Stevenage v Newcastle United – match banter!

Posted on January 8th, 2011 | 126 Comments |

Stevenage v Newcastle United Match Banter
No giant killing to see here (please!)
Good afternoon lads and lassies, welcome to the match banter thread for Newcastle United’s third round FA Cup tie against Stevenage.

League Two’s Stevenage have had a decent start to their first season of league football, securing a mid-table position and having only lost twice at home this season.

But the Toon are also amidst a run of form having picked up wins against Wigan and West Ham in the last two matches.

Given that our players are starting to build up a bit of a queue outside the treatment room, we could really do with a comfortable game and no faffing about with replays like we did back in ’98 with Stevenage.

Stevenage manager Graham Westley has this to say about today’s encounter:

“We go into games wanting to win and the side of 1998 drew so I am not interested in emulating that.

“It’s our patch, it’s our turf and we have the chance to dictate the terms of the play. We can make sure that the game is played to our strengths and to our advantage.

“As a group of people we don’t do fear. We tend not to worry about the opposition and we are a positive bunch.

“I don’t care what XI they put out.

“It will be good if they do put out a weakened side as it would suggest that they think they won’t have to be at their best to beat us and if they play their best side there will be players who don’t want to be out there.

“So whichever way they go I can see reasons why it will play into their hands.

“We will look at their strengths and weaknesses and make sure we are in a position to take advantage.

“We had the chance to go and watch them play in midweek against West Ham so we know what we are coming up against.

“It’s a big game for us all but I was Farnborough manager against Arsenal at Highbury when they were double winners which was arguably a more difficult game.

“But we will not underestimate a side who won the Championship last year. They have made a managerial change which they obviously think will take them forward and will be strong.”

In turn, Pardew has commented thusly about the FA Cup:

“I have been so close on two occasions to winning it. I was seven minutes away and maybe injury-time away when I was manager at West Ham, so I hope it is third time lucky for me.

“But this is a tough game for us. The other rounds fall nicely for us – you have got a week’s preparation before the games. This one is on the back of a really tough run for us. Stevenage haven’t had a midweek game, so it worries me, if I am honest. We have got to be really, really strong today to make sure we get through this round.

“This club ultimately needs to hunt for trophies and if you could win a cup, that’s certainly going to be the easier route than trying to win the Premier League, which we know is awfully difficult with the finances of some of the top clubs.

“The cup has always been really good to me.

“I have some fantastic memories and I know the momentum it can build.

“I have played in this competition at every level and I know what it means to Stevenage, and if our application and preparation aren’t the same, we are going to find ourselves on the wrong end of an upset.

“The players are not immune from that and they understand that the focus needs to be right, otherwise we are going to be in trouble at Stevenage.

“But also, we do have that massive game around the corner where the desire to keep the shirt must be there because any players in the squad would love to play in that game. It’s a really big, big game.”

Enjoy the game!

Teams:

Newcastle United: Tim Krul, James Perch, Fabricio Coloccini, Mike Williamson, Joey Barton, Alan Smith, Kevin Nolan, Wayne Routledge, Peter Lovenkrands, Leon Best.

Subs: Ole Soderberg, Shane Ferguson, Tamas Kadar, Nile ranger, Cheik Tiote, Danny Guthrie, Philip Airey.

Stevenage Borough: Chris Day, Ronnie Henry, Jon Ashton, Mark Roberts, Scott laird, Michael Bostwick, John Mousinho, Stacey Long, Peter Winn, Chris Beardsley, Lawrie Wilson.

Subs: Yemi Odubade, Ben Maye, Ashley Bayes, Robert Sinclair, Luke Foster, David Bridges, Charlie Griffin.

NUFCBlog Author: Hugh de Payen I'm a baby-boomer of the punk rock persuasion, currently exiled in Somerset for crimes committed in a previous life where locals keep trying to poison me with something called 'scrumpy'. Hates sprouts, coat-hangers, Cilla Black, ornaments, Steven Seagull movies and 50 Cent (he's not worth 10). Hugh de Payen has written 634 articles on this blog.

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126 Responses

  10. Stevenage v Newcastle United

    UNITED: Krul, Simpson, Perch, Williamson,Coloccini, Barton,Smith, Nolan, Routledge, Best, Lovenkrands
    Subs: Airey, Soderberg, Ferguson, Kadar, Ranger, Tiote, Guthrie

  11. Krul Simpson Perch Williamson Colo Barton Smith Nolan Routledge Best Lovenkrands

    bench : Ranger, Guthrie, Soderberg, Tiote, Kadar, Airey, Ferguson

    Strong team by Pardew. I think it will be McLoven on the left with Nolan playing off Best. Good team.

    PS: Hope to god Barton will come out ok.

  13. Well the monkey macks are out, and they started a near full strength side.

    Im suprised at how strong our side is but perhaps it’s not such a bad thing given the circumstances of the game and the fact that it’s on ESPN.

  15. I take it Pardew has the same opinion of Guthrie as I do. Just not up to the job

  16. “Im suprised at how strong our side is”

    Dont like the look of Simpson and Perch ??? Dont understand that as neither are the greatest full backs but Perch doesnt do LB. Whats wrong with Kadar or Ferguson ?

    Midfield looks unbalanced !!!!!

  17. Pardew on Smith

    “He’s had to change his game with injuries and the age he’s at, but that doesn’t mean to say he can’t play a more forward role.

    “I just said to him I’ll use him where I think we might benefit from him.

    “I think it’s got him excited.

    “I think he wants to get up front now and get a hat-trick if he’s got one in the locker somewhere. I haven’t seen that on the training ground yet though!”

    Don’t hold your breath

  19. I wanna be there when Smith scores though i wouldn’t begrudge him a goal anytime. Probably he is on too high a salary but that is not his fault and does give everything for the cause

  23. Crap, they’ve got a Beardsley up front. Whats the chances of him having a blinder?

  30. STU didnt like interview with there manager like sounded like they would be quite happy “kick” the well payed toon players

  37. Somebody tell me why Perch got the nod over Ferguson. He only uses his left foot to stand on

  41. Jesus,. How bad is James Perch?! Enrique is MASSIVE for us
    Also after seeing Staylor the last few games, it’s blatently obvious the he’s a class apart from williamson.’ without Barton pulling the strings Best and Lovengrads are clueless,.
    Ferguson and Ranger for smith and Mcloven is a no Brainer

  42. Barton on the left with Perch filling in there leaves us exposed on that side. Do they just not have the quality to punish us there? We’re getting nothing out of BArton on the left.

    Also, Routeledge and Loverman are speedy players. My local shitbags, the New York Redbulls, had a lot of luck last season by knocking a ball over the left back/central defenders for our very speedy right winger to run on to. He scored a fair few goals and set up some with that strategy. I wonder if we don’t use that strategy because it’s just too cheap and schoolboyish, but it sure worked for us.

    Just a thought.

  43. Toonking said Perch did OK at Spuds. Obviously his use of the word OK is different to mone as Perch got “Raped” (to coin a term) by Lennon.

    Pardwho needs to get his finger out. This aint West Ham its a tough tie and Stevenage have nothing to lose. We take Routledge off right now. Move JB over to the right and bring on Shane instead at LM. Perch needs to buck his ideas up or we bring on Kadar and get rid of the useless twat forever.

    Stop both their full backs getting forward and get Best and PL into the game more otherwise bring on Phil Airey and let him have a go instead of Lovenkrands whose days must surely be numbered at this club ?????

  48. It’s a very difficult environment to play in. Poor pitch, their not giving us any time on the ball and they’ll obviously be up for it!

    Oh and now they score!!!

    That might be the best thing that can happen. We should pepper them now!

  49. Some people on here after the 5underland game said Simpson should be in the England squad. Bet they think they were fools now.
    As for big Mike he is what he is a championship player

  51. Well i hope people thinking that we should get rid of jonas now see.. He’s by far our best player on the pitch. We’re AWFUL without him and enrique. Nobody to run with the ball at all, and no attacking outlet. So can all the Jonas hates please F*** off.

  52. Pardwho has a lot to answer for. He got lucky against Wet Spam and this is a lesson he needs to learn and quickly.

    Why the f**k bring on Tiote when the game is lost ? Get Routledge off NOW

  54. I’m sorry AndyMac but Perch did do ok against Totenham. He got raped by Lennon for the first goal but that was his only mistake.

    …he is sh1t today though…don’t know why Pardew plays him on the left…

  58. Pardwho has a lot to answer for. He got lucky against Wet Spam and this is a lesson he needs to learn and quickly. Why the f bring on Tiote when the game is lost ? Westley must be laughing his d**k off ?

    We’re getting hammered and Pardwho hasnt got a clue. Get Routledge off NOW and bring on some genuine width. We’ve played into their hands in the first half, we had no shape nor threat and they are now reaping the rewards.

  65. Holy sheet!!!! What a load of swearwords!!!! Does he miss Sunderland game now unless we contest?

  67. You wouldn’t want to be a striker in our team with the service they have had today. Still cannae get my head around what Perch is meant to be contributing to the side

  70. That was a fcukin brilliant tackle stupid c*ntrash ref! Is tiote suspended for 5under1and game?

  73. Why didnt we give the kids a chance rather than playing a defensive, players out of position team? Mad!!

  75. Worst possible situation! Could have coped with losing match / playing badly -but Tiote red means he’s gonna miss at least next 3 matches – Sundyland, Spurs etc. We will miss him – lucky to get one point from next 3 games! Waaaah!

  78. Heres one which I notice a lot with us not just today, corners come in and when theyre cleared we very very very rarely regain the ball on the edge of the box. Why cant we do this simple tactic to give us a second bite at the cherry? Even the poorest teams can do this?

  79. Well, very different opinions on the red card here, from the Guaridan’s Minute by Minute:

    RED CARD! Ooh – that’s a very, very bad challenge by Tiote on Ashton. He jumped about five feet up in the air before crashing through the defender … and he has been sent off for his trouble. It’s not looking great for Newcastle is it?

    71 mins The commentary team on ESPN seem to think that was a harsh red card, on the grounds that Tiote did, just about, get the ball. I completely disagree. You just cannot allow players to jump into a challenge like that if you have any care whatsoever for player safety.

    73 mins “Who is this numpty that claims that wasn’t a red card,” demands Ruari hickson. “Six inches further to the right and the Stevenage player’s leg is coming off. There shouldn’t be an IQ test for people to play football, but there needs to be for those who get paid to talk about it, for all our sanities.” I’m not sure about the last bit, but yup, disgraceful challenge and cannot understand how he’s even trying to defend it.

  80. I know we played on Wednesday but where is our drive and energy. We have not matched them in that department today

  81. PhAirey on for Lover – says it all.
    Prediction – we will score once late on and lose 2-1. Well, I might as well get that wrong , the rest of the evening’s b***ered.

  84. @buda, try a right back, (backup) left back, 2 wingers and an attacking mid for when Benny’s injured.

    Can’t understand why Fergie hasn’t been used today. If Routledge had to play, why not Ferg, Nolan, Barton, Rout? Even ignoring the fact that Smith’s useless, we shouldn’t have needed a DM today.

  85. it shows how we miss enrique and gutierrez tonight and how much drive and damage they cause to opposing teams the makems will be loving this they got beat off league 1 side us league 2!

  87. @Fans Should Own The Club, wtf are you talking about ? that was one of the greatest tackles i’ve seen lately.

    That card will definitely be rescinded. Not even a yellow, he barely even touched the player.

  89. Am I right in thinking ALL North-East sides are now out of the cup – counting Hartlepool and even Carlisle?

  95. Magpie6699
    Come on get real you cannae seriously think Perch and Simpson are adequate right backs. Neither have got a clue.
    And as I said on an earlier post Big Mike is a disaster waiting to happen

  98. Pardwho also has to be careful about playing JB in crap positions because his agent has said he wants to stay providing he is assured we’re going to invest and move forward. :)

    FFS it aint rocket science and if Pardwho hadnt seen Fergie’s performance at the Bridge then somebody else, from the backroom team, should have told him that the kid had enough in him to warrant a start.

  100. AndyMac
    The kid did really well last Wednesday. Why he didn’t start on the left I don’t know.
    I go on and on but fail to see what Routledge brings to the table. Fergie should have started on the left and Joey on the right where he had played all season.

    Got to hold hands up though and congratulate Stevenage. they did a good job on us today. Perhaps it was their industry and desire that made us look crap today

  101. ok, i calmed down a bit.

    Let’s look at this loss little. Is it such a big deal ? I think not. Stevanage deserved the win. Out of the FA, so what ? We weren’t going to win it anyway.

    If Tiote gets the card rescinded this will be just a bad, useless memory.

    I think Pardew did good going for the win, it didn’t happen now concentrate on the league.

  102. What an absolute embarrasment,. Our squad survives only in the league because of a bankbone of top players: S Taylor, Colo, Enrique,Tiote,Barton,Carroll
    thr problem is,. We need every single one of them to be on the pitch and playing to their best,. The minute one or two of them are missing, or have an off day we are next to terrible. And it showed today: Williamson, Perch, Smith,routledge,best and mcloven are simply not up to standard expected of nufc,. And are unable to carry a game when out top players are missing. The performance was embarrasing,. But the players shouldn’t feel bad,. It’s not their fault they are not good enough!!
    Pardew has got to take the blame,. Terrible selection, terrible tactics. Not good enough.
    P.s If Tiotes challange was a red card I’m not interested in football anymore.
    Anyone saying it was a dangerous tackle,. Knows nothing! And is what we call round this neck of the woods a : ‘soft lad’ it’s a mans game, if you can’t tackle, let’s all go home

  103. we lost becasue..every manager keeps playing this useloss prick smith…and then plays a slow lob sided midfield..with best and lovenkrands who are a joke as well..he scores 3 goals and every1 think he is good..

  104. Well done Stevenage fully deserved victory,could have been a lot worse than 3-1.Don’t start blaming the manager, it just makes you look silly,it was the players fault not the manager,not the ref,just the players.It was just a bad performance learn from it and move on.

  105. Tote’s card won’t be rescinded – you only get off scot-free if you cripple people like De Jong or Cattermole do.

  106. manager to blame for tactics..ever1 in the country would not picked the way the midfield was set up..clueless slow twats..playing smith and nolan and what does smith do..get booked early on that just makes us have ten men..becasue he cant do shit anyway..and for nolan just a goal scorer with nothing to offer..how does he score goals..so we are playing with nine men..

  107. Why are some sites calling it “one of the biggest cup upsets of all time”? Totally OTT –
    1. Stevenage are a league side, not non-league
    2. They were at home
    3. It’s not Man U or Arsenal, but an average (at best) Premier side
    4. We’re Newcastle United – it’s a shock if we BEAT anybody in the cup.
    5. Err, that’s it

  108. Joey Barton was caught throwing the ball at a Stevenage player’s head. He will likely get trouble for that too.

  109. Mick G says:

    “Well done Stevenage fully deserved victory,could have been a lot worse than 3-1.Don’t start blaming the manager, it just makes you look silly,it was the players fault not the manager,not the ref,just the players.It was just a bad performance learn from it and move on”

    So you’re an expert on all things toon then mick G ?

  110. Haway Mick G!..
    How many people, let alone premier league managers would play Barton on the left with Perch behind him? Or smith In the engine alongside Nolan?! Or routledge on the right knowing were going to get no support from midfield?!
    He had two options tonight,. Play a young but exciting team with pace playing vuckic off ranger, ferg on the left, kadar at the back,. Ask em to go out there and work hard and fast,.
    Or
    play a balanced, organised premier team,. Score two and contain them.
    Tonight we did neither. It was very poor

  111. spot on bravenewtoon..nolan and smith in midfield..we wont win anything…these british managers dont get it..not fast enough to get forward or go back…we beat chlesea with the kids..so the blame is with the manager first then the players..he is been talking about smith pardew which has got me upsetr he can do a job..it took 3 years for mangers to relize butt was crap and the same is for smith..

  112. icedog says:
    January 8, 2011 at 5:56 pm

    “this new server seems like shit off a stick on comments,well done lads”

    Thanks Icedog, but it’s nearly all Hugh. He put most of the work in on that one and it’s his server.

  113. Smith is on the field twenty minutes max and gets booked, we might as well have ten men. Perch is an average championship player if that. Routledge likewise, what do I want Pardew to do this transfer window? Get rid of these three priority and strengthen the squad asap. If we get injuries to key players then we are shafted. This might be the wake up call we need to make sure that we survive in the Premiership. not a nice one granted but we are back to the realism that survival is the main objective and we are not as good as some might believe. Get out and sign what we need Pardew or you will be following Mr Hodgson out of the door.

  114. Bravenewtoon. I agree players did play out of position,but get real are you saying that the team put out there shouldn’t have beaten Stevenage?It was a shocking display,I’m not a pardew fan, but I’ll stand by what I said it was the players fault.
    Andy mac.I think you’ll find I’m just an expert on all things.

  115. mick g..why do 90% of managers get sacked because of that reason..tactics the players dont..who get away with it..but if u play with a slow lobsided midfield for the rest of the season we wouldnt win a game..will he change it..yes he will for the next game..so it is down to pardew today..it gave the other team confidence..whcih they took full value for..

  117. really low point today. I was at game. We played so poor that it can not be put in words. About red card, I am not sure how it looked on TV but I was sitting pretty much towards end of ground where tiote went for challenge and he clearly took ball with it. I was thinking Ref will give yellow max but he went straight red. I hoep players pick themselves up for next game. Shame Tiote will miss 3 important games.

  118. “Andy mac.I think you’ll find I’m just an expert on all things”

    Yeah right :)

    As I said earlier it was an unbalanced midfield and the defence was stretched with Simmo and Perch in FB roles. With Best and PL upfront that was about the worst formation he could have selected.

    Best did well against WHU because he got tremendous service from a well balanced midfield. OK Jonas and Jose were unavailable but Kadar and Ferguson were more than adequate replacements.

    Why tinker with the whole squad when small but necessary changes were all that was required ?

    Sorry Mick G but you’re way wrong on this one :)

  119. Pardew tried to win the game today with a strong line up. The players just didn’t deliver.

  120. lol, just found this while browsing sites. Someone seemingly has just uploaded it to YouTube in the last few minutes or so. A Stevenage fan has punched his own player after the match live on ESPN.

  121. Tiote`s tackle today was not as bad as De Jong`s but hey it`s which club you play for. Referee`s are on Tiote`s back just look at the amount of bookings he`s had. It`s a man`s game and if the physical side is taken away then what`s the point? I could`nt understand Pardew`s quote on ESPN that some of the young lads should learn from what went on out there tonight. That they did`nt compete in the way that they should have. Who the hell are the young lads? that team was filled with experience.

  122. Munich Mag says:

    “Pardew tried to win the game today with a strong line up. The players just didn’t deliver”

    There’s a whole world of difference between choosing your best avaialable 11 players or your best available formation.

    Perch should never have played on the left as he’s not even left footed and also not a very good full back.

    Barton is really a central midfielder who plays on the right because he has a wicked right foot but not a left.

    The team balance was therefore affected and Stevenage, even though they have a twat of a manager (Westley), managed to take advantge of that imbalance by pressuring both full backs and preventing Barton from affecting the game.

    I’m not asking for Pardwho to go but merely pointing out he got it very badly wrong today just as he was lucky to get it right on Wednesday.

  123. Got me a feeling that cashley was involved in the team selection today.
    Just cant think of any reason why we were so hopeless otherwise.
    Been playing his real life champ manager, because he can, and now he has his yes man in place to let him.
    Fugging clueless fat twat.

  124. Tonight demonstrates how weak the squad is.
    Could Steve Stone not have told Pardew that a central midfield pair of Nolan and Smith has failed a number of times in the past and will never work. Perch is lacking confidence and possibly lacking ability. Williamson and Simpson have their limits. Lovenkrands not good enough.
    Where was beardsleys boys of Vuckic, Donaldson Inman etc.
    I have deliberately not mentioned Routledge i’ll let someone else judge him

  125. Beardsleys Boots says:

    “Got me a feeling that cashley was involved in the team selection today. Just cant think of any reason why we were so hopeless otherwise. Been playing his real life champ manager, because he can, and now he has his yes man in place to let him. Fugging clueless fat twat.”

    and yet BB if you believe this

    http://www.newcastleunited-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/the_reason_why_ashley_dumped_hughton_for_pardew_617359/index.shtml

    maybe you’d change your mind ?

    The irony is that CH always said he wouldnt risk playing his first team yet Pardwho does and ends up with the same conclusion ?????? IMO Pardwho has a long way to go and hopefully FatMan will now realise he hasnt brought in the next Mourinho :)

  126. so if the cup means soooo much to him (pardew)why play that team in those positions and that formation.
    makes no sense.
    Also he has supposed to have watched all the vids of previous matches. Hasn’t learnt much has he??
    I know the players were piss poor tonight, but they aren’t stupid, they probably knew before kickoff that it wouldn’t work.
    I’m sorry but the blame lies fair and square at pardews door.
    And god help us next sunday if we try and play like that against the unwashed down the road.