Big Game Preview – Hull City Away

Jake Swinburn

After a disappointing result against Blackburn Rovers at the weekend, Rafa Benitez takes his Newcastle side to Premier League side Hull City tonight in the hope of progressing to the EFL Cup semi-finals.

Changes to the line-up are expected, especially in the wake of Saturday’s defeat. So just how should Newcastle line-up?

Ultimately that is a decision for Rafa Benitez, however, personally I would like to see the following:

GK: Matz Sels – Sels had a mixed bag at the start of the season, making a mistake in the Aston Villa game which saw him dropped. However, he was excellent in the 6-0 win over Preston and with this being an EFL Cup tie, it is likely that Sels will return to the Newcastle goal.

RB: DeAndre Yedlin – Usually, I would prefer to see Anita there, however his energy may be needed in midfield. Yedlin also links up well with Matt Ritchie and has recently played in the Premier League.

CB: Jamaal Lascelles-  the captain was missed at the weekend and surely can’t miss out again.

CB: Ciaran Clark – He has had an excellent partnership with Lascelles this season and Chancel Mbemba did little to impress against Blackburn.

LB: Paul Dummett – Achraaf Lazaar doesn’t seem to have played enough to be considered for a game of this magnitude and Jesus Gamez is out injured. Dummett also gives balance to the side and has had a very good season this campaign.

RW: Matt Ritchie – He can’t really be left out and hopefully the enigmatic winger will be back to his best.

CM: Jonjo Shelvey – Blackburn’s deep defensive line negated his influence on Saturday, however Hull may leave far more gaps for Shelvey’s clever passing to exploit.

CM: Vurnon Anita – Anita offers energy and the ability to retain the ball, like Jack Colback. Colback was out injured at the weekend and may not be fully fit for today’s game.

LW: Yoan Gouffran – Gouffran offers balance to the side and scores goals. He is always an option for his team mates when in possession. While his hard work and tactical awareness helps his left back. Arguably Newcastle’s player of the season so far, Gouffran is unlikely to find himself on the substitutes bench again.

Ten: Mo Diame – The Senegalese playmaker is yet to show Newcastle fans his best football but after Ayoze Perez’s poor performance at the weekend and Diame’s two goals in the last round of the EFL Cup, it comes to reason that he will be back in the side against his former club.

ST: Dwight Gayle – His thirteen goals this season say everything. Newcastle will need Dwight Gayle if they are to dump a Premier League side out of the cup.

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123 thoughts on “Big Game Preview – Hull City Away”

  1. Thank you Jake, I am hoping for a better performance tonight albeit it’s a PL side. I agree about the back four too, we were poor at the back on Saturday. I prefer Darlow to Sels who never looked assured in goal to me, having said that last time he played he did well if I remember right. On that basis Rafa may well start him. I would love to see Mitro and Gayle up front together but it won’t happen. Goofy needs to start tonight and Anita in at RB too.
    Apparently Gamez looked quality before he got injured on Saturday, the radio commentary guys were purring about him, pity he’s injured.
    Think we could snatch this game.

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  2. Incredibly sad about the air disaster too, was looking at photo’s of the players who didn’t travel, god only knows what must be going through their minds.

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  3. Sels was withdrawn because he found the pressure to be too much, too soon. It is clear Rafa wants to win the Cup – so the attention being focused on this game will be huge. Putting Sels in tonight could completely ruin his Toon career before it has even started – so I’d be surprised to see him in. It would be a huge gamble. Huge gains if he did well, but Toon career over for him if he ‘bombs’.

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  4. Colback’s had a ‘problem’ with his eye but I expect him to start along with Shelvey in the midfield. Anita at right back and I’d leave Darlow in goal.

    Nice to see young Roberts free from injury again and scoring for the reserves last night. A young Spanish kid on his way in too – Juanito.

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  5. That team looks about right except for Anita in midfield. I don’t think any of us (and Rafa) see him as a midfielder against a PL team.

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  6. The game is played after the Liverpool-Leeds game here in the US. Unless I can find a really good internet link I was thinking of ignoring the game completely and watching the game as if it was live later. So, no watching the Liverpool game because they would show the score, no coming on here, no reading newspapers on the internet. You know, like that Likely Lads episode.

    Jake, ask your Dad who the Likely Lads are 🙂

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  7. Kim, Gamez looked ok at left back, but Dumett looks a lot more solid but maybe he isn’t fully match fit yet.
    Think we missed Colbeck on Saturday need him to do dirty work and release shelvy. Just hope it’s a good game tonight

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  8. Eric, best episode ever, I’ve done that with games in the past total nightmare but when there is a win oh how worth it

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  9. Thanks for the article Jake. I wasn’t giving you a hard time in my last post, it is just that you are a different generation and probably don’t know what I am referring to.

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  10. I was just thinking about whatever happened to our likely lads? The ones that left for greener pastures:

    Sissoko – dropped, disparaged by his Manager last week, has the fans on his back after 3 months. No goals, no assists.

    Debuchy – didn’t play for **** for a year but picked up 3 million in wages.

    Cabaye – from PSG to Palace and playing as a defensive midfielder in the team with the worst record in the Football League in 2016.

    Andros – Pardewed and dropped.

    Janmaat – just got back into the team after a tough start.

    Gini – doing OK but only just. Will see how he does when Coutinho is out and if Klopp trusts him further up field.

    Ugly John – Managing a pub team in Cyprus or somewhere.

    Pards – on one of his famous death spirals at Palace, will be lucky to see the week out.

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  11. Schteve – made a fool of himself commentating on the England/Iceland game and then miraculously got re-hired by Derby. Haven’t really followed his progress but they are 9th so he isn’t doing that bad.

    Steve Black – last seen giving motivational speeches to Troy Stavers saying that he will get it right next time after having a 100% failure rate with who he backs so far. Hang in there Troy, Pards could still turn it around !!!!!

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  13. Hull have Boro after us. I wonder if they will rest players tonight with the thought they could get a result from that one with their better players fit & rested.

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  14. I am optimistic we can beat Hull City tonight. I think they might be low on confidence right now. Still you never expect a QF to be easy.

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  15. Cheer’s for the Darlow reply Shamrock.

    I am sure Sel’s was recommended to Rafa by Graham Carr. Rafa has to let Carr prove his worth like a player I suppose. He should be sacked Graham Carr, sacked.

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  16. Sel’s just has Graham Carr transfer written all over it. 5 million is a lot of money for a goalkeeper. We’ll be alright this season but next season ? Darlow will keep improving and is still learning. I still have faith in Darlow.

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  18. So, Stem: Pards, Ugly John and Carr are never going to work for Barcelona?

    Charnley is also culpable but at least now he knows he is an accountant and knows nothing about football.

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  19. Eric no they will never work for Barcelona that’s a fact.

    Where’s Troy these day’s ? I hope his not embarrassed to come on the blog because Pard’s isn’t doing well at the moment. He can still turn thing’s around, have faith.

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  20. Is Pard’s still in Europe ? Reaching a fa cup final used to be automatic Europa place. He was never good at handling the PL and Europe at the same time.

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  21. Stem: remember they would always cut to shots of Charnley in the director’s box?

    I only see a few games now because most are not shown in the USA. Do they still cut to Charnley?

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  22. Stem I have researched a load of goalkeeper stats for an article I will publish tomorrow or Thursday. The results make interesting reading. Stay tuned!

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  23. Stem: Palace got beat by Man U who didn’t qualify through the league so they got the FA Cup European place. Palace were not in Europe, so Pards does not have that excuse either.

    He doesn’t even have the excuse that he didn’t get the players he wanted.

    However, he is average according to Troy.

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  25. Hull knocked Stoke out. I’m not expecting anything tonight – but it will be interesting to see how far we have or have not come since last term when compared to a PL side. Anyone know if there will be any links?

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  28. Bein Sports are showing it live so there should be some links somewhere

    This will be a good measure of how we are progressing. Won’t be easy.

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  29. Newcastle:
    28Sels 8Anita 6Lascelles 2Clark 7Lazaar
    11Ritchie 12Shelvey 14Hayden 20Gouffran 15Diamé
    9Gayle

    Substitutes:
    3Dummett 18Mbemba 22Yedlin 24Tioté 26Darlow 30Atsu 33Murphy.

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  39. Well we started well and had a few chances, dominated possession but went a bit flat. Needs a goal or 3 from us to liven it up.

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  40. Still all to play for, just wondering if things have been said elsewhere or is Rafa not thinking Friday night

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  50. Really need a replacement for Anita when we get up to the prem, Richie and Lascelles won’t be able to cover for him forever.

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  57. Well we really need to find a way to score here. They are down to 10 and used all their subs, we still have 2 available. Have to make it count.

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  75. Stu – agreed. We might be doing fine in the CC but Hull are one of the poorest in the prem and we’ve looked marginally better at times at best.

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