Who would you start?

On Wednesday we head to White Heart Lane to take on Spurs in the quater final of the League Cup. Depending on who you ask, this is either a very, very important game(fans) or it is not that important and we would rather concentrate our efforts on premier league games and survival (club). To me the game on Wednesday is a great chance to push for some silverware and we must go in with the strongest team possible. However one eye must be firmly fixed on this weekend fixture against our most bitter rivals Sunderland.

Play or rest?
Play or rest?

As much as I would like to progress in the league cup, I want to see a good showing on the weekend and three points put in the bank after a win.
So with this in mind, there really are a few selection issues that need to be taken into account so that we don’t head into Sundays game with a bunch of tired players. From what I can gather at this early stage, we should have all of our regulars (apart from Janmaat – card trouble) available to play but I do not think we should be loading up the team too much for Wednesdays clash.
I think we should rest Sissoko and start Abied. If required we can bring Sissoko on late to add some fresh legs and drive. I would also look to rest Perez and Cisse and give Riviere a run out so he can get some game time under his belt. I would also leave Taylor out and play Williamson so that come Sunday, Taylor will be fit and firing.
It really is a hard one to juggle, how strong of a side will Pardew be prepared to send out? It really is a doubled edged sword, play a weaker team on Wednesday and lose and there will be derision amongst the fans. Play a stronger team and then lose on the weekend due player fatigue and things will get very gloomy indeed.
I hope Pardew can strike a good balance over the two games and we can come away with two victories!
It would be a very good week of football if Pardew and the lads could pull it off!
What are your thoughts?

596 thoughts on “Who would you start?

  1. CC@365 I hope you’re right mate but one question , should we lose him to a club with a better offer how would you feel?

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  2. I’d be very surprised if Haidara is on 30k when you consider we wouldn’t pay Simpson 25k and he was first choice RB at the time.
    Haidara was signed as back up to Santon and Simpson would have been back up to Debuchy – if we were paying 30k to Haidara as back up then we would have met Simpsons pay request. I just don’t see Haidara getting that much.
    But from Aarons point of view, he’s seen Marv getting 50k, HBA getting 55k and Obertan getting 40k p/w as wide men who contributed little to nothing.

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  3. Yeah I can’t imagine Haidara would be on 30k, that would be a hell of a lot more than he was on in the French second division that’s for sure!

    It would be depressingly ironic if our focus on youth just led to our players getting poached by sides at our level who are happy to throw wages at people in the hope they come good, like Sunderland, West Ham, QPR etc 🙂 We can’t rely on the loyalty of geordies *cough* Carroll *cough* but it does give us slight leverage, the players may not want to up sticks and all that.

    But someone like Aarons needs to be tied down, hopefully he’ll get a chance in the coming weeks to show what he can do, at the end of the day we have players on about 50k who are contributing little to the first team so getting arrons signed up shouldn’t be an issue at all.

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  4. Does anyone else get the feeling though that the negotiating of Sammy and Aarons contracts could be an excuse for nowt happening in the Jan window?.
    I get the impression that they will sort a contract out for both players and claim that to have been the priority when we bring no new players in next month. I may be being pessimistic, but it’s just a feeling I have.

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  5. I see a lot of people are hammering Riv now, he’s not been great but I’d like to give him a bit more time, I don’t think he’s been anywhere near as bad in comparison as Cabella, both for the money spent and for the type of players they were supposed to be. He looks like Jozy Altidore at the moment but surely he can’t be that bad. A goal against the mackems would do him a world of good.

    Ben Arfa was weak for the English league but he walked in and made an immediate impact and we bought him for about four mil Cabella has not shown any more than he did.

    We’re in a funny situation here aren’t we, it seems Pardew can’t get blamed for destroying footballers in this instance, though I’m sure it won’t take long 😀

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  6. Sharpy – agree mate, can’t see a lot happening. Ashley will feel he did his business in the summer like he was asked, so unless bids come in for anyone I can’t see us investing.

    It is a genuine joke we’re expecting to compete for european places in the league and we have had Taylor and Williamson in our side for the lastfour or five years. Still entirely reliant on an aging, wantaway Colo. If just the defence could be addressed I’d be happy for Armstrong and Perez to get serious game time up top.

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  7. Mark
    Your assumption of Hadeiras wage sums you up. It’s a complete assumption. I never understand why some people make assumptions.

    For that reason, I will make an assumption. You haven’t got a clue how much he actually earns.

    I haven’t got a clue how much you earn either. So without facts, I wouldn’t like to guess.

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  8. We won’t buy anyone in January, haven’t the powers that be already stated as much at the last fans forum. Didn’t they say that a purchase would only be made if the right player at the right price became available :?:,I take that as a big fat no, so don’t go getting your hopes up .

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  9. Kimtoon, as long as Ashley counteracts the lack of ambition at the toon, with cheap and affordable tickets for home games, then nothing is going to change. Pardew is part of the deal, doing just enough to keep the toon in the EPL every year. Throw in an occasional win against a top club, or a cup run to shake the fans out of there stupour and maintain interest, and you have Ashley’s receipe for financial success.

    Not that I’m negative or owt ?!

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  10. Kim

    If we lost him to the clubs hes being linked with then id laugh as hed be another stupid kid throwing away his potential to sit in the stiffs.

    On January; They wouldnt guarantee signing a striker in this window, In all honesty i can see why after signing Perez, Riviere & Ferreyra they wanted to give them a fair crack of the whip. It hasnt worked for the latter two so i could see us trying for Mitrovic. I certainly think we will sign a centre half in january

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  11. CC, I wouldn’t laugh, I would be gutted we’d lost out again. Regarding signings I agree I’m not that fussed up front as I think defence and to a point out wide is where we need boosting. On the lack of or not in quality at recent duff signings, I think it’s a shame the fans should suffer for the inadequacy of the scouting/buying dept.

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  12. Maybe laugh is the wrong word but id have a wry smile, He wouldnt get a sniff of first team football at those clubs. I personally think sense will prevail, We’ll make him a better offer and he will accept.

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  13. CC, that Aarons tries to get the best deal is obvious. Can see this really going down to the wire, and I have a feeling that as long as Aarons doesn’t commit, then we might find that his hamstring takes longer to heal than expected 😉

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  14. CC, he may end up at none of the top clubs but at a QPR, West Ham or such like on better wages which would be even sadder imo.

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  15. This centre half we bought from Forest can’t be much cop – he has hardly played this season and Forest aren’t exactly ripping the league up…

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  16. KT@398, my English mate here in Minga is a Forest fan and he reckons both of the Forest lads that we nicked are the real deal…

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  17. When you read Aarons tweets he seems really happy and settled at NUFC. He doesn’t come across as money pissed to me, and proving we offer a fair deal he’d stay. Likewise with Sammy.

    CC – of the forwards we’ve been linked with I think Mitrovic looks a really talented player – but I don’t imagine Ashley will cough up more than £10m. The lad is catching afew eyes with his CL performances at the moment so there may be other clubs ready to pay more.
    Danny Ings would be another I’d go and get. Do a deal with Burnley to buy him now and loan him back for the rest of the season in a hope that sees off the competition. Either of those 2 would replace Chucky for me. I’d then consider loaning Rivière back to France next season to get him game time and build his confidence back up – unless he has a class 2nd half to this season like.

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  18. Troy Stavers said @382 🙂

    “Mark

    Your assumption of Hadeiras wage sums you up. It’s a complete assumption. I never understand why some people make assumptions.
    For that reason, I will make an assumption. You haven’t got a clue how much he actually earns.
    I haven’t got a clue how much you earn either. So without facts, I wouldn’t like to guess.”

    Play nice Troy.

    Haidara, if you want to argue with people about little things 🙂

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  19. Sharpy@402, Agree it’s petty and sad especially after the sterling job done by many of their fans raising all that memorial cash for John and Liam .

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  20. Kim – that’s exactly what I thought, and hopefully their away fans will join in the applause on 17mins – I’m sure they will.
    I’ve got no problem with O’Shea trying to kick him up a height in the 90mins – but before and after the game there should be the respect for a fellow professional.

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  21. With Parsnip we’ll always have a 35-40% win percentage. It’s not good enough and never will be. But Ashley is a completely useless owner who won’t change anything unless he’s absolutely petrified he will lose his Prem money. That says it all with him. Hopeless pair.

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  22. so much doom and gloom 😳
    3 points guaranteed plus bragging rights at last.
    Howay look on the bright side.
    TOON TOON

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  23. G2 Jabba does enough to get by without spending anything. He only needs 6 more wins so no need to spend this january.

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  24. Hoping Arma starts instead of Rivi. Pardew has nothing to lose by starting the local lad.

    We also need Cisse fit, there hasnt been much news all week regarding players returning. I bed Pardew is dreading this game.

    Alnwick
    Janmaat Colo Saylor Dummett
    tiote…colback
    perez..Sissoko.. cabella or goof
    Armstrong or Cisse

    would love a win but my heart says a defeat

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  25. Is sammy fit?

    judging by the lack of pre-derby comments, peeps arent too confident for today.. oops just made an assumption. sorry Troy 😛

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  26. Don’t be silly, Dave. Pardew will send them out to give the ball away, not mark at corners and miss any chances we create. He’s that bad you know! 🙂

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  27. Stuart79, if you are going to the match today could you please give it large from me mate !!! HOWAY THE LADS !!!

    A couple of quiet steins in the Hoffbräuhaus for me with a couple of the Geordie boys, then doon to the pub to watch the match.

    ***** me I hate this Pardew “playing things down” style…. he really should shut his kisser at times…
    Could it be that because Pardew never really played at a high level, and feels subservient to the likes of Perez, Ben Arfa etc ? Perez looks perfectly aquitted to handle the derby..the bloke is magnificent !! Is Pardew aquitted to handle a north east derby is my question !!

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  28. Percy should worry less about the players ability to handle the derby and look to himself . Massive test for his managerial ability again today, question is can he mastermind a game plan to see em off today, I’m not so sure he can tbh ,do hope I’m wrong as would be the start of a better week than the last .

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  29. Bright start. If we had cabaye or Ba that’d probably been 1-0, we seriously need a set piece specialist!

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  30. Fucking joke decision. Wickham backs into him with no intention of going for the ball, and tiote wins the header and gets fouled,but obviously he’s the one to get booked.

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  31. This is slipping away, we are retaliating too much and they are dropping like flies, how many we got on a yellow now?, we will not see out this game with 11 imo

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  32. The way I see it we started off great actually trying to play football but after a series of fouls on us by them we have descended to their level and sadly not done it as well and collected a series of cards for our troubles. The ref will defo send off at least one player second half , will be amazed if he doesn’t.

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  33. Kim – aye, Tiote or Colback or possibly both won’t last the 90. I’d be tempted to move Goof or Ameobi central just to take someone with a yellow off, pull perez out wider and get Cisse on.

    Maybe Cabella or Amstrong could come on for one of them instead? Don’t want usu going to 10.

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