Highlights from this afternoon’s game between Newcastle United and Swansea City at St James’ Park.
Newcastle United vs Swansea City full match video, extended highlights and post match interviews.
Post match interviews. (more…)
Speaking to Lee Ryder for today’s Chronic, he began by blaming the failure to get the crowd behind them in the first twenty minutes of the game, and West Ham’s ex Magpie captain, Kevin Nolan, for scoring a goal saying:
“The first 20 minutes we were not at our best. We need to get the crowd behind us and get them involved and we did not. We kicked ourselves for going behind.”
Moving on, he then put the spotlight on his own teams failure to get a goal, something which football experts such as Pardew know is an essential ingredient when it comes to winning football matches. Also making a passing reference to a headed Demba Ba effort in the 47th minute of the game, which was clawed away from the goal line by Jussi Jaaskelainen, he continued: (more…)
In this piece I intend to concentrate on one of those, Kevin Nolan, who has received much undeserved flak from the less “gifted” sections of Newcastle United’s fanbase since his departure. Though Carroll has almost certainly received even more, that is undoubtedly a whole story on it’s own and as a Newcastle United blogger, I am still suffering from Carroll fatigue, and possibly you are too?
Getting back to Nolan though, below is one example of the kind of thing I’m writing about from so called “fans”. It is from the commments section below a story on the midfielder in local rag, the Chronic.
“Yes kevin Nolan, one word springs to mind that actually rhyms with “Fishbowl” when talking about the south….”**ithole” Thank you for your service, but sorry, you wouldn’t get into this squad ahead of Ben Arfa or Cabaye, get your head out of the smogg air son, big clubs have demanding, passionate fans, that’s why so many can’t handle the pressure up here and depart for debt laden clubs willing to overpay on salaries, smaller crowds, less expectation, and poorer playing standards installed by useless fat Sam!” (more…)
Date: Thursday, 8th November.
Kick off: 6:00pm
Referee: L. Banti.
UK TV: ESPN.
Well, alot has happened in the world of Club Brugge since since our 1-0 victory against them at St James’ Park two weeks ago.
Back in those dim and distant days, their manager was Georges “Mack the Knife” Leekens (that’s his nickname, honest!) and they were top of the league, having just suffered their first league defeat of the season (1-4 against Zulte-Waregem). Since then however, they have suffered a further three defeats (not counting the one at St James’ Park), and Mack the Knife has been given the order of the boot!
So, will all of this Belgian bedlam be a good thing for our quest to preceed to the next stage of the Europa League ASAP? Or will this make the planning for this game more complex for Alan Pardew? Leekens was sacked following their last game (another defeat to Zulte-Waregem), so our Silver Supremo will be facing a team which will be far more of an unknown quantity under caretaker, Philippe Clement, who is the club’s reserve team coach. Will it be a case of “business as usual” for the team under Clement, or will he strike out with his own tactical ideas to try and arrest the team’s slump in both the Belgian Jupiler League and the Europa League? Of course, there is always the old cliche about the “wounded animal.” Altogether, this will add a bit unpredictabilty to preceedings this evening, both for Pardew and myself in preparing this humble preview. I did as much homework as I could on Brugge in my previous preview, but who knows now?
Recent form. (more…)
Highlights from this afternoon’s game between Liverpool and Newcastle United at Anfield.
Liverpool vs Newcastle United full match video, highlights, interviews and match report.
It was a case of “same old same old” from Pardew at the start as Liverpool were all over the Magpies at the start. However, they were also rather sterile when it came to the crunch and couldn’t put a goal past the obstinate newcastle defence. So, for once this season, Newcastle United weren’t a goal or two down before the inevitable improvement came. As usual though, it took some exceptional play from two of the usual suspects, Hatem Ben Arfa and Yohan Cabaye to combine for an opening goal for the Magpies. Ben Arfa’s silky dribbling skills took him through two Liverpool players before he floated in a great cross to the far post for his fellow Frenchman. Cabaye more than kept his end up too with an excellent finish from what looked like a very tricky angle. (more…)