View from the Toon(s)!It was cold, bitterly cold, made even worse by being practically forced from the concourse into the stands at a very early juncture, with lack of alcohol being served contributing heavily to my early journey to my seat.
Upon finding my seat, I looked around the Walkers Stadium and thought it was ‘nice’, nothing else, just ‘nice’. Perhaps it suffers from ‘new stadium’ syndrome – the syndrome where it seems grounds built in the last 20 years lose the atmosphere that the previous grounds had. I was sitting towards the rear of the stand anyway so I held out some hope of a good craic.
After hearing the team news, my fear that Nicky Butt would be playing was confirmed. Again, another away day, another game with just 1 striker and a less than mobile Kevin Nolan in support. I was buoyed however, by the fact this was my first chance to see recent signings Routledge, Williamson and Patrick Van Aanholt, making his debut. The team looking like; (more…)
Plenty to ponder?The Sky Sports team talked it up and went as far to say that ‘Leicester 0 Newcastle 0’ was the best goalless draw they’d seen for a long time. I think in their quieter moments, off camera, they might ask for their money back, and so might the fans. Because it was a bloody awful game of football from where I was sitting, and perish the thought that I almost travelled to watch that garbage.
It will be a long journey back home for those loyal Mags who had to sit through another unstimulating performance from our team. Even with the well worn cliche of ten men often being harder to play against, tonight was a perfect opportunity to get ourselves back on track and put some daylight between us and the chasers. Unfortunately we fell miles short of looking anything like taking the 3 points at any stage in the game, and if any team looked more likely to create something, it was Leicester.
We just look completely stale and while I’ve argued for months now that we’ve rarely looked like a good football team, we also now seem to have lost some of the hunger that was earning us points regardless of the style we played. (more…)
Cool as the come.Hot, spicy and more than worth the money, is a pretty good way to describe my pre-match scran. Unfortunately not words to describe Newcastle’s 2-0 win over Crystal Palace. Nor disappointingly the debuts of Mike Williamson or Wayne Routledge, albeit the latter had little time to show what he can do, even considering his part in the last goal.
The best words to describe that display tonight might be “meh” or “ppffftt”, as it rendered me largely speechless. Which is no mean feat. But not for the first time, and probably not for the last this season, while feeling bitterly short-changed by the entertainment (sic) on show, we yet again managed to grind out the win and take all three points.
Some inevitable changes from the weekend game saw Harper replacing Krul in goal, Kadar moved out to fill in for the injured Danny Simpson and the suspended Ryan Taylor at right back. While Mike Williamson partnered Coloccini in the centre. Guthrire moved back out to the right and with Nolan dropping back into midfield with Smith, Pancrate made way for Lovenkrands to play upfront with Andy Carroll. Fellow ‘new boy’, Wayne Routledge had to make do with a place on the bench.
Crystal Palace were forced into a number of changes, partly through injury and partly due to their current administration process. As a result, Victor Moses and potentially some others may not be allowed to play while the transfer window remains open, as they are saleable assets. Palace could only name three substitutes as a consequence. (more…)
James Linnington before the game?I only caught this on Radio Newcastle so whatever follows is partly second-hand but…
Amidst some baffling officiating, Newcastle’s ‘Wembley Dream’ was shattered by a strong West Brom team who went two better than their plundering at St James’ last Monday, to take them through to the next round of the FA Cup. But the matchday officials can expect lifelong infamy round these parts, as they more than played their part in the fortunes of the victors.
Chris Hughton made expected changes from the 2-2 draw earlier in the week, which saw Tim Krul replace Harper between the sticks, Ryan Taylor come in at right back for the newly-acquired Danny Simpson and Tamas Kadar slot in for Steven Taylor, who appears to have suffered a serious knee injury following a shoddy challenge from Bednar in the previous game. Fabrice Pancrate and Andy Carroll also started, with Lovenkrands understandably being given time away to spend with his family and Ameobi dropping to the bench. The shape of the team changed as we elected for the 4-4-1-1 approach with Pancrate allowing Guthrie to move into the middle with Smith, Gutierrez in his usual wide left role and Nolan pushing in behind Carroll.
West Brom manager, Roberto Di Matteo, had suggested he would also make changes to protect his squad for the priority of promotion, but it was a very familiar starting eleven which ultimately trotted out. And yet despite that, it seems like they lacked the quality and drive on display in the league game. However, in a first half where Newcastle players were again found wanting for some creativity and where a number barely applied themselves, it was West Brom who took a deserved 2-0 lead into the break. (more…)
Perfect Peter‘Tell me ma, me ma…’
Well maybe not yet, but after Newcastle cruised to a 3-0 win over Plymouth in our FA Cup 3rd Round replay, it’s hard not to get a little carried away. But then again it’s hard to imagine the opposition being such pushovers in the next round. And the hardy group of Argyle fans, perched in Level 4 of the Leazes, looking for all the world like the last, unwanted one in a box of Milk Tray, amongst a sparsely populated Leazes, must have been bitterly disappointed with what their side offered, or didn’t as it were.
But however horrible Plymouth were, Newcastle’s win was emphatic and the scoreline should really have been more damning, though it benefitted yours truly that it wasn’t, as 3-0 pocketed me a nice little return on my modest flutter. And tonight it wasn’t just about the result, which was impressive, but the way we went about the game.
Hughton made seven changes to the previous game, as Danny Simpson was left out of the squad and made way for the returning Enrique. Steven Taylor replaced Tamas Kadar, although he was due to replace Coloccini, until Kadar picked up an illness close to kick off. In came Nolan and Gutierrez, as Guthrie and Smith made way, the latter apparently not passed fit after coming off in the original tie. Carroll and Lovenkrands replaced Ameobi and Ranger upfront.
After a slow five minutes, we started looking hungry and determined, and Peter Lovenkrands marked his comeback, after just ten minutes, chipping the ball over the keeper after a clever run onto a lovely ball slipped into the box by Gutierrez. (more…)
