Game On! Stoke City V Newcastle United

Toon take on the Potters
Toon take on the Potters
Welcome one and all to to today’s match thread where we come together to watch our Toon charges take on Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium (through the gaps in the fingers of the hand covering our faces).

A win see’s Newcastle pull 3 points clear of the drop zone with a game in hand over Norwich City and local rivals Sunderland. With Swansea away to Title chasers Arsenal today – and their manager having been taken ill – the Magpies also have the chance to match them for points, again with a game in hand. The importance of this game cannot be underestimated, as our other game in hand is against Manchester City in a game we have no right or expectation of getting anything from. Ordinarily a game away to Stoke should be feared, but their home form is inconsistent of late and our lads should by now be worrying about their form in the lead up to the Euro’s – as well as their long term futures and pay packets at the highest level. They have had an 18-day break and there is no excuse for not showing fight and application tonight.

Shearer’s right foot did an excellent preview, which you can read here. It’s full of injury news, interesting stats and key battles. Since that article, news has come out that January signing Andros Townsend has been laid off with a hamstring injury – which has seemingly gifted Yoan Gouffran a starting berth tonight.

Stoke City: Butland; Bardsley, Cameron, Wollscheid, Pieters; Whelan, Imbula, Shaqiri, Afellay, Arnautovic; Walters. Subs: Haugaard, Muniesa, Ireland, Joselu, Diouf, Crouch, Bojan.

Newcastle United: Elliot; Janmaat, Taylor, Lascelles, Dummett; Shelvey, Colback, Sissoko, Wijnaldum, Gouffran; Mitrovic. Subs: Darlow, Sterry, Saivet, Aarons, Perez, Riviere, Doumbia.

As you can see the Toon have gone with 3 strikers from the bench. Does Steve McClaren anticipates Aleksander Mitrovic not to last the full game following his recent injury? Or he is planning a full scale assault for the last half hour should things not go to plan? Lets find out…

HWTL

About Shamrock

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

588 thoughts on “Game On! Stoke City V Newcastle United

  1. Mcwally, Yep and preferably end the journey with said 10 seater going over the nearest cliff 😉

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  2. the rest of the uk footy fans are right, newcastle fans are delusional.

    3 hours to kick off and i’m thinking we might get a win today despite the reality staring me in the face.
    Delusional.

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  3. I see the chron is now suggesting that this match is Steve’s last shot, I really hope his replacement isn’t Rodgers tho

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  4. Fancy 1-1 today and that will probably be enough to save McClaren ridiculously! Although I’d take defeat if it meant McClaren being sacked.

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  5. Mcwally
    Thing is many of the players are really skilled and that’s why we get so excited when they play well because we expect that week by week, but our players lack consistency and are generally pretty stupid. Communication between them for organising defence and attacks is atrocious, they can’t string an offensive play together without losing the ball or completely misjudging a pass or run.

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  6. Kim my only thinking is that all the stories are that a defeat today would end it for Schteve. So with our luck he will avoid a defeat and we will be stuck with the grinning clown

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  7. going for the draw too. 1-1

    Its just far to easy to think we’ll win our home games and everything will be dandy. it never works like that in the Prem, esp if you look at the home games we’ve failed to win already

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  8. same line up as Stoke. why change it, we got beat

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  9. Dave, I’m beginning to think the club actually don’t care what happens to it anymore. Jabba has totally taken his eye off the ball, pardon the pun.

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  10. So the ‘senior players’ have released a statement saying they’re behind the coach and are not surprised he’s still in a job. Means **** all really!

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  11. @Stu.

    sack the lot of em!

    Sissoko and a few other seniors like goof, Mr Cashew nut-heed arent bothered who manages them, they want out anyway

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  12. Stay Calm we won’t get relegated. We have 11 cup final’s still to play. Obertan is showing sign’s of fitness and maybe able to play in a couple of week’s. I know most of you are worried about Colocini but he should return in two week’s which is defiantly a reason to get excited about. Bournemouth is a must win game today. We will be playing the 4 2 3 1 formation with Mitrovic up front. Riviere is looking good and might come on today. His like a new signing 😛

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  13. if the senior pros released that statement then they are talking PORKIES.

    Today is the day for 11 exocets up the you know what.

    For heavens sake stop the blather and break a sweat and do the business you wasters

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  14. I have been speaking to Troy and he has given me some criticism, let me tell you. I will try to be a Newcastle legend just like Kevin Keegan, Sir Bobby Robson and Alan Pardew before me. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Rest assured me and the board do care about your comments.

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  15. Stuart don’t you think I’m a good manager. That hurt’s that’s like a knife going threw my heart. The player’s think I’m doing a great job.

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  16. In my opinion the Journo was well within his rights to have it out with McClaren. McClaren didn’t have to go public and try and embarrass him on TV. He accused him of writing negative stories for the past 18 months. There’s been nothing but negativity around the club for that period so what else was he suppose to write about? It’s about time a Journo finally called out McClaren and his pathetic record.

    I also hope Charnley has had a call to Rodgers or Moyes this week to check if they’d be up for the job. But let’s be honest, Charnley did tell George Caulkin that they would never have sacked Pardew and it was such a shock that he left that they didn’t even have a shortlist of who to replace him with. Get the feeling the same is happening now! They won’t want anybody who will challenge their mediocrity based structure and plans.

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  17. The players’ statement read: “Newcastle United players would like to make clear that reports in some areas of the media suggesting we are surprised that our head coach has not been dismissed are untrue.

    “As a group we aware of the situation we are in and it is our responsibility to change that.

    “The coach and his staff prepare us well for each game, but once on the pitch it is not they who can stop the goals we concede or the chances we don’t take, that responsibility is ours the players.

    “On the occasions we have given poor performances this season the coach has in the privacy of the dressing room rightly demonstrated his disappointment in us.

    “In his press conferences, though, we have seen that he defends his group, continues to show faith in us and shares the responsibility with us. For this he has the full respect of the players.

    “The players are also aware from articles in yesterday’s newspapers that a person or persons connected with the club are giving information to the press of a negative nature.

    “As players we are very disappointed by this. It’s a betrayal of trust for the coach, us and the club.

    “As a group we know we have it within us to keep this club in the Premier League.

    “We now must fight every game at a time to earn our place in the Premier League for next season.”

    What a load of ****!

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  18. Stuart

    I can’t believe they aren’t thinking about it, Caulkin said yesterday they were close to getting rid in November. They must be close to tipping point with whats at stake

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  19. 11 games left and McClaren still has no idea what his best team or formation is.

    The club’s PR dept have in all likelihood come up with this ‘players statement’ themselves in hope that it show unity. It shows the opposite! It actually shows a panic stricken club, paralysed by fear without leadership too to bottom.

    Ashley must be held ultimately responsible for this shambles but Charnley also as he is making these ridiculous decisions.

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  20. Very strange to start Riviere. In all his time at NUFC he has shown very little to suggest he can hack it in the PL.

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  21. I think with todays line up i have given up any last remerants of hope of survival . I doubt we will come straight back up like last time ethier , we are run by muppets and coached by a Total **** and are destined too years of mid table champioship football . Where it all went wrong was imo sacking Houghton and not replacing him with a person with a football brain . A total effing shambels the whole club .

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  22. Stu. Of course it was the club who issued the statement. The players wouldnt collectively come out with it.

    What it does show is theyre willing to stick with SM whatever the result today

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  23. Sadly, Gash I agree with your view there. Sacking McClaren seems as far away as ever. Bizarre!

    Maybe only the supporters can change that. We must be vocal and especially during the game today. The club need to know we aren’t happy.

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  24. 1-1 or 1-2
    Newcastle: Elliot, Janmaat, Taylor, Lascelles, Dummett, Shelvey, Colback, Sissoko, Wijnaldum, Perez, Riviere
    Subs: Darlow, Anita, Saivet, Gouffran, Aarons, Mitrovic, Doumbia

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  25. So we bought doumbia to make do after not signing berahino.

    We leave him on the bench and start Rivi instead of Mitro or Doumbia.

    The club were never in for berahino, total bullshit. Can’t believe the club would say we had options up front given the predicament we’re in and play Rivi 😯

    Arma would do a better job than Rivi

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  26. Checked the team selection on BBC and literally shouted “FUCKING RIVIERE! HE DOESN’T KNOW HIS **** FROM HIS ELBOW LET ALONE WHERE TO BE ON THE FUCKING PITCH!” proceed to hear ny housemate burst out laughing and come in to see what’s going on. 😳

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  27. Gashley
    Exactly. I’d bet everything I have that Rivi wouldn’t have scored as many goals in league 1 as Arma has for Coventry.

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  28. Not having a go at the new lads but surely a new article even just covering today’s game would appreciated 😕

    Biggest game of the season and we’re still on the Stoke game

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  29. Whatever the outcome today i want us to win. Even if we’re a whisker away from sacking Grinny by being beaten, I cant bring myself to think of a loss as a silver lining 👿

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  30. Hopefully Rivi and Perez can form an understanding that produces goals. 🙄 If we don’t look like getting a foot in the game then he just has to go for it and chuck on Dumdums imo, how’s he gonna get match fit not playing.

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  31. I remember when Leon Best started a game to a similar reaction and got a hat-trick. All I’m saying is, lets give the lad a chance and be critical afterwards. We don’t know what condition Doumbia and Mitro are in. If Riviere puts the leg work in when we lose possession then that might make the difference and allow us to go with two upfront. Perez has the quality.

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  32. Also surprised Saivet isn’t playing more, he looked good in his first couple of games from what i can remember

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  33. I’m all in favour of dropping mitrovic, but I would have preferred dumdum to king Tut.
    WTF is he thinking here ?
    Mental.
    Howay the Lads.

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  34. dear me, take a look at our posers just strolling around up front.
    Pressing, what the hell is that ?

    An utter shambles…pathetic..

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  35. That was a display of absolute abject malaise.
    There was no fight ! You would think they were playing the final game of the season and sitting comfortably in mid table!
    The players are happy to go down in the hope they are offloaded.
    If Ashley doesn’t sack McLaren and Charnley then we deserve to give up now as supporters.
    Anyone, anyone who keeps saying they wouldn’t sack McLaren unless we get someone better clearly don’t understand my point.
    Gashley for one, get a grip, demand his sacking and get any average premier league manager in now! That includes Pearce.
    Dear me.

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