Newcastle United vs Swansea City match banter!

Posted on November 17th, 2012 | 154 Comments |

Newcastle United v Swansea City
A chance to get back to winning ways?
Venue: St James’ Park, Newcastle.
Date: Sunday, 17th November.
Kick off: 3:00pm
Referee: Phil Dowd‎.
UK TV: None.

Good afternoon and welcome to our “match banter” feature for yet another home game, this time against eleventh placed side, Swansea City.

Newcastle United’s Silver Supremo, Alan Partridge Pardew will be looking to “bounce back” after a disappointing home loss against Big Sam’s West Ham last Sunday. Here’s hoping that he does as two home defeats in a row would not be good. Here’s hoping that this game will be more entertaing too, as our last game most certainly wasn’t!

One thing which should give us hope is that Swansea have been a little erratic in the Premiership after their exhilarating start to the season with a 5-0 defeat of Queens Park Rangers, followed by a 3-0 defeat of the abovementioned West Ham. Since then they have won only one one Premiership game, a 2-1 defeat of Wigan, though they have turned in some excellent performances against the likes of Chelsea for a 1-1 draw, as well as turning in another excellent performance to knock holders Liverpool out of the League Cup. But anyway, for all the pre match stuff you may wish to know such as team news, possible tactics and much, much more, may I recommend checking out my extensive match preview.

In terms of team news, one thing which I didn’t know at the time of writing the preview was whether Papiss Cisse would be availble for selection after he was pulled out of a mid week friendly for Senegal against Niger with a back problem which is now better. After claiming that they heard nothing about this, they invoked FIFA’s “five day” rule which states that a player cannot be selected withing five days if he fails to heed an international call up without a good reason. News has since come in that Senegal’s claim has been successful, and that Cisse will defintely not be playing. So it’s over to big Shola (probably)!

So, I will wrap this post up with the usual reminders that as this game will not be shown on UK tv, I will be posting some links to see the game online, as well as posting the teamsheets when they become available. After the game I will also be posting match highlights, and possibly a video of the whole match for those who couldn’t watch it live. i didn’t post one of the last game though as it made such grim viewing for any Toon fan! Which only leaves it for me to say

Howay the Lads!

Team sheets.

Newcastle United (4-4-2): Tim Krul (G), Danny Simpson (Gael Bigirimana 74), Mike Williamson, Steven Taylor (C), Davide Santon, Hatem Ben Arfa , Cheick Tiote, Vurnon Anita, Shane Ferguson (Shola Ameobi 46), Sammy Ameobi (Sylvain Marveaux 80), Demba Ba.

Subs: Rob Elliot (G), James Tavernier, Mehdi Abeid, Romain Amalfitano, Gael Bigirimana, Shola Ameobi.

Swansea City (4-3-3): Gerhard Tremmel; Angel Rangel, Garry Monk (C), Ashley Williams, Ben Davies; Jonathan De Guzman, Leon Britton, Itay Shechter (Kemy Agustien 66); Pablo Hernandez, Michu (Danny Graham 82), Nathan Dyer (Wayne Routledge 62)

Subs: David Cornell (G), Chico Flores, Dwight Tiendalli, Luke Moore, Kemy Agustien, Danny Graham, Wayne Routledge.

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154 Responses

  1. Nice one Worky.

    Santon is really impressing me lately. Am I the only one thinking he would be better being a winger and getting a better LB in?

  9. Note Swansea’s movement off the ball. Seems we can’t complete more than a couple passes before guys stop coming back toward the man in possession. There’s no pass, so we’re either dispossessed or lump a hopeful long ball upfield.

    *sighs*

  19. Spider-we’ve started better than most games this season but Swansea still have lots of possession. Chances are even at this point. We’re missing Cabaye but HBA is looking eager. Still too many long balls.

  20. Phisix says:
    November 17, 2012 at 3:26 pm

    “Williamson and Simpson always hoofing it is starting to really grate on me now.”

    As I pointed out in an earlier blog though, Iron Mike doesn’t “hoof” it more than the other players, and it’s actually CABAYE who’s the worst with the long balls.

  24. WT-was going to comment on the long ball number on the other thread. I had noticed Cabaye lumping it a lot this season, especially early on. It’s been a squad-wide malaise at times. You know who I’d blame for that.

  33. Anita gets taken off the ball too easy, he needs to get some strength in the gym. He shows glimpses of things so that would only improve him.

    Happy at how we are playing so far today. Just missing a goal now.

  35. Agreed Worky. The way they get it forward more times then passing it back toward the goal makes me jealous of they’re play.

  37. Thing is, I think Swansea still play the same BUT they have the players to link the midfield to the sharp end of the formation, mainly meaning Michu.

  38. It makes you wonder though how a team full of lesser known footballers can play like that but our team with all our quality players cannot pass that great that much.

  39. I’m of two minds.

    Given how Swansea play and that they’re not playing poorly, we’ve done well and looked composed. The lads look to have an idea of how they want to play this match.

    On the other hand, the formation still feels counterproductive. We’ve also had semi-passengers in Ferguson and Sameobi. I ‘d take off the former for Shola and go 4-3-3 or, if we must stick with this formation, push Sameobi into midfield. Every chance has come through HBA. He needs a more free role.

  40. In other news, QPR have the most underachieving (but also ill-conceived) squad I’ve seen in a while. Useless mercenaries.

  41. For a certain someone who doesn’t appreciate Tiote as a playmaker: he’s completed more passes (19 to 11) and dribbles (8 to 5) than Michu at this point.

  46. tunyc says:
    November 17, 2012 at 3:51 pm

    “In other news, QPR have the most underachieving (but also ill-conceived) squad I’ve seen in a while. Useless mercenaries.”

    I’ve never rated Mark Hughes too highly, and was perplexed when he ended up at Man City.

  47. Perplexed doesn’t even describe it. SGE, ok, I see what they were thinking. What were Sparky’s achievements? A couple acceptable seasons with Blackburn?

  58. Awful. Terrible, terrible, terrible from Krul.

    Don’t have a lot of hope of getting anything at this point.

  61. It’s ok, we have a manager who’s an expert at getting the team motivated and back into games when we fall behind.

  67. Phisix says:
    November 17, 2012 at 4:19 pm

    “Routledge will come on soon to score a usual ex-player goal against us.”

    Are you psychic or is your stream a few seconds ahead of mine Phisix? :-)

  71. Don’t see a goal in the side, this is what happens when u stand still as a club. Which turkey ever thought we could repeat last season’s form while playing a Shit load more games in Europe, we are also missing squad players like Guthrie. Mid table at best this season lads, piss poor

  73. Liverpool winning amongst others so down the table we now go. Our only hope is now keeping onto our best players and finding some quality ones for Jan or next season.

  79. I actually feel like crying now. We seemed to have lost that spark once they scored. Same old crap, different game.

  80. tunyc says:
    November 17, 2012 at 4:29 pm

    “HBA almost makes something from nothing. Feels like that’s what it’s going to take.”

    Well that’s what we’ve been living on a few times, or someting special from one of the others like Cisse.

  83. Completely agree, worky. My refrain: we appear to have no particular tactical approach to creating scoring chances. It’s all: get it to HBA or Cabaye and hope one of the forwards is in a good position. That’s it.

  86. He has zero tactical ideas. Said last season, had we not scored so many individual brilliant goals, we’d be exactly how and where we are now. No idea at all going forward.

  87. Jimbob says:
    November 17, 2012 at 4:38 pm

    “He has zero tactical ideas. Said last season, had we not scored so many individual brilliant goals, we’d be exactly how and where we are now. No idea at all going forward.”

    I said when Pardew was appointed he had zero tactical ideas, and that it would be another few years wasted :-(

  88. Worky, when Hughton was sacked, where were we in the league and at what points tally? Just out of curiosity?

  94. Had enough of this shit now. We have the players to smash teams like these but we either loss or get a crappy draw.

  95. And that’s it.

    As it stands: down to 12th, ahead of only Stoke, Wigan, Norwich, Sunderland, Villa, Soton, Reading and QPR. THAT’s where we are right now.

    Going back to last season, last 15 games: 3W, 8L, 5D for 14 points with a GD of -9. We’ve also lost 4 and drawn 1 of 8 matches at SJP over that time. This sort of form is going to land us in a very uncomfortable spot if it continues.

  97. They ain’t playing for him, so obvious. A team of foreign internationals need to be set up and coached in a modern way. Not in a late 80’s / 90’s system. Somethings not right.

  106. I truly think I could set up this team better. I do not say that lightly. Fact is, we on this board regularly PREDICT the shortcomings we see on the pitch.

  109. Well it ain’t going to get any better. Warning signs have been there since the start of the season. Trouble is the manager, owner and chairman are so deluded and stuck up their own arses, that nothing will change.

  114. Oh, and anybody who’s even mentioned that we’ve been shite or somethings wrong usually gets called a mackem. Maybe a few more results like this will make people see what others saw coming weeks ago.

  116. We’ll finish this round in 13th if Stoke win at WHU on Monday. Without the very fortunate win at WBA, we could have ended this round in 14th. Half of the teams below us have at least one game in hand. These are facts.

  117. Jimbob says:
    November 17, 2012 at 4:56 pm

    “Oh, and anybody who’s even mentioned that we’ve been shite or somethings wrong usually gets called a mackem.”

    Jimbob, what I’ve never understood is that many of the people who say stuff like that and that we should all “get behind the team” etc after any criticism of Pardew are also the ones who think it’s ok to blame it all on the players and rip them apart?

  118. tunyc says:
    November 17, 2012 at 4:58 pm

    “Without the very fortunate win at WBA,”

    There was an even more fortunate draw at Everton too, they actually won that game. And then there was Atromitos with Krul and so on…

  119. The most damning thing about Pardew is that we are only 1-0 to bloody Swansea and he throws caution to the wind. Well managed teams like Man U keep their shape and press for the equalizer. Pardew will probably say again that we lost because we didn’t score as many goals as Swansea.

    I am losing patience with him, but as Jimbob said, only 8 more years.

  120. i’ve heard pardew get called a lot of different names, since he rocked up here, but he is without a doubt, “the ultimate chocolate fireguard”.

  121. Phisix says:
    November 17, 2012 at 4:57 pm

    “i’s going for a fag”

    Phisix, I once said “I could murder a fag” to some Yanks, and they thought I was a homophobic psychopath. :-)

  124. Exactly Worky. But you have to look at the players too. But like I’ve said, these are a talented group of technical players. They aren’t being set up correctly. If he has lost the dressing room, or they are just fed up that we didn’t add to the squad properly in the summer, then Pardew cops the blame and will get removed.

    The performances and tactics etc are attributed to Pardew, and he’s getting it all wrong week after week. But it isn’t his fault the board didn’t add to the team. That’s a separate issue.

    Either way, Mike and Derek employed him for non footballing reasons in the first place. Anybody who works as manager of Newcastle United while those two run it, will always be someone they can shift blame to. A patsy if you will.

    The current team and players however are better than what we’ve seen all season.

  125. I can better that one Worky! stood outside a bar in LA, my mate say’s to guy smoking next to us in his deepest brummy accent ” hey mate, can i bum a fag” i kid you not…

  126. you could trace this back to last season, even then you could see the cracks.
    nothing has been done in the summer, which would have enhanced this squad.
    if the so called hierarchy who run this club cannot see that, then what hope do we have?
    they sacked chris hughton to move forward, and replace him with an absolute twat, in pardew.

  127. Subz00: No, Pardew has me confused. He makes so many substitutions at half time it is like he is admitting he chose the wrong line up. But then he does the same thing the next week.

    It was a game where we could have scored a few but so could they. They carved us open at times.

    What do we expect though? We are Newcastle United, it is almost always like this.

  128. What was our record, wins / points etc, when that was deemed not good enough for a newly promoted team, resulting in Hughton’s sacking by Llambias.

    Now we’re a top six / eight team, I wonder how close the statistics are in relation.

  129. True GS, But I think this is the best squad of players we’ve had since 2002 / 2003. So frustrating.

  130. I just watched the highlights and Krul made a big mistake for the first goal, but even worse, the defenders just stood there like statues and gave Michu a free header.

  131. Hughton had 19 points after 16 games and we were 11th. Notably we’d beaten the mackems 5-1, Villa 6-0 and won at the Emirates. We’d lost some questionably games like Stoke, but produced some excellent football. This was for a newly promoted team, with players deemed by some as to slow like Nolan, and crap strikers such as Carroll…

    Pardew has 14 points after 12 games. We’ve beaten… Er Spurs 2-1. Played rather poor in most games, apart from the mackems match. Also lost some questionable games. This is with a team of internationals such as HBA, Cisse, Ba and Cabaye. This is also a top six side now going on last seasons standings.

    So will be interesting to see what happens in three / four games time. Is Llambias consistent?

  132. Jimbob says:
    November 17, 2012 at 5:30 pm

    “Hughton had 19 points after 16 games and we were 11th.”

    That wasn’t quite the point though ie our particular position at one moment in time. What impressed me more than anything about Hughton was that he was a long term thinker who could also display a tactical adapatabilty with things like how he utlised Nolan and Barton, switched Benny over to the right hand side and so on.

    We were a sometimes erratic team who were finding our way to something much better, and most importantly, something that was much better for the long term, not just some flash in the pan which was built on the back of a predecessor’s work. And I won’t bang on about Carr again ;-)

  133. Jimbob: when you think about the players that Pardew has available and what he is doing with them it makes it hard to defend him. I try to give him the benefit of the doubt, but that is getting difficult.

    To echo what others had said earlier, a drunk blind man would know we needed a couple more defenders before the season started. I don’t care what Williamson’s stats are we all know he is a limited player – good against hoofit Stoke or West Ham but he gets burned by anyone with any pace.

    I even might agree with Chuck that Santon would be better used as a right winger. We just don’t seem to have a strong foundation.

    Oh well, there’s always next week.

  135. Worky: thanks for the highlights. Now looking at the second goal, the player on their left was wide open in the space where Danny Simpson would have been if Pardew hadn’t taken him off :)

  136. Appears the chickens are coming home to roost.
    Following a season of what could be called success which had fans delirious with a fifth place finish.
    Looks like reality is settingg in, what reality ?
    The fact we could use a manager, unless you had’nt noticed, that and an increase in the size of he squad.
    Watched Clarke’s W/Brom beat Chelsea and thought we couldda had him here, for nowt.
    Looks like Rodgers is finally getting a not so great Liverpool to play the way he wants with a good game of football played against Wigan.
    And of course anyone watching Swansea to day will realize that contrary to Worky’s evaluation, they play the same short passing game developed by a combination of Martinez and Rodgers.
    He would have us believe Laudrup, (The Prince of Denmark) has introduced some miraculous adaptation of his predecessors game, which is nonsense, but then hero worship has it’s drawbacks sometimes.
    Now that the reality of Pardew is becoming more apparent and we begin the slide downwards towards those fighting relegation, it brings back that deja vu feeling of a couple of seasons back, where the obvious was ignored, because we were too good to go down.
    Before long if this loosing trend continues, there will be dissatisfaction and consequently unrest in the dressing room, with everyone looking to blame someone or something and possibly wanting away, a repetition of what happened in the relegation season.
    If ashley has’nt picked up on this, it’s because he (Pardew) was his choice and would look bad to dump him now.
    But weigh that against relegation and the massive drop in income it would bring, hey missing out on the enormous increase in revenues expected next season, would be a crime.
    Question is how long will it take, before it becomes so obvious, hopefully not too long.

  137. “He would have us believe Laudrup, (The Prince of Denmark) has introduced some miraculous adaptation of his predecessors game, which is nonsense, but then hero worship has it’s drawbacks sometimes.”

    As i said in the previous post, read what the Swansea fan had to say if you don’t beleive me.

    Andy says:
    November 17, 2012 at 11:46 am

    Michael laudrup is twice the manager rogers was should be a much better game than last years which was not long after speedo r.i.p.
    on a lighter note good luck to you and yours. scfc forever

  138. And Chuck, here’s what a Swansea blogger had to say:

    “How would you describe the ‘new’ Swansea?

    “Michael Laudrup has certainly brought in some much needed changes to the team to make us a little less predictable – which was a potential risk had Brendan Rodgers stayed at the club. Changes in personnel and in tactics – we’ve brought in goalscoring midfielder in Michu – a must following the departures of loanee Sigurdsson, plus Joe Allen and Scott Sinclair. The Swans are more attacking this year under Laudrup. While our defence has compensated slightly for that, we are arguably more exciting to watch thiss year. We’re creating more chances, scoring more goals and we’re little more direct in our attacking game. Very often last season, pundits, opposing fans and manager commented that while we did dominate possession, we did so in our own half whilst creating few chances, which has been rarely the case so far this season.”

    http://www.newcastle.vitalfootball.co.uk/sitepage.asp?a=299981

  139. I’m not one to crack the noose out too quickly but how can a so called football man watch the same game plan, if you can call it that, fall apart week in week out. WTF was Tiote’s instructions today? cos every time they ripped us up, which was many, there were gaping holes through the middle.

    So, all in all he is hanging himself by not seeing the obvious, ego? probably, and has a team of gifted players not playing for him, ring any bells?? err yup…

  140. subz00 says:
    November 17, 2012 at 6:38 pm

    “I’m not one to crack the noose out too quickly but how can a so called football man watch the same game plan, if you can call it that, fall apart week in week out.”

    Subz, did you ever watch Pardew’s second season at West Ham, or his entire stint at Charlton?

  142. TROJAN RECORDS 73 says:
    November 17, 2012 at 6:50 pm

    “chris hughton’s norwich beating salford utd 1-0.”

    They should be just about level with us if they win Trojan, though our goal difference is better.

  143. I seem to remember the Rodgers managed Swansea getting absolutely battered at our place last year.

    Perhaps the players are getting sick of the David Brent managerial style of Mr. Pardew. Someone once mentioned on here how he has all the clichéd motivational rubbish plastered on his office wall.

    We only see a few soundbites from him but the players have to listen to it every day. After a while they might start to realise he is a gobshite.

    I don’t want to trash Pardew too much because he did do well last year

  144. GS says:
    November 17, 2012 at 7:15 pm

    “Perhaps the players are getting sick of the David Brent managerial style of Mr. Pardew. Someone once mentioned on here how he has all the clichéd motivational rubbish plastered on his office wall.”

    They’re all over Benton GS. There was a Daily Mail photo feature behind the scenes at the Benton training ground, and they were clagged up all over the walls. I read a fair bit about his “Mr.Motivator” thing before he even started here. They’re just those really crappy slogans that state the bloomin’ obvious.

    Hughton’s slayed purplenose now. 1-0.

    He’s now level with us.

  145. Just watched that no name manager @ Norwich beat the mighty Man. U., while his big name replacement, gets beat at home by second year promoted side.
    Wonder what Mike and Derick, have to say about that?
    Yeah it’s still a slow learning curve folks.

    Worky
    If Laudrup is such a great coach, why did most of the side give him a problem about his attempted tactical changes recently?
    Anyone watching the side, see little difference in their style of play, different players make them better as an attacking side is all.

  146. I watched the Norwich game and I am happy for Hughton. Even though they lost, there was no panic from Man U, unlike our lot. I will leave it to you Worky to post the comments from Pardew, although we all knew what he would say before he said it. It’s never his fault, bloody Senegal FA lost us the game :)

  147. chuck says:
    November 17, 2012 at 7:41 pm

    “Worky
    If Laudrup is such a great coach, why did most of the side give him a problem about his attempted tactical changes recently?
    Anyone watching the side, see little difference in their style of play, different players make them better as an attacking side is all.”

    Chuck I’ve told you twice already that it was just a shit stirring story in the tabloids based on nothing. Some of the players came out and said it was bollocks too. They also said that at 48, Laudrup’s still the best player on the training ground and that’s it’s great to learn from him.

    If you can’t tell the difference that’s your problem, other people can.

    ps, actually Chuck, I’ve told you more than twice about that bogus Laudrup story. I wrote that before when you brought it up months ago.

  148. GS says:
    November 17, 2012 at 7:46 pm

    “I watched the Norwich game and I am happy for Hughton. Even though they lost, there was no panic from Man U, unlike our lot.”

    I know this may sound very odd, but Fergie has actually become very “nice” and “reasonable” recently. A while back, he would have demanded at least 90 minutes of extra time, and placed a curse on the ref and all of his dexcendents to last for the whole of eternity if he didn’t get it until he scored twice.

  149. @GS

    I don’t think Pardew did do well last season. There were some outstanding performances from our star players and the likes of Perch played above themselves, however, he was still unable to affect any game tactically where we fell behind.

    The difference this season is the key players aren’t hitting those heights and injuries and suspensions are exposing the lack of investment in the summer.

    I still don’t recall a solid 90 minutes last season. Some decent performances but we didn’t really hammer anybody.

    The signs were in games such as Wigan, Everton, Spurs and Norwich away where we comprehensively ‘done’ and he didn’t have anything like a plan b.

    It baffles me why he’s abandoned the one system that did work with the players we have. If it was to try and accommodate a disgruntled Ba then he’s spineless. If it was because we were becoming too predictable then alternative has done nothing but take us backwards.

    As for the motivational stuff. If he keeps on telling himself we can finish fourth even he might start to believe his own bullshit.

    Stew

  150. Stewpot: I try to be positive, even about Pardew but he is making it hard. I enjoyed our games against Stoke away, and Man U and Liverpool at home last season off the top of my head.

    I am starting to feel sorry for ben Arfa as I feel he is too good for us and deserves to be in a better team that will make an investment in the side.

  151. stewpot says:
    November 17, 2012 at 10:31 pm

    “I still don’t recall a solid 90 minutes last season. Some decent performances but we didn’t really hammer anybody.”

    stewpot, If we played very well and went two or three goals ahead, Pardew would immediately rearrange things to just see the game out. Hence, with the sole exception of a 5-0 against a West Ham in turmoil a long while back, an exception which proves the rule, 3-0 is as good as it gets wirh the silver one.

  152. @worky

    Definitely agree. that’s my point. We played some exceptional stuff last year but only for 45 minutes. There were stale first 45s which improved in the 2nd and there good opening 45s which were then ‘locked down’.

    @GS the games you mention were all great results. I’m not knocking the players. The trouble with being positive in the face of the reality is it indulges the manager and the chairman.

    When Man U came the other week there was a quote from Taggert along the lines of “when pardew came nobody wanted him, now everybody loves him.” The media seem to have fallen for it, as have a lot of our own fans. I make my judgements on the football I see on the pitch and despite the results last season, I wasn’t that impressed.

  153. @stewpot: Could not agree more. I was not impressed with the performances last season. I was a vocal critic of Pardew’s last season but people attacked me and pointed to results.

    I will not deny it we are in results business and performance comes second to results.

    Pardew did well last season but there were really great individual performers that got us the result as we have again this season with Demba Ba having scored 8 goals in a team creating so little.

    Yesterday’s result was not a disaster but those are our bread and butter games. forget beating Manchester united or Chelsea that is just glory bollocks.

    What we need are consistent and deliberate performances against our bread and butter teams. 3 wins in 12 is really poor considering how lucky we were against WBA with that freak goal off Cisse it could so easily be just 2 wins in 12.

    It’s not looking good and I just don’t think Pardew can get us out of this relaying heavily on luck. in the last 3 decades Pardew has the poorest win ratio of of all our managers even lower than Glen Roader. Although to be fair Hughton had a run the Championship which flatters his record.

    In summery, this is not a blip.

  154. @Michael

    Not only were we lucky against WBA but also Norwich, Villa, Everton and Reading. In fact I’d say the only games we’ve come out of with any credit this season were against Spurs and the Mackems.

    It’s not just his tactics. It’s also his feeble performance in the transfer market (have we even spent the 35 million from the Carroll sale yet?), his tedious post-match nonsense, his self-indulgent attempt to take credit for the St. James naming turnaround, his ridiculous 8 year contract and the fact that he’ll always be Ashley’s mouthpiece/puppet.