him, recoup a little cash, and then use that 50 mil projected profit to buy us Lukaku and Remy, cheers Mike
Kim-they have the odd good game but they have the third worst goal difference in the league, they are certainly not entertaining, or at least I wouldn’t say so, i’m not a big fan of relegation fights!
Newkie(Quote)
And if we end up resigning Shola as anything but a statue for outside of the ground well…good that Armstrong got off the bench though.
Newkie(Quote)
Newkie, If we resign Shola then I think we will all understand perfectly where Mikes priorities lay and it’s not with the Toon. 🙄 🙁
KIMTOON(Quote)
Kim-sadly I can see it coming.I don’t hate him like many do and I do think he can have his uses but for the love of god he should not be in a squad which, according to the club’s plan-should be improving year on year (meaning Europe from now on basically)
Newkie(Quote)
I don’t hate Shola either Newkie but he hardly ever scores these days. His isn’t going to improve and his best days our behind him. I think Nigeria must be desperate to even consider taking him to the world cup.
Ashley will have no other choice but to spend big this summer and find replacements for Remy, Shola and even Cisse if he continues to not score any goals. I think a big clear out in the summer and a few freebies better than we have now will do but he has to buy at least one expensive striker for us to remain a top 10 side ?
stem(Quote)
If we have a clear out this summer, what do people really think we would get for players like Saylor, Cisse, Benny, Marv, Obertan?
Sharpy17(Quote)
I don’t like the way Ashley run’s this club. His not paying off the debt and he doesn’t get replacements in quick enough. He gets free advertising for sports direct. He hires idiots to do wonga deals and stupid directors of football and then hides in his castle because he can’t take the criticism he deserves from the fans. As for that Sunderland performance it just shows his level of ambition!
stem(Quote)
I should imagine 1 million for Obertan.
You would be lucky to give Jonas away on his wages.
Steven Taylor about 1 million, better suited for the championship.
Cisse I think his another Luque or Carl Cort 2 million.
Marv not sure maybe 2 million.
stem(Quote)
Sharpy17 that only my opinion but I’m just guessing. I think Ashley leaves things to late and we will miss out again.
stem(Quote)
Stem – I’m guessing that Ashley will say that Pardew can spend the Cabaye money and whatever he generates through player sales.
I think Jonas has a £4m price tag should Norwich want him. Can’t think what we’d get for Cisse, Benny or Marv tho
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy17 I think that’s about right. 20 million from the Cabaye sale would get us a striker and midfielder. With Remy, Shola and Cabaye off the books we might get Gomis as well.
stem(Quote)
I don’t think Pardew will have to spend much replacing Shola, Jonas. The biggest winner next season will be Mike Ashley. I bet he doesn’t regret buying the club now because he gets to pocket all that cash.
stem(Quote)
Happy St Pats day to our Irish cousins 😛
Stuart79(Quote)
Stem – I think we could get £3-4m for Jonas. Around the same for Saylor. I reckon £6-7m for Cisse and the same for Benny. I have no clue for Marv and I’d take anything we could get for Obertan to be honest.
I reckon that would come to around £20m as well – so a £40m kitty.
Spent wisely (and picking up the odd free transfer) I reckon that would be enough to get what we need in.
But, I’m not sure I have any faith in the people in the positions at the club to make it happen to be honest.
Sharpy17(Quote)
What kind of ban is Joe Hart going to get for doing a “Pardew” at the weekend ?
Brucey really has his Hully Gully’s well trained eh, they love going head to head, and they NEVER roll over. They need to be commended for that.
Maybe we should send Remy down to Hull for some training, he did the same a few weeks ago at Norwich and ended up with a three match ban. There again, he obviously tried it on the wrong bloke 🙁
Irritating, I would REALLY like the FA to ban this kind of behaviour. Anyone who puts his head knowingly within 50mm of an opponent receives an automatic yellow card. I’m absolutely fed up of seeing this kind of action by spoiled brat footballers.
Hands up anyone, anyone, WHO would back down if an opponent stuck his nut in your face, and “nudged” you a little bit ? Pathetic, this overtly aggressive cheating needs to be stamped out immediately.. 👿 👿 👿 👿
Munich Mag(Quote)
Eminem.. calm down mate, calm down!! 😛
…only in the handbag swinging world of football can you go head to head like that and have zero fear of actually getting nutted or punched. I love the hard-man pantomimes of the modern footballer.. they really are quite funny to watch!
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Here are some hard c*nts plying their trade! 😆
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgPBeu4hLKw
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
this is how you do it! 😆
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBXWY9YTd6o
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
MM I agree mate it should be the same rule for all , then they all know where they stand. Harts **** looked a lot worse than Pards so I expect him to get a big ban.
Big Dave(Quote)
Yeah they need to sort this thing out and punish everyone the same because this thing will just carry on otherwise.
Brucey made me laugh about their striker the other day, saying he wouldn’t spit because he’s as honest as they come, said he’d been playing non league footie five years ago.
Uhh…there are plenty of cheating ****s in non league as well Brucey dear! Moron.
Newkie(Quote)
Papers this morning reckon the FA are taking no action against Hart.
He was way more aggressive than Pardew and Pardew had been pushed first where Hart was just pissed off about a dive!.
The FA are an absolute joke IMO and its a disgrace that more is not being done or said about this in the media.
Pardew gets a £160k fine and stadium ban – Hart gets **** all?!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy-Crazy really that nothing is said right after one of the biggest media witch hunts going.
“There’s absolutely no place for that in the game, sad day for football, mockery of justice of these great Isles. Unless they happen to be a player or an England international, in which case we’re not fussed”
Newkie(Quote)
One rule for one and one for another. Like Remy getting banned while Bradley Johnson who instigated it, kicked him and conned the ref got off scot free. Why because he is english and we need to keep the numbers up, Even if they are hopelessly ***** as Bradley Johnson or because Loic is a black guy who the tarquins and jeremys at the FA wouldnt **** on if he was on fire.
CC(Quote)
Sharpy I think 40 million in the summer and some free transfer’s should sort our team out nicely. I do think Remy is over priced by QPR but there might be another Ba out there somewhere. I wish the club would scout England, Spain, Germany, Belgium and not just france. I just hope we find a better director of football than Joe Kinnear. He was bloody useless and some descent coaches as well. I’m satisfied where we are in the league this season.
stem(Quote)
Stem ,I would agree on all that mate.
This no action re Joe Hart is a bloody joke it really is 👿
KIMTOON(Quote)
Getting silly our press now like 🙄
http://www.themag.co.uk/the-mag-articles/alan-pardew-witch-hunt-reaches-new-ridiculous-level/
KIMTOON(Quote)
Kim… It’s mad,if the media genuinely think that reserve games are part of the “7 match” ban then surely they must also believe that if Pardew had not attended it then it should have counted as 1 more game knocked off the 7 and he’d only have 5 more to go?….somehow I doubt it though 👿 🙄
richietoon(Quote)
Kimtoon I haven’t seen Joe Harts head ****. If it is worse it proves my theory about favouritism by the refs to manchester city.
1. Saurez’s on side goal boxing day.
2. Toite’s disallowed goal against us.
3. Harts head ****
stem(Quote)
Kim – so our manager, head coach and former academy players go to show support – in the crowd not the touchline and some sections of the media find this to be unacceptable?!
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy I think it might have something to do with the world cup coming up. I know its unacceptable but there just thinking about England.
stem(Quote)
Whatever the reason Cisse doesn’t work with us. He’s had 9 goals in has last 54 league games with us! That’s a 1 in 6 player. Those aren’t striker stats. He has to go and must be replaced with a good striker not Shola or De Jong!
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Has any other club announced that their main goal is to finish mid table and that other competitions are not a priority? I don’t recall seeing that anywhere. That’s not a football owner we have, it’s a disgrace.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Calling ourselves a competitive football club is a joke with Ashley. He doesn’t actually want to win anything! Hilarious. Doesn’t he want to have the top sports tat business in Britain? Of course he does. So why doesn’t he want the huge press that comes along with winning something? Because he’s gutless and lacking the desire to build a winning team.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Screwing around hiring and letting Kinnear go on and off. What a joke! Who is the bigger clown Ashley or Kinnear? Hard to say I’m afraid. What’s the next brilliant move Mike? Try to pretend everything’s fine with the club and do nothing in the summer so you don’t have to spend any money?
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Enough ranting from me. Off for a bit.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Can’t wait for the summer and Pardew saying everything’s fantastic with the club. No real problems. Just replace Cabaye, Remy, Colo, Santon, Saylor, Obertan, Cisse, Shola and we’ll be fine. Alan is going down to the castle with cap in hand as soon as the window opens! 🙂 I guess I wasn’t finished ranting. 😆
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Lads, couldn’t agree more on all your points re the press, what they should really be kicking a stink up about is the Hart situation imo, that looked a hell of a lot worse to me ,but hell what do I know. 🙄
KIMTOON(Quote)
Late reply by the way as wallpapering the downstairs lav 😆
KIMTOON(Quote)
My life!!, I’ve just checked SSN and read that not only has Hart escape any punishment – but they are charging Boyd for spitting!!!!
They showed it on MOTD and suggested he was spitting on there as well. What I saw was a bloke who had just been ‘headbutted’ shouting and snarling at Hart and a bit of saliva comes from his mouth.
It certainly wasnt the lad intentionally spitting on Hart, that’s for sure!.
The FA are an absolute embarrassment!!
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy , Hart has said he did NOT spit at him , so **** knows what the FA are doing 😕 They are a total embarrassment to the national game imo.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Kim they always try to look out for their own, and im sure they didnt really want to annoy the England goalie.
Big Dave(Quote)
Well back from hols,so sorry for late comment,it was one of the worst games a have seen,no width to the team no tactics,everything they did was down the middle of the pitch and got nowhere,Fulham have the slowest centre halfs in PL nobody tried to turn him he is also the tallest centre half in the PL so what do we do pump high balls into him,it was a bloody walk in the park for him,the whole show was clueless boring crab,rant over,and its bloody freezing here 😥
icedog(Quote)
Is there any chance of us getting Jeremy Menez on a free transfer? – I wonder what wages he would want?.
Personally I’d get rid of Benny and Marv and pool their wages together to get Menez.
I’d take Tom Ince for Gosling and Obertan.
There’s 4 players out of the squad and 2 freebies in.
Sharpy17(Quote)
GK –
Tim Krul
Kasper Schmiechel (free)
RB –
Debuchy
Sam Byram (4-5m)
LB –
Dummett
Haidara
CB –
Colo
Willo
Mapou
Lascelles (4-5m)
CM –
Tiote
Sissoko
Anita
Holtby (8m)
AMF –
Gouffran
Menez (free)
Siem De Jong (8m)
Tom Ince (free)
CF –
Luuk De Jong (6m)
Finbogasson (6-8m)
Henandez (6-8m)
Gomis (free)
I’m make that 11 players in for around £45m.
If we sell Santon for 8-10m. Benny – 5-6m. Cisse 7-8m. Marv 3-4m. Saylor 3-4m. Gosling 1-2m. Obertan 1-2m. Then get rid of Amalfitano and Elliott for whatever and Shola leaves for nowt.
I make the sales around 28-30m. Add that to the 20m Cabaye money and I think it should work out. However wages wise I’m not sure.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Goslings out of contract in the summer
CC(Quote)
Also that’s a 22 man squad with 7 home grown players – so it leaves 3 space – Sammy, Campbell and Ryan Taylor making up the 25 man squad and giving 10 homegrown players in the squad.
I know it’s highly unlikely we will see such a big change to our squad. But 1. It shows that we could strengthen our squad significantly with little net spend on fees – plenty on agents fees though 😆
2. It’s filled in a bit of a boring morning 😆
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy i’ll have a glass of what your own if you think we’ll get more than 1 or 2 players in and get that kind of money for some of ours
Big Dave(Quote)
Dave – I don’t mate, I was just trying to make a point that with the right DoF and an owner who wanted to take the club forward – it could be done. We could have strength in depth – we could have 2 good players for each position.
Sharpy17(Quote)
and if me auntie had bollox she’d be me uncle
tattyheed(Quote)
I could see the Ravel Morrison deal happening, Long term target, A year left on his contract and his baggage would make it cheaper than usual for such a talented potential England player. The Gomis and Aaron Hunt deals would make perfect financial sense, De Jong permanently if Borussia play ball and possibly that kid from MK Dons.
Id be wincing if Ben Arfa went, Disapointed if Saylor and Santon went and sad if Cisse is shoehorned out as his handling has been abysmal. The rest of the outgoings can shut the door on their way out…
CC(Quote)
Tatty – she may be less conscious about her beard then as well mate 😉
Sharpy17(Quote)
I would love to wrap that red case thing round Osbournes heed, Vile toffee nosed iffeminate *****
CC(Quote)
CC – I think Benny is a square peg in a round hole at our club mate. Saylor is injured too often and doesn’t really bring anything to the team IMO and Santon has never really develop since joining us. Plus I think we have 3 very competent LBs at the moment and Santon would bring the most money in – that money could be spent buying another CF that we desperately need more than 3 LBs mate.
Cisse can’t score but he also seems so unhappy at the club and I don’t see or know how that can be fixed
Sharpy17(Quote)
CC – Guy Fawkes had the right idea mate 😆
They are all full of **** and I wouldn’t trust one of ******* in that room at the moment
Sharpy17(Quote)
CC@284, I absolutely loath both him and Cameron and Clegg for that matter. Osbourne has the kinda face you wanna slap, vile creature 👿 .
Sharpy@276, That all makes perfect sense mate and as you say a good dof would sort it but as Dave points out it won’t happen, not in a million years will Jabba sanction anywhere near that . I predict two in at most and if we are lucky we will limp home to around 13th next season ,I just pray it won’t be any worse.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Ice ,Nice to see you back on mate, how’s the little one doing now ?
KIMTOON(Quote)
Ive never particularly liked any of them or their motives but i never got the same overriding feeling to punch the telly as i do now when Osbournes on.
Horrible smarmy ****
CC(Quote)
Kim – I know, but I don’t understand why he wouldn’t. Money wise there would be no difference, but you’d then have a squad of players you could select from – rather than as we are now – looking ***** when we have 2 or 3 players missing through injury or whatever.
It would be difficult to bring so many so many changes in in just 1 window but over say 2 or 3 I don’t see why not. I also don’t think it’s unrealistic as teams like Cardiff brought in 8 players last summer I think and the Scum brought in around 13 or 14! – mind they were all ***** (which is some achievement) 😆
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy, never under estimate the dumbness of Jabba where football and the Toon are concerned and defo never under estimate how badly the Scum can **** up 😆
KIMTOON(Quote)
Right away to do some painting, back later.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Sharpy – from that list you put up. Do you honestly want us to sign De Jong for £6m. I wouldn’t want him for £1m, carthorse. In fact I’ve seen much more mobile cart horses. At 23 he already looks older than Shola.
I’m praying that all three of them are dropped for Sat. In a whole season they have one gifted pen between them. I’d play Gouffran up top with Armstrong just off. They can NOT be worse.
georgio(Quote)
Georgio – I think his link up play can be very good mate. He’s only 3 or 4 full appearances for us so far to be fair and BMG haven’t played him at all this season. I think we need variety in our CFs to allow different systems to be played. I think £6m would be a fair price tbh.
But if that’s the only one you don’t agree with then I’d take that like 😆
Sharpy17(Quote)
Actually I’m not impressed particularly by Holtby and I want no Dutch or Icelandic strikers. I know you’re a fan but is Ince that much better than Sammy? Are either of them good enough? Is Byram any better than Santon? If Remy goes we need 3 strikers min and we need a midfielder who scores, a playmaker and a better CB than Saylor and Willo.
georgio(Quote)
What is Ashley’s next big move? That is an interesting question indeed. Hire a new DoF? Once we finish the season in 9th or 10th what does he do to consolidate that position for next season? Anything at all? How much money does he free up for player purchases? Has a got 10 quid to spare? We’ll know in a few months mates. Harrumph.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Holtby needs to regain his confidence Georgio mate. I saw him play a few very good games for Spurs but Fulham are a very poor side and it shows in his play. He’s no Cabaye so we should go after someone better to replace wor Kebab though.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Georgio – you want no Dutch or Icelandic striker? – what if they can get us 15 league goals a season?!
My opinion is that Ince is better than Sammy and that both will develop into very decent wide players for us.
Byram is a natural right back and is only 20yr old so would be a good natural back up to Debuchy.
As for Holtby – he’s a cracking player mate and would be a more than adequate replace for Cabaye IMO.
Of course I’d much prefer Ronaldo, Neymar and Messi – but we have a budget
Sharpy17(Quote)
Geordie – I think if Holtby plays week in week out (as he would for us) I think he could be as good as Cabaye.
He probably has a better engine than Cabaye and has an excellent range of passing from what I’ve seen of him.
Sharpy17(Quote)
What about Grenier Sharpy mate? Do you rate him higher than Holtby? It seems his price tag is increasing rapidly so probably no longer possible for us with Ashley anyway but just interested to hear what you think of him.
GeordieTwo(Quote)