I won’t bore you with any more moaning so instead we’ll take a look at the visit of Crystal Palace tomorrow.
United missed the chance to notch up a second league double of the season last weekend when losing at Fulham. However the visit of the Eagles gives us a chance to do just that as Alan Pardew’s old club rock up on Tyneside.
When the two sides met shortly before Christmas it was Newcastle who blew Palace away winning by three clear goals at Selhurst Park. Palace have been much improved defensively though and we remain the only side to score more than two goals against them since Tony Pulis took over the task of trying to secure Premier League safety.
It’s at the other end where Pulis’ men are struggling having scored just seven league goal since the turn of the year. The problem for the Magpies however is that they aren’t faring much better and have found the back of the net just eight times in that same period.
Newcastle:
Loic Remy and Mathieu Debuchy will both be absent through injury, as will Davide Santon who is closing in on a return to action and may feature against Everton on Tuesday.
Hatem Ben Arfa is fit enough to make the squad although a space on the bench will be the most likely for him while Sammy Ameobi and Rob Elliot could also return after recent injury absences.
Crystal Palace: Strikers Marouane Chamakh (hamstring) and Dwight Gayle (ankle) are both missing for Tony Pulis who other wise has a full squad to choose from.
Previously…
As mentioned earlier, a 3-0 win at Selhurst Park means we are looking for a league double over Palace, which is something we haven’t managed in the Premier League since the 1994/1995 season.
At St James’ Park it is United who have been the stronger of the two sides winning 11, drawing three and losing two of the 16 meetings. The last win for Palace at SJP was in March 1998.
Head-to-head, home and away in all competitions, United are also stronger. A total of 30 matches have been played with Newcastle winning 19, Palace picking up seven victories with four draws making up the numbers.
Stats and facts…
Loic Remy misses his seventh match of the season. United have failed to score in or win any of the six he has missed to date.
Newcastle have failed to score in eight of their last 11 Premier League games and have scored just once in their last five fixtures at St James’ Park.
Palace have failed to score a goal from open play in their last four games.
Final thought…
Palace will be looking to build on the away point gained at Sunderland last week and will look to keep things tight. They’ll work hard, tackle hard and see if they can grab a chance that will inevitably fall their way at some point throughout the match. It’s a Tony Pulis side, you know what you’ll get.
So we’ll have to be patient if we can’t make an early breakthrough. We have an advantage in terms of quality so as long as we keep plugging away the chances will come. It’s just a matter of whether or not we can take them without our top scorer on the field.
Howay the lads!
Date: Saturday, 22nd March, 2014
Time: 3pm
Venue: St James’ Park
With our poor home form recently this could go any which way. I’ll be optimistic and go for a 1-0 home win with Gouffy scoring. 😀
GeordieTwo(Quote)
None of the 11 teams below us have reached the magical 40 points this season. Amazing! How divided the division has become with the rich rising higher and higher and the poor staying poor. Sounds just like society in general. 😥
GeordieTwo(Quote)
I posted my team on the last article but I’ve changed it slightly:
—————— Krul ————–
Mapou – Willo – Colo – Haidara
—————- Tiote ————–
—- Sissoko ——— Anita —-
————— Benny ————-
—– De Jong ——- Gouffran —–
If Benny isn’t fully fit, then I’d put Marveaux in that hole instead.
I’d maybe consider swapping Sissoko for Gosling as well coz I think he can be more creative in his passing.
It’s all well and good playing Cisse, Goof and De Jong – but if there’s nobody behind them creating chances for them then the side has no balance. I’d want Benny only playing the final third, looking to get the forwards in but also getting into the box himself.
Palace will be hard to break down and would settle for a point. But will probably try and nick a win with a quick break away goal. If we get a chance, we HAVE to start taking them!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
What’s this about Ashley selling the land around St. James Park so we can’t ever expand the stadium? It seems to be more than a rumour now? Why would he want to do that?
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Club officials have placed the Strawberry Place site, next to St James’ Park, on the market with a multi-million-pound price-tag.
Quote from the Chronicle. Still reading the whole article. Here is the link.
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/mike-ashley-accused-selling-newcastle-6858859
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Georgio @2 – you’re dead right mate, and I think Ashley sees that as well. He sees that it would take 100s of millions to get to that top 4 or 5 and he knows we aren’t gonna get near that.
He needs to invest more, but even if he does I think realistically we are looking at 7-10th finishes.
That is why we should be aiming for good cup runs as well.
I could live with that – if the standard of football on show improved that is.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Does anyone understand this latest story? Why would a profiteer want to prevent the expansion of the club which would only bring in more money?
GeordieTwo(Quote)
What is the owner up to now? Is the story accurate? Surely the city would not want this to happen any more than the club and its supporters would?
GeordieTwo(Quote)
But the club doesn’t own the land! How can it sell it?
Whumpie(Quote)
Apparently Ashley does own the land around the Strawberry. Or one of his holding companies does apparently. A lot of debate now about whether the ground could even be expanded in that direction or would the club need a new site as Sir John Hall suggested years ago. A 75,000 seat stadium would be easily filled if we had decent football I would think Whumpie mate.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
There is obviously a reason why the land behind the Gallowgate End hasn’t been developed by the club and the council The plot is screaming out for a football club related development, with a hotel / extension / whatever. That no-one has managed to get anything moving is lying at Ashley and previous owners door. Ashley has no interest in spending ANYTHING improving the club, he has put as much in as is barely necessary, the rest is all just accountancy smoke and mirrors. Be prepared for Ashley’s legacy to the toon appearing behind the Gallowgate End…
I’m pretty sure that any of the punters on this blog would do the same. Looks like a nice little earner for Ashley thankyou very much. He’s better off without the plot, cos he can’t develop the site anyway…
Munich Mag(Quote)
Anyway – back to tomorrow’s kickabout. It’s got goalfest written all over it, eh? 😆
Sharpy – I’m going to go in the opposite direction to you. Nowt to play for, so chuck out a load of your foreign johnnies and put in some locals!
This lot probably isn’t for starting, but it shows what we could do over the 90…
—————- Alnwick
Mapou – Willo – Colo – Dummett
Sissoko – Tiote – Gosling – Sammy
—— Armstrong – Goofs
7 Englishmen; 4 of them Geordies. Just a thought 🙂
(Couldn’t bring myself to put Saylor in; sorry)
Whumpie(Quote)
But Munich mate Ashley is already worth nearly 3 billion pounds! And won’t this make it harder if anything to sell the club for a profit? I hope you’re not right mate. I know there was talk of a hotel and casino when Ashley first came in. I hate this ****. We want good football. We need an owner who wants good football. 👿
GeordieTwo(Quote)
G2, aye the bloke is worth 3 billion, but he looks after every pound as if that was his last one. He is too good a business man to waste money speculating on something like a ground develolpment, then having to wait 10 – 15 years to see him get his money back. So he sells the plot now, and is worth 3 billion + the Strawberry Plot, whatever that may be worth. Flock the fact that it MAY be good for the club in the long run.
He’ll be well gone by then …
Munich Mag(Quote)
I hate this! Just more **** from the owner. We want good football and we need an owner that wants good football. Screw the rest of the profiteering.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
2 -1 toon win tomorow, De Jong and Cisse… HWTL !!!
Munich Mag(Quote)
Apart from Benny coming in I cannot see much change from the team at Fulham which was the biggest heap of **** I’ve seen for a while against the worse team in PL,not a game to get the blood flowing
icedog(Quote)
I’m staying with my 1-0 win with Gouffy scoring. Let’s see some football for a change Alan!
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Thought pardew would give young Armstrong 20min,but doe-heed says he is taking him out of the picture for a while,that will do the kid a big thrill ffs
icedog(Quote)
Ice – I missed that; what’s AP said about Armstrong?
Whumpie(Quote)
If this turns out to be another Ashley scam I already have the noose (it’s very small) ready for Mike’s testicles.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
G2 I cannot understand what pardew has said about the kid,I cannot copy and paste on this tablet,but on the news now page you will find it its a BBC
report on benny
icedog(Quote)
“Strawberry Place belongs to Nexus, who in 1998, entered into a 125 year lease with NUFC. As it stands NUFC currently hold the benefit of the lease for 109 years – which is a considerable asset.
The club entered into an agreement with the council where the council would rent this ground for around £80k a year but that agreement is due to end soon and so the club are looking to sell the benefit of the lease to private developers.”
Quote from another blog by Ciaran who is well know. It seems like a well informed post.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Thanks ice. Whumpie do you see that as well mate?
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Should say Ciaran is a well known poster. 😳
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Is this Ashley’s version of a scorched earth policy? Plunder the club then walk away with whatever he can get for it? Or is it just him continuing to be only a businessman seeing a short term profit and deciding an expansion would cost too much and take too long to yield decent money for him?
GeordieTwo(Quote)
I’m livid about the sale of this land if it means the club can’t expand.
It’s the worse stunt he’s pulled yet!! 😈
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Worst
Troy Stavers(Quote)
I won’t be going tomorrow and young Chip is standing firm as well.
If the club don’t clarify the position and inform us it’s inaccurate then the season tickets are getting thrown in the bin.
Am fizzin chips man! 😈
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash
New car, caviar, four star daydream,
Think I’ll buy me a football team
Money get back
I’m all right Jack keep your hands off my stack.
Money it’s a hit
Don’t give me that do goody good bullshit
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Let’s get his entire stash and shove it up his jacksy! 👿
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Again the club fail to explain the reason behind the sale or whether it rules out expansion of the ground.
Everytime, we are left guessing.
I wish everyone would boycott the game tomorrow.
Troy Stavers(Quote)
The young laddies look half decent on sky
Toby Le Rhone(Quote)
The lad Alnwick in goal is a confident lad with plenty ability.
Toby Le Rhone(Quote)
Yes we need answers Troy mate. The silence from Ashley is deafening as usual.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
How do people fancy our chances against Everton on Tuesday? I see us losing that one 0-2.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Shirt the bin dippers have scored. A free header from a corner
Toby Le Rhone(Quote)
TROY jabba is selling us down the river mate,bit by bit. 👿
icedog(Quote)
Munich….(11)
From what I can remember mate, Sir John wanted to extend the Gallowgate to something massive but was pegged back because they could not pile the area deep enough due to encroachment onto the Gallowgate Metro area. The main plan was to build a hotel and conference centre over and above the road in Strawberry Place and have the Gallowgate stand extend out and over the top of the hotel making it one of the largest stands in Europe. However, It was not possible to pile deep enough for the support required. IMHO, we should flatten the student accommodation, listed or not, and make that a proper stand as it was never right from the start. Only jesting of course.!
porciestreet(Quote)
Ashley’s putting in live in accommodations for his dominatrix at the castle so there will be no money for players this summer sadly. 🙁 Still the dominatrix feels good about it and Mike is over the moon.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
G2@30 ,Great track that and sums up our owner to a tee. 🙄
**** end to the week ,Lew went to respite for 3 nights but got more ill as it went on , ended up home early today with a raging temperature and a visit to the docs 🙁 Been fighting all day to bring down his temp ,bit cooler now thankfully, none the wiser what’s wrong though ,just hope he doesn’t throw a mega fit and end up in hospital 🙁
Could really do with a Toon win tomorrow to lift spirits but honestly don’t know what to expect with our lot lately.
Sharpy@3, Quite like that line up mate ,a bit more creativity in there.
KIMTOON(Quote)
No sign f KIM today hope things are ok
icedog(Quote)
ashley selling the land just shows that he isnt arsed about taking this club forward(but hey ho i knew this from day one 😉 )if there is any pro ashley mob left they need lining up and shot.
hitman(Quote)
Does he really have to sell the land ? The club has been making a regular profit now for 3 seasons. The Sky and BT money’s going up and 50,000 fan’s turn up each week to support there team. They buy wonga tops and drinks at every game. His taken 11 million back and I don’t have a clue where the 18 millions gone. It wasn’t spent on players so where’s the money going ? He gets free advertising and is worth 3 billion pounds. I don’t understand why he has to **** the fan’s off. He obviously has no respect for them. This 5 year season ticket with no way of cancelling is ridiculous on top of Kinnear and other things!
stem(Quote)
Ice @42 😯 Well that’s just spooky
KIMTOON(Quote)
KIM never rains but it pours,hope things calm down for you mate,can only go with the flow lass,if toon put a show on like last week I dread to think,apart from Benny I can only see the same ****
icedog(Quote)
G2 If Ashley doesn’t get a replacement for Cabaye or Remy in the summer then the club will suffer big time.
stem(Quote)
Stem , he’s worth £3.3 billion 5th richest guy in England but it seems he never has enough ,he’s one greedy ****. 👿
KIMTOON(Quote)
Ice , Aye your not wrong, I’m proper fed up at the moment. Hazels off to another comic con day event in Brum tomorrow. Didn’t feel I could ask her to stay in Bristol as she’s designated driver tomorrow and it means letting down 4 other people last minute. She’ll be back in the evening so not too bad ,it’s just if he fits and it’s bad enough to be admitted to hospital they won’t let me put the wheelchair on the ambulance and I would need her to bring it into the hospital :roll:. Hopefully I can keep him cool enough not to have a major one . I swear everytime he goes away he gets ill 🙁 It’s only once every 5 weeks for 3 nights too.
Ice ,I saw you said the little one is improving ,that’s good to hear mate’
As for tomorrow ,I fear you are right ,I see another **** display sadly mate but pray I’m wrong like.
KIMTOON(Quote)
it was the only way to expand the ground,he has just kneecapped any owner who comes in with ambition to take this club forward,this is just another case of greed and spite.but no matter what he does there will still be a full house every home game.total joke
hitman(Quote)
Kim he doesn’t have to sell the land. It’s not as if he desperately needs the money. It’s totally stupid on Ashley’s part.
stem(Quote)
Don’t want to bring politics into it,jabba has 3.3 billion, bill gates was the richest guy in the world it appears not now Putin has more they say,what I say is the world has gone bloody mad
icedog(Quote)
Hitman I couldn’t agree more.
stem(Quote)
Jabba only interest in the toon is how much he can screw us for,annoying thing is we can do naff all about it
icedog(Quote)
Lads, It really is starting to look like spite on his part to me, call me paranoid but the richer he’s getting the bigger a **** he becomes imo.
KIMTOON(Quote)
KIM owlheed warned us a while ago that we didn’t know how evil he could
be,so no shock mate
icedog(Quote)
I see the under 21s got a right stuffing at l/pool 5_2
icedog(Quote)
Ice , Aye he did didn’t he 🙁
KIMTOON(Quote)
Here we go again.
Another **** storm in a tea cup, about nothing.
The land being sold is of no use to the club anyway.
It cant be used to expand the stadium. End of.
I don’t see what the problem is tbh.
A new 75k stadium on the corner of the town moor was the best answer, but got rejected by the greedy freeman of the city.
What we have got now is the best it will ever get.
The east stand is the joker in the pack anyway. Cant be developed because of some decrepit listed buildings and a bunch of do gooders blocking that avenue too.
Can someone please tell me what benefits of NOT selling the land are ❓
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Icedog spot on mate there’s nothing anyone can do about jabba. His totally stupid and utterly hopeless in my eyes. He has zero ambition and sadly the owner of our club. Santii reckons he will spend big in the summer and isn’t that bad an owner but I disagree.
stem(Quote)
@Bootsy
The land behind the Gallowgate can be developed to expand the stand. That is fact so it’s pointless taking this any further. That is the benefit.
Troy Stavers(Quote)
For that reason, it’s anything but a storm in a teacup. It’s absolutely vital to the club long term.
The premier league is getting more money ploughed into it every year because it’s so popular world wide.
The revenue in the near future could finance such an expansion and there’s no doubt, should the club show ambition, a 60k stadium would be full.
Other clubs such as Liverpool, Everton, Spurs, West Ham will have larger grounds than ours.
We need to compete. Simples. The sale of this land restricts the club forever.
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Fair nuff Troy, but I have heard otherwise.
I’m not a construction expert, but I believe the costs involved to develop the Gallowgate stand make the whole project unfeasible.
The costs would never be recovered by the increase of 10k seats.
Therefore the redevelopment will never happen.
Result is sell off the land. It is of no use to the club
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
I agree we need a larger capacity stadium.
So did Arsenal. It was a big thing to leave highbury, flatten it for housing and move to a new place entirely.
But that is the only solution for NUFC too imho.
The ground as it stands now is the best it can get.
Considering we are a mediocre team in mid table, not too shabby really
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Just to add, the cost to build a whole new stadium would be more than what the club is worth.
Anyone who thinks fatt bastid would spend any money on an investment of this magnitude is beyond help and wants locking up for their own protection.
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Bootsy
Freddie Shepherd had all the plans drawn up for expansion.
I’m lost why think it’s not feasible. No one is asking Ashley to spend his cash. It’s there for the future. Once it’s sold the expansion plans are gone forever.
It’s anything but a storm in a teacup for me. I just don’t get your views.
Troy Stavers(Quote)
yes I know FS had the plans drawn up.
The cost back then was about 75M and was deemed unfeasible
The cost today is double that.
Why do you think it has never happened already ?
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Jabba the fucking but will be trying to sell the land to pay for this supposedly new training ground.
However it clearly restricts the future growth of the club. But of course he couldn’t give to ***** about that.
Who was it on here who said this fat knacka bought nufc to have a bit of fun and it wasn’t a business decision? My god, they got that well and truly wrong!
Stuart79(Quote)
@Bootsy
Do you only think as far as your nose?
The premier league is getting more and more lucrative. The Tav deals are absolutely immense.
The whole point is, once you lose the land you lose the opportunity forever.
Are you really that short sighted?
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Wow, the sherbert kid is on fire today!
I love the tabloid fueled outrage! 😆 😆
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
@Stuart79
Can you please explain the importance of this piece of land up for sale to Bootsy.
It’s a storm in a teacup according to him.
I despair at some people. 🙄
It wasn’t Bootsy who said that Stuart, was it? It wouldn’t surprise me. 🙄
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Ah ha. And up pops zebbity from Oz.
😛
God I’ve missed your craic Aussie. 😉
That reminds me, I must put the bins out tonight. 😆
Troy Stavers(Quote)
On your point about why it hasn’t happened already is simple. Ashley took over from FS.
That doesn’t mean Ashley will be here forever and therefore won’t happen. 🙄
FTSOTBASSP
(For The Sake Of The Blog And Short Sighted People) 😯
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Troy 😛 your outrage is Chronicle and right on the Daily Mail, you should get out in the Sun more often! 😆
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Off to bed. Fizzin chips with Ashley.
And Bootsy! 😈
Fizzin! Seething! Raging! 😈
Troy Stavers(Quote)