Derby Day: Can The Magpies Slay Sunderland in bid to Survive?

Shearer's Right Foot

Sunday sees the most crucial Tyne-Wear derby in recent history take place at St. James’s Park. The game between Newcastle and Sunderland is the one every fan looks forward to anyway, but this match has so many subplots and elements to it that it has football fans all over the country talking about it.

Both teams are stuck desperately in the league’s relegation quagmire sinking deeper and deeper into trouble.

Newcastle have sacked their head coach and replaced him with a manager of genuine pedigree. The fixture is Benitez’s first game in charge at St James’s Park in front of his own fans. The managers of both teams infamously do not see eye-to-eye and have had very public spats in the past.

Sunderland’s manager was sacked by Newcastle owner Mike Ashley and subsequently ‘Big Sam’ claimed Newcastle weren’t ‘big’ enough for him!

The game is a new manager’s second fixture after being appointed, something Sunderland have done three times before, winning on each occasion. Sunderland have won the past six derbies. It is something of the like we have never seen before, but ultimately it all comes down to three measly points that could make or break either side’s bid for survival.

The win for Norwich means that even if Newcastle were to win the game, they would still not climb out of the relegation zone. But interestingly you could argue that the Norwich win actually puts a little more pressure on Sunderland to win the game whereas before Saturday, a draw would have seen the Mackems remain above the relegation zone.

For Newcastle it means that victory is absolutely crucial. With only eight games remaining after this one, we will be cut adrift if the unthinkable happens.

In many ways all the usual things we would be looking for in a new manager’s first few games; formation, selection, motivation, tactics, substitutions, performances etc are all rather irrelevant.

All that really matters is those three points. Three vital points, three pivotal points, three priceless points.

I fully expect Newcastle to come flying out the blocks, roared on by an electric crowd similar to the one which saw Newcastle register a vital win to stay up on the final day of last season against West Ham. Who was their manager that day? Oh yeah! Yes, a repeat of that would do very nicely indeed.

Whether at the game, in the pub or at home, enjoy the game folks; it’s going to be edge of your seat stuff!

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249 thoughts on “Derby Day: Can The Magpies Slay Sunderland in bid to Survive?”

  1. Cheers ATM, agree with all that, it is indeed unthinkable to lose this game, we simply must win. Really hacked off about the Norwich win yesterday, could of done without that and it seems to me they have had nowhere near the press attention that us and the Mackems have had this last week or so. Part of me is worried that the appointment of Rafa has galvanised the teams around us . Such is the calibre of the signing, it must of made the teams around us think , right, with him in place they are likely to stay up so we have to fight even harder. Question is, can we get the new manager bounce that Sunderland seem to get with every managerial switch they carry out before a Derby? After so many losses to them the odds surly must be with us to finally get a win.

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  2. I can’t stand these games even though I have to be there or watch at home. Knot in the stomach. So please surprise us all and get a convincing win. If we lose I think we’ll go down. What a boring and obvious post! That’s derbies for you.

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  3. Cheers Andy good read and I agree with it all.
    For me anything short of 3 pts and we are in big trouble, and im sure Rafa has made it clear to the players.
    Will be interesting to see the team sheet, see if we have any of our injuried players back.

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  4. Aye Kim, was at a gig in Stourbridge last night, the lad putting it on was a Villa fan and as we arrived it was still 0-0. Until he got his phone out to prove it and he realised they’d gone 1 down! But the Norwich result was a real shock and mood dampener. That really puts the pressure on now, defeat here will be almost suicidal. Lose again at Norwich and we might as well say our goodbyes to Rafa there and then.
    I think we’ll win though 😉

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  5. I feel sick. Today has arrived. If I could be anaesthetised until 3:15 I’ll gladly take it.

    What a horrible position to find ourselves in.

    A great new manager and we could lose him and our Prem status to the dirty inbreds from Sunderland… Urhhhh minging

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  6. Well the drink is helping. Can’t say I enjoy these games unless we’re winning comfortably. So that’s not often…

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  7. Rafa when asked if he will leave if the club went down said he’s not thinking that far ahead,at least it wasn’t a “yes”

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  10. Stu, I think maybe the club are trying hard to get the press back on side. With everyone talking down our survival chances they will be keen to get some positive copy for a change. They want to see column inches righting off Scum and Norwich, even Palace not us.

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  12. Dave, let’s hope so.
    I’d not heard of this striking coach company before, but it seems they are well respected and successful. Fingers crossed. I personally still believe in Mitro and think he’ll come good, I know lots don’t.
    In fact, although I never bet on the football, I think I might have just convinced myself to throw a tenner on Mitro to score today.

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  13. Youyew I still find it hard to believe that we have never had a striking coach before now, and even that our strikers never got any striker specific training/practise

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  14. Dave:
    Just go through the pain of watching this seasons games back again.
    I’m sure you’ll find it very believable after that! 😆

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  15. Seriously though, it’s shocking really.
    Why is it considered essential to have a specific goalkeeping coach, but not one for the strikers?
    It is the same in that there are specific techniques that only someone who has been there and done it will be able to relay.
    A coach or manager will be able to devise the system to get the ball to the striker, but an experienced and talented striker will do a far better job of explaining and teaching the minute variances they have learned over years of being in the game, and being in that position, that enable them to be that little bit sharper or more accurate.

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  16. The saddest part of losing today is the real prospect of relegation and losing the services of Rafa, who would surely leave. After years of underinvestment, we finally spend and get the right manager when it’s likely too late.

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  17. This is fucking horrible man!!!.

    Get this fucking game started and let’s batter these dirty Mackems!!.

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  18. I know the modern game has changed a lot but a striker needing a bloody coach to help him score just makes me laugh your a goal scorer or not,I can understand a goalkeeper coach and the club coach (Rafa) ,I bet big Al,A Cole,Kane ect ect are laughing their socks off,your a natural goal scorer or not,a striker coach come on give me a break

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  20. Ice I would bet that all the players you mentioned had some striker specific training session, plus you could say why have defensive coach’s , and most teams have them 😉
    Anyone else having problems posting on the blog ??

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  22. Well lets hope the striker coach has an early effect, though I’m more inclined to think it’s a confidence issue with Mitro, he is snatching at his chances, he needs more composure , maybe that’s what they are working on.

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  23. DJG:
    Elliot
    Jan-Mbemba-Lascelles-Colback
    Sissoko-Wijnaldum-Shelvey-Towns
    —————Ayoze———-
    ————-Mitrovic————
    Get back when losing the ball and Mitro left up as target. The strength in our side is the box-to-box midfielders and running with the ball. Sunderland will soak up long balls all day long, so play down the channels at their fullback, where they are weaker. Get Ayoze and Mitro in the box and deliver good quality balls in. Taylor has to be dropped if Mbemba fit, the defence is a worry but it’s all we’ve got. We need Lascelles to win headers and have another decent game.

    Great minds think alike then. 😉

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  24. Here’s an interesting thought, all the press and pundits backing Sam because ‘[ he’s done it all before re-relegation battles’. If he is so good at fighting fires, why has he got his side fighting a relegation battle when he’s been there since October ? Also when he took over they were 19th, hardly pulling up trees is he.

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  25. That team should be capable of doing some damage, they just need to believe in themselves. We battered them until Colo was wrongly red carded last time out, time for karma on the biggest occasion of all.

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  26. Managed to get a prime seat for the match foe nowt.
    Perched on top of the Sandman hotel roof!
    Gone are the days of climbing the huge oak trees in Leaves Park.
    I can just see a 10 metre square patch of the pitch at the corner flag.
    I’m not up here to watch the match though. It’s so I can drop eggs on the mackems below as they mince up to the ground. 😀

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  32. DJG:
    Most of the pundits so far seem to back S’land to win. Are we really that **** at home?

    That’s lazy punditry, just because Fat Sam has done it before and they have Defoe and Borini. If fatty is such a great coach why are they languishing at the bottom, he’s been there since October ffs.

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  33. Don’t forget ugly Johns team managed to get the better of Fat Sams west ham on the last day of the season. And you would have to say West Ham were far better than the Scum.

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  36. Alan Shearer ‏@alanshearer · 3h3 hours ago

    It’s rare that I ever want to pull my boots back on. But today I would love to! Come on @NUFC!! #nufcvsafc #MOTD2

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  38. Stuart from last thread, I’d be happy if we never had to play the scum again…providing we are in a league above them of course.. Brilliant feeling when we win but they never make up for the defeats.

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  58. Wijnaldum isn’t a midfielder and isn’t a striker.. what a waste, creating absolutely nothing.

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  61. This is fucking woeful man!!!.

    Midfield back to defence back to keeper. Fucking nothing sticking in the final 3rd.

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  64. Munich – he’s not a left winger. That’s the point I’ve been making all week.

    At the moment Shelvey is more like a 3rd CB than midfielder.

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  71. Looks like the team better hold on 0-0 till Cisse and hope he comes on and score. 🙄

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  72. Lets hope rafa can work his magic at half time and with his subs because so far we have been the poorer side and will probably go down to 10 men too.

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  74. Typical example of a poor player Mbemba didn’t have the quality or football brain to pass the ball in an absolutely brilliant position

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