Just three days after our disappointing 2-0 defeat to Wolves, we face Walter Zenga’s side yet again in this EFL trophy third round clash.
In what was a subdued performance by Rafa’s men, tonight represents the perfect opportunity to take stock of what went wrong and take the necessary steps to correct it.
Team News
With squad rotation a must at this level, signs point to Benitez handing new striker Daryl Murphy a start in tonight’s match at SJP as well as defender Grant Hanley. How he intends to shoehorn the former into the starting line-up remains to be seen; fellow striker Dwight Gayle’s record in this competition (below) certainly isn’t to be grumbled at with the former Palace man netting 8 goals in 6 appearances during his career.
#Newcastle‘s Dwight Gayle’s #EFLCup career record:
Apps: 6
Goals: 8#NUFC #Wolves #wwfc— Goodbrand Stats (@StatsChristian) 20 September 2016
As is now common knowledge, full back Vurnon Anita will not appear in tonight’s game or indeed the trip to Villa or game against Norwich City after getting sent off in Saturday’s defeat.
Prediction
With Zenga’s men not bothering to head home after Saturday’s game with a return fixture just a couple of days later (correct me if I’m wrong), a prolonged stay in the north east capital could indeed unsettle tonight’s opponents.
With the presence of Murphy up top providing a much more direct outlet, and the likes of Hanley using tonight as a means of proving their worth to the gaffer, tonight we’re expecting the Magpies to bounce back from Saturday’s defeat with a comfortable 3-1 win in the return fixture.
Predicted Line-Up (4-4-2)
GK: Darlow
RB: Yedlin
CB: Hanley
CB: Lascelles
LB: Lazaar
RM: Ritchie
CM: Colback
CM: Hayden
LM: Atsu
CF: Murphy
CF: Gayle
Norcal, great to see both you and MDS back on again.
Bit nervous about this game tbh, it seems when it really matters we can’t beat Villa for some reason. It’s away too so I will plump for an optimistic draw . As for who plays, I have given up trying to second guess Rafa, but I wouldn’t mind seeing Murphy get a shout.
kimtoon(Quote)
Toughie today. It really doesn’t seem to matter how bad Villa’s form is when they play us, we always struggle. Talk is that they’re missing a few players but we will need to play a lot better than our last match.
Be a tight one.
Stuart79(Quote)
Norcal, welcome back to the blog bonny lad. Get yourself up the coast to Alnwick, Holy Island, Bamburgh castle mate… or a day out at Tynemouth, Whitley Bay and Cullercoast.. I always head to the coast when I head back to Newcastle, Munich is brilliant, close to the alps and fantastic lakes, but is land locked, and I love to be beside the seaside so to speak when I gan yem.
Munich Mag(Quote)
Stu, They have some good players and really ought to be doing much better imo. Their problem is shutting a game out when ahead it would seem but that’s never a problem when playing us, hence my nervousness.
kimtoon(Quote)
I am still not getting why we need a lot of rotation this early in the season. Our lads will be fresh as I think only Clark went to the Euros, so the rest had the full summer off. Also, a lot of our first choice players didn’t start that many games either (less than 30 anyway) – Shelvey, Gouffy, Dummett, Anita, Perez, Mitro, Hayden, Lascelles, Gayle, Atsu.
Most of the ones that played full seasons are new to the team so being eased in isn’t a bad thing.
I totally get that it is a long hard season but I think we must pick the form players against Villa and Norwich and I think Rafa will. He is also probably still trying to figure out who his best 15 or 16 are and who are the backups.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric, maybe he is trying to get the whole squad to feel part of the promotion push as well. It’s vital to have all players on board and it could be that this rotation will mean injuries are less likely too. I understand what you mean though, it’s frustrating when a team smashes the opposition then gets broken up for the next fixture especially if we lose it.
kimtoon(Quote)
Leicester finding this season a very different animal
kimtoon(Quote)
Will we get a new article today I wonder – this ones been on the go since Tuesday afternoon
Sharpy17(Quote)
Hello all,
Any chance of television links today or are we stuck with radio and periscope?
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
Fans it’s on sky sports so there should be a fair few links up mate later
kimtoon(Quote)
5.30 kick off
kimtoon(Quote)
Nice, thanks Kim. Thought it was 3:00!
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
Tammy Abraham scores for Bristol City again into double figures now. Reckon that kid could be signing of the season in the championship
kimtoon(Quote)
Whitley Bay was mentioned to me. I definitely want to go there.
Appreciate the other suggestions.
NorCal Toonfan(Quote)
nice to see you back on mate,keep it up 😉
icedog(Quote)
Huddersfield losing, Barnsley losing to Brighton but Norwich winning
kimtoon(Quote)
If Huddersfield slip up today we simply have to take advantage
kimtoon(Quote)
Sunderland 😆
Newkie(Quote)
Anyone make a note, I actually laughed at sunderland BEFORE palace scored the winner. Hahahaha
If we win today I will be laughing all weekend.
Newkie(Quote)
oh dear Scum are having a mare from 2.0 up to 2.3 down
kimtoon(Quote)
Shame about Sunderland… 😛
Stuart79(Quote)
And the boos ring out at fulltime
kimtoon(Quote)
Funny old league the championship, we struggle v Fulham yet Bristol city beat them 0.4 and we beat Bristol City
kimtoon(Quote)
Norwich winning 3.1 now 🙄
kimtoon(Quote)
Huddersfield lose, right then what can we do today
kimtoon(Quote)
Where is everyone ?
kimtoon(Quote)
Scum lose… Pards finally wins against them… ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha such a shame…. 😆 😆 😆
Dubai Toon(Quote)
What’s the Villa team and are we not having a match thread?
Stuart79(Quote)
How long will Moyes last? Their previous managers got the quick hook.
Looks like the end is nigh for Rooney. I almost went on a rant about him yesterday but bit my tongue as I had said what I needed to say before and after the Euros.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Hey Ice, sorry, dropped out for a long while and don’t get on much anymore. Too busy with work. Boo!
Any streams out there?
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
Got Gouffran to score first. He’s on a good run.
Stuart79(Quote)
no match thread AGAIN i see
icedog(Quote)
poor form ice really
kimtoon(Quote)
Sunderland and Stoke are both terrible. Both have no defense. Moyes won’t last long I wouldn’t think. Then who?
GeordieTwo(Quote)
link guys and gals
http://cdn36.crichd.in/sky-sports-1-live-streaming
kimtoon(Quote)
radio link
http://mixlr.com/rarestpepe/
kimtoon(Quote)
Diame has to do better there, I know it was quick in to him but even so
kimtoon(Quote)
Loads of possession.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Villa really don’t look very good. We’ve got to mke sure we make them pay for being poor.
Stuart79(Quote)
Get in!
Stuart79(Quote)
get innnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
😳 OG
kimtoon(Quote)
Missed the goal with a crappy stream!
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
gayle should of whacked it there, missed chance
kimtoon(Quote)
A good start. Let’s finish them before the half is over.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Jesus Christ!!! They are so poor but we are going to regret not being clinical
Stuart79(Quote)
see this is what gets me with Gayle should of scored again there, needs a better instinc
kimtoon(Quote)
instinct *
kimtoon(Quote)
Oof–two good chances there.
http://ch16.juliodeportes.net/01.htm decent stream here
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
We really need to score another here. There is no way they can be this bad all game.
Stuart79(Quote)
man, just a bit of luck here or there and this is 0-3
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
Arsenal destroying Chelsea. We should be destroying Villa by now. Frustrating the chances missed!
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Gayle maybe should have scored but he did create the chance himself. This game really should have been put away.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Oh god. Schteve on the half time panel. Please some Dutch team give him a job.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
second half radio link
http://mixlr.com/rarestpepe1/
kimtoon(Quote)
Gestede on now, need a second cause I can see him getting one
kimtoon(Quote)
jesus, gayle gets in Diames way , another chance gone begging
kimtoon(Quote)
offside phew, we really need to get a second
kimtoon(Quote)
Villa cranking up the pressure now
kimtoon(Quote)
C’mon lads ffs
kimtoon(Quote)
Who’s on the bench… need changes…
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
They’ll get one in a minute, must get a second
kimtoon(Quote)
Troubling… Yedlin’s been our best player tonight?
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
Hayden at Rb and Dummet now Cb and Tiote in cmf
kimtoon(Quote)
I would take off Gayle put on the serb to rough em up
kimtoon(Quote)
We are winning through an OG, someone needs to score a goal and Gayle doesn’t look to be in luck tonight so I would sub him now before it’s too late.
Christ he needs to partner tom daley, what a dive, rightly carded
kimtoon(Quote)
Gayle off for Mitro, nice one Rafa
kimtoon(Quote)
You got your wish, Kim. Hope it works…
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
Me too mate
kimtoon(Quote)
**** Mitro that’s not what your meant to do 😡
kimtoon(Quote)
ffs, bloody villa, every fecking time
kimtoon(Quote)
Hate to say it but that all stems from Mitro not clearing properly and conceding the corner
kimtoon(Quote)
Sels isn’t a patch on Darlow by the way
kimtoon(Quote)
I’m watching the second half on a really poor stream, and we look absolutley ****. Strolling around carrying way too many players…
What was the goalkeeper doing for the Villa goal ? Really poor goal to concede.
Munich Mag(Quote)
Must admit I don’t like the football that we play one bit.. We’re really struggling..
Munich Mag(Quote)
Villa have been poor all season but always raise their game for us
kimtoon(Quote)