A score draw or better and we’re though.Venue: Metalist Stadium, Kharkiv. Date: Thurs 21st February, 2013. Kick off: 6.00pm UK time (8pm local time) Referee: Serge Gumienny (Belgium). UK TV: ESPN.
Hello, good evening and welcome to our latest “match banter” feature for this evening’s Europa League game against Metalist Kharkiv.
With the first leg at St James’ Park ending in a 0-0 draw, this means that a score draw or better would take the Magpies through. If they can manage this, a last sixteen clash against either German Bundesliga side Hannover 96 or Guus Hiddink’s Russian side, Anzhi Makhachkala. So far it’s looking like it’s more likely to be the latter, as they currently leading the Germans 3-1 after their first leg in Russia and they are certainly not to be sniffed at with Hiddink at the helm, not to mention superstars old (Samuel Eto’o) and new (the Brazilian wide man, Willian). Still, we have to get through this one first, and as they showed in the first leg of the tie, they will be no pushovers, especially on their own (probably frozen) Ukrainian turf. (more…)
“♫ Metal is tough, metal will sheen ♫”Venue: St James’ Park, Newcastle. Date: Thurs 14th February, 2013. Kick off: 8.05pm. Referee: Harald Hagen (Norway). UK TV: ESPN.
Hello, good evening and welcome to our “match banter” feature for this evening’s Europa League game against Ukraine’s Metalist Karkiv.
As you may know already Metalist are a pretty strong team who are genarally regarded as the being the “best of the rest” behind the two Ukrainian giants, Dynamo Kyiv and Shaktar Donetsk. Hence, they won’t be any pushover. One piece of good news for the Toon however is that Metalist have recently sold their own Brazilian Benny, Taison (an excellent driblling winger / forward), to their rivals at Donetsk. Chelsea made a move for him priginally, however the club was then taken over by someone who disliked Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich so much, he preferred to sell him to one of his biggest rivals instead! (more…)
Can we make it three in a row?Venue: White Hart Lane, North London. Date: Sat 9th February, 2013. Kick off: 12.45pm. Referee: Phil Dowd. UK TV: Sky Sports.
Hello, good afternoon and welcome to our “match banter” feature for this afternoon’s early televised game against Tottenham Hotspur at their place, White Hart Lane.
Of course, Newcastle United should be going into this match with more confidence than they have in quite some time, coming into this game after their first two back to back victories of the season after a pretty horrendous losing streak which saw us sinking as low as 16th in the table. Alas, even the two abovementioned victories, against Aston Villa and Chelsea, has only raised us one place to 15th. However, a third victory could possibly raise us as high as 12th if the three teams above us, Norwich, Fulham and Blunderland, all lose their later games, or 13th if they all draw. Here’s hoping! (more…)
Chelsea: Four draws in their last five games.Venue: St James’ Park, Newcastle. Date: Sat 2nd February, 2013. Kick off: 3.00pm. Referee: Howard Webb. UK TV: None.
Despite the fact that Chelsea are currently third in the league and we are lowly fifteenth, there have been distinct signs of hope for a draw amongst quite a few fans, and also Alan Pardew, for this one.
Why? As well as the new found optimism which has come from what has been regarded by most as a “successful” transfer window, not to mention our first away victory of the season at Villa Park, the Pensioners have drawn four of their last five games, and one of those was against League One’s Brentford! Of course, Rafa “the Gaffer” Benitez is a relatively new manager, unwelcomed by some amongst the Blues’ fanbase, and the team don’t quite seem to have settled yet under their latest manager, hence it might be one of the best times to take points off one of the top sides in the Premiership. (more…)
Two crap sides in need of a win.Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham. Date: Tues 29th January, 2013. Kick off: 7.45pm. Referee: Mike Dean (The Wirral). UK TV: None.
Hello, good evening and welcome to this latest “match banter” feature for this evening’s game between the Villans and the Magpies from Villa Park.
It easy to forget in the vicarious French shopping spree most Toon fans have been enjoying over the last week or so that Newcastle are still involved in a relegation dogfight. Though the good news is that Aston Villa are just as crap as we are, being one place and one point beneath us in the table.
However the bad news is that Reading were supposed to be crap too, and they beat us 1-2 at home after a dreadful blunder by our Silver Supremo. In that game, knowing that Cabaye was unlikely to last the whole match after coming back from an extended absence due to groin surgery, he took off Marveaux. Then minutes after the inevitable happened and Newcastle United, after being marginally on top in the game, were left desperately holding on with hardly creative influence in the side, evetually falling to 71st and 77th minute strikes from Reading super sub, Adam Le Fondre, who, with a name like that, sounds like he should have been playing for our team. (more…)
