Bolton Wanderers vs Newcastle United match highlights, interviews, stats…

64 Responses

1. Merry Xmas Worky

   All the best lad. :D

2. Cheers GeordieDan. Hope you had a good one.

3. You’ve got Coyne up there twice, Worky.

4. Sorry, I fell asleep there Tripp!

   Longer MOTD highlights are up now too.

5. So glad Benny got that goal. Hopefully this will drive him on to be even better. Ba only needs a few more goals and he can pass Van Persie for the most goals so far this season.

6. Agree Phisx that goal should boost Ben Arfa’s confidence. I have said it before and will say it again that I fail to see what significant difference Best makes especially to his partner Ba. I’m sure Ba would still score goals irrespective. And that is why we should play a 4-4-1-1 formation away from home with Ben Arfa or Vuckic between central midfield and Ba.

   I thought Colo looked much more assured and back to his normal classy self with Willo beside him, who played well thanks in part to Bolton’s feeble forwards.

   Things will be different though against Liverpool.

7. A good win, but not a great performance – lets not get carried away. Bolton are relegation candidates who had only one shot on target – for any successful team, beating them must be regarded as a routine job well done, and we are almost (but not quite) in that category,

   This team can play better, and will improve, but we are still 3 quality players short of a good side.

   HBA must play. And Vuckic needs a run – in place of who? When Guthrie returns there will be no room for all our decent midfielders. Yet we are short at the back and up front – 2 decent signings will quickly sort that out with little fuss, we appear to have looked at dozens and have money available.

   Goalie is not a problem – but it is a puzzle. Harp’s contract is up soon – is he off on a bosman? At that point we must decide to keep Foster or to cash in – its pointless waiting any longer.

   End of year report? Better than I thought & on course for a 7th-8th finish – well done lads.

   Dare we now raise our hopes for the FA Cup?

   HWTL

8. Ben Arfa deserved that goal and he should congratulate himself after the horrible incident that happened to him one year back. Well personally had no doubt about Demba Ba. Even before he played a game in the black and white shirt i was sure he would be a good signing… Just hoping he finishes the season with at least 25 goals.

9. It’s nice to see HBA starting to get his match fitness back.
   It’s been a long & arduous road for the lad, but he’s slowly but surely getting there.
   I’m glad he hasn’t been rushed back, those type of injuries take time to recover from, both physically & mentally.
   He should be about right by the time Ba leaves for the ACoN.

10. It was also great to see Williamson back on the pitch. Him & Colo should be able to re-cement their partnership from last season.

    Great assists from both Raylor & Obertan too.

11. CLiNT FLiCK says:
    December 27, 2011 at 10:43 pm

    “I’m glad he hasn’t been rushed back”

    Clint, the truth is that Pardew doesn’t know what to do with players like Tevez and Ben Arfa, he’s more comfortable with players like Marlon Harewood and Shola Ameobi.

12. worky,

    or:

    He’s eased him back in after a horrendous injury.

    As for tevez et al, didn’t he ease them into playing in english football for wetspam, surviving in the prem?
    Anyhoo,
    wasn’t there a load of ‘weirdness’ about those transfers, with untold speculation about the ‘agent’ involved?

13. CLiNT FLiCK says:
    December 27, 2011 at 11:23 pm

    “As for tevez et al, didn’t he ease them into playing in english football for wetspam, surviving in the prem?”

    No Clint, he either wouldn’t play Tevez or would play him out of position, preferring the likes of big English target man, Marlon Harewood. West Ham were shite and on the verge of relegation so they sacked Pardew and brought in Alan Curbishley in a bid to save them at the eleventh hour. Curbishley was more sophisticated tactically, preferring more of a skillful passing game, so he played Tevez in the right way and West Ham staged a miraculous recovery.

14. The possession numbers stated in this post contradict the ones displayed in the footage (6:45 ish). Looks like we had 55% according to the “match facts”. No word on territorial advantage from the broadcast.

15. Tripp, the ones above are from Sky Sports, but being one of our American cousins who’s bombarded with sporting stats 24/7/365, I thought you would have known already that many of them are just made up as they go along anyway. ;-)

16. Tripp, another one

    Shots off target:

    BBC – Trotters 1, Toon 5.
    SkySports – Trotters 3, Toon 3.

    I daresay many of the others would have been different if the BBC showed them too.

17. Ha ha. fair play, Worky. I just want to believe that we dominated possession and the stats in the vid confirm that “worldview”. Toonland uber Alles, and all that. ;-)

18. TBH, I don’t follow any American sports anymore, so perhaps I’ve gotten out of that mind set. I do support the local MLS side, the Rapids, but I don’t follow them nearly as closely as Newcastle.

19. Alreet lads could someone clear something up please, im 3 points clear at the top of the prediction league (i know clint flick is a bloger but is el toro) and it would help me sleep knowing exactly who and how much i was clear of genuine league challengers. thank you :)

20. My Bolton Pre-Match Prediction:

    “HBA will shine today if he’s played: i can feeeel it!”

    ….oh, how i hate being right! yay me!

    Anyone heard any wild transfer speculation? It seemed like we had Modibo lined up for a Jan 1st signing – he failed medical obviously – but any other deals likely to be hacked out early??

    I guess now willo back, the def urgency can wait a week or two, and Demba Ba is like 2 strikers in 1 – But it’d be nice to get some players in with time to adjust before mid-Jan…..

21. OK, got this so far on CB’s:

    The news is that Newcastle have already officially inquired about Ajax’s Jan Vertonghen and put in a £2.5M bit for West Ham’s 22 year-old James Tomkins, which was turned down about 10 days ago by Sam Allardyce.

    It seems that Newcastle’s top target is Vertonghen, a 24-year-old 6’3″ Belgium international, who is at Ajax, and it’s believed Chief Scout Graham Carr is a big admirer, but the Belgium will not come cheap.

    Both Arsenal and Tottenham may also be interested, but Newcastle’s need could be greater than that of the two London sides, and it could take up to £10M to secure his transfer.

    Jan joined Ajax back in 2003 as a 16 year-old from Belgium club Germinal Beerschot, and has played 201 times for the Dutch giants with 23 goals, and he has played 35 times with two goals for Belgium.

    Sounds tastier than a Big Mac!

22. So the news from Pardew that is we aren’t looking to bring in a striker in the transfer window after the Maiga deal didn’t happen. Now why aren’t I suprised.

23. lads id rather we bring in a top centre half rather than a striker……. as long as perch doesnt get a game again…
    that centre half who ever he is will hopefully save us 10-15 goals for the rest of the season compared to perch… then come next season get rid of best and sign someone more suited to our game

24. GD – a fair point, but obviously a striker would be nice also, not only to pair up with Demba in the future, but also to cover him for Africa Cup (i think the news is that he flies out there a week earlier than previously thought)….

    Life without Demba:

    Best & Shola, or Shola & HBA, or HBA & Best.

    Hmmm, I’d prefer Oliver Giroud in there somewhere.

    I dont think Sammy/McLoven can really be thought of as sriker cover, more “Perch” type quailty at the mo…

25. SportingLife.com:

    Montpellier owner Louis Nicollin has said Newcastle are “too small” for Olivier Giroud but would not rule out a switch to Arsenal – if the price is right.

    Giroud, who has scored 13 times this season, has caught the attention in his side’s surge to second in Ligue 1 at the winter break.

    Newcastle, who have signed several players from France in the last 18 months, had been linked with a move for the 25-year-old.

    They are no longer in the market for a striker in January but Nicollin suggested they were never an option.

    Although he could not rule out selling to a club like the Gunners, the presence of Robin van Persie and a sizeable asking price point toward the player staying.

    “Newcastle? They are too small for him,” he told television station RTL.

    “Arsenal? You would have to see if Arsene Wenger is interested but, as before, there is Van Persie.

    “And at 10million euros? No. Given that he still has more than two years of contract, it will cost more.

    “He has a contract until 2014, [so] 50 or 60million euros at least.”

26. So we’re too small for Giroud?! Over 50k fans, top 7 in the best League in the World, Cool kit colours, Balmy climate, passion unrivalled!

    And “We’re not in the market for a Jan Striker” – did i miss the email on that one?

27. ok, found it now – no striker – that sucks arnold balls.

28. Pardew has someone already lined up or they think we are just going to get away with it the simple fact is WE NEED A STRIKER NOW.With Demba away in a few weeks time it could be a rapid slide down the league as he is the only one scoring goals.Again the powers that be knew about this come january and it looks like once again nothing is going to be done about it.Great lets get another CH in and try and hang on.Sorry lads but all the good work so far will be up in smoke if we cant bring in a goal scorer.Watch Andy on friday show us whats missing.

29. Geordie magpie,

    so it’s you, ya’ bazza!

    :)

    I’m reet behind ya’…El Toro does post on here periodically mate, haven’t seen him for a while like.
    Though, maybe he still does the prediction comp as he’s up the top with the likes of us?
    One game to go, have you got ya’ predictions in?

    All the best mate!

    I think i’m disallowed from winning the pot, but i wouldn’t mind it donated to SBR’s charity or to bairns down on their luck!

    ;)

30. Milner,

    that ‘quote’ from AP about maybe waiting ’til the summer for a striker is weeks old mate, it’s just being regurgitated now cos the transfer window is about to open.
    You’ll see a lot of re-hashing going on ’round about now.
    ;)

31. worky,

    tevez has ‘form’ when it comes to ‘being difficult’, hey?
    ;)

32. That ‘random’ fa computer again manages to hand home xmas games to most of the ‘top’ teams,
    what a surprise!

    If i didn’t know better, i’d swear that that computer is rigged.

    ;)

33. Well I got 3 points from the predictions this week. Think that puts me out of reach :(

34. maze202,

    hey if you get everyone ‘perfect’ & the top lads flop, ya’ never knaa like.

    ;)

35. http://www.clickliverpool.com/sport/liverpool-fc/1215027-fa-charge-rules-liverpool-fcs-luis-suarez-out-of-newcastle-clash.html?

    Useful!

    ;)

36. http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/submit-newcastle-playlists?

    Any ideas?

    :)

37. Alright lads, it’s really hotting up in the prediction comp with just one week to go! Just submitted my final set of results, it’s down to the football gods now. Good luck ya’s, may the best man win ;)

    Just heard Suarez is out for Friday aswell! Just hope King Colo keeps AC in his pocket for 90 mins now :)

38. Hey El Toro,

    all the best mate, if i win i’ll spilt the prize with ya’, if you do the same?

    :lol:

39. If suarat is banned & fined & warned about his future conduct, does that mean he’ll get his racist charge colliding with this & get a worse ban?

    Somehow i think not, as it’s always just hot-air with the fa.

40. GeordieMagpie says:
    December 28, 2011 at 9:30 am

    “i know clint flick is a bloger but is el toro”

    No, El Toro isn’t a contributor on here GeordieMagpie.

    The contributors in the contest are Clint Flick, Hugh de Payen and Jimbob.

41. Sorry about the lack of blogs ATM BTW. I’m not very well and Hugh’s gone AWOL.

42. WHAT A SUPRISE, PARDEW THE PUPPET HAS ABANDONED THE JAN STRIKER SEARCH , BECAUSE HE WORKED HARD TO SEAL THE MAIGA MOVE (HE SAYS) IT WAS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN TALK ABOUT NOT HAVING A PLAN B AGAIN!!!!!! WE WILL SLIDE DOWN THAT TABLE NOW BECAUSE FATTY AND HIS PUPPET DO NOT SPECULATE TO ACCUMULATE. I COULD SEE THIS HAPPENING MONTHS AGO WHAT AN ABSOLUTE JOKE HE TAKES US 4 AND WILL CONTINUE TO UNTIL WE CHANGE WHAT WE DO!!!!!!!!

43. GET UR MOTHRIDDEN LEAD WALLET OUT U WASTE OF SKIN!!!!! AND GET A BRAIN

44. Jay,

    Well in a sense all managers are puppets because it’s always the owner who holds the pursestrings, though some do manage to resist the urge to bloviate the way Pardew does.

    On “Fatty and his puppet” taking us for a joke, I notice that fans have all gone very quiet on the St James’ Park naming scam now, which is exactly how Fatty and his owlheeded cipher planned it. Despite stories being placed in the media that Nike would take it over by Christmas there has (predictably) been no interest whatsoever in payimg Newcastle United over double the going rate to get involved in a PR disaster.

45. He wouldnt employ someone with a spine hence kk didnt last too long, and when hughton over achieved and wanted some backing he went also, pards is gratefull 4 the job and so he should be, but we will only flirt with relegation until ashley and lambsarse are gone, they dont want to make money by rising up the league placings, just by selling our assets. expect more to leave, joey barton knew theyre game as we do too, but i expect the prats will still be running us for a hell of a long time as they are getting fat as turkeys off us!

46. and the gary speed shock happend at a time very much in favour of ashley and co after the stadium rename, we showed our respects to a great man. maybe ashley should show some and go!

47. jay says:
    December 28, 2011 at 3:33 pm

    “He wouldnt employ someone with a spine hence kk didnt last too long”

    Jay, well I see it the other way ’round, ie no top manager will touch us with a bargepole unless perhaps they were made a ridiculous financial offer which Ashley would never give. I know that Harry Redknapp isn’t the most popular maneger with some Toon fans but he said after he was offered the position:

    “I thought long and hard about it, but there is something not right at that club.

    “I need total control, and there is something wrong at Newcastle and I wonder how much control the manager has.”

48. ‘arry would never come up north for work in a million years, whatever he said can be taken with a sack of salt.
    Like most managers, he’ll say what ever he thinks will give him most kudos.

49. jay says:
    December 28, 2011 at 3:37 pm

    “and the gary speed shock happend at a time very much in favour of ashley and co after the stadium rename”

    Aye it did Jay. Llambias also shamelessly tried to take advantage of it with the Barton thing as well.

50. Soh ! no striker eh!
    Why am I not surprised, something wierd about the Miaga deal also ?
    Appears a fill in for our injured young CD, who was playing some of his best football to date.
    Of course talking about S.Taylor.
    So who do we get, Vortonghen ? Sissohko?
    I was thinking a pairing of a fit Taylor with Vertonghen, would be a pretty decent defensive duo.
    Would Ashley spring for the big Belgian ?
    Doubt it, too much dosh, he wants younger, cheaper and better, ask Joey ?
    Who else is on the radar, Sissohko ? forget it aint coming !
    So here we are gently falling downwards to the bottom half of the league, unable to beat Teams like West Brom and barely beating Bolton.
    But no sign of panic from our dear leaders, if your not panicking, you obviously dont understand the situation.
    Ah well, nothing unusual i suppose.

51. GD says:
    December 28, 2011 at 11:38 am

    “as long as perch doesnt get a game again…”

    GD, Perch is a full back, both he and Simpson aren’t really built for CB, but would have done OK playing out of position except for the fact they were dominated aerially by large strikers against Norwich. You are blaming Perch for something which is Ashley’s fault really.

52. so tiote is happy to stay it looks like, wonder if ashley sees more pound signs at the minute tho!!! bit of a similar situation as this time last year. go on ashley sell him we know you are going to!!!!!

53. Could it be that no one is particularly interested in the re-naming of St. James Park stadium, that the present fan opposition would’nt be something that would help sell their product.
    or,
    Could it be Ashley has had no real interest all along, in using any other advertiser than Sports Direct and that NUFC is just an adjunct to his real business.
    I get the feeling that a football club has some of the same rushes (the action)as a gambling casino, what with the game itself, plus the financial gamesmanship involved, etc.
    A couple of hustlers with a lotta dosh to play with !
    Ah well, whats new ?

54. C’mon Workey,
    Perch, Williamson, Raylor, are not starter class EPL players, sure the are journeymen, who have an occasional decent game, but will be no more than fill ins at most clubs.
    You and everyone else has seen the results of injuries, where we have little in the way of quality replacements, a small squad, face it we are about five players from being a good side.
    What would i give for a Nobby and a Robert, playing alongside Cabaye and Tiote, with another goalscorer partnered with Ba.
    Onuoha at RB, Saylor and Vortenghen in the middle and Sissohko at LB
    Hell i should be managing this club, doncha think ?

55. chuck says:
    December 28, 2011 at 5:23 pm(Edit)

    “Could it be that no one is particularly interested in the re-naming of St. James Park stadium, that the present fan opposition would’nt be something that would help sell their product.
    or,
    Could it be Ashley has had no real interest all along, in using any other advertiser than Sports Direct and that NUFC is just an adjunct to his real business.”

    Probably both Chuck.

    Llambias putting a figure which was over double what it should be in the public domain was either highly suspicious or displayed the kind of rank amateurism which in itself would send potential sponsors running to the hills. The rank amatearism and the high amount quoted isn’t just me BTW, a sponsorship consultant also said something along the same lines.

    There is one thing though, Ashley doesn’t seem to give a stuff about negative PR just so long as Sports Direct get the naming rights for free. Perhaps he figures that a little more on top of what he’s already had won’t make a lot of difference in the long run. He does like a gamble.

56. chuck says:
    December 28, 2011 at 5:37 pm

    “C’mon Workey,
    Perch, Williamson, Raylor, are not starter class EPL players, sure the are journeymen, who have an occasional decent game, but will be no more than fill ins at most clubs.”

    What about Danny Simpson Chuck? Being relatively small for a centre back, he also had the same aerial problems as Perch against Norwich, yet all of the scapegoating seems to have fallen on the other out of position player who didn’t do any worse. True, he isn’t Beckenbauer, and he is a squad player, but he is the subject of some very unfair criticism sometimes.

    “Journeyman” or not, Williamson, a proper 6’4″ centreback certainly seemed to make a lot of difference to Newcastle United’s central defence in the air now that Steven Taylor’s out for the season, and his performance against Bolton was very good, although neither he or Coloccini were tested very much.

57. worky,

    aye mate, Williamson made a big difference v bolton. He’s forged a pretty good understanding with Colo before now too.
    In fact the lad can only have put a foot wrong once or twice in his Toon career.

    It’s good we’ve got him back to shore up the back line.

58. worky,

    i think chuck expects a superstar in every position, plus another 14 as back up. All happy as larry to sit around waiting for their little chance to shine on the big stage.
    All well re numerated whilst sitting enjoying the game.
    :)

59. CLiNT FLiCK says:
    December 28, 2011 at 10:52 pm

    “worky,

    i think chuck expects a superstar in every position, plus another 14 as back up”

    Well he may have a point Clint. A team the size of Newcastle United which up until recently used to get 50 odd thousand in every week and has a worldwide support base should have a squad which competes with the likes of Tottenham or Liverpool, however we have recently been relegated and have a squad which is more like Bolton’s Blackburn’s or Stoke’s. Why is that?

60. CLiNT FLiCK says:
    December 28, 2011 at 10:52 pm

    “worky,

    i think chuck expects a superstar in every position, plus another 14 as back up”

    He clearly doesn’t if he wants a Robert in the team!! Also, Saylor over Collo? Chuck, my new mission in life is to make sure you never become manager at NUFC (haha)

61. Soh whats wrong with wanting a decent side to support?
    Are we supposed to make do with donkeys, has beens and never will be’s?
    I want Sissohko, Vortenghen, Saylor and Onuoha as the back four to take us into Europe next season and i would love to have two real wingers,and yes! just like Robert and Nobby.
    Face it how many seasons has Colo got left, as for Saylor, he’s been playing out of his skin lately, best defender we have.
    Trouble with you guys is you got no ambition, willing to accept and embrace Ashley’s austerity program, too bad!
    Guess you can get used to second best!

62. chuck,

    you’re argument is a bit of a departure from my contention that you seem to expect 24 superstars in the team.
    I’m not even gonna dignify the deeper insinuation/s.

    ;)

63. worky,

    & it may well do in the next few years, we’re moving in the right direction.

    I was obviously under the ‘illusion’ (?) that building takes time & we had learned some valuable lessons the other year down in the chumpionship, namely, that we were going completely wrong-headed at it.
    Patience being one of the main lessons, closely followed by a touch of humility.

64. Hmmm ! patience and humility eh
    No thanks !
    I want a decent side to watch and i want it now !
    The fans provide the third largest gates in th EPL, they buy those shitty shirts for an enormous profit, we have a billionaire owner, and earn an enormous amount from tv revenue so why not ?
    Because we are just an adjunct of Sports Direct, an advertising board and a plaything of our dear leader and his cronies.
    Not exactly a scenario for patience and humility, doncha think ?