However I see not a lot has changed. Alan Pardew is, against all odds, still in the managerial hotseat, we’re still struggling as a team and we’ve still yet to record a win in the league this season.
United will be aiming to change the last part of that statement this afternoon when newly-promoted Leicester City visit St James’ Park. It’s an interesting one for me personally as I live near Leicester these days and married into a family of which half were born in Leicestershire, so for me today the banter stakes are high.
For Newcastle, the stakes are even higher. Results may have been poor but I cling onto the fact that we’ve salvaged recent draws against Hull and Swansea when we could have hidden and got beat. Again. Although a large part of avoiding defeat has been down to the return of Papiss Cisse who will be hoping to add to his tally of four league goals this season.
Newcastle:
Emmanuel Riviere is doubtful as reported yesterday although the other injury concerns, namely Tim Krul, Daryl Janmaat and Paul Dummett, should be fit to feature. French pair Moussa Sissoko and Remy Cabella returned from international duty with France with no problems while Cheik Tiote and Papiss Cisse survived long-haul international trips unscathed which means that Davide Santon and Siem De Jong remain our only senior first-team absentees.
Leicester City:
Matt Upson and Zoumana Bakayogo are the only injuries that former United caretaker boss Nigel Pearson has to contend with.
Previously…
We haven’t had much of a recent history against the Foxes with our last meetings coming from when we faced each other in the Championship where United secured a 1-0 victory at St James’ Park while only a draw could be mustered against 10-men at the Walkers Stadium.
Historically though we do have the upper hand, especially at home where the 54 games played at St James’ Park have yielded 36 victories for United with Leicester returning home South with victory on just seven occasions.
Overall 108 games have been played to date with Newcastle winning 46, Leicester winning 37 with 25 stalemates thrown in for good measure.
Stats and facts:
The Magpies are the only side yet to score first in a Premier League game this season.
Out of the 17 ever-present Premier League sides in 2014, Newcastle have earned the fewest points (20), scored the fewest goals (21) and conceded the most (49).
Leicester have only found the net once in their three league matches away from home this season.
However they are the second-most efficient scoring team in the Premier League, with 11 of their 62 shots resulting in a goal (18%). Chelsea lead the way with 20 goals from 101 shots (20%).
Final thought…
It’s actually starting to get desperate and we’re almost at the point where we’ve gone beyond a bad start and look to be settling into a battle to get away from the bottom of the table. That will get harder and harder unless we start picking up points and even a win today would only see us potentially move up one place.
But we do need that win and the longer it takes to come the harder it will be to achieve. Haven’t we waited long enough for one now?
Howay the lads!
Date: Saturday, 18th, October
Time: 3pm
Venue: St James’ Park
And speaking of English bands from the early 90s going to see Slowdive tomorrow:)
MDS(Quote)
mds, enjoy the gig 😛
kIMTOON(Quote)
One of the most worrisome things for me is the fact that the management group (Ashley, Charnley, Pardew) seem completely oblivious to the fact that we are in deep doo doo. Let Mbiwa leave at the last minute and do nothing about it. Sell Cabaye with no proper replacement. Let Remy go again with no proper replacement. Weak on the wings but don’t bring anyone in or bring in inexperienced young players with no chance of having enough time to adapt because we are constantly under pressure to get a win. A ridiculous situation getting worse by the minute.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/newcastle-united-fans-forum-heres-7983116
So don’t hold your breath expecting any in comings in jan then.
kIMTOON(Quote)
G2, we are doomed mate, sad but true .
kIMTOON(Quote)
typical Newcastle… no spare cash floating around. we definitely need the funds through sales (no TV money inc) before we progress and sign. i bet Spts Direct dont operate this way
“The club added that it had initially reached a verbal agreement for a replacement defender in the summer. “Because the deal with AS Roma took longer than expected, the replacement transfer was no longer possible.
m(Quote)
Kim not sure if say anything different regarding January if I were there to be fair.
I thought the interesting info was on Mbiwa. That “medium to long term” comment suggests they rate current young players (Street?Satka?Good?) over him and/or have a target lined up from the summer.
Also sounds like 18M of the TV money going to pay off the balance of Ashley’s emergency loan which is fair enough.
MDS(Quote)
shame the 3.?mill Spts Direct siphon through the shop can’t buy us a player. Or the free advertising cash… are we still looking for suitable companies looking to take on the Ad space? Mike was supposedly just using a dormant board until companies arrived 🙄 😆
but hey, he saved us from being **** so that’s fair do’s 😯
m(Quote)
10? finish lol
dreamers..
mark(Quote)
I reckon it’s about 50/50 on relegation at this point Kimtoon mate. We have a completely deluded management group all reinforcing each others rubbish. We’re clearly one of the poorest sides in the Prem and have been since the second half of last year. We have been weakened by several of the moves in the summer. No replacement for Remy. Letting Mbiwa go on loan with no replacement. No senior experienced attacker brought in. The only senior midfielder brought in is on a long term injury. No attempt made to seriously strengthen an already weak side. Ashley couldn’t run a club for 10 year olds for me.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
http://www.nufc.co.uk/page/Fans/FansForum/0,,10278~4237804,00.htm
The full minutes
MDS(Quote)
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/newcastle-united-shouldnt-talk-pressure-7979852
Well said Mick.
kIMTOON(Quote)
I’ll be interested in seeing Spurs line up against Lille tonight.
I would like us to go 4-4-1-1 against them on Sunday though.
———————— Krul ———————-
Janmaat – Saylor – Colo – Dummett
Obertan – Tiote – Colback – Cabella
——————— Perez ———————
——————— Cisse ——————
I fully expect Pardew to play Gouffran in place of Cabella and Sissoko in place of Perez like. But I believe that that team would create more and score more goals.
Sharpy17(Quote)
new out break of eightbola found in pennywell. 😆
hitman(Quote)
http://mobile.newsnow.co.uk/A/740000162?-11058:809:t
It’s such a shame that Ben Arfas biggest ambition is to join a top European team, rather than playing consistently well and turning a team into a top European team.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy17: Everton are playing Lille. Spurs have Asteras Tripolis at White Hart Lane whoever the hell they are. I was hoping they would have a trek to Russia or somewhere, but no such luck.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Dear Fan’s,
Troy and Me agree that Alan’s a great manager for many reasons. Here’s our list of good things about Pardew.
1. His very handsome
2. His won manager of the year
3. His won manager of the month
4. He cares
5. He has the ability to keep us in the league
6. His tactics
7. He got Newcastle into europe
8. Players like him
9. Can keep us in the top 10
From Joe
Joe Kinnear(Quote)
Where’s my main man Troy ? His my rain man 🙂
Joe Kinnear(Quote)
Eric – 😳 Whoever :lol:. You know what I mean though. How strong will their team tonight be.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy @538 – at the risk of sounding like Pardew,that looks too open for me- away at Spurs we have to stop them creating clear cut chances, and need as much pace on the break as we can get, so I’d go:
———————— Krul ———————-
Janmaat – Saylor – Colo – Dummett
Sissoko – Tiote – Colback – Gouffran
——————— Obertan ———————
——————— Cisse ——————
Cabella, yes brings some pace, but I just don’t see this as his kind of game. Now versus Pool next week, I think he’ll get some joy out of their slow defence…
GTE(Quote)
Whatever you say Joe.
stem(Quote)
Sharpy >E – pretty much my thinking apart from Gouffran. I don’t think he deserves a place any more. He may come again but he needs a break. I’d play Ayoze and for all the praise against Leicester I’d replace Obertan with Armstrong. So a 443 for me with Arma, Cisse and Ayo up top. Never going to happen with Pardew in charge but AA and Ayo both KEEP the bloody ball when it comes to them and score goals. Not keeping the ball up top causes us all sorts of problems further back. Major cause of our poor form.
georgio(Quote)
GTE – you’ve been Pardewed brother!! 😆
I’d rather see us have a go at Spurs rather than try to contain them. They have some good creative midfielder but their forwards aren’t really in form and their defence can be got at. As bad as we have started – Spurs have only scored 2 more goals than us and only conceded 3 fewer than us. If we go there and pay them too much respect then I think we’ll get well beat – we don’t have the players. But if we go with 2 wide men and 2 forwards, then that would be our best chance of getting something out the game IMO
Sharpy17(Quote)
As optimistic as ever Sharpy 😉 Don’t know how you keep it up!
georgio(Quote)
Georgio – I go 4-4-1-1 and you go 4-3-3 and I’m the optimist?! 😆
GTE – I also don’t think Obertan is a no. 10, he’s a right winger. We need to start playing players in their best positions, otherwise they keep looking pish. Cisse scores goals when we get the ball in from wide – Obertan and Cabella can do that. We have better no. 10s in the squad IMO.
Sharpy17(Quote)
The tea lady broke my heart that’s the reason I left.
Joe Kinnear(Quote)
Sorry to hear about Joe. At least you got good friends like Troy to see you threw the rough times mate. I thought you where bloody useless like Dennis Wise.
stem(Quote)
Sharpy – Oba’s not really a no 10, a wing,or a recognisable footballer, so I only place him there because he has got pace, and can pick up the odd hoofed clearance and sprint away with it, hoping for a jammy rebound off a defenders shins to Cisse!
No, Spurs haven’t been pulling up any trees, but the idea of us playing an open game and letting some of their attacking players one on one with our defesive ones sends shivers down my back! Mind, I still remember the hangover after Hunty scored there a good few years ago, so mebbes…
GTE(Quote)
GTE – Obas a right winger and always has been. He may not be the best right winger in the world but that’s his preferred position. If you’re putting a player there for pace, stick Perez there who is more natural to that role.
I know what you are saying about Spurs creative players, but Nigel Pearson was faced with a similar dilemma against Man U. He accepted their forwards would beat his defence, but he allowed his forwards to have a go at their defence – and it paid off.
I’m not suggesting that would happen every week, but I’d rather loose a game trying to win it, than loose a game trying to contain the opponent. Obviously I’d rather a win or draw first like – but you know what I mean.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I suppose there is some chance we can get a draw against Spurs since they are playing today. I wouldn’t count on it however. We’re not exactly an in form side. The Fans Forum certainly didn’t provide much optimism. They can’t guarantee they will sign a striker in January? How about if we’re in the bottom 3 and 10 points below 17th place Ashley? I wouldn’t bet the answer would be the same then, because old Greedy Guts definitely wants us in the Prem.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
G2 I heard that Ashley is putting another SD sign up in january to get the fan’s really excited.
terry(Quote)
That fan’s forum is just the same old bullshit.
terry(Quote)
G2 – they didn’t say they won’t get some in either mate. I think what they said was if they could get a good deal – which lets be honest, has always been our approach under Ashley. It really wouldn’t surprise me if they stumped up a couple of million to loan Andy Carroll for the rest of the season.
Then in 2nd half of the window, try and secure Danny Ings and 1 or 2 other players on a free for the summer window.
Anyone who thinks or hopes we will spend £15-20m in a Jan window will just be pissing themselves off
Sharpy17(Quote)
What’s happened to TDS ? He hasn’t been on lately.
terry(Quote)
Tel – I think he prefers the bitchin on Dr Ed’s blog. 😳 😳
Anyhoo, spuds won 5-1 tonight, but they did have loris sent off.
I presume that wont count for us tho 👿
Some interesting ideas above re line ups etc. Unfortunately Percy will have his own ideas on how to play on the front foot (NOT).
The fool will be looking for another miracle performance from Tim Krul.
That will most likely be his game plan.
I seriously doubt we will see Perez or Arma starting.
I ‘m expecting the same line up that we started with against Leicester if I’m honest. But maybe Tiote will start ahead of Anita.
I don’t see much fret of the spuds goal as we will be defending from the off and constantly on the back foot.
Cisse isolated up front on his own just for a change.
I hope I’m 100% wrong, but I see a 3-0 thrashing coming up. 🙁
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Beardsley Boots his probably trying to talk some sense into jail for ashley and belfast. I can’t blame people for being negative especially with our players, manager and owner. We got a t.v screen now it’s like a new signing.
terry(Quote)
Beardsley Boots I got a feeling Pardew will stick with 4 2 3 1. If it’s not working why change it. Just ashamed we can’t drop Colocini for someone better because there is no one better.
Krul (Good luck keeping a clean sheet your need it)
terry(Quote)
Boots – aye, my line up is what I’d go with. I also fully expect that Pardew will opt for the same line up (toots for Anita).
Sharpy17(Quote)
troy will like this
Former Newcastle midfielder Lee Bowyer says the club risks slipping through the divisions like Wolves if they sack manager Alan Pardew. (Chronicle)
Premandup(Quote)
Yeah I don’t expect Pards to change musc either. He references the lack of a MF link without Cabaye and De Jong yet still plays a system that requires it. Sigh
MDS(Quote)