5 key battles between Newcastle and Norwich

Shola's Ghost

Norwich visit St James’ Park this evening looking to regain their place at the top of the Championship. Alex Neil’s side were top at the weekend, but dropped down to second place after Huddersfield’s victory last night.

For Newcastle, it’s a chance to jump six places to third and ensure that the teams at the top don’t build up too much of a gap going into October.

Following the last minute draw against Aston Villa at the weekend Rafa Benitez’s team will be wanting to get back to winning ways against a team they hammered 6-2 at home in the Premier League last season.

Here are the 5 battles Newcastle will need to win if they want to overcome Norwich.

Sels

Sels vs Darlow

New goalkeeper Matz Sels – a £6.5m signing from Belgian side Gent – came in for a lot of abuse after the Villa game. Having looked shaky throughout the season so far fans blamed him for the side conceding late on and missing out on three vital points.

This abuse led to him deleting his Twitter account, with many believing that Karl Darlow – who had a good end to the season last year – should be given a chance in the Championship.

For his part, Rafa didn’t dodge the question in yesterday’s press conference. The Spaniard insists he will decide on the day of the game. Despite the abuse, and who Rafa eventually picks to start in goal, expect Sels to still get a great reception if he’s chosen.

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162 thoughts on “5 key battles between Newcastle and Norwich”

  2. thank you SG, I think this is our toughest test to date, Norwich look a very settled and bedded in side where as we chop and change a lot. Which is the best approach, well at the moment Norwich’s way of doing things is certainly paying off more than ours. In fairness we have an awful lot of new faces to bed in and gel. Massive game, no doubt about it and we desperately need to win, I’d take a scrappy 1.0 now tbh.

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  3. Good article Shola’s mate. This is the biggest match so far. Win and we’re right back in 3rd. Lose and we’re 7 points back of Norwich and 6 behind Huddersfield and still in 9th! Not good enough. This is a tasty challenge. Get them up for it Rafa!

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  4. For anyone interested BBC Radio 5live sports extra has commentary on our match tonight.
    That’s 5live extra not 5live

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  5. Hate to say it but I see Norwich winning tonight. They just seem better organised – maybe fewer changes in the summer, not in the limelight in the same way we & Villa have been.

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  6. Team is unchanged except Darlow for Selz which was expected. I would have preferred Mitro for Diame but it is probably good that he gets the chance to redeem himself after that bad miss.

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  7. Does anybody have OVERSEAS radio Newcastle link. I know there is one because i listened the other week but didn’t bookmark the site.

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  9. 2-0 to the toon. these type of teams we can beat, similar to B’ton

    Its the big hoofers like Huddersfield, fulham & wolves that we bottle it

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  10. 0-2 tonight

    Neville and Southgate to jointly manage England.

    Alardyce, how on earth can he live with himself after messing up like that ?

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  11. if we do lose, we can kiss goodbye to auto promo…

    I’m not getting carried away but to fix our team that would have suffered 4 losses in 10 games would be very difficult.

    We can’t keep losing games and dropping even 1 point. on average that would be 12-15 losses over the full season and 3 of them, upto now, would of been at home 😯

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  25. Come on Gayle man!!!

    Hoping if he gets one it will get him going – could have had a pissing hat trick already though ?

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  26. My oh my, pounding on the door, from the sound of it.

    That Facebook link works, but it’s not very good video–hard to see what’s happening.

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  27. Hells bells man!!!!

    Is this another game of wasted chances?!?!?!!!

    Are we having bad luck or is this lack of quality?

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  32. I choose to believe it’s a run of bad luck that is now over.

    Or, at least, that’s what I’m telling myself.

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  38. God it’s like Villa all over again – chances galore for us and we let them back in!!!.

    It’s so bloody annoying to watch man!!! ?

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  39. missed chances yet again. at least its been all us. Norwich havent had a sniff.

    2nd half we need to take our chances and kill the game off

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  41. Listening to Radio Newcastle and wondering if Mick Lowes is a NUFC fan? It says he is from Bracknell. How did he get the gig?

    I don’t mind him, just wondering if he is a NUFC fan.

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  42. Lets be honest and forget the Benitz charm etc, this is simply not good enough, team selection in my opinion needs to be looked at, and if Ritchie continues picking up yellows (thats 4) then he gonna be out of the side soon at this rate.

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  43. I still think we’ll win. Norwich have been poor!

    Perez and Mitro will force Bassong to make a mistake.. get them on if we continue to miss chances

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  46. Think I might get on the hysterical train if there is still room? Wtf is going on lads?! Got half hour to sort this out.

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  47. FFS man!!! I’m sick of watching this ****, honest I really am!!.
    The Rafa thing – great, but what’s actually changed?! – not the quality of football – or my enjoyment of watching this **** that’s for sure!!.

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  48. Sham – are you watching this?, did you watch the Villa game? – you can’t tell me you are enjoying this man?

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  49. Shamrock:
    Think I might get on the hysterical train if there is still room? Wtf is going on lads?! Got half hour to sort this out.

    Where’s this hysterical train ur on about? Haven’t seen it pass thru here yet

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  52. Sharpy, my thoughts exactly – have been in France since May, ST at NUFC for 50 years, and to be honest the spell is broken, have not missed it. From what I have see on the TV standard is poor, team is below average, no one is criticising because of the Bentiz hype. It this have been McClarens team there wouldhave been hell on.

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  53. Not time to jump ship yet lads surely? It’s Rafa’s first go at the Championship. We brought in a load of new players and sent a load out that should have been gone years ago. Settle back and be a little patient now.

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  54. Win this we’re back in the top 3. Lose it that’s 4 losses, 3 at home in 10 game.

    Diane shouldn’t be a no 10

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  55. ash1001:
    Sharpy, my thoughts exactly – have been in France since May, ST at NUFC for 50 years, and to be honest the spell is broken, have not missed it. From what I have see on the TV standard is poor, team is below average, no one is criticising because of the Bentiz hype. It this have been McClarens team there wouldhave been hell on.

    ash – you’re dead right there mind. Under any of our previous 3 managers there would be hell on.

    The fact is this is sub standard football. There’s no hysteria about that – I don’t enjoy watching us play.

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  57. Sounds like we are spent and only converted one chance from four/five. Sounds like the Villa game to me. If Norwich win tonight they’ve won the league for me like; and I stand by my prediction. Don’t care what Rafa says, four defeats already is shyte and not enough. GUTTED. Fat Mick Lowes keeps talking about the first 20 mins, a game is played over 90 minutes Mick, 20 minutes means nowt. Diame, Sels, Gayle, Perez, Clark, Colback not good enough! Mediocre players. 😐

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  58. There have been several on here predicting a struggle to be promoted this season, saying we are flat and rubbish and doomed to years of obscurity. We were bossing this game, but there is obviously a mental frailty in the squad – so the glass half empty crew have a point. It would be nice for us to show the mental strength required to turn this around and win – but even if that happens – there is a serious problem somewhere that needs sorting. Im thinking we need to settle on a fixed preferred 11, or at least a back 5.

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  61. Everybody was purring like a kitten after we destroyed QPR 6-0. Let’s just let the dust settle again. We aren’t good enough up front. That seems clear now. It was a mistake not to go in for a top scorer in the summer. We’re paying for that now. We were always weak at the back. That has improved somewhat but not enough. We’ve got a way to go to be top of the Championship. Not enough proven talent in there.

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  65. Christ lads what is going on. Good job sh!tty Gayle still knows where the back of the net is. If we lose this then it’ll be a monumental **** up considering the start we had and the committed doubters will be vindicated.

    Oh and wtf Mitro. Yellow inside about 3 seconds. Nice work.

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  66. If we’re lucky we’ll get to Wembley then lose to Chris f%ckin Hughton. Allardyce last laugh, Pardew last laugh, Hooton last laugh? We are a total joke. 🙁

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  68. ‘Dummett wasn’t expecting the ball’….before losing it… .Says 5live.

    Somebody tell Paul Dummett he’s in a football match and occasionally a teammate will pass the ball to him.

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  71. Shamrock, welcome to the real world mate, I’ve been saying for months that our team is way too fragile, no belief, way off the pace, allow EVERYONE to outplay them on the ball…

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  72. What’s going on? Mitro misses.. we’re at home ffs. 48k fans? What will wake this lot up?

    Could be 3 losses at home already. 4 out of 10? Anyone still talking of walking it? We’ll be lucky to make the play offs if we keep throwing our home games away..

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  73. Can we all stop pretending we’re going to win the league after today? We’re ****. 3 defeats at home already. 😕

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  74. …MM this real world looks ‘kin miserable!

    Mitro. The net is that way >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
    You bloody headcase.

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  75. Gashley, that will be our only chance vai the play offs. Our lot are showing no sign of picking up any consistency tbh… way too fragile, ffs Darlow hasn’t made a save all night !

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