Rafa’s men will be looking to bounce back from Friday’s late heartache against Leeds, facing Mick McCarthy’s Ipswich Town in the 3pm kick off at Portman Road today.
Friday’s frustrating draw against Leeds United was a bitter blow to our title hopes, seeing us fall 4 points behind table topping Brighton, however, above all else, today’s game provides an opportunity to extend our lead over 3rd place Huddersfield.
The Terriers’ 96th minute winner on Friday, combined with us conceding in the 95th minute later that night, saw Huddersfield gain 2 points on us over the weekend and with that, see our lead over Huddersfield reduced to 8 points.
Huddersfield may have a game in hand, but it must be said that our fate lies firmly within our own hands, with today’s game providing the ideal opportunity to move one step closer to confirming our return to the Premier League next season.
Today’s opponents, Ipswich, earned a crucial win at Burton on Friday night, handing Mick McCarthy’s men a timely win, giving them a comfortable 9 point gap between themselves and the drop zone.
In the United camp, the quick turn around of fixtures comes at an ideal team for a team itching to bounce back. With title hopes and a place in the Premier League all up for grabs, I fully expect another energetic and enthusiastic effort from the team, who’ll be gunning for 3 points to make up for Friday’s lapse.
The 3pm kick off will be streamed live in the bars within St. James’ Park, with the latest ‘beam-back’ looking set to be well attended yet again. Whilst there will be no promotion celebrations should we be victorious, it would pile the pressure of Huddersfield, who face a tough trip the Derby in the late kick off today.
The two clubs will also pay tribute to the great Sir Bobby Robson today. A man who did wonders for both clubs and remains in the hearts of all involved at Ipswich and Newcastle.
Team news
The game will come too soon for Ciaran Clark and Rolando Aarons, with Dwight Gayle also set to miss out following a reoccurrence of his hamstring injury against Sheffield Wednesday last week.
DeAndre Yedlin is now fully fit and will be looking to make his return to Rafa’s side.
Daryl Murphy will be hoping to make his return to the side, with the prospect of facing his ex-club.
Former United centre-back Steven Taylor (hamstring) will miss out for Ipswich, along with fellow defender Jonas Knudsen (shoulder).
Predicted line-ups
Newcastle United – (4-2-3-1) – Darlow – Yedlin, Lascelles, Mbemba, Dummett – Shelvey, Hayden – Ritchie, Diame, Gouffran – Murphy
Ipswich Town – (4-2-3-1) – Bialkowski – Spence, Chambers, Berra, Kenlock – Ward, Skuse – Lawrence, Smith, McGoldrick – Sears
FOUR changes from Leeds?
Anita OUT, Yedlin IN? The Dutchman was superb on Friday. It was his best performance of 2017, so this one would be for rotation purposes and by no means meaning Anita is to be ‘dropped’. Yedlin’s pace has been missed in the team and a return to the starting 11 could be a timely one today, giving Anita a much needed break, whilst providing the team with a greater attacking outlet to push us on towards 3 points.
Hayden OUT, Colback IN? Hayden’s return on Friday was a welcome one. He transformed our midfield. It was, however, his first start since February, with the 22 year-old missing a large chunk of action after ankle surgery. As much as I want him to remain in the side, I expect Rafa to rotate and play Colback, given Hayden will have had limited time to recover from his excursions on Friday night.
Perez OUT, Diame IN? The two often rotate and given Perez’s efforts against Leeds on Friday, I fully expect the rested Diame to return to the side in this one. Perez’s best performances may have came on the road for United this term, but I expect Rafa to opt for fresh legs and bring Diame back into the side today.
Mitrovic OUT, Murphy IN? Mitrovic was outstanding against Leeds. He put himself about, won his battles and brought others into the game very well. His performance fully deserves another shot in the side, however, with today’s game falling so soon after Mitrovic’s first league start in weeks (where he played the full 90 minutes), I expect Murphy to be given his chance. Being an ex-Ipswich player, the Irishman will also know the opposition as well as anyone, which could come in handy for Rafa and the team.
Match prediction
Whilst Ipswich will be boosted by their recent victory, Newcastle will be hoping that the Tractor Boys will be on their holiday’s after all but securing safety. Regardless of Ipswich, I fully expect the team to be bang up for this and ready to put right their devastating lapse on Friday night.
Their could be a few changes to freshen up the side after a tough game less than 72 hours ago, but I expect Newcastle to get back to winning ways today.
Prediction: Ipswich 0-2 Newcastle
Here’s hoping! Howay the lads!
Rafa must be absolutely ballistic, so many mistakes, although he has tinkered with the defence and needs to carry part of the responsibility..
Delusional Jawdee(Quote)
Everyone still sure we’ll walk this league ? 😳 Been wobbling for weeks and our two recent wins were v Wigan and Burton .
kimtoon(Quote)
Mbemba coming on ? eh ?
Delusional Jawdee(Quote)
kimtoon, who ever said we would walk the league ?
Delusional Jawdee(Quote)
Gamez on Yedlin off
Delusional Jawdee(Quote)
Gamez on for Yedlin who I am not sorry to see the back of
kimtoon(Quote)
Plenty including opo fans
kimtoon(Quote)
Can’t even get a measly point here .
Mitro on for 10 minutes
kimtoon(Quote)
We are really making heavy weather of these closing games… can see Huddersfield getting a supine to pile on the pressure. Sqeeky *** time.
Dubai Toon(Quote)
I knew we wouldn’t, too many lightweights in the toon line up
Delusional Jawdee(Quote)
two up top but no Ritchie on now 🙄
kimtoon(Quote)
Course they will mate, and I hate the fact that having done all the hard work and being in top 2 all season we lose Gayle at a crucial point and the others decide they can’t remember how to play let alone win a game of football. Bollocks to it, if we balls up totally we have no one to blame but us.
Congratulations to Brighton and Hoots, you’ve earned it.
kimtoon(Quote)
Our defence will be a weekly embarrassment in the PL
kimtoon(Quote)
Another **** performance. Can see Huddersfield winning with who also have a game in hand to play.
We’ve thrown loads of points away recently.
So much for walking this league. We might fail to get promoted
Gashley(Quote)
That’s if we get there
Gashley(Quote)
We have been very poor for a long while now. Ned massive investment if we are not going to get laughed back out of the PL next season. Really disappointed by the lack of resolve and character in this squad. They should have been fighting teams off the park during this run-in and instead have rolled over. Embarrassing. Showing they are not up to a scrap when the chips are down, which is not a good omen for next season. Well done Brighton. That’s how you finish a season when chasing promotion.
Shamrock(Quote)
dear oh dear oh dear
kimtoon(Quote)
The players are completely and utterly bottling it. It happens, but now the fans have a huge part to play.
Stuart79(Quote)
Pathetic. So we learnt from the Leeds goal???
**** poor marking for all of their goals
Gashley(Quote)
Well, that’s that then… I see us in the play offs now. ??????
Dubai Toon(Quote)
Sham – Anyone would think we needed a couple of players in January to freshen it up. The only person who didn’t think that was Ashley and let’s be honest, when was the last time he has ever done anything that’s worked for NUFC?
Stuart79(Quote)
I hope not Dubai, because we don’t have the bottle to win a straight head to head.
Shamrock(Quote)
Agreed Stu. Massive mistake yet again. In fact it takes the p@@@.
Shamrock(Quote)
If this team fail to go up then I may well fail to follow them next season. This was a joke today after the game on Saturday I expected a concerted effort and that was an utter disgrace .
kimtoon(Quote)
I hope not too, but we seem to have imploded. This was a game we needed to win really to get back on track. With Huddersfield kicking off after us they will be spurred on to go for the win. I can just see it. If they win their game in hand that just 2 points gap I think…
Dubai Toon(Quote)
Friday*
kimtoon(Quote)
Those shouting for Yedlin to replace Anita should get a grip. He may look good going forward with pace but he is supposed to be a defender. USA team manager doesn’t rate his defensive qualities. I also think RAFA has to grasp the nettle and drop Lascelles. All defenders should be allowed to make mistakes but he seems to have lost it too often lately. I still think he has potential but he should be rested for the next game.
Groucho(Quote)
I’d also look at Reading. Only 6 behind us and have Forest, Burton and Wigan to play. Can assume they’ll get 88 points.
Stuart79(Quote)
We beat all four of the last four teams we play already this season, Preston by 6 goals , so really there is no excuse to not secure another 6 -7 points, but watch them screw it up.
kimtoon(Quote)
Spot on mate, Anita for me every day, master the art of defending then worry about getting forwards.
kimtoon(Quote)
Gayles goals have covered a lot of cracks
kimtoon(Quote)
And Lascelles & co need to keep his gob shut all this week and just concentrate on having a good game v Preston on saturday
kimtoon(Quote)
We only need 7 points and as I type Huddersfield 1 up. 👿
Stuart79(Quote)
And it looked very much off side
Stuart79(Quote)
we got a whole bunch of lucky breaks early on in the season, to be honest our football under Rafa has been turgid.
Delusional Jawdee(Quote)
1_0 Huddersfield
Gashley(Quote)
The team haven’t played well since the rumours about Ashley getting involved again at Xmas and the lack of money that was going to be available in January.
It looks like in typical Ashley style along with his sidekick Penfold they have shot themselves in the foot as usual.
On the back of Penfold’s claims about the figures that came out recently it has just put the tin hat on any morale and feel good atmosphere that had been created at the start of the season !
They have killed off any remaining hope with their typical cack-handed approach to their style of running a football club.
January should have seen them starting to plan for next season with adding a few faces to make sure they got over the line but as per usual they couldn’t be bothered because they arrogantly thought they were already there.
Just like last season when they thought the squad was too good to go down, Oh dear !
Joe Hawkins(Quote)
What I can’t understand is the dropping of Mbemba who from an uncertain start in his first game this year seemed to be getting better with every game. He had a great game against Leeds. Dropping him now will have done nothing for his confidence which I think he was lacking initially.
Groucho(Quote)
I gave up at halftime, after a dreadful first half, looks like the second half was just as bad.
For my part I am laying this one firmly at Benitz’s door, he picks the team, sorts out the formation etc, and he has made some blunders recently, but here’s a point to ponder, its nearly all happened since Ian Cathro left.
He was the architect of attacking corners, as well as defensive work, seems we have lost all of that now.
ash1001(Quote)
I mentioned 10 games ago our points ratio compared to Huddersfields was poor. It hasn’t changed much since then.
If they win today and their game in hand they’ll be 2 pts behind.
We’ll totally bottle the playoffs.
Come on Derby. Do us a huge favour
Gashley(Quote)
I agree m8
Rafa definitely deserves some blame. 1up front again. High balls to Murphy was a poor showing. We didn’t change it until later on.
Our squad is the best in the league. Our formation isnt
Gashley(Quote)
Come on guys, lets not blame Ashley or Charnley for this one, its down to Benitiz, he picks the team, ask Mitro, Anita, Mbemba and Gouffy if they wanted to play today and am sure it would be 100% YES.
ash1001(Quote)
I said the other day Hudders will beat Derby cause Derby’s season is all but over anyhow and Derby aren’t that good imo. I can honestly see Hudders winning at least 3 of their remaining 5 starting tonight.
kimtoon(Quote)
I don’t believe we have the best squad in the league. We are lacking defensively, creatively and in resolve. Needed to address the weak spots in January. Benitez has made mistakes but he is working with a **** tool in one hand and his other hand tied behind his back.
shamrock(Quote)
Exactly Sham
feel pretty sick right now, how can they throw it away like this.
kimtoon(Quote)
We have had to play Ameobi in some games. Anyone who thinks we have the best squad in the league needs to just think about that.
Stuart79(Quote)
Derby have had all the possession and 3 shots to Hudders 1 and 1 corner to Hudders none so far but Hudders 1.0 up
kimtoon(Quote)
Stu, We are missing Gayle and Clark massively mate, Gayle would of gotten a couple on Friday for sure.
kimtoon(Quote)
It’s the same squad you thought would walk the league.
Huddersfield are playing dean Whitehead at centerhalf ffs… which squad is better than ours?
Gashley(Quote)
It was only one game, that we didn’t even win. We’ve been poor since January in my opinion and some results have papered over the cracks.
DJG(Quote)
Considering how well we played on Friday..why make 5 changes. We looked great then changed the team for a must win game.. baffling
Gashley(Quote)
Derby have had quite a few chances this half
kimtoon(Quote)
We have 2 home games left v Preston and Barnsley plus an away trip to Cardiff. We should get 6 points if we buck our ideas up
Gashley(Quote)
They’ve looked ok kim. Hopefully they’ll get the equaliser
Gashley(Quote)
Gash the table does not lie. Brighton has a better squad than ours and by the seasons end we may well find Huddersfield and at least one other does too.
I did think we would walk the league. Honestly thought we had more quality and resolve than we do and also did not think the board would be daft enough to gamble on our future by refusing to invest in January when we needed it.
shamrock(Quote)
We have only 1 decent winger, probably only 1 defender that anybody is 100% comfortable with (Clarke), only 2 decent CM’s (one of which is often injured) and 1 striker that we know will regularly produce the goods (but he is a sick note). There are gaping holes all over this squad and I can’t see how it gets properly addressed in the summer with Ashley in charge.
shamrock(Quote)
I wouldn’t say they have a better squad. We were flying at the beginning the season. CH has been consistent in keeping the same team (almost) where we’ve made unnecessary changes. Today being the perfect example.
Huddersfield still have Fulham to play and wolves away. Not over yet
Gashley(Quote)
Hudders goal was offside apparently, I missed it anyone see it ?
kimtoon(Quote)
If it was and they end up winning by 1.0 then that’s 2 games and 6 points they been gifted by officials 🙄
kimtoon(Quote)
Do you think Rafa is starting to learn now that NUFC can somehow manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory? 🙄 He needs to get the players in at 9am tomorrow morning, call a team meeting and have a few words with them if you ask me.
I think quite a few know that they will be either out of contract (Gouffran, Anita), or sold, or at most squad players (Diame, Colback) and they are starting to have one eye on their future and not 100% securing our promotion.
There needs to be an inquest because despite Rafa picking generally a negative team, the performances haven’t been good enough from players who are being paid, by far and away the highest salaries in the league. I’ve thought for a while that some are just going through the motions and not putting their body on the line and sticking their head in where it hurts at corners etc.
DJG(Quote)
Kim I agree. When a player who has 23 goals is missing you’re going to miss him.
Stuart79(Quote)
We have a decent defence for this league. Like I said…dean Whitehead for Huddersfield? We have mbemba, Clark , Hanley, Lascelles and dummett.
We only have 1 decent striker because Rafa will only play 1 .which decent forward would come here to sit on the bench? That’s why we signed Murphy
Gashley(Quote)
For the first time I heard Rafa angry with his players. We need to really put a performance on against PNE.
Stuart79(Quote)
Mitrovic and Ritchie are two players who have given their all in the games that I have watched and you could tell that they couldn’t really do any more. Some others, like Diame in particular, are just strolling around in games.
DJG(Quote)
Didn’t look offside. Watching it now
Gashley(Quote)
People forget Brighton have built their squad over three years and have spent an awful lot of money.
Stuart79(Quote)
I think Gayle would have had more goals if played upfront with a target man like Murphy or Mitro. He’s been muscled out of some games and relied on long balls over the top and tap-ins mostly.
DJG(Quote)
Derby looking good. Putting pressure on Huddersfield
Gashley(Quote)
Gash who have we got that has achieved anything in football? Shelvey has been hit and miss but has obvious quality. Ritchie has quality. All of our defense has achieved nothing and hold no standing of note in the game. Mitro did ok in a poor league but has been very inconsistent for us. Gayle is alright for lower PL and Hayden has promise. Everybody else is just… meh… CV’s full of relegation, mediocrity and not a lot else. Big price tags mean nowt if they don’t deliver on a consistent basis. I agree Benitez should not have changed Mbemba or Anita today but we don’t know what the score is there. Could be knocks, fatigue etc. Who knows. The bloke has won stuff everywhere he has been, so it’s illogical to blame him for the season’s failures. Especially given this squads and this owners track record.
shamrock(Quote)
Diame is one of the slowest players I have seen, and has absolutley no sharpness nor awareness to him. The bloke is absolutely laboured, yet is one of Rafa’s favourites. the bloke is terrible.
Delusional Jawdee(Quote)
Who have Brighton or Huddersfield got to brag about? Similar to us really.
I don’t blame Rafa, I said he should take some of the blame. Why drop mitro after doing well against Leeds, same as the other players he dropped.
We sit back a lot and try and control the game with high balls to an isolated striker. It hasn’t worked for a while but we just plod on regardless
Gashley(Quote)
Leeds is a classic example. He set the team up fine and the game plan resulted in domination. But we did not have the quality to put the ball into the back of the net again and the defense switched off when it mattered, right at the death. That was due to individual mistakes, lack of concentration and character. Not backing him in January was a stupid mistake. Given the large scope of change that is required this summer to prepare is for the PL, the process should have begun in January. Trying to bed almost an entire new first team in over one window is asking for trouble. That’s if they actually do their job and get the players in that we need. No doubt there will be a ridiculous policy to buy young with potential again and they will veto necessary deals because they think we can scrape by with what we have got.
shamrock(Quote)
I doubt if Rafa is doing anything differently to what he has done for the last 7 months. He’s always rotated but in my opinion he knew we needed fresh faces in January but he wasn’t backed. Reading, Huddersfield and Brighton all strengthened.
Stuart79(Quote)
Gash if you ask Brighton and Huddersfield fans which if their players have delivered on a consistent basis this term, i’m sure they name far more than we can. Ask them if they would switch those players out for our lads and i’m sure they would laugh at the suggestion.
I know there has been calls for us to play 442 this season, but the one game Rafa tried it, we got played off the park from what I remember.
shamrock(Quote)
Derby running out of steam now. Can see this staying 1_0
Gashley(Quote)