Throstles v Magpies – West Bromwich Albion vs Newcastle United match preview.

Posted on March 24th, 2012 | 24 Comments |

The Hawthorns' Throstle.
Canaries last week, Throstles this week.
Venue: The Hawthorns, West Bromwich.
Date: Sunday, 25th March, 2012.
Kick-Off: 4pm (Sky TV).
Referee: Chris Foy (Scouser).

Well, it’s another battle of the birds this week. With the Canaries cruelly crushed by the Magpies last week, this week we find ourselves trying to throttle the “Throstles” of West Bromwich in their own Hawthorns nest.

However, this has proved somewhat difficult in the last few years, so the Silver Supremo should have his work cut out as he pits his wits against wily old Silver Fox and England manager candidate, Roy Hodgson. More on that below.

Stats, previous matches etc…

We have failed to win any of our last six games in all competitions against these tricky customers from the Midlands, or five if you only count League games. Looking at the last six games at their place, the record goes (latest first) L,L,D,W,W,D, however the last two go back to the days of Shearer. In the last few years though, I think it’s safe to say that they have been something of a “bogey” team for us considering, though hopefully we will go somewhere towards putting that right on Sunday afternoon!

One point of statistic of at least some interest for this game, I hope in this game anyway, is that if Newcastle United get a draw or better, we will pass the thousand point mark in the Premiership, as we currently stand on 999 Premiership points gained since it’s inception for the 1992-3 season, though we we didn’t show up for the party until the following season, when a certain poodle permed gentleman got us promoted from the then Football League Division One. We hit the ground running though, finishing third in our first season, with a certain Andy Cole beating a certain Alan Shearer of Blackburn to the “Golden Boot” award with 34 goals in the Premiership alone. But I digress.

Getting back to more recent times, West Brom’s last game was a 1-1 draw against Wigan Athletic, the one before that a 0-2 defeat to Manchester United. The three games before that were absolute stormers however, recording a 1-0 defeat over Chelsea, a 4-0 thumping of our friends from Sunderland (nice one, Woy), and preceeding that, they smashed Wolves 5-1. Finally, the sixth was a 1-2 defeat to our next but one opponents, Swansea City.

From the other side, it’s been a bit of a mixed bag for us since our euphoric 11 game undefeated run at the beginning of the season. Looking at our last six games, of course, we scraped a very welcome three points with a 1-0 victory over Norwich City last time out, suffering a 2-1 defeat away to Arsenal in the game before that. Two draws with the Mackems and Wolves respectively preceeded that, after the 0-5 thumping from Tottenham and a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa.

Last six games (Premiership)
Team Results P W D L Pts
West Bromwich D-L-W-W-W-L 6 3 1 2 10
Newcastle United W-L-D-D-L-W 6 2 2 2 8

Perhaps more telling statistics for this fixture though would be West Brom’s home form against Newcastle’s away form, so here goes.

West Brom home results v Newcastle away results (Premiership)
Team Results P W D L Pts
West Bromwich W-W-L-L-L-W 6 3 0 3 9
Newcastle United L-L-W-L-L-W 6 2 0 4 6

Even bearing in mind that home form is usually better than away, four losses out of six hardly paints a pretty picture of the Magpies’ recent away form, but once again, hopefully the lads will be able to do start doing something about it in this game!

Team news and squads

West Bromwich Albion

Definitely out for the “Baggies” will be Graham Dorrans (hamstring), Zoltan Gera (knee), and Steven Reid (anlkle / foot). Captain, Chris Brunt, will be a doubt with tonsillitis. Their top hitman, Peter Odemwingie, was also on the doubtful list with his calf, but late news is that he’ll be ok, which is bad news for the Mags unfortunately. Finally, Viking monster, Jonas Olsson, will return to the back four after a one match suspension.

Squad: Ben Foster (G), Gareth McAuley (D), Jonas Olsson (D), Liam Ridgewell (D), Billy Jones (D), Nicky Shorey (D), Craig Dawson (D), Gabriel Tamaș (D), Youssouf Mulumbu (M), Paul Scharner (M), Chris Brunt (M), Jerome Thomas (M), Somen Tchoyi (M), Graham Dorrans (M), James Morrison (M), Keith Andrews (M), George Thorne (M), Peter Odemwingie (F), Shane Long (F), Marc-Antoine Fortuné (F), Simon Cox (F),

Doubtful: Chris Brunt (tonsillitis), Márton Fülöp (illness)

Knacked: Graham Dorrans (hamstring), Zoltan Gera (knee), Steven Reid (anlkle / foot).

Newcastle United

On the Magpies’ side, Leon Best (knee) will definitely be out, along with Ryan Taylor (calf), Sylvain Marveaux (groin), Sammy Ameobi (knee), Peter Lovenkrands (thigh), and finally, Steven Taylor (achilles). The big doubts will be hatchet man, Cheick Tiote, with his hamstring, and finally, Danny Simpson with another Toon adductor strain.

Squad: Tim Krul (G), Rob Elliot (G), Steve Harper (G), Fabricio Coloccini (D, C), Mike Williamson (D), Davide Santon (D), Yohan Cabaye (M), Hatem Ben Arfa (M), Jonás Gutiérrez (M), Danny Guthrie (M), Gabriel Obertan (M), James Perch (M), Dan Gosling (M), Haris Vučkić (M), Shane Ferguson (M), Mehdi Abeid (M), Ryan Donaldson (M, F), Demba Ba (F), Papiss Cissé (F), Shola Ameobi (F).

Doubtful: Cheick Tiote (hamstring).

Knacked: Leon Best (knee), Ryan Taylor (calf), Sylvain Marveaux (groin), Sammy Ameobi (knee), Peter Lovenkrands (thigh), Steven Taylor (achilles).

What the managers have been saying

Alan Pardew

“It’s a tough game. I think West Brom at home is the one of the tough fixtures in the Premiership. They’ve had some great results and we’re very much on our guard to get something out of the game.”

He also did the fairly standard inter managerial backslapping, hailing his West Brom counterpart to the Chronic, and saying that he would be a great candidate for the vacant England manager post:

“Roy is as good a candidate as anybody for the England boss for me,” said the Silver Supremo, adding:

“I know Harry Redknapp is probably the media’s favourite to get the job, but Roy would be a great choice.”

Returning to their forthcoming tussle, he then added:

“He has put together a strong side at West Brom and he has very good players.

“He will make it tough for us.”

Roy Hodgson

Nothing much at the time of writing.

Howay the lads!

Poll

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Comment on this post

24 Responses

  2. “It’s a tough game. I think West Brom at home is the one of the tough fixtures in the Premiership. They’ve had some great results and we’re very much on our guard to get something out of the game.”

    West Brom are shite at home. They are there for the taking so it’ll be interesting how Pardew sets the team up… Remember at St James’ when Hodgson ruthlessly exposed our high back line using Long and Odemwingie?… Wonder if Pardew will remember that as if Long gets away, no chance will Colo or Willo catch him…Chris Brunt missing for them would be a massive boost to us, he’s a very good player who deserves more credit, though Tiote being absent for us is a big problem. I’m going to assume Perch will play alongside Cabaye, as Guthrie isn’t the ball winner Pardew needs for how he sets the team up.

    I just want to see a good solid performance tomorrow, no long balls and possibly string more than three passes together would be nice because if we play as shoddy as recently, Hodgson will have the answers.

  3. From NUFC.com:

    On home soil this season, Albion have won four times (Wolves, Bolton, mackems, Chelsea) drawn twice (Fulham, Man City) and lost the other eight (Man United, Stoke, Liverpool, Spurs, Wigan, Everton, Norwich, Swansea).

    Their tally of 14 home PL goals is the joint-second worst in the league this season (along with QPR who are at home in midweek), exceeding only Wigan’s measly dozen.

  4. Jimbob says:
    March 24, 2012 at 1:30 pm

    “West Brom are shite at home.”

    Erratic, jimbob, erratic. Woy’s working on ’em. They’ve just beat Chelsea at home and also eviscerated Martin O’Verrated’s Mackems. Don’t underestimate the old silver fox.

  5. Liverpool are sinking without trace:
    Lost to Bolton, Drew to Blackburn, Lost to QPR, Losing to Wigan..
    The definiton of SHIT.

  6. The Chelsea Spurs game, boooorrriinng!
    With niether sides looking anything close to top epl sides.
    The Liverpool vs Wigan game, was a footballing lesson given by a young and well drilled Wigan side.
    If we can pick up three points, to-morrow, should bring us a step closer to a european spot and leapfrog us over Chelsea
    A rampant Arsenal side playing some great football, now firmly in third place.
    With the next game comming up Citeh vs Stoke at the Brittania and we know how tough that can be.

  7. Ah’fink Woy ou’a get the Engerland job.
    Though i would prefer to see Pardew get it, no such luck i guess.

  9. On the subject of managers WT, what sort of Poll Question is :

    “Do you think that Alan Pardew is the best choice of manager available in the long term for Newcastle United?”

    Best choice of manager available suggests we look at the queue at the LMA job centre and decide between a bunch of no hopers and Pardwho ?

    Whereas if you’d asked “Is Pardwho the best manager to take this club forward ?” I’m pretty sure the resulting poll would have changed significantly.

  10. But that’s a fairly uselss poll, isn’t it? Of couse the answer is no. But given that a lot of managers probably view the St James hot seat is a dodgy proposition, the way the question is phrased makes a lot more sense IMO.

  13. Tripp says:

    “But that’s a fairly uselss poll, isn’t it? Of couse the answer is no”

    Soz Tripp what’s a fairly useless poll and why is the answer “No” ?

  14. B/c Pardew’s obviously not the “best” manager to take us forward. Since it’s unqualified it seems too wide open. I think that’s why WT worded it the way he did.

  15. PS For my ten pennyworth on the game tomorrow, Pardwho still hasnt realised that two (Cisse and Ba) into one doesnt go ?

    He’s a 4-4-2 luddite and we’ll live or die by that particular sword.

    Bearing in mind WBA are going through something of a purple patch

    http://stats.football365.com/dom/ENG/PR/oform.html

    so we’ll be lucky to come away with a point.

    Pardwho has lost out twice to “Woy” since becoming manager and I just dont see how he can change that tomorrow unless he’s been reading Sun Tzu recently – and that’s not the menu at the Corbridge Chinese he frequents on weekends :)

  16. Watched the Wigan vs Liverpool game and it confirmed my belieft that Martinez is a good young, innovative manager, who has his side playing attractive football.
    Now many will laugh and think it a ridiculess, statement, considering the clubs perilous position in regard to relegation.
    But i’m sure there are others who would agree with me.
    The acid test is what you the reader think, a guage of your knowledge of the game ?
    I say this having just read a poll result concerning Pardew.
    The question if i recall was something like, “do you think Pardew is the man to lead this club to success” ?
    The answer was an overwhelming, Yes!
    Based, i would imajine for the most part, on our present league standing.
    Plus i find a number of articles, that prais Pardew for, the rebuilding job he’s doing at the club.
    And i wonder if in fact he has anything other than a rubber stamp approach to whichever players Carr and Ashley decide to buy.
    Then as far as tactics are concerned, how much input is there from our coaches?
    Sure he mentions watching videos and spending four days or something preparing the defense, well Carver actually stated it, and two days preparing the attacking game.
    Why am i not surprised, we play not to lose, with little flair or much in the way of actual entertainment
    The recent Norwich match was a nail bighter for threquarters of the game, where we defended desperately and i believe most fans were relieved to hear the final.
    whistle.
    It was a carbon copy of the Arsenal game, other than we lost, but the same willingness to accept a draw and do nothing but defend.
    This is the same reason for the decline of attendance in Seria A in the nineties, too boring to watch.
    But then what do i know ?

  17. Looks like Citeh just blew the league, by tying Stoke,
    another tough game at the Brittania.
    Hopefully this will not cause a resurgency of route one fooball.
    With BSA due to return with West Ham and us, that will be at least three route one sides for next season.
    Ah well

  18. I understand your points Chuck but there are many who would take “boring” 1-0 wins at SJP every other week.

    However if you asked them if they’d be happy to watch turgid, unimaginative football, while creating very little along the way, then I think you’d still end up with the same numbers because Toon fans have been starved of success for so long and quite frankly cant be bothered how we win a game :(

    http://s3.media.squarespace.com/production/1199755/14017085/-tn1_Ak3wjA4/Trrx8h3aC_I/AAAAAAAAAKQ/XxIl1R8H4Y8/s1600/current%2Bchances.png

    As I’ve said before the problem with “short termism”, from a fans perspective, is that you end up with another short term replacement sooner or later with no real long term strategy. Pardwho isnt a long term solution but he fits the bill for this particular short term.

    Hopefully Fatman will eventually see the correlation between clever, gifted managers and success.

  19. andymac, here’s hoping that he twigs on eventually, because owld partclew is starting to fall on his jacksy.
    to think that people like batty, used to call hughton clueless chris, it beggars belief.
    i can see partclew p***ing away our european ambitions, with his non existant tactics, bizarre substitutions, and lack of ability to motivate his players.

    i can see another painful afternoon watching partclew’s dire excuse for football.
    it will consist of lumping it up to either cisse or ba, or both of them.
    failing that, he will throw on shola amoebi, then proceed to lump it up to him.
    we will have done well, if we get through this one unscathed.

  20. chuck,

    i reckon plenty fancy Martinez as a good coach, he’s just at a really shit club, he’s done brilliantly for them under the circumstances though.
    I championed him for our job way back.

    As for AP,
    part of what he’s done well at Newcastle is actually be able to handle it. That’s what most managers/coaches haven’t got right.
    Say what you want about him, but you can’t say he hasn’t risen to the challenge
    after having a popularity rating of about 1.8% at the beginning of his tenure (the announcement of his arrival).
    That in it’s self is amazing at this club, he shoulda been hounded out months ago. Supposed better managers haven’t survived less auspicious beginnings.
    Go figure!
    :)

  21. Got this down as 2-1 baggies in the predictor-I just can’t see us creating much and I am expecting a dull game.

    I may be wrong though we might turn on the style and hammer them…..all shall be revealed!!

  24. On another note, it’s both interesting and confusing, the rumors cocerning transfer action at the club, as to who may be calling for a taxi or showing up at the airport.
    Certainly the Dutch contingent of Pieters, Vertonghen, Wijnaldum and Douglas, would probably fit well with our needs.
    Of course they would’nt be cheap (well actually compared to the amounts suposedly on offer from some of the EPL clubs for players, they are, yeah, both young and relatively cheap)
    Plus the Dutch are for the most part, well coached and good technically.
    Also the Dutch league play a similar physical game as that played in the PL.
    Of course i dont expect to see all four arrive, but seems Pieters is expected, doubtfull on Vertonghen as he is sending come and get me signals to The Arse, who also favor Dutch players.
    Watched the U-Tube of Wijnaldum, pacey and an eye for goal.
    Douglas, big lad and rated higly, but somehow doubt it.
    The other two are relatively young and could be part of stocking for the future, not a bad policy if you are sure they will live up to expectations.
    What concerns me is who we will sell in order to finance this continual rebuilding process.
    Ba is obviously a target, with a seven mill. buyout clause, then rumor s are strong that one of the top sides will come in for Tiote.
    The one that bothers me is Cabaye, who i consider an essential part of the side, the others can be replaced.
    Would like to see Sturridge arrive in a deal for Ba.
    Plus a cocerted attempt to sign Hoilett, makes my mouth water thinking about the pace power and goalscoring abilities of those two.
    On the other hand Pardew would probably have them on the bench, replaced by Raylor and Perch.
    It will be interesting to see how it all works out, but first we have to ensure a spot in Europe.