Another tricky tie for the Christmas holiday.Venue: Ashburton Grove, N.London. Date: Sat 29th December, 2012. Kick off: 5.30pm. Referee: Chris Foy. UK TV: ESPN.
In the run up to this game, much of the emphasis has been on the rather petty spat between Alex Ferguson and Alan Pardew over Ferguson’s behaviour in our previous game with Manchester United, with the purple nosed supremo demeaning himself even further by making some rather childish comments about Newcastle United and Alan Pardew which I won’t go into here.
So it’s on with another tricky Christmas holiday fixture, another away one, this time against Arsenal. Before that however a quick note: Although I have posted this match banter, I will be busy during the game itself, hence I may not be able to publish the team sheets when they come out as usual. One more thing is links for the game. As you can see at the top, this game will broadcast live on ESPN in the UK, though if you can’t get it, you should be able to find some links to watch it online at http://www.wiziwig.tv and also http://www.footballstreaming.info. (more…)
Christmas stuffing?Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester. Date: Weds 26th December, 2012. Kick off: 3.00pm. Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral). UK TV: None.
“One clean sheet in 15 games offers us the opportunity and shows it is not impossible to score against them. We carry a threat. There is no doubt about that. We can score there and it is going to be about how we defend really. I think we will get a goal. United have been vulnerable all year defensively. Some of their goals with the back four and the goalkeeper have not been as secure as teams of the past. Sir Alex Ferguson has been quoted as saying that.”
That’s what Newcastle United’s Silver Supremo, Alan Pardew has been saying in the run up to this game.
The problem Professor Pardew’s hypothesis though is that whilst Manchester United have let in more goals than any other team in the top four this season (25), they have also let in one fewer than we have (26). On the other hand however, they are also the highest scorers in the Premiership by far. They have scored eight more goals than the second highest scoring team in the Premiership (Chelsea with 36), and well over twice as many goals as we have so far this season (20 goals to their 44). Hence, we may have a few problems with the “it is going to be about how we defend really” part of Pardew’s pronouncement. We may defend well and still let one or two in against old purple nose’s “Red Devils!” As if this wasn’t enough, we also haven’t won at Old Trafford in any competition for the past 40 years!
"Spend, spend spend" says Shearer. Writing in his column for the Sun, Alan Shearer has laid the blame squarely at the door of Mike Ashley for the Newcastle United’s current lack of form.
“Newcastle missed a huge opportunity in the summer” he began, continuing:
“Having punched above their weight last season and almost made it into the top four [sic], this was the time to spend. The club was up and running again after so many years mired in uncertainty. There was once again a feel-good factor and even Mike Ashley was enjoying it. But he needed to put his hand in his pocket and strengthen with two or three quality players. The best time to buy is when you are in a position of strength.”
Which is fair enough, especially the last sentence which is very true. “Momentum” is vital in football, something which the ex Toon hitman acknowledged himself when he continued later in the piece:
“Sadly the momentum built up by Alan Pardew last season has been lost and Saturday (Newcastle’s 1-3 defeat to Man City) was a stark example of that.”(more…)
