Saturday sees Newcastle face Aston Villa in a crucial Premiership survival contest at the very ground which saw the Magpies related from the top flight in 2010.
Many will be expecting a relatively straight forward victory for Newcastle considering their recent form and the fact that Villa have been so poor this season. Rafa Benitez though, is far too experienced to assume that three invaluable points will be gift-wrapped and offered up for Newcastle to gleefully accept and take back to Tyneside.
Villa’s predicament means that they simply have nothing to lose. Already relegated with the crowd fully focussed on venting frustration at their ownership, the players have the freedom to perform without expectation. In fact, they are expected to lose. It is a bizarre situation that Newcastle will have to handle with defiant determination and controlled professionalism. Benitez is just the man for that kind of proposition and he has let his side know exactly what he expects of them.
Benitez will be prepared for the task at hand, make no mistake. Janmaat is available again at right back but is no longer a certain starter following the form of Anita who could well keep his place in the side. He may well field an unchanged side, which Rafa rarely did at Liverpool and Chelsea but he seems to see the value of consistency when results have gone so well in a relegation fight. The time for rotation and experimentation is not exactly now. Rafa must go with what he trusts. That is one of the reasons why it wasn’t exactly a shock to see Obertan and Marveaux leave the party early. With absolutely no chance of involvement in the final two fixtures, the French flops were given the opportunity to seek employment elsewhere.
If Newcastle are to survive, a victory is essential. The noises coming out of the squad are so much more positive than earlier in the season. The players seem to be united at last and there is a sense of togetherness that has been so dearly lacking for a number of seasons. The fans are up for it too with a considerable upturn in performances allowing fans to dream of a survival which seemed so unlikely five games ago.
Wins for Chelsea and Man United would certainly help ease the nerves too, but first and foremost, Newcastle must do the business at Villa.
In Rafa we trust!
Jesus Mitro, how many chances do we need to win this ffs, Scum have scored 3 times with 3 different players.
kimtoon(Quote)
As I said – Stuart was saying Sunderland wouldn’t win because they don’t win much yet ignored we never win and said we would win based on nothing.
It was a ludicrous opinion based on nothing at all. I applaud the optimism but it’s based on nothing.
funkyjesus(Quote)
Kimtoon…too many **** poor players mate. Mitro missed two great chances now…
Nowt more certain now… 7 minutes added on time due to the beach ball bollocks, then Villa score the winner in 95 minutes…
Munich Mag(Quote)
These effin beach balls, Villa should of taken steps to stop this **** happening.
kimtoon(Quote)
our complete lack of ability infront of goal has been our undoing this season.
We really cant score anywhere near enough.
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Fucking Villa, done for us last time and likely this time, knew it just knew it.
kimtoon(Quote)
We’re looking poorer than the 1st half. Pete tong when some thought it was an easy win
Gashley(Quote)
has anyone actually put a shift in today for us ❓
playing at 60%
beggars belief
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Ten minutes to save our season.
DJG(Quote)
Colback will look in the mirror tonight and know he blew it …
Munich Mag(Quote)
cant beat the worst team in the league
says it all
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
take a look at Sissoko and Wijnaldum spending the whole afternoon being flat footed… no anticipation…
Munich Mag(Quote)
Left it far too late, Rafa got it wrong today.
DJG(Quote)
Sunderland are much hungrier than us. Watching both games and they’ve never stopped chasing
Gashley(Quote)
dear me Mitrovic.
Munich Mag(Quote)
BB … “we” are the worst team in the league mate.
Our football is ****..
Munich Mag(Quote)
If sunderland play like this v Everton they will win. Game over?
Gashley(Quote)
This is utter garbage, so glad I didn’t get sucked in to the optimism show. Bunch of Larry let downs who deserve to drop.
kimtoon(Quote)
Colback has been absolutely mineing today. Another **** decision ..
Munich Mag(Quote)
Scum will beat Everton, mark my words, they have the bit between the teeth now and Defoe
kimtoon(Quote)
“Wijnaldum” and “tackle” … those words don’t go together…
Thank flock I’m not at Villa Park, they are gonna rip it right out of us 🙁
Munich Mag(Quote)
Aye. The stu-o-meter has dropped to 20%
Gashley(Quote)
Villa were never gonna make it easy for us and their minging fans are singing you’re going down with the Villa just as I expected them too. Christ we can’t even enjoy a bit of bloody karma. 😡
kimtoon(Quote)
Exactly.
Never understood the false belief that appeared on here.
We never stood a chance of staying up. Rafa couldn’t work a miracle in such short time.
funkyjesus(Quote)
see…Sissoko…. hit the ball first time you bullet.
**** decision making again…4 men in the middle and he runs the ball out … knacker !
Munich Mag(Quote)
I would be happy if Colback never played for us again
shocking
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Jesus how have we not scored here
kimtoon(Quote)
Well that was a pen was it not?
kimtoon(Quote)
Really haven’t seen much improvement at all since Rafa took over.
no where near enough anyway
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Full Time
bye bye premier league
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Oh well then. Looks like we need sunderland to lose both games and we beat spurs
Gashley(Quote)
Well, that’s ****** it!
Brisvegas(Quote)
Sorry Rafa you blew it today with Cisse starting up front..
Munich Mag(Quote)
Ah well. Championship here we come.
Shamrock(Quote)
Bad day for us ffs
Big Dave(Quote)
another putrid performance and in all honesty, none of them could give a flying ****
gutless
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Well there you are. Villa get the last laugh and Chelsea can go **** themselves.
kimtoon(Quote)
We are going down.
funkyjesus(Quote)
we had the chances, just ***** finishing from inadept poor players like Sissoko, Mitrovic, Wijnaldum.
But one of our own blew it. That Colback miss at the beginning of the second half was the nail in the coffin. Unexcusable from a professional sportsman. Absolutely pathetic.
Munich Mag(Quote)
If sunderland beat Everton that’s a confirmed relegation
Gashley(Quote)
And to think Scum were playing a nonce for a good part of the season, if there was a football god they’d get punished for that.
kimtoon(Quote)
were gone
TOONARMYELITE(Quote)
Said it would be a draw today.
It’s never as black and white as stu was making out
When has the relegation battle ever went as planned?
Absolutely gutted now
Gashley(Quote)
They will beat them easily now, they know that’s all they have to do and Everton are in a strange place.
kimtoon(Quote)
Serves us right for believing in the toon, need our heads looking at.
DJG(Quote)
Well as I said, it was out of our hands and now I think we are down. That was a putrid display. The mackems were always going to be more hungry. They have escaped for the last few seasons and they know what to do. They have a proven goal scorer in Defoe who was “too old” for our arsehole management team.
Once again Villa have F**ked us over and our team is just *****.
Dubai Toon(Quote)
Aye, they looked good today kim. We didn’t show enough fight. I looked like some of the players at the end k now it’s over
Gashley(Quote)
that was all so unnecessary.
That toon first half performance has to be one of the worst performances I have seen. If that was a team playing to avoid relegation then I’ll be the next pope. No speed, desire, intensity, will to win. Lethergic…too many cheats in black and white, with the rest sub-standard.
As usual our midfield and strike force let us down badly. Mitrovic alone should have had a couple. Just not good enough..
Munich Mag(Quote)
Should have started with Mitrovic and Janmaat.
Showed a pish poor Villa much too much respect, and paid the price.
Munich Mag(Quote)
We are on the edge of a cliff right now.
Terry(Quote)
8% on the stu o never. We need a miracle now
Gashley(Quote)
I thought when they were on 12 straight deafeats going for an all-time club record, those sort of records take some beating, I thought we might draw.
DJG(Quote)
Everyone scoffed at panelists predictions for Sunderland to stay up.
It was a nice rally cry from some on here but the law of averages suggested sunderland would win one as they play a better temp than us and the law of averages suggested our run would fizzle out as we can’t score enough goals
Must say we could of won but messed up today
Gashley(Quote)
At least we can get rid of players like Sissoko & Wijnaldum now. Not good enough, no heart, no fight. A legend in their own minds.
DJG(Quote)
Not sure I can face Toon playing Bristol City again 🙁
kimtoon(Quote)
Saddest thing of all is we will probably lose Rafa too. We been awful away from home all season so it was going completely against form for us to expect a win.
kimtoon(Quote)
Fat Sam laughing and full of it on 5live interview, he’ll love getting one over n Rafa too.
kimtoon(Quote)
They can thank Mannone too cause apparently he pulled off a couple of world class saves today.
kimtoon(Quote)
We will lose Rafa. That’s the hardest part of all this. To see what we could of done with Rafa and to lose it all with Pearson etc in line is very painful.
Gashley(Quote)
we need to get rid of so many under performers, that the only way was relegation.
I wouldn’t be giving Dummett a new contract either.
90% of this club need to go.
I’ve seen more fight for life in a one legged one eyed sparrow with a broken wing.
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Rafa would be truly insane to even contemplate staying on
Never gonna happen.
c ya
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
It’ll be another mediocre manager grateful for a chance and bang average players, we will NOT bounce back this time because there are no AC, Nolans, Bartons et al. And if we retain this bunch we’ll probably drop again such is the lack of fight.
kimtoon(Quote)
Kim I am lost for words. Just gutted and hurt. Mike Ashley plan failed again.
Terry(Quote)
Looking at the joyous scenes at Leicester it’s even more upsetting, given they nearly dropped last season . Just shows what spirit, desire and belief can achieve.
kimtoon(Quote)
Need a major clear out now. Get rid of the prima donnas and re build. Just hope we can keep Raffa. Gutted that I will not be able to catch the games when we go down. Bein sports just show prem games. We need a miracle now.
Dubai Toon(Quote)
Fair play to Scum, they wanted it more today.
kimtoon(Quote)
Question is, can you see Scum losing one drawing one or losing both games now and us winning v Spuds? No me neither.
kimtoon(Quote)
Everton 1 down, Vardy scores, yes Scum will despatch Everton easily
kimtoon(Quote)
Well the golf was ***** too! Fair play to Sunderland coming back from losing and winning. But ultimately we will go down because we stuck with McClaren too long.
Stuart79(Quote)
It’s not over but we need favours and small miracles
Gashley(Quote)
“ultimately we will go down because we stuck with McClaren too long.”
NO
ultimately we will go down because we signed McClaren in the first place.
A failed championship manager. Ha ha ha.
Now thats ambition for you.
The club has finally gotten their just deserts.
Will be a good few years before we see this sorry lot back in the Premier league.
Our only hope is that fatty gets the ‘FOR SALE’ boards out asap
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Everton looking solid 👿
Gashley(Quote)
I thought Wijnaldum was extremely poor once again. And Cisse was absolutely hopeless. Shocking really. The defense held fast and have been steadily improving under Rafa. We missed some decent chances that would have given us the points. Colback, Mitro and I think Wijnaldum even had one. Rafa did all he could. Failure to sack McLaren early enough was the biggest mistake of all.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
As far as players are concerned Sissoko and Wijnaldum will be first out the door. Somebody will come in quickly for Townsend. Who knows with Mitrovic. He hasn’t really been all that good. Perez might stay. Shelvey can’t even make the starting 11 so he will probably stay. Some of the more expensive dead heads will have to be cleared out quickly. A sad mess that has been in the making for years now thanks to Ashley.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
G2 Dead right
kimtoon(Quote)