The EFL Cup draw has paired us with Wolves, three days after we play them at St James Park in the Championship and four days before the trip to Aston Villa. It’s decision time for Rafa Benitez: promotion or treat the EFL Cup with contempt.
The two aren’t mutually exclusive, of course. There’s no reason why we can’t win promotion as well as having good cup runs in both domestic competitions. There’s no guarantee of it either.
That’s really the issue. Priorities. Rafa can use cup ties to give players much-needed game time, as he did against Cheltenham with Darlow, Gamez and Mitrovic but it almost backfired with the latter when he left the field with concussion.
Things went from bad to worse when his substitute Dwight Gayle, was replaced for the same reason. Both should recover before Saturday’s match against Brighton. Even Ayoze Perez ended up with his head swathed in bandages.
All this after Rolando Aarons left with a more serious foot injury. A win, yes, but at what cost? We still don’t know how long the youngster is out for.
Tuesday’s team showed seven changes to the one which beat Bristol City at the weekend. All well and good but by the time the final whistle blew, 10 of the 14 used at Ashton Gate, had played against Cheltenham. So much for rotation.
Losing in cup-ties isn’t nice and despite being used to it, never gets any more pleasant. And we know Rafa loves a cup run, he’s been on enough in his time but promotion is the only aim this season.
Yes, I want to win the Championship but returning to the Premier League via a deflection off the referee’s backside in the last minute of extra-time in the play-off final will also achieve that aim. And make me as happy.
Quite simply, I don’t care how we get back to the Premier League, just so long as we stay there.
For that reason, I don’t like the League Cup. It’s a distraction and so is the FA Cup when it comes around in January.
It isn’t just the games, it’s the three days preparation and one day rest cup ties consume. That time would be better spent focussing on the Championship and building understandings between players. With more signings still to come this summer, that time is precious.
We’ve recovered from opening the season with two defeats, now we need to be marching onward to the top of the table not thinking of possible glory, of a trip to Anfield, Old Trafford or the Emirates if we beat Wolves. If we land that tie, what does Rafa do? Field a full XI, one he believes can win the game and risk a serious injury which might derail the promotion bid?
Or risk confidence, which could take a pummelling if we get thrashed? There’s no easy answer to that. Well, there is but I’m not sure Rafa wants to hear it.
So yes, Rafa, it was good to win on Tuesday but no, if we lose to Wolves in the next round, I’m not going to be upset.
So after years of moaning / complaining about not taking cups seriously you now want Rafa to NOT try and win a cup ! Typical of these websites and some of the moaning morons who dont know -all about the fans and what they want.
pjr09(Quote)
For me it’s promotion but that is only because I believe with Rafa we will have many good opportunities to win trophies with the riches of the PL behind us.
Stuart79(Quote)
How do you know that I personally have been meaning about us not taking cups seriously?
Andy Magpie(Quote)
*moaning
Andy Magpie(Quote)
Cheers Andy, I can understand your worries but I do love a good cup run tbh. For me you need to be trying to win what ever competition you can, that’s the whole point of the clubs existence and any club for that matter. When we were in the PL it was one of two things we could try to win since we were never gonna win the league, although looking at Leicester maybe that’s not such a remote possibility for anyone anymore. Now we have a crack at three League, ELC and Fa cup, it could even of been 4 had we entered the ELT. Rafa loves the cups as you say and I’m sure he wouldn’t want to disrespect them by not taking them seriously and I think he is trying to build a team that can compete on all fronts. What happened with Aarons, Mitro, Perez and Gayle is really bizarre and a bit of a fluke, I’m sure you won’t see that too often. Luckily it’s only Rolando who looks to have lasting damage but if we’re honest that was always likely to happen what ever game he played, for what ever reason he just seems to pick up terrible injuries. He has gone from being a fit kid who played regularly to someone who looks to be made of glass since he came to us ! Such a sorry state of affairs as he has so much talent .
Kimtoon(Quote)
Nice pic at the top by the way Andy
Kimtoon(Quote)
George Caulkin Verified account
@CaulkinTheTimes
#Nufc hoping to sign Achraf Lazaar, the Palermo left-back
If we get this lad will he be off in jan-feb too, cause Morocco are in the ACON too
Kimtoon(Quote)
Yep we will lose him for ACON
Kimtoon(Quote)
ITS A BLOODY LEFT WINGER AND FORWARD WE NEED & HAVE ALL WINDOW!!!!
A RIGHT BACK AND LEFT BACK …. COME ON MAN!!!!
Sharpy17(Quote)
Well the Bentaleb link can be dropped now cause he’s gone on loan to Schalke on loan.
Kimtoon(Quote)
What the hell is happening with Sissoko, getting worried we are stuck with the muppet
Kimtoon(Quote)
dont spoil my day mate 👿
icedog(Quote)
Lee Ryder @lee_ryder · 25m25 minutes ago
Gayle and Mitrovic ruled out of Brighton game #nufc
🙁 🙁
Kimtoon(Quote)
This window is turning into new manager – same old story
Sharpy17(Quote)
Oh dear!!! How will we score any goals without Gayle and Mitro in what is a huge game?
Who have we got to play up front apart from Perez? He can’t do the job on his own, he’s too light weight.
Who? Gouffran? Armstrong?
Stuart79(Quote)
FYI
SRF has a new thread going up at 4:45pm today
Andy The Magpie(Quote)
We always look **** on tv Stu, at least we’ll have an excuse now 😉
Kimtoon(Quote)
Seriously though, was so looking forward to Mitro and Gayle together for the first time
Kimtoon(Quote)
Lee Ryder Verified account
@lee_ryder
Moussa Sissoko named in France squad for friendly with Italy #nufc
How can they call up an injured player ? 😉
Kimtoon(Quote)
I know it’s probs a daft idea but how about peter for a year on loan, tall, knows how to score, got a hat trick the other night albeit v Stevenage. Better first team for us than bench with Stoke.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/peter-crouch-insists-happy-stoke-8419117
Kimtoon(Quote)
Jyr09 I never said once on this football blog that I didn’t want Newcastle to win a trophy. I was mega pissed off that we never took the fa cup seriously. I’m sure 99.99 percent of people on this blog would love to see Rafa and the player’s win a cup.
Terry(Quote)
Promotion is still more important because of financial reasons. Look at Blackburn rover’s for example that could still happen to us. I don’t want that to happen to this club but we must improve on past mistakes.
Terry(Quote)
Armstrong as the lone striker?
eeeesh, doesn’t fill me with confidence.
Andy The Magpie(Quote)
Did we have to declare Mit & Gayle unfit already?
Does that not hand Brighton an unnecessary advantage in there preparation?
Sharpy17(Quote)
—————– Sels ——————-
— Mbemba – Lascelles – Clark —
Yedlin ——- Hayden —— Gamaz
— Ritchie — Diame — Perez —
————– Armstrong ————-
Maybe Anita instead of Yedlin if he’s not ready?.
Sharpy17(Quote)
It’ll be six days out – could have been longer. Gouffran through the middle? Probably a better bet than Perez.
Georgio(Quote)
Sharpy-
I like that lineup, although against a team like Brighton, I would probably start Anita at RB for his experience. Then Yedlin could potentially come on as a sub and make the most of his pace against tired opposition. I might opt for Gouffran over Perez, too, but that’s sort of a toss-up.
Also, this Moroccan LB we’re supposedly after has also played some LM. If we brought him in, along with Yedlin we’d have two players well-suited to playing WB on either side of Clark, Lascelles and Mbemba.
Charlie Prince(Quote)
Sharpy – I don’t think it was a case of declaring, I think it’s the regulations of concussion injuries, so Brighton would know. Although they have defensive injuries of their own but that might not matter if we have no strikers above 5ft and play a million crosses into the box
Stuart79(Quote)
Charlie – aye mate, I was thinking that when I added that last bit. Don’t know whether the combo of Yedlins pace & Mbemba defending is better against Knockeart or the more defensive combo of Anita & Mbemba – probably the latter I reckon.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Stu – I get you mate, that makes sense to be fair. Stupidly frustrating though!!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy, I know nothing about Brighton outside of Knockaert and am not a tactical expert to begin with, so I’d have to defer to you on which would be more effective. But with Rafa and his emphasis on organization, I’d expect him to want more time with Yedlin on the training ground before he throws him in against one of the top contenders for promotion, especially since defending isn’t of Yedlin’s strengths.
Also, re: Yedlin, I saw an article yesterday that compiled a bunch of Twitter comments from Sunderland fans. It was somewhat mixed, but quite a few of them were saying he would walk into their current team and that they much rather would have had him than Donald Love. Not exactly a high bar to clear, but hopefully he should be able to do a job in the Championship.
Charlie Prince(Quote)
George Caulkin @CaulkinTheTimes · 2h
Scans have shown that Rolando Aarons fractured a metatarsal during the #Nufc victory over Cheltenham this week
Kimtoon(Quote)
Charlie – I’m not sure they’d be saying that if they read what he had to say since joining us mate.
Seemingly even when playing for them he lived on the banks of the Tyne & fell in love with Newcastle.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Kim – I’m amazed they even bothered with the scan!! – it’s Aarons, it was inevitable really.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I hear a lot of people talking about Arma being too short or too lightweight. I find this odd to be honest… What has height got to do with it? Messi, Aguero, Suarez, Keegan, etc, all short arses so it has nothing to do with stature or height. I’m not saying Arma is in their league, long way from it, but to criticise on height I find rather frustrating. If he has the skill, his stature is irrelevant.
Dubai Toon(Quote)
you got it a 100% right mate,even that little **** Defoe at scum gets his share
icedog(Quote)
Yep he did it for fun on loan at Coventry last season and he must of come up against a fair few big bruising defenders along the way.
Kimtoon(Quote)
https://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2016/08/25/oh-the-hokey-cokey/
New thread>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Kimtoon(Quote)
Beat me to it, cheers Kim!
Andy The Magpie(Quote)
I appreciate this fantastic blog write-up to read again & again… its been presented here so nicely!!!
Kevon Robinson(Quote)