Everton: potential banana skin?

Posted on November 3rd, 2011 | 39 Comments |

Pardew chilled about Everton encounter.
One game at a time
Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew keeps ambitions in check ahead of our game against Everton on the weekend.

What exactly is a ‘potential banana skin’? I ask because my local shopkeeper and I were having our daily discussion about life, the universe and everything and he left me with the comment “Everton are a potential banana skin”. Which got me to wondering if a ‘potential banana skin’ is actually just a banana.

Anyway, we’re playing this banana on the weekend and I’m pleased to see that Alan Pardew is keeping a sharp perspective on things. Pardew said:

“We have had a great start and have shown a lot of sides to us as a team. But we look no further than that.

“We are coming up against a very good established Premier League side in Everton, with a great manager and good players, and you have to respect every team in this division. And that is what we will do for the next game.

“We are playing with confidence and have got a decent side. How good it is, we don’t know, but we are just going from game to game at the moment.

“Expectation levels are not rising or going through the roof. Everybody has their feet on the ground and we are just hoping to keep it going.”

Can’t really argue with. Pardew made more sense than my local shopkeeper anyway.

We are of course going to come a cropper against a big banana at some point – possibly in the next game but one – but I think we have the whatsits and thingamajigs to take on Everton and come away with three points.

How we do after that is anybody’s guess. We have perpetually surprised people this season so far, so I guess anything is possible. But Pardew has the right idea in trying to keep the team focused on one game at a time. Yes he still spouts a load of guff from time to time but I can’t argue with the results he’s fashioned from a relatively inexpensive team this season.

Not much of a ‘blog that, but I had a few minutes spare in my hectic schedule of trying to fathom the secrets of the universe and felt like posting a bedtime missive.

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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39 Responses

  1. Hugh, “felt like posting a bedtime missive” I think you should have had a bedtime tot & an early night.

  4. I see there are now 3 good teams in the NE
    NUFC 3rd in PL & unbeaten
    NUFC Reserves top & unbeaten
    NUFC Academy joint top

    well done!

    HWTL

  5. We are even making the news in the Wall Street Journal !
    “Soccer’s Cut-Price Revolution
    English Premier League Surprise Packet Newcastle Succeed With ‘Cheap’ French Imports” !

  7. Aye Hugh but somethings going right at the minute.

    …Got a few 6 pointers coming up – be top of the league soon man!

  10. I might read it the morra, can’t keep me eyes open any longer.

    Is anybody still there, can you do me a cheeky favour?

    Earlier the neet I was on the phone to me mutha for over an hour trying to help her to download “Avast” antivirus from Cnet. I failed miserably. She’s in her 70’s and naas nowt aboot compyootas apart from emails.
    I might have found a short cut – can you tell me if this link works, nee bollix…

    dw.com.com/redir?edId=1174&siteId=4&lop=feed.dl&oId=&ontId=2239&spi=&pid=12202944&destUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fsoftware-files-l.cnet.com%2Fs%2Fsoftware%2F12%2F20%2F29%2F44%2Fsetup_av_free_cnet.exe%3Fe%3D1320550326%26h%3D57bde2eef9b38a5ddc871460e31df81c%26part=dlint%26fileName=setup_av_free_cnet.exe

  15. I just hope we can take a bite out of Evertons apple and force another win. That may give us the confidence to win against the next three games of death.

  16. Hugh, as you write, it may be right keep the team focused on one game at a time, but I don’t think that a manager should just go “from game to game”. That’s what alarms me sometimes about the Silver Supremo even though we have had such a good start, and I was somewhat impressed with our strategy against Stoke.

    If as your shopkeeper suggests, we slip on a banana skin aginst the Toffees, we may end up with Banoffee pie all over our faces!

    Whilst it could be a tight game, you never know with Everton as they have a tendency to start seasons erratically, and only seem to really get into their stride later on. They’re 16th ATM.

  17. G’Day to all you barcodes:-) freindly bluenose here, albeit an exiled Aussie one. Think you might be surprised by our resilience, we should seriously have taken something out of all of all 3 games against the Shite (Rodwell send off ruined that one) Chelski, and ManUre (58% posession and 12 more shots on target) we have been unlucky so far this year, witht he exception of our win at Blackburn which was farcical. Not saying we are going to take all 3, but I will be very dissapointed if we don’t take a point home. Have been VERY impressed by your lads, I was pretty sceptical when Pardew got the gig, but he seems to be doing a great job and it’s good to see Toon back up there, just hope we will there with you sometime soon:-)

  18. Kris,

    Aye, I saw that Rodwell sending off, it was ridiculous.

    You may be right about the rest but I still say that anything could happen with Everton early in a season. If your lot started seasons the way they finished them, they probably would have been in the Champion’s League more than just than just that one time.

  19. Supermac says:
    November 4, 2011 at 1:25 am

    “Hugh de Payen says: Is this a wrestling ‘blog now?”

    Supermac, Johnny Saint doing the worst nose job ever.

  20. We need to take 3 points to make sure we can write the games against the manchester big guys off… If we are still unbeaten after the next 4 matches, i will start believing though ;)

  21. Hoolie you mentioned something nice I had not thought of. We have some 6 pointers coming up but instead of them being relegation 6 pointers as has always previously been the big ones it is against 3 of the top 4!

    Against Everton I really hope we can get another 3 points and I think on form we should certainly do so especially as this is at home. Everton are a proven team though and their form is shabby but they could turn up on the day and produce a great game, get a lucky call from a ref or a linesman you never know.

    At least we can be confident Pards will have a game plan of sorts and he’ll be going for the win and we know even if we go a goal behind the lads will play hard to the end for an equaliser or a winner.

  22. I think it will be a close encounter on Saturday with us just nicking it by the odd goal.Everton under Moyes are a hard working, well organized team and with Cahill back, definitely a threat. 2-1 to the Mags!!

  23. This Saturday has all the makings of ‘After The Lord Mayors Show’

    Against Everton at home is probably a bigger test than Stoke as most people thought we would get nowt at Stoke.

    Because of a combination of the actual result and great performance at Stoke together with playing at home and Everton’s poor form many now see an easy victory.

    Not so. This will be a very difficult game, more so than the games coming up against ManC, ManU and Chelsea as these three teams are expected to beat us pugnacious upstarts who dare to intrude on hallowed premiership positions reserved for the exclusive very few that attract all the attention of the media and pundits.

    Big banana skin game on Saturday.

  24. Think we can get 3 points, everton are a decent team and have actually been playing well lately but think we’ve got more in the locker at this stage
    @worky – doubt pards is actually taking his planning and tactics one game at a time, I imagine he’s talking about the actual results, he’d look an idiot if he started talking about the big 3 games and how we’re gonna give them all a good game. I’d imagine that would really incentivise everton
    Hugh – why you picking on bananas, it’s an urban myth that people actually slip on them more than any other fruit – or dog shit :)

  25. I hear Obertan is out for this weekend against Toffees? Apparently the lad has a toe infection… I for one would love to see Marveux start but possibly Gosling would have a go???

  26. Workyticket@14
    Thanks but even that may be too much to ask of her!
    I’m up there in a couple of weeks so I’ll set her machine up so I can remote into the bugger and dee it me bliddy self the next time.

  29. worky – Johnny Saint’s two footed nose spreader! Greavous bodily harm! Flipping heck! who said these bouts were fixed!

    Can we send a copy to Saylor?

  30. Supermac says:
    November 4, 2011 at 12:46 pm

    “worky – Johnny Saint’s two footed nose spreader! Greavous bodily harm! Flipping heck! who said these bouts were fixed!”

    Supermac, that was Saturday afternoon family viewing on “World of Sport”

    Back to Dickie Davies…

    Did you know that Dickie Davies was a centre forward for the Mackems?

  31. er, no? But I used to work in southampton in the late 60s and many of my mates remember him working as a purser on the cunard line.

    An obscure link – Souness managed the Southampton & the Toon. At the Saints he is still reviled as their worst ever manager with the worst ever signing in football history – he signed unseen an african reputed to related to a super-star (George Whey or something) – but it was a piss take, he was a student who only had the same name & had never played football!
    The new super signing was subbed afer 10 minutes and never heard of again – and Souness has refused to discuss the matter ever since!

  32. Supermac says:
    November 4, 2011 at 2:31 pm

    “er, no?”

    Aye Supermac, he played for the Tramps, then Darlo.

    I do remember very vaguely reading somewhere about that George Weah fake cousin thing years back, but it’s only just registered that it was Souness! :lol:

    I don’t see what being his cousin has to do with it though. You can have some great players with sons and other relatives who are absolutely shite. Of course, you’ll remember Paul Dalglish! ;-)

  33. Fourfouroneone
    Why does it have to be an “urban” as opposed to a suburban myth ?

    How does a footballer step up to the plate ?

    Kamar
    When did we become pugnatious upstarts ?

    Workey
    The Silver supremo, indeed ?

    SuperMac
    WSJ a daily read then, hmmm !

    See where the “Silver Supremo” has recently claimed Raylor is every bit as good as Enrique.
    Was gonna give him some cred., but he restored my
    faith in him, that i was right about him the first time !

    Well should be a hell of a game vs Everton, saw Moyes @ the Stoke game, checking us out.
    Two evenly matched sides, bit of pace in both clubs, though we have an advantage in the sense their defense lacks pace, apart from Coleman, who is now used more as a winger.
    If Moyes recognised Colemans worth and Arry recognised Bale’s worth as Wingers, what about “The Silver Supremo”
    and young Ferguson ?
    Would love to take all three points, the morra, but this one is too tough to call and gonna have to set the alarm, for an 8:45am. start.
    Guess it’s croissants,coffee and football.

  34. Newcastle have had a piss easy start to the season, everyones getting a bit carried away here.

  35. chuck says:
    November 4, 2011 at 5:36 pm

    “Workey
    The Silver supremo, indeed ?”

    Aye, I’m sorry Chuck but I’m terrible with the daft nicknames, I just can’t seem to help it! It was “Cockney Colossus” with his predecessor, though he isn’t a very big chap at all.

  36. as a everton fan i am glad to see the magpies where they belong well done and keep it up after the everton game

  37. It’s a hard fixture – our last home loss was against them in March..Marveaux/Ben Arfa’s going to get a chance though with Obertan injured.

  38. john efc says:
    November 4, 2011 at 6:36 pm

    “as a everton fan i am glad to see the magpies where they belong well done and keep it up after the everton game2

    Thanks John. I hope that your lot manage to get back up to the right end of the League too like you usually do.

    Qwerty says:
    November 4, 2011 at 7:38 pm

    “It’s a hard fixture – our last home loss was against them in March..Marveaux/Ben Arfa’s going to get a chance though with Obertan injured.”

    It will probably be Marveaux as Pardew’s said he won’t play Ben Arfa on the flanks, although he did ok there in his last game against Everton!

  39. dick-ie twice,

    did you read that little gem in a ragloid, or did you make it up all by yourself?

    :lol: