Chelsea Vs Newcastle United – Premier League Preview

This weekend see’s Newcastle United travel to Stamford Bridge looking to consolidate their position clear of the relegation zone. Chelsea have been unbreakable since Guus Hiddink came in though, so this will be no easy task.

Chelsea:

The Blues are fortunate to have a very clean bill of health, with only 3 players currently injured. However, the loss of Kurt Zouma for 6 months with an ACL knee injury is a big loss. Ramadel Falcao has done his groin in (he rarely plays these days so he must have done this some other….’ahem’….way…) whilst ex-Toon striker Loic Remy is likely to recover from a calf injury in time to challenge for a place in the match-day squad.

Newcastle United:

Unsurprisingly, Newcastle United is top of the treatment table league. Tim Krul (ACL knee) and Curtis Good (hip) remain out for the season but we can expect returns to the match day squad for Siem De Jong (eye) and Jack Colback (hamstring) whilst Daryl Janmaat has shaken off a thigh injury. This game comes too soon for Kevin Mbabu (thigh) and Vurnon Anita (hamstring), who are scheduled to return at the end of the month. Gabby Obertan (hamstring) and Massaido Haidara (knee) are out for at least a month still, whilst there is no news on Paul Dummett (hamstring) or Chancel Mbemba (ankle).

Shamrock’s Stats & Facts:

1) Chelsea are unbeaten in the league since Guus Hiddink took over from Jose Mourinho.
2) Newcastle have failed to score or take a single point in their last 3 visits to Stamford Bridge.
3) Chelsea have failed beat the Toon in the last 11 games between the sides when Newcastle have scored.
4) Guus Hiddink has only lost 1 of his 21 Premier League matches.
5) The Blues are on the longest current unbeaten run in the league, with 9.
6) Newcastle have taken more points off Chelsea (13) than any other team in the last 5 seasons.
7) The Magpies have only won twice on the road this season, losing the last 4 away games.
8) Chelsea have drawn their last 4 home games – against Watford, West Brom, Everton and Manchester United.
9) The most goals ever scored in this fixture was in the 1958/1959 season – Chelsea winning 6-5.
10) The Magpies have scored less goals on the road than any other team this season.

Referee:

Officiating this one is 50-year-old Roger East, who represents the Wiltshire County FA. Despite his age, he only took to being the man in the middle from the 2006/2007 season – being a linesman before that, including at the 2004 FA Cup Final. East was only promoted to the Premier League Select Group from the 2013/2014 season. He is a relatively steady referee with no history of contentious decisions of note. He has taken charge of 4 Newcastle games this season, including our 2 losses to Watford, our draw with Stoke and our last away victory at Tottenham Hotspur.

Final Thought:

Whilst Wijnaldum’s goals and our 2 recent league wins have been a big lift for us in our relegation battle, it has all been at home. If Newcastle is serious about staying up, then the players need to start performing away from home. We are the worst team in the league on the road and that is really not good enough. Whilst Chelsea are unbeaten in 10, they just cannot buy win at home at the moment. If our boys apply themselves with the kind of passion and fight they showed against West Brom, then I’d be quietly confident of coming away from Stamford Bridge with a point – that’s unless McClaren gets his tactics and selection completely wrong again like he did against Everton during our last away trip….

One big thing we have going for us is that our side seems to step up for the games broadcast on national television. This fixture is on Sky Sports – so fingers crossed!!

Chelsea V Newcastle United
Stamford Bridge
Saturday 13th February 2016
Kick Off: 17:30 Live on Sky Sports 1.

About Shamrock

Like everyone here, support Newcastle United. Not the easiest side to feel good about at times, but it's our side!

785 thoughts on “Chelsea Vs Newcastle United – Premier League Preview

  1. Boot camp my jacksy !
    It will be the equivalent of young car thieves being given two weeks in Lanzarote as a punishment for their crimes.

    MugClaren has to go A.S.A.P before he does any more damage to our chances of staying up.

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  2. fams need to make our thoughts clear in the next game against Stoke. We’ve been far too passive so far.

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  3. Agreed. Now’s not the time to think about the long term improvement of the player or the club, or personalities that we do or don’t like or the style of football. Now it’s all about survival and anyone who can do that for us should be brought in. I reckon Moyes could, and have been saying we should have plumped for him months ago.

    If we go down we will lose a load of our young and talented footballers and we will really struggle in the championship with the exodus. It won’t be like the last time.

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  4. That’s actually an interesting “5 things we learnt” from Chris Waugh @604 as he is openly questioning the tactics, set up and preparation and the Chron do not often go that far.

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  5. Eric, I find it incredible the lack of scrutiny McClaren has been under by the press – locally and nationally.

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  6. As the clear top dog of NUFC fantasy football, I’m willing to throw my hat into the ring and apply for the poisoned chalice that is the Newcastle United job 🙂

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  7. Well one thing there was leads of villa fans laughing at us on Twittersphere after yesterdays game . Bet their not feeling so effing cocky now 3-0 down and apparently looping about als interested as our lot yesterday

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  8. Chris Waugh usually tells it like it is to be honest, not like the majority of them at the Chronny who are just sucking up to the imbeciles running the club.

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  9. Waugh at The Chronic turned 2 weeks ago. Neil Ashton of The Mail (spit) was scathing yesterday. Ryder will be sunning himself and The Champions League is back so it will be “radio silence” on criticising NUFC in the press for a while. Look out for some “boot camp” pictures in The Chronicle.

    Aarons at left back when we had Colback available. It beggars belief. I have seen people say it will shatter his confidence. Why? He is never a left back and will never play there again.

    We have our relegation centre-backs back in tandem.

    At least if Kilmarnock hire Clark it might shut Troysta up for a while.

    Well, at least one team is probably worse than us 6-9 so far at home.

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  10. I wonder if this treatment of Aarons will cajole him into signing a new contract 😳 😳
    Isn’t he a free agent in the summer ?

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  11. Supporting NUFC is always an emotional roller-coaster but we should ignore that and look at the facts. I said it earlier, but it bears repeating. 6 wins in 26 games and 80 million spent means McClaren needs to go.

    We will be the 5th team in a row he has failed at and that doesn’t even count coaching QPR. He drags the same coaches and back-room staff around with him (including Sharpy’s Stevie Black) and gets the same results – the sack.

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  12. Newkie – aye it’s not like Garde has had £80m spent on his team mate.

    Watching that true Geordie clip earlier and he made a great point. Colo & Saylor were our CBs the last time we were relegated – 7yrs on and we have the same CBs. £80m spent and we have the same CBs as 7yrs ago and a 20yr old winger playing at LB .. Toon Toon.

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  13. I would really love to have agave to face meeting with Charnley. I would ask him what on earth he thinks McClaren has/is doing to warrant him still having a job. Simple question but I just don’t think he would have an answer.

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  14. Villa 6 down at home. Ouch. I was reading comments by their fans yesterday taking the p out if the Toon and saying we are worse than them. They were certain they would catch us.

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  15. Wolfsburg-Twente-Forest-QPR-Derby-NUFC.

    You try to back a new manager. You try to give him time. Charnley offered him the job 3 times. Sack them all.

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  16. Correct Sharpy and it shows better than anything why it’s so important that a manager picks the areas that needs improved and doesn’t just get players delivered to the training ground. Pardew for instance had never even heard of Riviere or Mbiwa when they turned up at the training ground.

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  17. Eric, supporting Newcastle United always was a roller coaster ride, at least in my formative years (early 70’s), but purely due to the crapness of our team. We were always pretty much a standard fixture in the old First Division, with little or no danger of going down.

    It’s only during the Ashley that pretty much the permanent threat of relegation has haunted us.

    I reckon the massive amounts of money entering English football really has filtered it’s way down into the lower leagues too. There are some big clubs in the Championship, with big fan bases and ambituous owners. The 2 Sheffield clubs, Hull, Fulham, Middlesbrough, Derby, Leeds, Ipswich…

    Throw in one of Villa, Newcastle, Sunderland, Swansea and Norwich next season and you have a massively difficult Championship.
    We need to stay up at all costs otherwise it’ll set us back a decade…

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  18. Lee Ryder on Twitter: Understand NUFC have no plans to change head coach at the moment.

    I’m just mad. I really am mad. This decision makes me madder than getting beat. The incompetence is incredible!

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  19. Stu
    If Ashley is prepared to persevere with McClaren then he must be okay about the club being relegated.

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  20. Goals against 49 in 26 or 1.88 per game.
    Extrapolate to 38 games = 71.6
    Even worse than last season when I think it was 69.
    And they said they didn’t need defenders until the last day of the transfer window when they suddenly changed their minds. Now The Chron say they are “stuck” playing an “unfit” Taylor. What about Lascelles? What a shambles.

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  21. Aye, Sidekick. If we get relegated persevering with him then I will have no sympathy for anybody at the club.

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  22. The only possibility we have is that Ashley takes a unilateral decision and takes the big decisions out of the incompetent hands of Charnley because he has oversaw 2 relegation battles since he’s been in charge and this one might be terminal.

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  23. Off course we are going down this season. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool. We can’t defend to save our lifes. I hate Colocini. I blame him the most for our defensive trouble’s this season. He had to take the **** and sign a two year contract, didn’t he ? He should have done the honorable thing and gone back to Argentina.

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  24. He knew he was past it. He knew he was to slow for the PL. He just had to take the ****. Gutless manager, Gutless captain.

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  25. Stuart I’m sorry mate. I just think Ashley wants us to go down. If his not furious with McClaren and the board and demanding answers the we might as well give up now.

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  26. Well done Kilmarnock. 😆
    They can see his merits.
    The only job where he stood any chance whatsoever was Huddersfield and he did a decent job. Set some records.
    I remember Pardew being plucked from the football wilderness and many calling him a nugget.
    He proved who the nuggets were 😉
    Well done Clarky. I only wish the toon had given you a chance.

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  27. Terry: we have a squad to stay up. We have many options in mid-field and attack and a decent manager could cobble together a weak but passable defense. It would require dripping Coloccini which would not be difficult after yesterday and having Dummett and MBemba fit.

    The knee-**** reaction that took place was from McClaren hailing the return of Tiote after a decent game against a team that just sat back. After 1 decent game in 3 years.

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  28. The guardian reports;
    Clark, who served Newcastle United, Sunderland and Fulham as a player, enjoyed a successful time in charge of Huddersfield Town. He admitted to “shock” at the time of his sacking by the Yorkshire club in 2012. The 43-year-old subsequently managed Birmingham City where, like Blackpool, off-field events often overshadowed footballing matters.

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  29. Troy: as usual you cherry pick your facts. However, can you just shut up about Clark now as anything you say about him is irrelevant as regards NUFC at the moment (and he was before, except in your crazy imagination)

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  30. Eric but the only trouble is Ashley wont sack McClaren. He should but he won’t. Also McClaren wont drop Colocini no matter who’s available. He should.

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  31. Wow! Psychs. 😯
    He was hardly irrelevant. He was an out of work manager and everyone is wanting McLaren out. A realistic choice until the end of the season. Your choice was Klinsmann. 😆 😆
    YCMIU 😆
    So the board of directors of kilmarnock, a Scottish premier league club choose Lee Clark to manage their club but bloggers on here who wanted Pardew out recommend Klinsmann. 😛
    NCTBA (Never Ceased To Be Amazed) 😆

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  32. Eric – Clark got sacked because he had more money than any other club in the league and continued to fail to get them promoted. When he left, they got promoted. Similar story at Birmingham actually. He nearly got them relegated in his first season, had them at the bottom the next season and when he was sacked the new manager had them shooting up the league and now might get promoted.

    So all in all, not even as good a record as McClaren and that’s not good!

    So that’s my final word on Clark.

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  33. Clark under Birmingham.
    But Birmingham are in a terrible financial mess, with their owner Carson Yeung in jail. The club has been on its knees for months and the only surprise is that it has not tumbled over completely.

    Clark’s dismissal came after Pavlakis, who is in Hong Kong, spoke to the club’s owners there. He is now flying back to lead the hunt for a successor, but it is not going to be easy.

    There is a minefield of difficulties at Birmingham, apart from being one point and one place from the Championship relegation zone.

    Clark spelled how difficult it was to keep Birmingham afloat yesterday morning just before his sacking.

    He is believed to have had one of the lowest budgets in the Championship with a ceiling of £5,000 a week for any player’s wage.

    “Fulham bought a player whose transfer fee alone was more than my playing budget,” said Clark, referring to the £11million they paid for Ross McCormack.

    “Wigan spent more on deadline day than my playing budget. With the exception of David Davis from Wolves, I haven’t bought a player.

    “The fans are not seeing the bigger picture in terms of the performances, not seeing the picture of where we are financially and our recruitment.”

    HiS time at Blackpool were under far more serious financial restraints. At times he only had 11 players in his squad.

    Talk about cherry picking. 😉

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  34. haha I love Troy mentioning Clarky as a serious candidate. its doing his credibility no harm at all 😛 …I’m sure Swansea, Villa etc are fizzing that they forgot about the mighty Clarky…. 😳

    So if the Chron is to be believed, then there you go, my point all along to Troy. It doesnt matter what we shout about or name successors. I never believed Ashley or Charnley would fire McClaren. Thats how **** we are…

    One thing for certain, the Chron definitely read this blog. they have mentioned a few things now that have come from new articles.. well done Sham, ghost writing for Ryder 😆

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  35. For Christs sake, why are we talking about Lee Clark. I said Klinsmann 18 months ago as a replacement for Pardew. I said that the US National team do not have the players worthy of him at the moment so we could maybe have taken a punt last summer but it would be hard to prise him away from Southern California. I have named quite a few managers I would prefer to McClaren since. LEE CLARK WAS NOT ONE OF THEM 🙂

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  36. Clark at huddersfield;
    In his first season at the club he helped them to a ninth-placed finish in League One. They also only lost two home league games under Clark in the 2008–09 season. In his second season in charge, Clark helped Huddersfield to secure a play-off spot and became the first manager to win three Manager of the Month awards in a single season since Roberto Martínez in 2007–08.[9] Huddersfield were defeated by Millwall in the 2009–10 play-off semi-final.

    In the 2010–11 season, Clark guided Huddersfield to a third-placed finish in the league, earning them a place in the play-offs after a club-record 25-game unbeaten run in the league. They reached the final after beating Bournemouth 4–2 on penalties, but lost 3–0 to Peterborough United in the Old Trafford final. In July 2011, he agreed a new rolling contract with the club.[10]

    Clark continued breaking records at the beginning of the 2011–12 season, extending the unbeaten run in domestic regular-season league games to a Football League record 43 games.[11]

    Clark was sacked as manager of Huddersfield on 15 February 2012 following a 1–0 home defeat to Sheffield United.[12] When he was sacked he said, “I’m shocked, but when Huddersfield go up this season, I’ll be celebrating like any other Huddersfield fan.”

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  37. Psychs.
    I asked you recently for a realistic replacement for McLaren. You said Klinsmann. 😆

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  38. Paul Jewell is better than Clarky.. why didnt we get him? he’s English too

    Wigan Athletic

    In June 2001, Jewell made his return to management with ambitious Division Two club Wigan Athletic. In his second season as manager (2002–03) the club won the Division Two championship and entered the upper half of the English professional football league system for the first time ever. They were near the top of Division One throughout the 2003–04 season but were pipped to a playoff place on the final day of the season by Crystal Palace—who went on to win the playoffs.

    On the final day of the 2004–05 Championship season, Jewell’s Athletic side clinched promotion to the Premiership bringing top-flight football to the Lancashire town for the first time. For the 2005–06 season, Jewell’s side lost their first game at home to Chelsea via a last-minute winner from Hernán Crespo but won their first match two games later at home to Sunderland. They contested the League Cup final against Manchester United on 26 February 2006 but went down 4–0.

    On the final day of the 2006–07 season, Jewell steered Wigan safe from relegation after a win against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on 13 May 2007. A day later, Jewell resigned as Wigan manager.[5][6]

    On 11 February 2007 during the aftermath of Wigan’s defeat at the hands of Arsenal, Jewell accused referee Phil Dowd of failing to award Wigan a penalty and for allowing what appeared to be an offside goal. After the game Jewell was charged by the FA for improper conduct regarding his verbally insulting the referee. For this offence Jewell was fined £2,000 and given a two match touchline ban (suspended for 12 months). A second charge relating to the same referee was brought by the Football Association, and was heard on 16 May 2007 and was found not proven.[7][8][9]

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  39. Troy: you are a knacker 🙂 About 90% of the time you dont get involved in the conversation and want to shift it to one of your pet subjects. When you do get involved you actually add something but that doesn’t happen often.

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  40. Troy: I already named another 6 on this thread and there is also Favre so that is 7. Please keep up 🙂

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  41. Gashley
    Your reputation for dithering is developing nicely. 😛
    Keep sticking with McLaren. 😉

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  42. Look man, the bloke we really need is Harry Houdini

    You are all wasting your breathes anyway coz we are stuck with the Grin Reaper. The club is so loyal they will probably also allow him the chance to get us promoted back to the PL as well.

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  43. And, if I am naming Klinsmann as my choice at least he is good, unlike Troysta’s choice.

    Ranieri went to Leicester, Flores to Watford and West Ham were close to getting Benitez so Klinsmann was not out of the realm of possibility.

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  44. Gashley
    Paul Jewell until the end of the season is a good shout. 😉
    I will move you up one rung for that one. That puts you on rung one which Stuart has just fallen off head first into Psychs hay nose bag. 😆

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  45. Troysta: you really are making a fool of yourself with this Clark love. It is Valentines Day, did you send him one of those giant cards?

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  46. He’s still mentioning Klinsmann as a realistic target. 😆
    Do you not understand we only do *****? Comedy gold. 😆

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  47. @Sharpy is Houdini available? I think Ashley’s constraints might put him off.

    @Troy .. Clarky or SM.. tough one like 😛

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  48. I cling to the one ray of hope that Ashley is unlikely to tell Ryder that he is going to sack McClaren on Monday.

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  49. twisting words Psychs. No more than you 🙂
    Gashley
    You redeemed yourself with Jewell. He’s no better than Clark though. 😉
    It must be embarrassing for you now that a Scottish premier league club have analysed clarkys record and still see him as a good enough manager to manage their club. They should have contacted you. And your football qualifications are? 😀

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  50. since we missed out on Clarky why don’t we hire the bloke Killy sacked? Gary Locke…

    the other guys interviewed but weren’t chosen were Graham Alexander, Mark Cooper and Neil Redfearn.. what about these.?. obviously a similar level to Clarky..

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  51. Gashley
    I see us heading for relegation under McLaren therfore the names you mention for a short term fix in the hope new ideas and different voice bring a honeymoon period. Sunderland do it season after season.
    Nobody would touch Di Canio now but he saved them when brought in
    We need to creep over the line. **** managers can do wonders in the short term. Roy Keane another.
    I’m not suggesting Di Canio mind. He’s just mental. He reminds me of Psychs. 😀

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  52. Eric. Thats sick mate. its valentines day after all, anyway..how do you know I wear skirts 😯

    Troy can just about see the ladder from the hole in the gutter he resides in. Even the sewer rats are laughing at Clarky, Jewell etc 😆

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