Cardiff City vs Newcastle United mega-preview

Posted on October 5th, 2013 | 15 Comments |

Confused Cardiff fans.
Confused Cardiff fans (thanks to Mike at Urban75.com).
Venue: Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff.
Date: Sat 5th Oct, 2013.
Kick off: 3.00pm.
Referee: Kevin Friend (Leics).
UK TV: None.

No matter what Alan Pardew or the club say, the sharks have started to circle around Alan Pardew now, and if the Magpies lose this one we could well be be seeing a Sky Sports sacking special live from St James’ Park before long. If he wins, it will be a case of Pardew on probation, but the club will then face a nightmare series of games against four of the Premier League’s top clubs, ie Liverpool, Sunderland (ok, maybe not them!), Man City, Chelsea and Tottenham. Poor Pardew, it might be a good idea for him to have Noda Cabs on speed dial?

If it does happen, it can’t be said that it is a huge overreaction to a handful of disappointing result as it was with his predecessor, Chris Hughton. As site reader ‘tunyc’ rightly pointed out on these pages yesterday (I checked), if we look at Pardew’s Premier League record over the last twelve months it has been P38, W11, D6, L21. That’s a shocking total of only 39 points from a season’s worth of games, with a Goal Difference of -27 and a win percentage of only 28.95%.

“It hasn’t been our greatest week but the club we are, we can win 3-0 at Cardiff and everyone will say we’re going to win the league, you just have to go with it.”

In other words, we fans are fickle and shouldn’t be taken seriously. Thanks, Alan, but some of us have actually been remarkably consistent, and know that a insignificant little mediocrity like yourself will never win the Premier League, unless it’s the Blue Square Premier League.

Previous results.

The last time the Magpies met the Blue Dragons, the Red Birds or whatever they are called nowadays in competitive games was two league games in our 2009-10 Championship season, where we narrowly beat them 0-1 at their place, and absolutely hammered them 5-1 at ours. I had to go back as far as the 1983-84 season and the old League Division Two to find the ones before that. However more recently, Pardew did take them them on in a pre season friendly game in preparation for last season, and ended up suffering a 4-1 beating at the Cardiff City stadium. Pardew blamed the defeat on injuries to top players in the squad and the stress of pre season games in Europe (Quelle surprise).

In terms of Premier League form, Cardiff are currently 11th with 8 points after the first six games, with Newcastle trailing in 16th with 7 points and a bigger goal difference. The table below shows how both teams got there (most recent results first).

Team Results Points
Cardiff City W|L|D|D|W|L 8/18
Newcastle United L|L|W|W|D|L 7/18

Tactical notes.

42% of Cardiff’s attacks come down the right hand side (which is alot). Therefore, Davide Santon on the left will probably have to be at his best in this game.

Team news.

Cardiff City.

Injured: Andreas Cornelius (Ankle).

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: None.

Newcastle United.

Injured: Ryan Taylor (Anterior Cruciate Ligament).

Doubtful: Steven Taylor, Jonas Gutierrez (both hamstring).

Suspended: None.

What the managers have been saying…

Malky Mackay.

“I am expecting a tough game against a team who on their day can take anyone apart.”

Malky Mackay’s pre match press conference where he waxes lyrical about his friend and mentor Alan Pardew (Mackay was captain at Pardew’s West Ham) making some statements about the Silver Fox which are frankly laughable!

Alan Pardew.

“I think all our fans will be looking for a performance. Everton is a result we have to accept, but the performance at Cardiff needs to be high. It needs to be much more relevant to the club that we are.”

Looking at the oppostion he added later:

“They will have their tails up after beating Fulham. They also have an away win under their belts as well as the result at home. Having already beaten Manchester City at home the Cardiff fans are loving their experience of being in the Premier League. This is a tough place to go at the moment, we have to make sure we match that.”

Finally, in the wake of decent performance against Leeds United in the League Cup, and a very good performance to steady the ship against Everton by ‘Iron’ Mike Williamson, Pardew gave a hint that he could be selecting him for a start. When asked about players being dropped after the first half defensive fiasco against Everton he replied:

“I cannot go into detail on what is happening. The most important thing is how you react to not playing, Mike Williamson is a good example of that. He has conducted himself well on the training ground, when the opportunity came against Leeds he did well, then, when he had the chance on Monday night, he took it. I have to repay that in my view.”

Poll

Do you agree with the Newcastle United board that if we mount a serious challenge to win a cup competition, the club would run the risk of being relegated like Wigan or Birmingham City?

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Comment on this post

15 Responses

  1. That 38 games stat is shocking. How he’s still here is a joke, but understandable considering the owner we have. Piss poor delusional manager that shouldn’t be anywhere near the Premier League.

    This is time for the bullet I feel, as I can see Cardiff pissing all over us today. Nice two week break then to bed uncle Joe into the managers seat, while fans everywhere piss and moan about it.

    They’ll still buy the shirts and fill the stadium though so no bother.

  2. I did once, many years ago, have to carry a gun. Unfortunately, I was useless with it. I doubt I could hit Mike Ashley if he was sat next to me.

    Sorry Jimbob, that doesn’t help!

  4. It’s a bit of a dilemma, obviously I’d like to see us win this game but the silver lining of seeing Pardew ousted would temper the angst of yet another defeat against a team we should be able to beat most of the time.

  6. I watched the episode of South Park last night where Cartman hijacked the ballot papers of the swing states that let Obama win the last election and couldn’t help but wonder if there wasn’t a kernel of truth in the shows content.

    It’s Hugh’s comment that made me mention it, wasn’t the closing of Guantanamo one of his election promises.

  7. Hugh, things used to be diferent back in the old days. My dad was absolutely nuts. He bought a Beretta in Italy and smuggled it back into the UK with a load of ammo when I was a bairn. I was with him when he bought it. Could you imagine trying something like that nowadays?

  8. Grumpy Old-Toon says:
    October 5, 2013 at 1:09 pm

    “I watched the episode of South Park last night where Cartman hijacked the ballot papers of the swing states that let Obama win the last election and couldn’t help but wonder if there wasn’t a kernel of truth in the shows content.”

    Grumpy, I think they summed up the state of politics nowadays rather well when they held a South Park election. Voters had to choose between voting for a giant douche or a huge turd sandwich.

    Elections nowadays are decided a tiny minority of swing voters. Hence everything is focused on what a tiny minority of the electorate want in places where the margin between parties is very small. That isn’t just in the US where South Park is made either, and it’s why you just have two or three parties all in the middle somewhere without a great deal to choose between them.

  9. Worky, I’d need the manual! And then a week to read it with my eyesight.

    But you’re right. Now, that would light up customs like a bonfire. I don’t know when you last travelled abroad but when I went to the States in July it takes 30 minutes just to get cleared.

    I got to the US and had brought some food out for my friend. Perhaps mistakenly, I said nothing to declare. That got unwound by the customs officer. It was only tins of baked beans and packets of cereal but I had to be interrogated. They aren’t pleasant, US customs officials. “I told you to sit”, sort of stuff. After I stood briefly to rearrange my pants.

  10. Surprisingly there is still a lot of support around for this poor excuse of a manager.
    Ashley will get it in the neck, If he pulls the trigger.
    I don’t normally agree with Ashley, But if he decides to get rid of Pardew, You will get no complaints from me.
    Some fans will not see past their hatred of Kinnear, To back a man with a shocking record, Stretching back over a year, With no visible improvement on display!

    This team is capable of going to Cardiff and winning the game, But on the flipside, We could end up getting a right towsing, And no one would be surprised!
    As with the Everton game, I have no idea of how this one might go.
    All depends on a certain rapidly hairline receding grey haired gentleman, And what he does today.
    Will he hit upon one of his lucky days, When his usual style works against the opposition, Like Villa, Or will he start with his meddling, And put the team out of the match, Before it has begun.
    I guess it’s a case of, “Answers On A Postcard”!

  11. Worky, I remember that one can’t remember what won though. Most of the shows are allegorical with a strong satirical truth hidden within the story line.

  12. Hugh de Payen says:
    October 5, 2013 at 1:25 pm

    “I don’t know when you last travelled abroad but when I went to the States in July it takes 30 minutes just to get cleared.”

    Hugh, as I’ve mentioned on these pages before, I javen’t even tried to go to the US in recent years because of my political past. I had to turn down the chance of lifetime to be a guest on one of the most popular TV shows in the US (the Tonite Show) when that Bush II was President and that war on terror was in full swing. It probably would have slightly longer than 30 minutes for me to get past US customs, if at all! I’m not sure if it’s that much better nowadays for people like myself.

  13. Joe@10,

    It’s not “support” for Pardew. He is a crap manager. But he’s a victim of the Ashley system.

    I genuinely think he tries his best. He’s just not very good. He’s cheap, affordable and suits Ashley’s purposes.

  15. Watching City v Everton but apropos nothing, do Toon supporters have a soft spot for Everton?

    The second football match I went to was with my dad on a business trip to Liverpool. I remember we lost 3-1 to Everton. I’d have been 6 or 7, so the details are sketchy.