Bombs Away! Newcastle United v Stoke City Preview
Posted on April 20th, 2012 | 102 Comments |
Date: Sat, 21st April, 2012.
Kick-Off: 3pm.
Referee: Andre Marriner (Sheldon, West Midlands).
UK TV: None.
In the middle of March, with 10 league games left to play, Alan Pardew stated that winning five of them would just about get the club into Europe next season. He was right – but even he didn’t expect the team to win those games straight off! But they did. Now, with 5 games still left to play, United find themselves on the threshold of qualification for the Europa League, but because of those 5 straight wins, they are now also gunning for a place in the Champions League!
United’s rise to prominence this season has not only surprised most of their fans, it has also made quite a few media pundits look a bit foolish. Let’s just pause and savour that for a moment – as it doesn’t happen very often where we are concerned. First, Ladies and Gentlemen I give you every Newcastle United fan’s favourite pundit Mark Lawrenson. As we all know, Mark never fails to stick the knife into United and invariably predicts that we will lose, whoever we are playing. Mark’s nomination for “daftest bollocks uttered by a pundit” this season is “Newcastle won’t finish in the top six”.
Then there’s that knowledgeable cuddly cockney chap Paul Merson, who spent a season and a half calling our Centre Half and Captain “Cuddicini” – before finally being corrected by Jeff Stelling and The Sky Sports Gillette Soccer Saturday Crew. Paul’s entry in the “Buffoon Pundit Of The Year” award is “Newcastle are punching above their weight, I can’t see it lasting”. And finally, a big raspberry to all those pundits, too numerous to mention, who uttered the immortal phrase “but they haven’t played anyone yet”. These people all started to go very quiet and disappear – particularly after we thumped Man Utd 3-0 on 4th January 2012. As regular readers of my rubbish will know, I don’t mention that game very often, but it’s easily my nomination for “favourite game of the season”.
The first of the five remaining games happens this weekend in a rare “3pm on a Saturday” kick off. Stoke City are in town for what will no doubt be a bruising affair, with lots of long throw-ins, hoofball, and a strange little man in a cap jumping up and down on the touchline and kicking every ball. Currently lounging in 14th place in the division, Stoke are perhaps a warning to United of what can happen to a potentially top 10 team when they have to play the extra games demanded by the Europa League. But they are indeed a potential top 10 team, and a genuine threat to our ambition of finishing in the top 4. Every United player will need to be on their game if we are to get the much sought after 3 points.
United’s form in the last 5 games has been excellent, winning all five games, scoring ten goals and conceding only one. Prominent in the goalscoring stakes of course has been Papiss Cisse scoring eight of the goals. We have also seen Hatem Ben Arfa, given the freedom to roam on the right of the attack, stamping his particular brand of individual magic on games in a way that has attracted much media attention. Goals have been off the menu for Demba Ba of late, but wouldn’t it be great if he put that right against Stoke? Everyone would like to see that happen, not least his team-mates. United didn’t play last weekend, but had the pleasure of sitting back and watching Champions League rivals Arsenal drop points against Wigan.
Stoke City have won only one of their last five games, drawing three and losing the other. However, it should be noted that two of the drawn games were away to Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur, so they know how to park the bus and claw results when on their travels. We can also expect Stoke to live up to their reputation for being “physical” – this will be a tough game. I was going to point out that Stoke are the joint lowest away goal scorers in the Premier League this season, but I don’t want to tempt fate, so I won’t. Tactically, United might have to get the towels out and upset them again – like we did so effectively at the Britannia when winning there earlier in the season!
Team News (At The Time Of Writing)
Stoke City
Stoke winger Jermaine Pennant, a virus victim, is a doubt for Stoke.
Defender Andy Wilkinson is available again having recovered from a groin injury, while midfielder Salif Diao and forward Mamady Sidibe (both knee) remain sidelined.
Likely squad: Asmir Begovic, Thomas Sorensen, Robert Huth, Ryan Shawcross, Andy Wilkinson, Matthew Upson, Ryan Shotton, Marc Wilson, Jonathan Woodgate, Glenn Whelan, Dean Whitehead, Matthew Etherington, Jermaine Pennant, Rory Delap, Wilson Palacios, Kenwyne Jones, Cameron Jerome, Peter Crouch, Jonathan Walters, Ricardo Fuller.
Newcastle United
James Perch (thigh), midfielders Cheick Tiote (hamstring), Danny Guthrie (calf) and Gabriel Obertan (ankle) are all back in training, as are striker Leon Best (knee) and midfielder Sylvain Marveaux (groin), both long-term absentees.
Only Steven Taylor, Peter Lovenkrands, Haris Vuckic and Sammy Ameobi are still on the sidelines.
At the time of writing, Tim Krul is a minor doubt but is expected to play.
Likely squad: Tim Krul, Rob Elliot, Steve Harper, Danny Simpson, Davide Santon, Ryan Taylor, Shane Ferguson, James Tavernier, James Perch, Fabricio Coloccini, Mike Williamson, Cheik Tiote, Yohan Cabaye, Danny Guthrie, Gabriel Obertan, Hatem Ben Arfa, Jonas Gutierrez, Mehdi Abeid, Dan Gosling, Demba Ba, Papiss Cisse, Shola Ameobi, Leon Best.
What The Managers Are Saying
Alan Pardew
Granny-kicker Alan Pardew told the Newcastle Evening Chronicle:“It isn’t completely clarified, but the bottom line is that if we beat Stoke, and other results go our way, we could find ourselves in the top four with four games to play.
“We’d have all kicked our grannies for that at the start of the season.”
“Bless my granny, but I’d have kicked her! Let’s hope that’s the case at the end of play.”
He worries me sometimes, does Alan….
Tony Pulis
We managed to catch up with Stoke Manager Tony Pulis in his favourite cap shop, where he was being fitted for a new cap.
“Newcastle have been a surprise team. I think what’s happened there is they’ve signed quite a few foreign players and it’s paid off. They signed Demba Ba at the start of the season, and before Christmas he was scoring on a regular basis, he seems to have dried up a little bit and they’ve taken Cisse and he has taken that mantle on. They’ve had goals all season and they’re strong. Cabaye’s a good player; Ben Arfa has turned out to be a good player, Gutierrez is somebody I have always liked too and the keeper has been superb. They’ve done exceptionally well. Fair play to Alan and everybody there, they’ve had a fantastic season.”
Prediction
I’m expecting us to have too much firepower for Stoke and can see us scoring a few. I expect Crouch will give us a few problems at the back. But hey, I expected Barcelona to tank Chelsea in midweek so what do I know?
3-1 to the Toon.
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