I can’t lie, I’m dreading this one – based on a combination of our predicament both on and off the pitch and the sheer quality of opponent we’re set to face.
This marauding Man City side have scored 30 goals in their last seven games in all competitions – averaging over 4 a game. We, however, have managed just 19 all season in the Premier League – scoring three league goals for the first in our win over Cardiff just over a week ago.
It’s going to be a backs to the wall job where we’ll be lucky to see more than 25% of the ball and a night where every single player in black and white will have to carry out their role to perfection if we’re to stand a chance here.
Predicted XI
We’ve often played 5 at the back, but had Perez and Atsu either side of Rondon, however I see both ‘wingers’ playing just ahead of our wing backs in this one, with us likely to put 10 men behind the ball.
With Ki, Shelvey and Diame all out, Hayden and Longstaff will almost certain to start in midfield. After all, they are our ONLY fit central midfielders.
On that note, Rondon is also our only available striker with Joselu injured, Gayle out on loan and Muto at the Asian Cup – yet we don’t even own him.
A reminder that we’re the ’19th richest club in the world’, yet this is what Rafa’s dealing with..
Predicted NUFC XI – (5-4–1) – Dubravka– Yedlin, Schar, Lascelles, Lejeune, Ritchie – Perez, Longstaff, Hayden, Atsu – Rondon.
The Opposition
In this section I usually pick out the ‘ones to watch’, but in all honesty there’s not a player in this City side who won’t pose a threat.
Aguero’s record against us is incredible, wingers Sterling and Sane are devastating and will drift infield as their wing-backs overlap and, in central areas, the likes of De Buryne, Bernando Silva and David Silva will be the playmakers pulling the strings. What’s scary is their centre-back Aymeric Laporte is probably a better footballer than most of our attackers..
Predicted Man City XI – (4-3-3) Ederson – Walker, Otamendi, Laporte, Danilo – D.Silva, Fernandinho, B.Silva – Sterling, Aguero, Sane.
Team newsS
Shelvey, Diame and Dummett have all been ruled out once again by Rafa, although it sounds like all three and Ki aren’t TOO far away from returning.
Joselu will also miss out with a twisted ankle.
For City, Kompany is unavailable and left-back Mendy is being ‘monitored’ after making his long-awaited comeback last week.
Match Prediction
This is a Man City side that win 3-0 on a ‘bad day’, so that combined with our woeful record at St James’ Park is pretty damning.
We won our last league game at home convincingly vs Cardiff, but the lack of transfer activity since then and the pitiful FA Cup performance against Watford over the weekend has killed any momentum we created.
I’m just hoping this isn’t an absolute hammering. I don’t expect us to score and would be surprised if we had more than a handful of shots on target, but I think Rafa’s tactics will help stave off a cricket score.
Prediction: Newcastle 0-3 Man City
Howay the lads!
How do you decide which to use? Or are you starting a museum 🙂 D800 is full frame and 36 MP. Was looking at a book with very famous landscape photographers and about 1/2 were using this camera. For $700 bucks I didn’t think I could go wrong even though they probably got it free from Nikon. BUT, if it didn’t take good photos they wouldn’t use it because that is their living.
Anyway, I needed that distraction as well.
Just sign Almiron and don’t lose by more than 3 to City 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Can’t believe it! A Uber positive story about Almiron just before kick off… 🙂
Stuart79(Quote)
Ryder tweets “Almiron U-Turn”.
No Lee. You had it wrong again. Even if he doesn’t sign you still had it wrong because talks were still ongoing when you said they had collapsed.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Believe, Stuart! I would rather have hope than trust Ryder.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
So Ashley is not really that stupid.
funrafa(Quote)
FunRafa – not yet
Stuart79(Quote)
Right everyone call off the protests Ashley is buying Almiron … and he never lies!!!!
Sharpy17(Quote)
Who is going to know if they protest anyway?
A sit in after the game !!!!
And signs with DW Sports. 🙂 Lame.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Only about 30 minutes before I find out if Ed’s cunning plan of playing 5 six foot plus centre half’s against a team of midgets is where Rafa goes.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
MASSIVE SHOCK!!!!
Contrary to what Uncle Ed thought, NUFC DO NOT play 5 centre halfs across the back and opt for more mobile wingbacks in Yedlin and Ritchie instead.
Who would have thunk it? ME!!!
Ed has lost the plot.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Average height of Man Cities front 5 = 5 foot 8.
Ed wanted/predicted 5 centre halfs against them. Does he really have a doctorate in computer science or is it in knitting?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
He will be used to the cold weather then,it’s snowing there I think,Eric will know
Icedog(Quote)
Ice: Atlanta is 700 miles away. I know because I drove it. Lands End to John o’Goats is about the same as the crow flies.
Not sure if I can give you an Atlanta weather update but it is fcking cold in Chicago. As I said to Stuart earlier it has frozen my car door shut.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Ice: Atlanta is bloody hot in the summer and normally doesn’t drop below the high teens (C) in the winter days.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Lol, to be honest Eric, I usually use my iPhone these days, but I just got a Light L16 from the USA which is a bit special and delivers amazing results. My main camera is Canon EOS 5d mk iii, probably similar to your Nikon.. Nikon didn’t make a bad camera. Yours will be excellent. I’m feeling the weight of the SLR now and the quality of my phone is amazing. I can get an A1 print from it…
Amazing news on Almiron… fingers crossed it’s true! That could even help Rafa to sign a new contract.
I think we will play defensive and minimise the goal difference.
Dubai Toon(Quote)
Typical poor Yedlin marking.
Groucho(Quote)
I am going to eat a lot of crow if Almiron turns out to be **** because I have been his biggest champion. Mainly because I have watched him in a few full games and haven’t done the Dennis Wise YouTube scouting.
We have Man U here which is a good and a bad thing.
Good, because I don’t have t watch City.
Bad, because of the OGS w@nkfest after they beat Burnley.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Arsenal should have scored double figures against OGS’s Man U but the papers forget that.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Brighton 2 up.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Aguero after 23 seconds!
That sounds about the same time it takes “love cheat” Steven Taylor to cuum with his 3 tinder “model” girlfriends in New Zealand.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Well after that first 25 seconds, we’ve played ok. Not too defensive and had a go, but we just don’t have the quality or support.
1-0 at half time is as good as we could expect. Damage limitation tonight I think.
Dubai Toon(Quote)
Only you and me Eric?
Dubai Toon(Quote)
Seems that way DT and they are showing Man U here.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Yeah take the first minute out and we did ok.
Pleased to see the ref make the De Bryne call too – everyone twisting like coz it’s City. The ref clearly told him to wait so the toon players would be expecting the whistle – it was a fair decision.
Keown keeps saying we are sitting in – I disagree – it’s the same old story – we don’t have the quality in the final third to support Rondon. It’s not like we are just booting it clear into their half and making no attempt to play – it’s not like we’re the only team to struggle against them – he’s just said they haven’t conceded in 10hrs.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Keown is an idiot Sharpy. Have you ever read his column?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I have not heard Hayden’s name once… is he on the pitch?
Dubai Toon(Quote)
I’m pretty sure that our goalie was fouled in the build up to their goal too. Another team that goal wouldn’t have stood..,
Dubai Toon(Quote)
Get ioioiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
Dubai Toon(Quote)
get innnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
Rondon
kimtoon(Quote)
I woke the boy up ??♂️?.
I’m in the huffy bed tonight so a win or a draw would make it worth it boys ??
Sharpy17(Quote)
Fulham were romping it now as well – Cardiff 2-0 down though
Sharpy17(Quote)
Fulham have scored 4 unanswered.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Didn’t Man U just beat Burnley 5-0?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Heaton made a brilliant save as well. Much better than the Mouthy Mackem at Everton.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Pennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 😯
kimtoon(Quote)
Gamesmanship going on here
kimtoon(Quote)
Ritchieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Balls of steel man
kimtoon(Quote)
What! Some strange results so far.
We got a penalty!!!!
Eric Sykes(Quote)
5 mins extra time !!!!! ffs
kimtoon(Quote)
get in
I take it all back, football is fun.
You’re welcome Liverpool 😉
kimtoon(Quote)
OMFG… what a win…..! Un f.ucking believable.
Dubai Toon(Quote)
We beat city… first time in something like 12 years… OMFG… ??????
Dubai Toon(Quote)
It’s 2am and I’m so glad now I stayed up.
Dubai Toon(Quote)
Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant boys – really well done!!! Proud of all of them tonight – they worked their socks off.
What a strange day today has been. Pre 5pm I was sick of the club – fast forward to Almiron news and a huge win and I might just see this season out now ?.
Rondon got MOTM and he was excellent. But Longstaff again for me superb. He’s came into the team and looks like he’s got 5 or seasons under his belt never mind just games. He’d be one of the first names on the team sheet for me now.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Maybe all is not lost. If Almiron get his debut on Saturday I might even go to the Pub and watch as there are usually a lot of Spurs fans.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
just read the game thread on here
https://forums.liverpoolfc.com/threads/399868-Midweek-Football-Thread/page20
think they’re happy
kimtoon(Quote)
Haha.
What a result.
Stuart79(Quote)
Shock result and looks like we will finally break the transfer record.
According to Chris Waugh there were approximately 100 fans who did the sit-in at the top of the Gallowgate. That went well! Told you they couldn’t organize a p!ss up in a brewery. Waugh also said there were only 200 DW Sports signs. That is about the lamest protest I have ever seen and even with so few placards nobody on TV would have known what it was about. IDIOTS.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Since it looks like we are signing Almiron I will give you my take again. I have only watched 4 full games he was in but he was Man of the Match in all, or maybe joint with his colleague Martinez in one of them. Rooney played in 2 of the games and he outshone Wazza.
Left footed. I think. Anyway he was playing on the left and drifting infield to a number 10 role when I saw him.
Fast -he has pace.
Can ride a tackle.
Can pick a pass.
Looks light up top but doesn’t go down easily and gets stuck in.
Can shoot, but not always the most accurate. A better passer.
I didn’t pay much attention to his free kicks or corners but hopefully he can have a go as we are lacking in that area.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
NEW THREAD
https://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2019/01/30/newcastle-2-1-man-city-a-night-to-remember-as-the-champions-are-out-thought-out-fought/
Incredible result! What an effort. Atmosphere was electric at times.
Olly Hawkins(Quote)
PriceOfFootball
@KieranMaguire
NUFC now owe Barclays money and it must be repaid from next couple of Premier League payouts
🙄
kimtoon(Quote)
https://twitter.com/KieranMaguire/status/1090531144729313280
kimtoon(Quote)