United travel to champions Manchester City in the Barclays Premier League on Saturday (5.30pm kick-off).
The Magpies go into the fixture on the back of a three-game unbeaten run which has seen a victory at Hull followed by two draws against Stoke and Crystal Palace.
The sides have already met twice this season. On the opening day, Manchester City ran out 2-0 winners.
However, United gained revenge a couple of months later when they beat the holders of the Capital One Cup 2-0, with Rolando Aarons and Moussa Sissoko on target.
Newcastle will be without Paul Dummett after he injured his knee cap in the 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace last time out and will likely be out for the rest of the season.
That means head coach John Carver heads to Manchester with captain Fabricio Coloccini, Mike Williamson, Daryl Janmaat and Massadio Haidara as his only fit senior defenders, while Remy Cabella (knee) is a doubt.
Nevertheless, Carver remains in confident mood and told his club’s official website: “We are going there knowing that we are playing against a good side, but we are not going to be fearful because we’ve proved that we can go there and get a result.”
Wilfried Bony will be available to make his long-awaited Manchester City debut. The Ivory Coast international striker Bony moved from Swansea City to the Etihad Stadium in January on the eve of embarking on a successful Africa Cup of Nations campaign with his country. Toure is also back and is expected to slot straight back into the starting line-up against Newcastle, while Bony will compete with Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic for a place alongside top scorer Sergio Aguero as City boss Pellegrini has the pleasure of selecting from his full complement of attacking options.
Man City Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany (C), Mangala, Kolarov, Nasri, Fernandinho, Toure, Silva, Dzeko, Aguero
Subs Caballero, Demichelis, Clichy, Lampard, Fernando, Navas, Bony
Newcastle Utd Krul; Janmaat, Coloccini (c), Williamson, Haïdara; Sissoko, Anita, Colback; Pérez, Cissé, Gouffran.
Subs Woodman, R.Taylor, Abeid, Obertan, Ameobi, Armstrong, Rivière.
Although if anybody could actually come up with a single instance where Bris has actually said anything that we could call an opinion recently I think that would be a start. You know apart from the petty little sarcasm comments that make no sense?
Anybody out there who can help please send examples on a postcard to Big Dave.
Stuart79(Quote)
The great escape clause. 😆 😆 😆
In fact in the past you’ve accused me of never giving opinions, so I fail to see how I could’ve been wrong about anything.
Just more trolling methinks – oh look, an opinion.
brisvegas(Quote)
😆 😆 😆 Can’t find anything. Call out the other trollsters.
brisvegas(Quote)
Crawl away, little boy, and stop bothering me.
brisvegas(Quote)
Can’t believe Big Dave has been called a Troll! 😯
Stuart79(Quote)
Only in your diseased mind, Stu. Only in a mind that gets off on stirring up conflict.
Rational people will see it otherwise.
brisvegas(Quote)
If the blog ******** actually read an article once in a while he would have read one of Brisvegas’s opinion peices. Maybe if the same ******** didn’t just skip past the articles in such a haste to start whinging, he would know where Brisvegas was coming from…. Casual observation over…
The Casual Observer(Quote)
What a relief you’re only a casual observer then, eh? Although let’s be honest I think it’s likely you’re a little more than that, just usually under another name.
Talk again the next time who casually observe.
Stuart79(Quote)
Well, I’ve been demoted! Stuart is the new blog troll. 😆
To be fair to Stuart, I don’t think he is a troll at all. He has been consistent throughout the entire time of reading the blog. What many don’t appreciate when he comes across as repetitive, it’s because he’s trying to readdress the constant army of bloggers who repetitively bombard the blog with the same points.
Nothing wrong in either doing that. That’s the nature of the blog. To call Stuart a troll is ridiculous.
I suggest the casual observer posts a few opinions and see how many bloggers you clash with. Try and not become repetitive. It’s almost impossible.
Begas can be frustrating to debate with as I’ve pointed out on many occasions. He makes condescending remarks then disappears without clarifying his position.
He’s very similar to Aussie in that he contributes by posting a thread but often adds little during the debate if challenged about his opinion. It’s a most defensive behaviour. It must be an Australian thing.
I’ve got to say, it’s great reading when Stuart doesn’t let his challengers off the hook. He’s relentless.
I’ve also witnessed Stuart repeatedly abused on here and he’s reacted with great restraint. It’s only recently he’s started to respond with the same type of remarks which are hurled at him and it’s those who cry and whine when he does.
This is a blog, where characters clash and it’s healthy to do so. There’s no real abuse which is offensive and those who do find it offensive or don’t like being subject of the remarks made by Stuart should really refrain from blogging altogether.
Keep it going Stuart. You’ve down wrong and are a main contributor to interesting debates. 😉
Troy Stavers(Quote)
The casual observer @ 382 I take it your not a big fan of Stuarts.
Its was admirable to see you trying to stick up for Bris but the name calling let you down a bit 😉 just my opinion
Big Dave(Quote)
It’s ok, Dave, I’m sure I will get over the debilitating and cutting insults.
It’s a compliment really. It’s when people can’t have reasoned debate because they know I’m right but can’t admit it as they’d look silly.
Stuart79(Quote)
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/daryl-janmaat-says-sorry-newcastle-8696226
kimtoon(Quote)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/11428171/Sports-Direct-pays-just-82-into-staff-pensions.html
kimtoon(Quote)
Kim Janmaat was one of the few that put a decent shift in, I even thought during the game that he must be thinking that he made a big mistake coming here. And what he says is right, and that pass from willo for the pen was just another **** up of many , but there is not much we can do because we have no one else to replace them with.
Big Dave(Quote)
Kim – I don’t know about anyone else but I’m getting bored of hearing sorry!.
Are the players sorry enough to refund the poor buggers who travelled down to Manchester to watch that shower of ***** first hand?.
A clean sheet against Villa would be the best apology IMO.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Kimtoon: that article is quite funny, especially the bit about Carver conducting an investigation. He should start by looking in the mirror.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Some will say that they told us what to expect if Pardew was sacked (Troysta). Pardew done a bunk and we didn’t have to choose Carver. We knew he was ***** and had been ***** under everybody except Robson. That was obviously more about Robson than Carver.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Dave – to be fair, I thought Willo won the ball well in that particular passage of play. It was Anita who ****** up with a **** poor first touch. He always seems to have a slow start and regularly makes mistakes early on. It wouldn’t surprise me if City identified Anita as a weak link and told their players to be on him straight away.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Also Kimtoon: some of the comments in the article are getting very angry. There was a point made by someone that this is the 24th defeat by 3 goals or more under the Pardew and Carver tenures. When we are **** we are really ****. And Carver is going to conduct an investigation – I don’t think he will need Hercule Poirot, Sherlock Holmes and Scooby Doo to find the culprits.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sharpy: Williamson does do some decent things occasionally and you are right that he won the ball well. What he then does is lay it off dangerously and put Anita in trouble. He does it all the time because he is scared of the ball. If it happened a few times then OK, but it is a pattern that he puts teammates in trouble and is never available as an outlet BECAUSE HE IS SCARED OF THE BALL.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Troysta @384: Sometimes I think you prefer ****-stirring to actually commenting on NUFC. And yes I do see the irony of me making a remark like this.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sharpy yeah he won it but the pass he made was stupid and he has made a lot of stupid passes before, he just seems to never learn.
Big Dave(Quote)
And more: the irony of Carver conducting an investigation shouldn’t be lost on any of us. HE COULDN’T FIND HIS OWN ARSEHOLE 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sharpy meant to add that I have seen Willo make a few stupid back passes to Krul without even looking to see if there was any oppossing player about, in the last few months.
Big Dave(Quote)
Eric – we are going to disagree on this one I’m afraid. Dzeko didn’t nick the ball off Anita’s toe and Anita had plenty of time to control the ball and either turn or worse case scenario lay it back to Krul – had he controlled the ball properly. Anita wasn’t concentrating on what he was doing and that is the root cause of the problem.
Willo had time on the ball and played the pass with his head up. He could have punted it up field if he wanted to, but he played it into Anita coz he saw he was free – watch it back mate, it was defo Anita.
I’m not saying Willo isn’t responsible for most of the goals against – just not that one IMO.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Carver was the only person who was ever going to replace Pardew. It was called the day Pardew left. It’s all in the form book.
Stuart79(Quote)
Dave – I watched MOTD2 last night and I reckon Anita had time to do a lot better than he did. Had Dzeko nicked it off his toe then fair craic, but Anita’s lapse in concentration & poor first touch is what put us in trouble. Like I said to Eric, had Anita controlled the ball properly he had options.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy: you might be right mate. I might have just given up totally on Williamson and blame him for world hunger, brussel sprouts and Coldplay’s total lack of ability to play live.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sharpy I know Anita was at fault but as Lee Dixon even said Willo played the ball to Anita knowing that Dzeko was closing in, he thought that Willo’s only concern was to get rid of the ball.
I have seen Willo launch the ball aimlessly down field many times when he has had time to control it and pick a pass. But I have also seen him play a hospital/ dangerous pass many times when he has been pressed.
Big Dave(Quote)
Eric – he’s absolutely to blame for all of those other things!!. But just not for the first goal against City 😆
If the pass into Anita had been a poor one – ie too heavy of not enough on it, then fair dos. But for me, having watching it afew times now, it’s all on Anita that one.
Sharpy17(Quote)
http://youtu.be/dcIQYhrSyAY
Dave – then I disagree with Lee Dixon as well – pig headed 😉
But look at the clip again. Willo is under no pressure and neither is Anita. Dzeko is a good 10 yards away and only closes in when Anita miscontrols the ball. Had he controlled it properly he had time to either turn or lay it off to Krul.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Well IMO we could sit here all day arguing about Willo’s mistakes etc, but I think most would agree that through no fault of his own he isn’t good enough. But we have to play him because we have no one else and that is down to the fact that the regime dont want better unless they’re cheaper
Big Dave(Quote)
Sharpy that video just shows me that he passes the ball to Anita who has Dzeko closing in behind him and Aguero in front of him, he should have tried Janmaat 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
Psychs
As I’ve said, it matters not how Pardew left. You got what you demanded and it was always a knocking bet Carver would have been an option.
You’re point, which is repetitive, is flawed.
Carver is your man. You wanted the change. Support the man that was always going to be considered if Pards left. Stop passing the buck.
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Dave, Agree about Janmatt, my worry is that he will play because we are so short and that tight groin will become a major injury. He is one player we really need and who has been consistently good for us, also he always looks like he could have a goal in him as he has a fine shot on him; he’s been close many times. Regarding Willo it’s incredible that the king of hoof chose not to hoof it at exactly the wrong moment 🙄 Having won the ball well he plays a suicide pass to Neets with an on rushing Dzeko , ok maybe Neets had time to control it but we should never be making a pass like that in the 1st minute, it’s madness, especially against opposition like that where you get little time on the ball.
kimtoon(Quote)
Dave – he had options, but the pass didn’t result in the pen, the miscontrol did. Anita controls it and turns and a pass to Colback is on – Anita is in the way for Willo to make that pass – or Anita plays it back to Krul.
Dzeko isn’t breaking his neck to close Anita down until be makes the mistake. Control the ball and there’s no penalty for me.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy @406: you bastad. I was trying to erase that game from my memory and you put up a highlights video. Nah, I stopped it when they were just about to show their second goal.
Now Carvs is supposed to have this radical new technology called video and even has a room for it to show players where they went wrong and even opposition tactics and possible weaknesses. Apparently this is a new innovation under Carver that Alan Pardew didn’t utilize because he had never heard of fucking youtube and still had a betamax.
Only at NUFC.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Troysta: Carver is not my man. If I have to repeat my point it is because you don’t get it.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Psychs
He’s exactly that. Your man. Who did you expect to replace Pards? You demanded Pards left. He did. I warned you of the outcome. What don’t you understand about that? He’s your man. Deal with it.
Troy Stavers(Quote)
We slaughter our CBs for playing hoofball, then when one plays a perfectly decent pass into our ‘ball playing’ midfielder who miscontrols it its the CBs fault?! – what is it Troy says again? …. UCMIU 🙄
Sharpy17(Quote)
You’re right Troysta. I chose Carver as the best candidate for the job and fully applaud Charnley in making this non-decision. I also totally agree that Pardew will not take Palace down in the near future.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I see the club have delayed the fans forum meeting until March. Was supposed to be in February. I imagine there’s a reason for that and it is only for the Benefit of the club. They’re probably trying to work out how’s best to report a whopping great profit or the first onwner in history to start taking money out of a PL club…
Stuart79(Quote)
Well done Psychs. You’ll feel better for telling the truth. 😉
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Stuart: you do know that there are 28 days in February so March is only a week away?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sharpy
YCMIU (You Couldn’t Make It Up) 😉
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Sharpy – doesn’t matter as they’re both rubbish!
georgio(Quote)
Sorry Stuart for my facetious comment. It is just that you are assuming that Ashley gives a **** about anything we think which goes against your comments on here.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Dave – I also saw Lee Dixon blame Willo for City’s 5th, saying he didn’t get out to Silva quick enough – maybe, but where was the midfielder tracking Silva?. He had space & time all game and none of our midfielders got close to him all game. Defensively we were all over the place all game – but our midfield proved no cover at all and Nasri & Silva were allowed to drift wherever they wanted. Both Silvas goals were from a central position, yet no midfielder tracked him. You give players like Silva, Nasri and Yaya time & that’s what happens – regardless who ya CBs are.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Eric – To be honest I’m more bothered about why they’ve delayed it as to how many days are in February. That’s why I made the comment.
Stuart79(Quote)
Liverpool fans must feel daft now. They were jamming the media switchboards expressing Rodgers was Clueless and should be sacked. He’s doing another great job considering Suarez was sold and Sturridge was out for so long.
Fans are so fickle.
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Georgio – 100% agreed.
Troy – that’s the one! 😉
Sharpy17(Quote)
Actually Eric, I have consistently said Ashley would give a **** if supporters stopped turning up. We have the power and a negative announcement a day or so before the Villa game would have a impact on attendance I think.
Stuart79(Quote)
Don’t agree Stuart. I think Ashley is a maverick who does whatever the hell he wants as shown by the choices of MDs and their sackings and choices and retention of managers.
I think there was maybe 6 months when he went from being “one of the lads” to a pariah when he thought twice about his purchase of NUFC. Now he is in it for the money. He might change again, because as I said he is a maverick. I don’t think fan views matter that much to him anymore.
As the Troysta says, fans are fickle. I watched a Man U match a few years ago here in Chicago when half the Man U fans had those green and gold scarves on wanting the Glasers out. They had won the league in 3 out of the previous 4 seasons.
FAF (fans are fickle)
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric – If 15,000 supporters didn’t go to games that would cost NUFC £450,000 per game and over a season that’s about £9m. He’s only interested in money and that would devastate him! We can’t sell more players than we do at the minute and buy less players to cover the loss in revenue as we would probably get relegated. We’re doing the bare minimum at the moment so he would be seriously hit. He would also have the PL on his back asking why their brand was being damaged with half full stadia. This would result in less TV appearances so a further hit in the pocket for him.
We hold the power, it’s clear when you look at the consequences of a big drop in attendances.
Stuart79(Quote)
Relegation is Ashley’s big, big fear! We must play on that and a reduced attendance at home would make home games harder for us, he would have to put more money in just to sustain the minumum squad investment and that would **** him off.
Stuart79(Quote)
Stuart: I have to go out. You make some decent points but I don’t entirely agree with them. I might pick up later on what you say. I will say that there is so much money sploshing around in the PL that attendances dont count as much as they used to for a club like us.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
£9m a year minumum means a whole lot to a person who is so consumed with saving and making money that he saved a couple of grand a year stopping complimentary tickets, installed energy saving lights in the offices and drilled a bore hole for our own water.
Stuart79(Quote)
really carnt see attendences dropping that much like.
alot of st holders have seen worse than jabba,and the younguns were just an itch when king kev had us fighting at the top.
hitman(Quote)
so they dont know any better.
hitman(Quote)
Kim @ 410 spot on 😉
Sharpy yeah I heard Dixon say about Willo for the 5th but what I heard him say was that he showed no desire to stop him and shook a leg rather than put his body on the line to block it
Big Dave(Quote)
Hitman – I agree.
Stu – I agree with you, but there was over 48k at the Stoke game (our last home game) – which suggests that not too many are turning there back on the club/Ashley just yet. I’d be interested to know the figures for renewals mind you. But 15k is a lot of people and if what’s happened up to now – ie Jan with no players or manager signed up – if that hasn’t convinced 15k, then I’m not sure what will exactly. For the record I agree with you – even if it starts with just 1 game demo. But it’s 15k you have to convince.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Stoke had 47.7k so 5k decided they didn’t want to go. The majority of them will have been season ticket holders who have paid so will go. Next season who knows? I won’t be renewing and Some of my mates aren’t either so let’s see. To be honest I can’t see myself going to another game this season as I’m bored shitless and they’re pointless so what’s the point?
It’s a start so hopefully even if another 5k stay away that’s 10k and to see 42k there would be a damning statement.
Stuart79(Quote)
if st did fall by that much,jabba would just give the tickets to schools and hozzys etc,so it would still look like a full sjp.
im not a 100% but i think he has did that before.
hitman(Quote)
Dave – yeah, ok I’ll give him that one I suppose. But equally, Dicko should be picking up on the fact that someone with Silvas quality is allowed so much freedom.
What I would say about our defence for that goal is that it was a ball over the top and little Aguero had way too much space to play the ball down for Silva.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Hitman – It would be the loss of money that would hit him more than anything. It’s his God and he would be stuck between a rock and a hard place. Does he risk relegation by investing even less on the squad (is that even possible) or does he need to actually spend more money (his money) in shoring up the squad? Either way it’s a pain in the **** for him. Plus we all know that a club disunited is a recipe for relegation. It happened the last time so we do have some power.
Relegatikn would hit him more than us. We should play on that.
Stuart79(Quote)
its a beautiful dream stu.
ashley would just soak up the loses from st with tv money..
a total boycott is the only way to rid us,but that will never happen.
empty sjp live on sky will sort it.
hitman(Quote)
a live super sunda on sky with just away fans in sjp,the media would go into overdrive.
hitman(Quote)
I’m not sure anyone expecting much less than a humping on Saturday, The way it happened left a sour taste
For a rare moment I agreed with Savage on motd, they should have been dragged in on Sunday and ran into the ground. But as “JC” the fat sharpei needs all the references he can get he wil be very pally with the players in the vain hope they will put in a good word.
We’ll scrape past villa which should put any (ridiculously pesimistic) lingering fears of relegation to bed for this season but if charnley thinks this malaise won’t carry on into next seasn he’s kiding himself. A new start needed for all
CC(Quote)
http://mobile.newsnow.co.uk/A/759945673?-11058:809
Sharpy17(Quote)
Same **** differnt day. Carver woeful, way out of his depth as if we didn’t know. If the man had an ounce of dignity he would walk. Even more stupid and more gobby than gobshite Pardew..
Can you imagine what Remi Garde must have been thinking? If by any miracle they were talking to him about being the next mgr he would have to be mentally ill to even consider it. The ramping up of the club’s and chronicle’s pr campaign says exactly what they are trying to get away with. It would be one of the worst days in our history if that absolute moron got the gid full time. The lily livered of SJP need to show their mettle.
Anyways to the Aussies out there, will i be able to catch our game on Saturday on tv in Melbourne? What channel do i need to look out for?
Geordie Deb(Quote)
This Joey Barton carry on makes me laugh like. The bloke stubs cigars out in people’s faces, and serves time for brawling in the street – but bop someone in the bollocks and he should attend an anger management course 😆
It’s the funniest sending off I’ve seen in ages!!. Ashley Barnes could have broke Matic leg and stays on the field 🙄 😆
Sharpy17(Quote)
Never seen a club run so badly.
Our season is finished and the players don’t care. Problem is we still need another two wins to avoid relegation. I have no idea where those two wins are going to come from though.
JJ(Quote)
Sharpy, Don’t look for no rhyme nor reason where Premier league refs are concerned.
kimtoon(Quote)
Sounds like Carver wasn’t happy with Willo’s pass to neets 😉
John Carver admitted it was not a good start to the game:
“It wasn’t a great start.” “There wasn’t anything that we didn’t expect.” “We expected them to put us under pressure from the start, from the kick-off.”
“If we’d have got the kick-off we’d have done exactly the same thing.” “Put it in their half and put them under pressure.” “They got kick off, the ball was put in our half and we just didn’t deal with it.”
“Mike Williamson had a chance to stick the ball back into midfield and he didn’t.” “Vurn turned back on himself and it’s a penalty.” “So 1-0 away at Man City and you are in trouble.”
kimtoon(Quote)
I believe we are averaging a point per game under Carver. There’s 13 games left. The likelihood is we should comfortably reach 40pts.
Villa on Saturday is huge though. Anything but a win could seriously damage the players and Carvers confidence.
I don’t see why we won’t win tbh
Troy Stavers(Quote)