After back-to-back wins over the past week, today’s late kick off sees Benitez’s men take on Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough (Sky Sports 1 – 5.30pm)
The game, for me, represents our toughest test in our six remaining fixtures. A win tonight would symbolise a monumental moment in our bid for automatic promotion, whilst simultaneously maintaining our title hopes, given Brighton start the day at the summit after last night’s win at QPR.
It’s another huge day for the Magpies but Sheffield Wednesday will be looking to spoil the party. Hillsborough will be bouncing as the Owls, who beat United 1-0 at St. James’ last year, look to make a late push to consolidate their place in this year’s play-off positions.
After a stuttering spell, back to back home wins over the past week will have done the confidence within the camp no harm. Benitez and the boys appear fully focused on the task-in-hand and have got the job done of late, however, performance levels may need to be upped, with the standard of opposition stepping up a notch from the Wigans and Burtons of the world this evening.
6th placed Sheffield Wednesday have suffered a dip in form over recent weeks, but a return to winning ways at Rotherham this week handed Carlos Carvalhal’s men a timely boost ahead of tonight’s clash.
Team news
Benitez confirmed yesterday that Yedlin (thigh) and Clark (knee) will be missing once again. The pair appear to be progressing well but Rafa rightfully prefers not to risk them.
Colback looks set to miss out again through illness, with Rafa unlikely to risk Hayden, meaning Mo Diame could continue in central midfield alongside Jonjo Shelvey.
Mbemba may also retain his place in the side, after Benitez stated he ‘could play again’ in yesterday’s pre-match presser.
Unfortunately for ourselves, the hosts look set to be boosted by the timely return of star man, Fernando Forestieri. The diminutive attacker is a player I would happily see in black and white, with his spark and energy something we must be protective of.
Vincent Sasso could return after completing a ban, whilst midfielders Almen Abdi and Kieran Lee remain long-term absentees.
Predicted line-ups
Newcastle United – (4-2-3-1) – Darlow – Anita, Lascelles, Mbemba, Dummett – Shelvey, Diame – Ritchie, Perez, Gouffran – Gayle.
ONE change from Burton:
Gouffran IN, Atsu OUT? Atsu struggled on Wednesday night, failing to stamp his authority on a game we dominated, showing a lack of final product. His pace could be a weapon from the bench, however I fully expect Rafa to recall Gouffran, whose work rate and experience could be needed in this one.
Sheffield Wednesday – (4-4-2) – Westwood – Hunt, Lees, Loovens, Fox – Wallace, Bannan, Hutchinson, Reach – Forestieri, Fletcher.
Match prediction
Hillsborough will be rocking, and with the Owls boosted by the return of Forestieri combined with the Magpies missing several key men, I expect a real tough game.
Our grit and game-plan will make us hard to beat, however, I don’t see us quite having enough to get all three points on occasion. I’ll go for 1-1.
Howay the lads!
Cheers dor the write up Olly. Massive game. No reason we can’t get a result. Wednesday have not been as solid as I thought they would be earlier in the season. Win and we are virtually promoted (we will get auto promotion anyway, but we want to win the league).
I see Colback’s ill again, Must be some virus he has. I’m quite pleased actually. Stay ill lad.
Narrow win for us tonight. HTL.
Who are the several key men we are missing Olly? I doubt Wednesday will be as good today as they were at xmas otherwise they’d be top of the league.
Of the players missing I’d only class Clark as key and even then Mbemba’s a more than decent replacement.
Cheers Olly. Tough game this one, a point would be great, all three marvellous .
Hope the Toon defence isn’t as leaky as my plumbing is at the mo 🙄 , that’s all I can say.
HWTL
Get well soon Andy Cole
Fancy us to get something today. Wednesday have been a bit inconsistent the last few weeks and a point would be ok. Fancy Huddersfield to drop points again too at a Forest so could be another good weekend for us.
Georgio: Icedog has one of them little voodoo dolls of Colback that he is sticking pins in. Illness, my ****.
What the hell is happening with Reading?!?!!
Losing 6-1 against Norwich…
Huddersfield down 1-0.
Swans digging themselves a bit of a hole.
Looking like a free hit tonight for us…
Reading getting spanked
Hudders losing 2.0 now 🙂
Simply have to take advantage of the Hudders score and try and get back above hoots lads later
Goofy back in for Atsu apparently , that’s the only change. 5live
has that Huddersfield score settled any lingering nerves? We are up regardless of today’s result but I am going for 3-1 to us anyway.
We are 10 ahead of Huddersfield with a far superior GD and they have 6 to play. That makes our “magic number” 6 points, and that assumes they win all of their remaining games. In reality, we are promoted.
I’d like to see us perform well today and win comprehensively. We haven’t played like that for a while so hopefully the results today will gee us up a bit and allow us to play with a bit more freedom.
I concur with that sir. We’ve not played well actually and I know Burton parked the proverbial. But. If we couldn’t score from open play in 90+ minutes of football against Burton Albion, I didn’t think we deserved to win. Today, enough people have bigged up Wednesday. I respect them but.. We should be beating them if we turn up. I mean howay, Fletcher & Wallace?!
Link anyone?
Best I’ve seen us press but how on earth have they just missed that chance?
Wake up lads
Don’t like Fletcher
Olivier Bernard somehow contrives to sound like a French Welshman.
Didn’t Fletcher play for the Mackems?
great block Darlow
The more I see of us the more I believe we will need a whole new back four next season.
yes
very sloppy today
Are there any live steams out there ?
I am still trying to figure out the Bernard accent. It is probably a bit Geordie but mixed with his French it does sound more Welsh.
Gayle with that bleeding hammy!
Gayle is not doing well with his hamstring.
http://www.usagoals.me/c/football/1997951/2/sheffield-wednesday-vs-newcastle-united-live-stream/
We are poor far. Need big changes in the summer if we are going to stay up.
WOW, if only that was a fraction lower would of been awesome goal
Defo need an upgrade on Gayle, that hammy is bad news
Things are probably flat because the the majority of the toon players realise they can’t cut it in the premier league, and they have a feeling that rafa is offski at the end of the season anyway ?
Why is it every time I tune in to watch the Toon, we struggle band ride our luck? Even when we win, we hardly convince. I hope Rafa gets the changes he needs this summer.
Its rocking on here.
Good position for a free kick here.
Don’t have TV coverage but from the sounds of the Welsh Frenchman we are doing better.
We just cannot defend!
And there it is.
knew it, always gonna be a hard game this
Spoke too soon
Been ***** all day.
Took a weds goal for their fans to find their voices
Shitty day getting ******* by the second 👿
How many set piece goals have we conceded this season ?
FFS had to be that ***** didn’t it
Terrible, terrible defending. We’re playing like we’ve already been promoted.
Switched off totally there, embarrassing
Atsu coming on to save us 🙄
Leeds put 3 away today, can’t see us beating them either tbh
Sheffield Wednesday are our bogey team. We couldn’t even beat their reserves in the League Cup.
With Hudders losing today it was the perfect chance to widen the gap and relax too.
We been poor today Eric, really poor. Now Gayle is out for the foreseeable the others need to step up. We need to score if we are gonna defend like this.
Looks to me like things are getting sorted. Brighton Champions, us the other automatic and probably a Yorkshire team through from the playoffs.
Similarly, the PL is working itself out. Chelsea Champions and Spurs, Liverpool and Man City for CL places.
How can Man U think this is progress with the money they have spent? Their arrogance continues though, as the myopic pundits and their supporters are almost assuming they will get in the CL through the back door by winning the Europa League. They might, but they are assuming it.
Mackems and Boro down and most likely Swansea or Hull.
That’s handy Westwoods having treatment, any chance we can test him
How many points do we need for automatic promotion ?
If we have any illussions /delusions for next year we can stop now. Man U, Citeh, Chelsea and Arsenal will spend 200 million each and Liverpool and Spurs already have good squads.
We will need to spend 100 million for mid-table. Will Ashley have the stomach for it (insert fat joke here)?
Kimtoon: 6, to be sure. But probably another 1 or 2 will do it as Huddersfield almost have to win out – which they wont.
Right 5 minutes to get something.
Hudders have 6 games to play as a game in hand, if they won all 6 ( unlikely ) they are on 92 so we need 9 points from the 15 available =93
Yes get innnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
Gouffy has a great work ethic but he lacks a clinical edge.
My prediction of 3-1 to us didn’t turn out well. I was using the NUFC reverse logic of when you think we will struggle we do not, and vice versa.
Luckily, I am not a betting man. But I would never bet on NUFC anyway, as I have known for a long time that my heart rules my head where they are concerned.
Eric 6 will probs be enough yes but 9 to be sure. 3 wins out of next 5 we need.
Great place for a free kick. Come on Shelvey.
Mitro is defo targeted by championship players
Kimtoon: I did the maths wrong earlier. We are 10 ahead and the maximum they can get is 18. With our superior GD we need 7 to be sure.
Right o i’ll take your word for it
hate this league
Shelvey only one playing tonight
Honest opinion Kimtoon please, never watched or listened to the game today, out of 10 how bad were we