So what’s happened in a week? Not a great deal really. Lots of stories of heated discussions on the training ground with home truths being told apparently yielding a response from the players which is all well and good but if actually quite like to see a response on the pitch, as I’m sure others would do to.
In the way today are Crystal Palace who are now under the stewardship of former Magpie boss Alan Pardew allowing a section of fans the chance to hero worship him up close and personal after spending all week reading the history he’ll have no doubt been rewriting.
It’s ‘no win’ for McClaren today. Not that I’m his largest fan, he will find himself either preciding over a victory which shpuld be expected as despite our struggles some seem to think we are still a club that should be beating the likes of Crystal Palace. Or we lose and it will be a case of Alan Pardew getting one over on his former club which – just to clarify – he was absolutely awful at doing just that during his time with United.
Team news today will be provided by my good self and I shall look to get it published shortly after 2pm. You’ll find it at the bottom of this article.
If it’s a stream you’re looking for then your best bet will be to have a look in the ‘comments’ section as there are regular contributors who will gladly share links to watch the game.
After last week, and Bournemouth, the performance needs to be much better. Palace may have lost to Sunderland but Pardew’s side didn’t deserve that and played much better than the results suggest. We’ll need to be sokid at the back, strong in the middle and clinical up front if we are to get anything from this one.
Howay the lads!
Crystal Palace: Wayne Hennessey, Joel Ward, Scott Dann, Damien Delaney, Papa Souare, James McArthur, Yohan Cabaye, Wilfried Zaha, Jason Puncheon, Yannick Bolasie, Connor Wickham
Subs: Julian Speroni, Martin Kelly, Joe Ledley, Mile Jedinak, Lee Chung-Yong, Marouane Chamakh, Patrick Bamford
Newcastle: Rob Elliot, Paul Dummet, Chancel Mbemba, Fabricio Coloccini, Daryl Janmaat, Georginio Wijnaldum, Vurnon Anita, Jack Colback, Moussa Sissoko, Ayoze Perez, Papiss Cisse
Subs: Karl Darlow, Jamie Sterry, Yoan Gouffran, Jamaal Lascelles, Siem de Jong, Florian Thauvin, Aleksandar Mitrovic
BrisV: it has been difficult to watch us implode this year. I tried convince myself that McClaren won the Champions League and getting sacked from his last 4 jobs could just be bad luck. The decision to retain, extend and play Colo the Clown (cw Joe Hawkins) makes me wonder. 30 goals conceded in 14 games makes me wonder. Employing Steve Black makes me wonder. Playing 4 centre backs makes me wonder.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Is it more “constructive” to concede 8 in 2 games. What is your analysis of that?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
@525: here is my “reflection” on Leicester and Palace. We were utter *****.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
There’s a lot to wonder about. I do it every time I read comments on here 😆
Brisvegas(Quote)
I will get all philosophical now. We “armchair” fans were not blessed with the skills to play at a high level of football. Just about every manager in the top leagues of the world played in the top leagues of the world. None of us can get into that club because it is clubby. But why are we not allowed to criticise when we see ***** on the field. We are not allowed to call out contradictions from our overpaid and underachieving staff? I have supported NUFC for over 40 years and feel I have the right to ***** a bit when we have Charnley, Carver, McClaren and Steve Black in charge.
Or should I just sit back in my armchair and say nowt? As we get relegated.
We have invested a lot more into NUFC than the likes of McClaren and Black. There is a time to call a spade a spade and wonder WTF Schteve thinks he is doing playing 4 centre backs and Gouffy as a central midfielder.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
BrisV @529: say I am wrong on anything I said instead of sniping.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Don’t worry guys they’ve recalled Willo from his Wolves loan. When the desperate fail they just get more desperate.
I’m so pissed off with them all, coaches, players, owners. Or should I say so called? Dreadful days.
georgio(Quote)
And anybody defending Pardew on here needs their head examined. His sides at NUFC were just awful to watch. His Palace side were good last Saturday though 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Why would I say you are wrong? You have an opinion and I have an opinion. There’s no right or wrong. I haven’t even disagreed with you. All I did was point out an alternative point of view.
I really don’t get this paranoia of yours.
Brisvegas(Quote)
Oh **** Georgio: that means Schteve can now play 5 centre backs: Willo, Colo, Dummett, Mbemba and Lascelles 🙂 When/if Taylor gets fit we can start with 6 centre backs and have the new patented team of 8 defenders and maybe Anita as centre forward instead of the two who 3 weeks ago had a telepathic understanding (Perez and Mitrovic).
Eric Sykes(Quote)
We have recalled Williamson from his loan. How low can we sink?! Is he our new centre half?
Stuart79(Quote)
Long distance head tennis? Chicago to Oz and back. The wonderful world of NUFC!
georgio(Quote)
Willow back in the house eh. Well Colo is not good enough. Lascelles I have no idea about but he has no experience. Mbemb is the only player we can rely on in that position. Saylor perma crocked. So although not ideal and highlights just how weak out squad is, Willow coming back is the correct decision. Shocking state of affairs.
Shamrock(Quote)
Bris – as much as I dislike Schteve and think he’s useless I do agree with your approach. Generally speaking these people aren’t cretins and they’re obviously more knowledgeable than most fans – exlcuding myself of course 🙂
Can’t help but think taking off Perez was the last straw though. He was playing well in the middle and getting the ball out to Sissoko and Jan on the wing when we were still on the attack (albeit that was a very brief period). He also shows some fight and has been one of the very few who has shown that in recent games – taking him off was suicide imo even if we weren’t going to get the win by that point.
Newkie(Quote)
BrisV: I am not paranoid. I am just in a bad mood about the last few performances. I really thought McClaren might be better than he is, better than at his last 4 jobs.
As I said earlier on here, the Chicago Toon group have dwindled to 3 from about 20. I am still going to watch the Liverpool match though. Well, at least until we are 4 down 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I’d rather play willo than colo at this point. He and Mbiwa worked well, so let’s see how he and Mbemba do when Mbemba is obviously better than his predecessor. Willo wouldn’t have allowed that pathetic first goal in, he would have headed clear. Maybe it’s the only thing he can do, but i’m so bored of Colo now it’s unblieveable.
I wonder how the scapegoat brigade are coping now that us only finishing 5th due to poor players like simpson and willo, or almost being relegated because of them, is turning out to be a crock of **** 😛
Newkie(Quote)
What do you reckon though Newkie? Recalling Williamson has to be an admission of a mistake. Which one?
– extending Coloccini’s contract when he is old a slow.
– trusting in Taylor when he is always a gnat’s breath from another season ending injury.
– never trusting Dummett at centre back even though he is 24 and if he hasn’t made it there by now he might not.
– losing faith in MBamba
– losing faith in Lascelles
STEVE SAYS IT IS NO TIME TO PANIC AND THEN RECALLS WILLO 🙂 🙂 🙂 YCMIU
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric – presumably a few of them. Mbemba can’t be to blame though. Dummet is in a tough position, now Haidara is LB I guess he has to stay there, unless we shift Anita? I’d prefer to see him at CB to partner Mbemba and play Haidara, Anita doesn’t really have the physique for LB. Then again, he doesn’t for DM either.
We should never have sold ol Perchy, that’s the real mistake 😀
Newkie(Quote)
C’mon. You cannot seriously say you are not panicking when you tried to send Willo to Port Vale and then sent him to Wolves and then call him back after 3 weeks when there are supposedly 4 fit central defenders at the club ???
Does that show a lack of judgement or care, or both?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Where is Clive Dunn when you need him?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sorry about that Captain Mainwaring BrisV, I forgot to ask your permission to speak.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Willo will give 100% that much is certain, how good that 100% is open to question. He will head the ball so that’s one thing. 😉
kimtoon(Quote)
Just saw that Lascelles is injured now. The 30 minutes he has played all year must have knacked him 🙂 How about playing a garden gnome as CB. Common Little Vurn, you can do it.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
At least willo has been playing I suppose, Championship is certainly better than our reserves. But if Lascelles isn’t fit to take the first team spot now then it is worrying. The issue is Colo is undroppable for some reason, so whether this move is to put pressure on him, or provide depth, it’s kind of pointless anyway. If they drop Mbemba I’ll take Schteve out myself.
Newkie(Quote)
I’m less surprised we are recalling Willo than I was allowing him to leave in the first place to be honest.
Having only brought Mbemba in, we were always short in defence. It was only a matter of time before Saylor made his way back to the treatment table. Dummett and Haidara aren’t shy of injuries either and I think Good might have gone back to Australia with the rugby team to be honest. We were already short a covering RB – hence Sterry is making the bench, and Mbabu couldn’t get close to the first team before this season.
But it does make me wonder why Lascelles isn’t getting his chance before we turn back to Willo.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Seriously, Lascelles is fckin injured 🙂 🙂 🙂 His Pal Darlow hasn’t even been on the sub’s bench. What sort of transfer policy do we have when we loan players back to Forest for a year and then when they come back they get injured tripping over a blade of grass?
So what’s that now? 12 on the treatment table?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Isn’t this just getting comical now? I would say the players are dropping like flies but flies have a better injury record than our lot. And flies like to eat ****, our players just want us to eat **** and pay them 2-5 million a year for the privilege.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric – if Lascelles is injured then it explains why Willo is heading back. However it leaves me a little disappointed that again it’s injury that is forcing change. I’d be far happier if Mc was recalling Willo with a view of dropping Colo.
As for Darlow, he was on the bench at the weekend mate.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Thanks Sharpy for the info on Darlow. That we can recall Willo shows how bad our recruitment was to begin with.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I think my head will explode soon. Not playing the “telepathic” tandem of Mitro and Perez, bringing on Lascelles as the 4th CB and him getting injured, saying we had a “fiesty” week of training and then the whole team not turning up, having to recall Willo, getting thoroughly embarrassed by Pardew of all people.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Everybody is just taking the **** out of us now:
http://www.football365.com/news/newcastle-rescue-season-by-recalling-williamson?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Didn’t Stuart Pearce say that Darlow and Lascelles weren’t ready for the PL or did I imagine it?
kimtoon(Quote)
Eric, Repeat after me
Let it go, let it go!
Can’t hold it back any more.
Let it go, let it go!
Turn away and slam the door.
I don’t care how the team are gonna play.
Let the press rage on.
The club never bothered me anyway. 😉
kimtoon(Quote)
Kimtoon: I didn’t think it could get any worse after Ugly John. Schteve McShyte is trying to prove me wrong.
It was quite funny at the pub on Saturday. After about 60 minutes we stopped watching the game and talked about other stuff.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric, quite right too, why should we give a **** they don’t.
kimtoon(Quote)
Kimtoon: I am used to this as well. So even if it might appear I am going off my rocker, I’m not. You have to have a laugh at how bad we are.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Liked the tale Dyer told last night saying toon fans are very very loyal, being at Newcastle he bought a sports car and went speeding round toon,he crashed into bridge wiping the car out,two toon fans ran and pulled him out thinking he was drunk they said run for it mate we will stay and take the rap lol
icedog(Quote)
Ice – 😆
georgio(Quote)
Might as well bring Sammy back too. He’s better than Thauvin/Cabella. Armstrong too!
georgio(Quote)
I have to ask what the Fck is this Keith Bishop doing? How is he making a living as a PR expert judging by what Ashley is doing!
Stuart79(Quote)
Ice@562 yeah I saw that too 😆
kimtoon(Quote)
They told him they would say they nicked it 😆 Looney toons
kimtoon(Quote)
http://www.shieldsgazette.com/sport/newcastle-united/latest-nufc-news/richard-keys-mike-ashley-is-taking-mickey-out-of-newcastle-fans-they-must-boycott-1-7600664
kimtoon(Quote)
Stuart: him and Steve Black. I think they call themselves “gurus”. PR Guru, Motivation Guru. They should be sued under the Trade Descriptions Act.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric – looking back over your posts today and Stevie Black has taken a bit of a pasting – has Simpson & Cathro got off scott free here?
Sharpy17(Quote)
I just noticed that we are the only game on Sunday. Nationwide, worldwide coverage against a team that a lot of people like to watch with a charismatic new manager.
I wanted to like Schteve, I really did. But if you look at his body language it is like when he was England Manager. He looks defeated. I don’t care who he rips a new a-hole in the dressing room you can see he is defeated.
Sharpy: I don’t like motivational speakers. I have met quite a few and they are con artists.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I think it’s clear Black was brought in to improve the terrible character of the squad and so far he’s not had any impact. In fact I am struggling to see what he’s even doing at the moment because they’re not listening. They’ve either got closed minds or they think he’s a bit of a ***.
As for Simpson and Cathro; I still don’t quite know what Simpson does apart from put cones out. Cathro is responsible for the attacking play I think with McClaren working with the defence. So basically, nobody is coming out of this with any credit whatsoever. In fact I am struggling to see one single important employee who is doing a good job. Surely that’s unprecedented?
Stuart79(Quote)
Eric – I’ve met the bloke on numerous occasions, albeit when he was working with the Falcons and in particular Jonny Wilkinson and he’s no con man mate. He worked the doors years ago and is a really down to earth bloke, but he has a real presence about him – JW had real respect and looked up to him – but then JW was a real sports professional who worked his **** off.
I think you might have SB down as some kind of David Brent when he moved into motivational speaking, but that’s not Blackie, he’s not a motivational speaker for a kick off 😆
Sharpy17(Quote)
http://www.shieldsgazette.com/sport/newcastle-united/latest-nufc-news/revealed-the-damning-win-and-loss-statistics-of-mike-ashley-s-newcastle-regime-1-7600927
kimtoon(Quote)
Sharpy: you shouldn’t read my posts. I am so frustrated at the moment. I have no idea what Cathro and Simpson do. Do you? It doesn’t seem to be working whatever it is 🙂
Believe it or not I usually have B&W glasses on but this lot have me scratching my head. Could it really have been McClaren’s choice to extend Colo’s contract? That audio/video room must have cobwebs on it because there is no way he reviewed any of our games last year and decided that it was a good idea to give Colo another 80k a week – that’s more than 4 million a year – enough for a big yacht to go on holiday at our expense. Wait, he already did that for the last 3 years. He even buggered off back to Argentina to orchestrate a move until he realised it would cost him too much money.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sharpy: it doesn’t seem like what Stve Black is doing is working though. Whatever you call him it is not getting results and maybe he should go back to working on the doors.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2015/12/01/report-newcastle-united-reluctant-to-spend-in-january-ashley-not/
If this is the slightest bit true then I would suggest local fans stay away and sight the fact that the football on show is not ‘ value for money’.
kimtoon(Quote)
good read
http://www.footyplace.com/features/if-newcastle-players-dont-care-why-should-the-fans-1201329412
kimtoon(Quote)
Here is something from The Chronic. He references a “triangle of power”. Has anybody ever heard of the NUFC powers that be called the “triangle of power”? Is it Ashley, Carr and Charnley or McClaren, Carr and Charnley? Either way I would call them the three goat heads of despair rather than triangle of power.
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/newcastle-united-crisis-heres-five-10530951
Eric Sykes(Quote)
the three stooges
kimtoon(Quote)
Sundays game is live, perfect chance for fans to stay home and watch it on sky. Empty stadium will = action by jabba?
kimtoon(Quote)
Kimtoon: I said the same thing @571 except there will be a worldwide live audience, bigger than normal because Liverpool are very popular and it is the only PL game on.
If the team and Schteve have any balls then now is the time to show us. Not literally Schteve, I don’t want to see your ginger danglers.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
https://betting.betfair.com/football/premier-league/newcastle-united/premier-league-newcastle-united-steve-mcclaren-011215-722.html
kimtoon(Quote)
Our worries are over mates! Willo is coming back to save us!! This is the kind of news we need. Just think…. Willo and Colo back together again. Huzzah!!!!
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Well now that Willo is coming back we can make wor plans for where we’ll finish the season in the Prem. Hmmmm. I fancy 8th place. Too low to get into Europa but high enough that the fans will be satisfied and pleased and beg Mike for more…..
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Nigel will save us along with Willo! We will fly up the table! We will crush all before us like grapes! Or possibly other squishy things!!!
GeordieTwo(Quote)
With Willo and Colo back together we can concentrate on pushing everybody else further forward! Attack! Attaaaack!!!
GeordieTwo(Quote)
This is ingenious! Send Willo out on loan and then bring him back as if he were a new signing!! Trot him out in front of the press. Show the supporters you care Mike! Brilliant!!!
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Just rooting around here at Blog End. Hmmm. It’s been a while. Things are quite dusty…. Here’s a press clipping announcing Mike is staying until we win something. Straight into the fire with that then…Here’s one announcing wor one and only Wow signing, the man they call Colo. Here we have the re-hiring of Joe Kinnear and that wonderful press conference he gave. Ahhh the memories….
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Give us a good old fashioned English hard knock as manager. Let him sack everyone else. Bring in your own team Nigel. Straighten this lot oot!!!
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Muddle! Muddle!
We’re like a dog in a puddle!!
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Never give up on wor ability to muddle through! We muddle with the best. There are politicians learning muddlage from Ashley as we speak!!
GeordieTwo(Quote)
ERIC @576 Black did real good at QPR last year didn’t he,he sank with them,he was out of work so fits in well for jabba,Simpson has been a loser at every club hes been at
icedog(Quote)
Does anyone want to volunteer to help Nigel with the club? Have we got any champion muddlers out there? We need someone to make the sandwiches and polish Nigel’s fongbat. I would do it but I’m very busy tidying up Blog End at the moment. All those lovely press clippings going into the fire……
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Carver! Carver!
We don’t want Carver!
GeordieTwo(Quote)
It’s all right lads. I’m calming down now. Breathing returning to normal…..pulse rate slowing……But I’m still excited aboot Nigel!!!
GeordieTwo(Quote)
I had a really weird nightmare lastnight.
Williamson was recalled, Mbemba was dropped. Colocini kept his place and Williamson walked straight back into the team. 😯
Oblong(Quote)
Cheers Icedog: I had forgot about Blackie as Sharpy calls him at QPR. I couldn’t give a toss if he did well for Wilkinson, he is not doing it (whatever he does ) for the Toon. That game on Saturday got me all riled up and the fact it was against Pards…
I might go full on China Syndrome meltdown if we play the same way on Sunday. It will be interesting to see if he picks Colo. More interesting still if he picks Perez and Mitrovic. Would that be an admission that he is clueless about what to do?
I really don’t want to be too critical of Schteve but he is forcing me to. I had hoped for better after the Gobshite and the Idiot.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Look at Steve’s reaction in the first pic. Body language.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/row-zed/newcastle-boss-steve-mcclaren-awkwardly-6933918?
As for the Mackem “prankster” he is about as funny as Jimmy Tarbuck and Rod Hull.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric – That look was “I’m way out of my depth here but I’ll wait for a pay out”
Stuart79(Quote)