Double Trouble for Cursed Cloggies! Blackburn Rovers 0 – Newcastle United 2

Posted on February 2nd, 2012 | 54 Comments |

Blackburn Fans
Oh Coloccini....
This match saw the welcome return of Captain Coloccini, and also the absence of Yohan Cabaye – a victim of trial by television and the London FA earlier in the day. Chris Samba was missing from the Blackburn Rovers line-up following the club’s failure to release him during the January transfer window – clearly fit but not happy and therefore not risked by Steve Kean. The Referee was Phil “Yellow Card” Dowd.

First Half

The game kicked off with empty seats all over the ground – it was like a blue “Stadium of Light”. The crowd was given as 20,817. The first bit of excitement came after five minutes when Ameobi was put through by Best but strangely, didn’t have the pace to take advantage of the opportunity. A couple of minutes after that, Ryan Taylor put a great ball through for Ameobi who failed to trap it as it bounced past him unchallenged but luckily for him he was adjudged to be offside.

Things got much better a few minutes later however when United took the lead. Following good passing around the box a shot from Ryan Taylor, which was actually going wide, deflected off Scott Dann and into the net with the keeper going the other way. Blackburn Rovers 0 Newcastle United 1

There was a bit of a scare after 20 minutes when Blackburn won a dubious corner with two players clearly offside, then a Petrovic shot from outside the area was a bit close for comfort. Blackburn were starting to apply a bit of pressure now and a Pedersen free kick was again a bit close for comfort on 22 minutes. New signing Anthony Modeste in particular had little to be “modeste” about, as he was causing problems and United were giving the ball away too easily. Just before the half-hour mark, Modeste had another good chance which was blocked by Coloccini.

Then followed an unbelievable incident on 29 mins when Junior Hoilett fell down just outside the area with no-one touching him – clearly trying to get a penalty. Ryan Taylor was incensed and ran over and dragged him to his feet, causing a bit of a kerfuffle amongst a number of players from both sides. Dowd booked Taylor and gave a free kick to Blackburn in a very dangerous spot on the edge of the box, but thankfully the wall did it’s job and the ball was cleared.

The Magpies were under the cosh now with the defence not playing particularly well and the midfield spluttering. With five minutes to go to half time, Modeste once again had a great chance to fire into the net from outside the area with Tim Krul out of his goal in no mans land. Modeste somehow managed to put it well over the bar when it would have been easier to score. Perhaps he did have something to be modest about after all!

Newcastle United’s luck seemed to have run out when Simpson was cruelly adjudged to have fouled in the area when challenging for a high ball and Referee Dowd finally got his wish and awarded a penalty. Incredibly however, The flying Dutchman saved the penalty, and also saved the follow-up to keep United’s lead intact. The Mags behind the goal celebrated in style and we managed to get to half time still ahead, but personally I’m not sure how because to be honest we lacked organisation and there had been too many below-par personal performances. The half time stats reflected Blackburn’s dominance, with 50% of play having taken place in the Newcastle third of the pitch.

Second Half

The second half started with James Perch coming on for the fairly ineffective Hatem Ben Arfa – no doubt in an attempt to tighten things up defensively. United kicked off and immediately had a golden chance with Jonas miscueing from only yards out. United had certainly started this half better and looked more well organised. They were getting into the Blackburn third a lot more easily.

On 53 minutes Modeste was clear on the right, and Krul charged out of his area allowing Modeste to chip it over him but Simpson was there to clear. Two minutes later Jason Lowe received a yellow card for a foul on Guthrie. This was looking like a much better half from the Toon with even Ameobi looking like he might be interested. Taylor put a fine free kick into the area with Williamson running in unchallenged from the left but he was unable to reach it.

After 65 minutes Petrovic was withdrawn by Blackburn with Formica coming on. A minute later, Modeste got clean through again but hit it early and badly when he could have taken it forward first. Shortly after, Williamson was booked. Following the substitution, Blackburn were really starting to get back into it.

With 15 minutes to go, Nzonzi had a long shot but put it way over the bar. when Lovenkrands then came on for Best I was left wondering “why not for Shola”?? At least Best had been involved in the game. Blackburn responded by putting Rochina on for David Dunn. With 10 minutes left Fomica caused a nervous moment as he looked he’d scored but fortunately it was into the side netting, not the goal.

Blackburn were trying everything now as United tried to keep things calm and play the game out. Fomica ad Rochina were clearly making a difference for Blackburn as they forced two corners with three minutes to go. With a couple of minutes left, Pardew then made his final substitution, pulling off Ryan Taylor and putting on Obertan.

With only one minute of normal time to go, Coloccini slipped and there was that man Modeste again, but fortunately he failed to convert the chance as four minutes of extra time were announced.

However it wasn’t long after (one minute into extra time) that the Toon fans were going wild when Obertan was put clear half way through the Blackburn half and ran forward to coolly slot the ball to the Keeper’s left. Blackburn Rovers 0 Newcastle United 2. Get in!

In conclusion it wasn’t a pretty game. We certainly rode our luck in the first half including a penalty save. In the second though, we came out much better organised, showed a bit more steel with Perch alongside Guthrie in midfield, held our own and got a second goal. Well done lads!

Teams and Match Stats

Blackburn: Paul Robinson (G), Jason Lowe, Gael Givet, Scott Dann, Martin Olsson, Junior Hoilett, Radosav Petrovic (Formica 65), Steven N’Zonzi, David Dunn (Rochina 77), Morten Gamst-Pedersen, Anthony Modeste

Subs: Mark Bunn (G), Mauro Formica, Ruben Rochina, Grant Hanley, Adam Henley, Jordan Slew, Simon Vuckevic

Newcastle United (4-4-2): Tim Krul (G), Danny Simpson, Mike Williamson, Fabricio Coloccini (C), Davide Santon; Hatem Ben Arfa (Perch 46), Ryan Taylor (Obertan 88), Danny Guthrie, Jonas Gutierrez, Shola Ameobi, Leon Best (Lovenkrands 76).

Subs: Rob Elliot (G), Shane Ferguson, James Perch, Mehdi Abeid, Dan Gosling, Gabriel Obertan, Peter Lovenkrands.

Goals: Scott Dann 12’ (O.G.), Gabriel Obertan (90+1).
Yellow Cards: R Taylor (29), Jason Lowe (55), Williamson (67).
Red Cards: None.
Possession: Blackburn Rovers 41.5%, Newcastle United 58.5%
Shots on Target: Blackburn Rovers 12, Newcastle United 5.
Shots on Target: Blackburn Rovers 11, Newcastle United 4.
Corners: Blackburn Rovers 14, Newcastle United 2.
Fouls: Blackburn Rovers 9, Newcastle United 17.

Match highlights and post match interviews

NUFCBlog Author: UTD111 UTD111 has written 59 articles on this blog.

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Comment on this post

54 Responses

  1. This really pains me to say this, but i agree with Pardrew! we looked really floppy in the first half, HBA was Shoking, doing his usual dribble the ball out!! However when he brought Perch on (Who normally wouldnt get a game for my sunday league team) sorted us out we looked firmer and we took a beaing and still took all 3! im chuffed for Obertan i hope he keeps it up now :)

  2. Im a massive fan of Ben Arfa but im beginning to worry if theres a place in the team for him at the min. Yes he can win a game in an instance with a bit of world beating skill (blackburn) BUT its more likely he would give the ball away in games than do that. He needs to stop trying so hard & just relax, be more of a team player. Taking him off for perch is worrying tho. Going more defensive 0-1 away to a dominant Blackburn side is far to negative for my liking.

    Pardhew has missed a trick with Ben Arfa, maybe could of played him up top as a withdrawn striker with Ameobi or Best. Lets be fair we could of played with no strikers upfront and still done no worse than they have.

    So glad our fire power will be back for sunday!!

    Excited much!!

  3. It was worrying as the substitutions made were just what I feared with HBA off and Perch on then Obertan – I was wrong! but will always love watching some of HBA’s skill even though it often does not come off

  4. Ok I agree HBA had a poor game but he is the main man for unlocking defences. What he needs is a centre forward along side him who holds the ball up for him to bounce off and clearly Ameobi does not fit that role. Ameobi kept giving the ball back to the opposition as per usual “Leon Offside Best” wasn’t much better, what is he doing on the wing? We were lucky, but that dive by Hoilett (Hoy Late)for that joke of a freekick in order to try for a penalty, well Blackburn deserve no sympathy whatsoever.Question’s should be asked into Phil Dowd’s eyesight and that Hoilett charade.

  5. If truth be told we got battered last night, it was one of those results that reminded me of wolves away earlier in the season where we were lucky to take the points. If you can make sense of this, i dont think we won the game, blackburn lost it by being terrible when it counts. Alarm bells must be ringing there if you have 30+ chances and cant score, none the less 3 points in the bag, next game villa at home with some key players back up front, above Liverpool and Arsenal – that felt sweet typing that… And for the first time i heard Pardew in an interview look past the 40 point mark and state were going to have a go at Chelsea now, thats what we all like to hear

  6. It’s the formation we use. Best was on the left wing, Shola upfront and guti was in the middle. If we stick with a 4-4-2 formation with Benny on the RW it will work. He needs people to pass too but there was never anyone backing him up.

    ————-Krul———
    Simpson-Williamson-Colo-Santoon
    Ben Arfa-Cabaye-Tiote-Guti-
    ——–Cisse—Ba—

    That is our best team for using Benny when everyone is back, and of course some decent strikers to make runs for him.

  7. our best team for using Benny when everyone is back?

    try –

    Krul
    Simpson-Colo-Santoon
    Tiote
    Guthrie-Cabaye-Guti
    Ben Arfa
    Cisse—Ba

    3-5-2 !

    5 men to dominate midfield & seize the game
    Tiote the base of a diamond covering a single CB
    Ben Arfa the tip of the diamond supporting twin strikers
    Cabaye the central playmaker – Guti creating mayhem or covering as needed

    21st century here we come!

  8. and get our Double Dembas to swap shirts at half time to totaly confuse and baffle everyone !

  9. Can that 56% posession be confirmed? I’d say that this was damn good for an away match – so what are people complaining about!

  10. Apparently Colo’s Brazil-based agent is due to arrive for final negotiations over a five-and-a-half year contract. That will give him 60k a week till he’s 35! Seems too much & too long to me no matter how good he is – perhaps a pay cut is involved?

    Also I note that when we say an offer is final then its final – so when Watford beat our bid for Mariappa but the lad refused to go we did not increase our bid above our evaluation! Good tough business there and a clear message to other clubs, a big change to those bad old days when we overpaid for cr@p.

  11. Sure Collo is on 90k a week right now?
    Last few years at the top of his game I can see him going for one last big pay cheque somewhere else.

  12. Match prediction results for week three should be all done now, sorry for slight delay.

    GeordieMagpie says:
    February 2, 2012 at 9:20 am

    Also sorry GeordieMagpie, don’t know why your comment was held in moderation there.

  13. sirjasontoon says:
    February 2, 2012 at 4:44 pm

    “Sure Collo is on 90k a week right now?”

    Various figures have been reported between £60,000 and £90,000 per week SJT. The most common figure quoted was usually £80,000 per week but recently that seems to have crept up to £90,000 for some reason. It could also be that his contract is incentivised and hence variable depending on how the team are doing.

  14. Supermac says:
    February 2, 2012 at 1:49 pm

    “Can that 56% posession be confirmed?”

    Supermac, that was the BBC, Sky had it as even more, 58.6% possession for Newcastle United. They can vary to the point where they seem like complete guesswork but we did have more possession than Blackburn, though they seemed to do much more with the ball when they had it.

  15. worky says “they seemed to do much more with the ball when they had it” well, they took pot shots at goal whenever they could – but didn’t score – is that why they don’t win?

  16. I’m not sure of the rules these days, but that’s 3 times we beat Blackburn in a season – so don’t we get to keep them?
    Presumably we can now play Hoilett & Samba against the Villa?

  17. If Collo wants £90k a week for 5 years then we will be better off going for the famous “younger & cheaper” model.

  19. Maybe we’re being too critical here lads/lasses?

    We were playing away to a team fighting for their prem lives. we had to change our game, taking HBA off as he was a luxury we couldn’t afford in that game. He’s still only played a few prem/english games, give him a chance to adjust & he’ll rock. Also, as others on here have said, with movement up front, rock on!

    They were always gonna try every trick in the book. So many times v blackbum in the past, they have out muscled, psyched, tricked us & refs with hand ball goals etc. We beat them at their own game, that what we have to do sometimes, we’re learning.
    When we have a full-ish squad, you’d hope we’d put teams like that away with style, wouldn’t you?
    But with fringe players pushing for places a good away win.
    Some of us said it wasn’t going to be easy, & it wasn’t, but hey ho, 3 points, despite the ref falling for most of their crap.

  20. Um, you left out the most important part of the build up to the first goal: when Petrovic passed the ball to Best about 15 yards from their box. D’oh!

    As for the penalty-homerism aside, I’ve seen plenty of those given. The player was in the box, so was the ball, and our guy barged into him without winning the ball at all. Debatable, but I wasn’t surprised when he pointed to the spot.

    I don’t get the harshness for HBA. Who was actually good last night other than Krul & Colo (and Guthrie at times)?

    I also see Samba is still unhappy at Blackburn and will be sitting at least one game to “clear his head.” Maybe we should join the other vultures circling that one…

  21. I dunno tunyc,
    2 players jumping back to back, very soft pen that. & when you think 3 in 2 league games, ridiculous!
    Krul took advantage of their indecision in the ‘guess the taker’ fiasco.
    Poetic justice, me thinks!
    :)

  23. Happy Birthday ‘Wee Hughie’ 1903.

    143 in 174 from ’25-’30.

    A TRUE Geordie Legend, if ever there was one!

  25. Missed opportunity? Villa statement says: ‘Aston Villa can confirm that defender Habib Beye has left by mutual agreement with the club.’ He made only 15 starts for Villa since August 2009.
    Could have been useful cover.

  26. Hatem Ben Arfa has now contributed two goals and three assists since his return for Newcastle, and has completed exactly 100 passes in his opponent’s half.

    Data courtesy of the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, the official player rating index of the Barclays Premier League.

  27. he has left the club but that means he could still be free agent and could still yet arrive.

    where has he gone?

  28. Supermac says:
    February 3, 2012 at 12:40 am

    “Missed opportunity? Villa statement says: ‘Aston Villa can confirm that defender Habib Beye has left by mutual agreement with the club.”

    Stephen C says:
    February 3, 2012 at 3:33 am

    “he has left the club but that means he could still be free agent and could still yet arrive.”

    Supermac, Stephen, selling Beye was like buying Geremi and Smith in reverse, ie we actually sold him just at the right time rather than buying him just at the wrong time. I don’t think it was intentional, just part of Ashley’s “Relegation sale – everything must go!” clearout but anyway, never look back and all that.

  30. the resilience of the team is quite remarkable with injuries suspensions and players off in africa heck the team should just not show up and we still win :), good to see richardson and inman from the reserves get new contracts at least can salvage some players before the clean out of the youth teams

  31. Mexico City ! hope its warmer over there Guy mate !

    Anyone know how wide readership is? and who is the farest away?

  32. I personally worry about this “clear out the youth team” thing. I suspect at least part of this is actually getting rid of players who are close to breaking through (here or elsewhere) but don’t want to commit themselves for 5-6 year at the very bottom of the wage scale. Pardon my skepticism but when something like this is broken exclusively in the Chronicle I’m dubious.

    “Up to” 15M to spend over “a few years” won’t actually buy that much. How many Abeids, Vuckics and Alnwicks would that buy? Remember: we need to replace the nine released (possibly 10 or 11 depending on the fates of players on loan) for next season.

  33. Supermac says:
    February 3, 2012 at 3:19 pm

    “Anyone know how wide readership is? and who is the farest away?”

    Australia and the Soloman Islands apparently Supermac.

  35. tunyc says:
    February 3, 2012 at 6:53 pm

    “The Solomon Islands? Seriously?”

    I think it was “Lesh” who mentioned something about being on the Solomon Islands tunyc.

  37. There are plenty of Asian readers. I’m in Denver, Colorado, US so a bit west of Mexico City. But not by a whole lot.

  38. Tripp says:
    February 3, 2012 at 8:02 pm

    “There are plenty of Asian readers. I’m in Denver, Colorado, US so a bit west of Mexico City. But not by a whole lot.”

    Aye, quite a few Shermans like yourself read this blog Tripp, cheerful Chuck seems to have gone AWOL though.

    Come in Chuck we miss you!

  39. well when i was in south east California(the posh end) last year reading this blog does that count?

    spent a whole month there.

  40. Worky, Sherman eh? Not familiar w/that. Does it have something to do w/the WW2 era tank, or something more sinister? :)

  41. yes Australia would be further away(live in Melbourne) but would new Zealand count as further away then Australia or even Tasmania :)

  44. I saw at the new year that Sydney (with its copy of the Tyne Bridge) is 12 hours ahead of us – so can you email the results to us about 5am saturday morning so we can get a bet on?

  47. Tripp says:
    February 3, 2012 at 11:10 pm

    “Worky, Sherman eh? Not familiar w/that. Does it have something to do w/the WW2 era tank, or something more sinister?”

    Cockney rhyming slang Tripp, “Sherman tank” or “Septic tank” = “Yank” = Person from the United States of America. With Cockney rhyming slang, it is usually only the first word which is used though.

  48. Oh yeah, I knew “septic” but not “sherman”. Shoulda guessed. Like Butcher’s Hook = Look, Cobbler’s awls = Balls, Bread & Honey = Money, etc, etc.

  49. Tripp says:
    February 4, 2012 at 4:05 am

    “Oh yeah, I knew “septic” but not “sherman”. Shoulda guessed. Like Butcher’s Hook = Look, Cobbler’s awls = Balls, Bread & Honey = Money, etc, etc.”

    Tripp, the word with the most rhyming slang equivalents seems to be a rather rude word beginning with “C”. “Berkshire Hunt”, “James Hunt”, “Bargain Hunt”, “James Blunt”, “Oxford Punt” and several others…

    Even you Septics know a bit of rhyming slang nowadays, but the best way to tell a true “Cockney” is what I call the “Cockney Chicken” test. If you get a real Cockney flustered, aggravated or embarrassed (not always a good idea), their head will start repeatedly moving backwards and forwards like a chicken or a pigeon.

    Here’s a perfect example of the “Cockney Chicken” in action, performed by comedy actor David Jason in the very popular old English comedy series “Only Fools and Horses.” It a very famous scene where he falls over in a bar.

  51. Stephen C says: grow up!!!!!!!!!!!
    – Stephen mate, I’m enjoying my 3rd childhood – but a bit worried that I’m nearing 3rd pubity – the last time my hair fell out!

  53. supermac i wasn’t actually saying you should grow up
    i was joining in the fun.

    my next comment read “can we have the lottery results instead