Newcastle United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers match banter!

Posted on February 25th, 2012 | 88 Comments |

Newcastle United vs Wolves.
Hungry like the Wolves!
Venue: St James’ Park.
Date: Sat 25th Feb 2011.
Kick-Off: 15:00.
Referee: Peter Walton.

Good afternoon Geordies and welcome to our regular “match banter” feature for this afternoon’s game against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Well, on one side of argument, Wolves are currently in the relegation zone and under a caretaker manager with new manager, Terry Connor, after the recent sacking of Mick McCarthy. On the other side, we of course are in a different place, sitting fairly pretty in the top six. We have pulverised Manchester United, and yet we have also capitulated miserably against teams such as Norwich and Fulham.

Though Wolves are in the bottom three, they were almost relegated last season too, but built up something of a reputation for giant killing, pulling off shock wins against teams such as Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City. Despite the difference in our relative seasons, as my collegue, Hugh rightly pointed out in his most estimable Match preview both teams will be going into this game on the back of “five goal stuffings.” We all know about our Tottenham nightmare, with Wolves going down 1-5 at home to Midlands rivals, West Bromwich Albion.

Of course, with our relative positions in the table, our home advantage and the predicament of Wolves as outlined above, we go into the game as strong favourites, but ye never knaa, and that’s what makes football the exciting spectacle it is, so here’s hoping for a great game, with the Magpies of course coming out as the victors!

As usual, I will be posting the teamsheets below when they become available.

Howay the lads!

Team sheets

Newcastle United (4-4-2): Tim Krul (G), Danny Simpson, Mike Williamson, Fabricio Coloccini (C), Davide Santon, Ryan Taylor, Cheick Tiote, Yohan Cabaye, Jonas Gutierrez; Papiss Cisse, Demba Ba.

Subs: Rob Elliot (G), Shane Ferguson, James Perch, Danny Guthrie, Gabriel Obertan, Hatem Ben Arfa, Shola Ameobi.

Wolverhampton Wanderers (4-5-1): Wayne Hennessey; Ronald Zubar, Christophe Berra, Richard Stearman, Stephen Ward (c); Kevin Foley, Karl Henry, David Edwards, Jamie O’Hara, Matt Jarvis; Kevin Doyle.

Subs: Dorus De Vries, Jody Craddock, Roger Johnson, Nenad Milijas, Stephen Hunt, Michael Kightly, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.

Poll

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88 Responses

  6. Maybe the best sheet for now. Apparently won’t see Ben Arfa soon or at least not with black-white t-shirt.

  8. old boy says:
    February 25, 2012 at 2:44 pm

    “Maybe the best sheet for now. Apparently won’t see Ben Arfa soon or at least not with black-white t-shirt.”

    He may end up going to PSG eventually. He needs a team with a more sophisticated manager.

  9. Yeah, I can’t imagine what if PSG chase Ba in the summer. These seem to turn into french Man City.
    I really wait to see “can’t stand” factor for Newcastle’s best players. Hopefully that would be League Europe performance?

  16. HWTL – 3-0

    just a quick word before the action – I see Alnwick Town were refused the old SJP sign – does anyone know what happened to it? In safe storage I hope!

  18. Supermac says:
    February 25, 2012 at 3:09 pm

    “just a quick word before the action – I see Alnwick Town were refused the old SJP sign – does anyone know what happened to it? In safe storage I hope!”

    That’s a good question Supermac. I’ll look into it.

  28. ….just to finish the story about the SJP sign letters – it was in the Northumberland Gazette (that us country yokels read LOL!).

    Alnwick Town, who also play at SJP had asked if they could have the sign. But a spokesman for Newcastle United said “The answer is unfortunately no, sorry, because the letters are being retained at the club. It was a nice idea but it is not possible at the moment, sorry”.

    However, the story has a happy ending because a couple of lads in Alnwick have made some just the same for Alnwick Town.

  29. Jimbob says:
    February 25, 2012 at 3:40 pm

    “Perhaps it’s just me but I think Wolves have dominated.”

    They started to dominate possession as the half wore on, but they couldn’t do much with it Jimbob.

  30. On the plus side. We are currently 4th since Chelsea are drawing, and the Mackems are losing 2-0 :D

  31. Yeah Worky, I don’t think we’ve hit top gear yet. Wolves certainly been playing the passing game, but we’re two up, mustn’t grumble.

  33. UTD111 says:
    February 25, 2012 at 3:52 pm

    “The answer is unfortunately no, sorry, because the letters are being retained at the club.”

    Hot potatoes UTD111. It’s a shame that the big East stand ones were all split.

  35. Jimbob says:
    February 25, 2012 at 3:59 pm

    “Wolves certainly been playing the passing game,”

    Aye, fizzling out when it came to the crunch though Jimbob.

  44. Jimbob says:
    February 25, 2012 at 4:21 pm

    “Jeff Stelling keeps calling it St James’ Park”

    Aye he does Jimbob, well done to the monkey hanga!

  47. if we don’t win we will lose, can’t believe this happening.
    What were these changes? Benny is not forward and Guthrie not winger. What we are playing?

  51. old boy says:
    February 25, 2012 at 4:27 pm

    “if we don’t win we will lose”

    Everyone’ll think I’m talking shite in hindsight here, but I did have it down for a Desmond 2-2. I’m deein’ the prediction comp next time.

  52. and i don’t know what’s Pardew’s explanation about our performance. Who can talk about Champions league after this match

  56. So basically, it’s Shola for Cisse, Guthrie for Tiote and HBA for Raylor.

    I’m less than convinced these subs will turn the game for us.

  57. Yes it’s a revert back to 4-4-2 after the first two changes when Pardew realised 4-4-2 wasn’t working.

  58. that’s the ridiculous home draw i have ever watched.
    Only we can do it- the 6th with the last one

  59. This is becoming a pattern. We have no answer, tactically, when we encounter difficulty. There also appear to be motivational problems.

  60. What you should ask is… If Pardew changed formation at 2-1 because we were outnumbered by the 4-5-1, what makes him think 4-4-2 will work at 2-2 with ‘weaker’ players filling the positions?

    At 2-0 we should have gone for it, but didn’t. Terry Conner has done us tactically…

  61. That’s what I was implying about the subs, Jimbob. Shola succeeding where Cisse didn’t? Doesn’t seem likely. Guthrie has been poor too.

    Tactically we’ve been outdone but the half-assed, lethargic performances are doing my head in.

  62. Tunyc don’t expect an answer from Pardew either mate. It’ll be all about ‘new manager syndrome’ or some other crap excuse.

    He said he has his strongest team and “must win” before the game.

  63. Awful result. The really poor performances are piling up lately.

    We were lucky not to lose and again relied on an individual effort (Jonas) to get a point against a team with little quality, less confidence and on horrible form. AP has his work cut out for him.

  64. HBA was utter crap today. Two shots yes, but neither forced a save or were on target. Dribbled out of play countless times, and could’ve just hit a simple cross more often than not.

    Guthrie had a howler as well… Don’t rate Simmo either, never closes down quickly enough. Lads need to give their head a shake and get ready for next week. HWTL

  65. Don’t say it often but that was absolute shite. We we’re lucky to be up 2-0 and lucky to take a point from relegation fodder at home. 2 Weeks rest and our best players back. Shite.

  66. Utter shit. I’m off to Germany next weekend so will miss the Mackem match. Dunno if that’s a good thing at the moment. And this result means I don’t win my accumulator… Fck my life.

  67. tunyc says:
    February 25, 2012 at 4:55 pm

    “a team with little quality, less confidence and on horrible form.”

    I thought they did quite well in the second half tunyc.

  68. They adjusted and we didn’t. Lots of effort and all respect due for that, but they scored on a deflection and a set piece. The game was there for the taking and we didn’t do it-that’s what I saw.

  69. We’ve certainly relied on the wonder goals this season.

    I wanted to say at half-time I thought it was one of the worst performances this season but refrained because of the score line and thought it was just me being miserable.

    Dear oh dear Alan, and after all the matcho speak this week about ‘iconic’ players returning and a fully fit team.

  71. Gotta say I’m not looking forward to the derby now. Could be on the wrong end of a big scoreline.

  72. I was surprised not to hear the fans chant “what a load of rubbish!” It was disgraceful. Fulham, Spurs, now this. Sort it out, Pardew. We are not being entertained; not by the football and not by your silvery tongue.

  73. Quality of the squad doesn’t matter at this level-where everyone’s capable-when the tactics are all off and the effort isn’t there.

  74. Worky-you have to decide at some point whether they were great or we were awful. A lot of their possession, they got when we gave the ball directly to them. I think they were more diligent and hardworking, which made a difference, but I certainly saw us beaten by a squad of inferior quality. I’m not exactly surprised that they’re in relegation trouble-are you?

  75. Martin O’Neill vs Alan Pardew next week. Uh oh!

    Danny Simpson and Mike Williamson were awesome again today… Think Cisse was the only one interested throughout the match… And Krul.

  76. Not impressed at all,any1 with half a brain, knows ya dont make your subs while you defending a free kick, basics that is.Guthrie what a crap performance,dont call us about ya contract mate well call up,but dint hold ya breath

  77. I could see what Pardew was thinking… 4-4-2, hoof the ball and hope Ba and Krul perform a miracle. If that fails put on Ameobi.

  78. tunyc says:
    February 25, 2012 at 5:07 pm

    “Worky-you have to decide at some point whether they were great or we were awful.”

    It was a draw tunyc, no-one lost by five goals or anything like that. As some people are starting to realise though, Pardew isn’t exactly the most flexible manager in the world. He has a fairly limited vocabulary and he doesn’t always have an answer when the balance starts to shift.

  79. I think all that talk of the England job has turned Pardew’s head. If he keeps up like this, he’ll be lucky to have any job.

  80. why do people still rate ben arfa so highly. he’s utter cack. deffo not what this team needs. someone who gives the ball away or runs it out of play whenever he gets a touch. yeah he is capable of scoring a canny goal but offers nothing else. GET RID!

  81. Alan McAnally just said “ridiculous” when describing the change just before the free-kick at 2-1…

    Paul In Hollywood, Pardew let things get to his head? Never :-)

    “After Spurs we had to get back to normality”

    “Passing was rusty after two week break”.

    Passing games tend to be rusty when you instruct your players to toe punt the ball forward.

  82. Jimbob says:
    February 25, 2012 at 5:16 pm

    “Martin O’Neill vs Alan Pardew next week. Uh oh!”

    They were hammad by four goals at West Brom though Jimbob. Hodgson’s deein’ well ATM, he beat Wolves by four goals last time and got bendynose sacked.

  83. APT, What does HBA have to do with this result, when in consideration we were outplayed for the previous 65 minutes before he was introduced. He had three shots and nearly scored one. More than any other player in black and white.

    Also our manager doesn’t regard him as one of our best players, so what do you expect?

  85. this is more in response to peiople bigging him up all the time. he is pure pie. we were certainly outplayed today i agree but i would much rather obertan came on. i dont like him either but ben arfa must be the one person who gives the ball away most in the premier league. i have not seen a decent 90 mins from him. moments of brilliance yeah but thats all it is

  86. Not sure you can really blame the team selection by Pardew. It’s exactly the same team that beat Man U 3-0 except Cisse was in for Ameobi. The players weren’t on there game.

    Can’t see us coming top 5.We are leaking far too many goals. 6th or 7th is most likely but that would still be a good season.

    That’s still possibly good enough for Europe depending who plays in the FA cup final… For example if Liverpool and Chelsea play in FA Cup final but both qualify for Europe via league placing then 6th place = Europa cup place.

    On the plus side Sunderland got hammered and that is hopefully the end of their great form. It often happens that a team in great form suffers a sudden dip when they eventually lose.

  87. I get what you’re saying APT but HBA is our most creative player, and with that and his style, he will be prone to losing the ball at times. I would rather him try and produce a little magic and fail, than watch Obertan run, run some more, then lose the ball near the corner flag.

    To be fair he hasn’t had a proper run in the team yet, and Alan Pardew simply cannot use him due to his old style of tactics.

    Cabaye was a playmaker, creating for Lille, but Pardew had instructed him into another Tiote who doesn’t venture near the opponents box. He can’t mould HBA into anything. I doubt he will be here next year, and when he is playing for a team and manager who likes a passing game, many of us will wish he was still here. We shall see I guess.