A little respect (just a little bit) Newcastle United have had a trying summer both on and off the pitch but how does that bode for the season ahead?
It’s a fine old kettle of fish isn’t it? This pre-season, that is. We’ve had some poor results on the pitch and the various missives from people like Nolan, Barton and Enrique have done little to enhance things off the pitch.
First up, the friendlies we’ve had. I’m not convinced as to how much of a yardstick for the coming season such games really are, but let’s hope they’re not a particularly accurate one.
One school of thought says friendlies are all about experimentation and that players don’t really get out of third gear for them, but another school of thought says that’s nonsense and that when players are on the pitch they’ll play with all they’ve got for a win.
When my mate – who currently lives in Hong Kong – visits, we traditionally have a ‘friendly’ 4-way competition that involves darts, pool, table football and – bizarrely – tennis. Whereas we might start off with a friendly game of darts, I can tell you that by the time we’re huffing and puffing in the fifth set of a tennis match it’s anything but friendly! (more…)
A return to action for Barton and Cabaye.The latest of Newcastle United’s pre season friendlies sees the Magpies facing Championship side, Leeds United, at Elland Road.
Of course, like Newcastle, Leeds are a large one club city, and like Newcastle United, Leeds United are a cautionary tale that even the mighty can fall through mismanagement in the Boardroom. Thankfully for Newcastle though, we managed to make it back to the promised land of the Premiership in one season, whereas Leeds still have been frustrated in their attempts to return to where they should be as one of the traditional big clubs of English football since 2004. Last season, they just missed out on a chance of a promotion playoff place after finishing seventh in the final Championship standings.
Speaking on the upcoming game, as he does about almost everything, Alan Pardew said that he was looking forward to having some “creative force” back in the side now that the team are not encumbered by the Gestapo like forces of US Immigration. I once had to turn down a chance to appear on Jay Leno’s ‘Tonite’ show in the US because of them so I bear a personal grudge, but I digress. Getting back to the bloviator himself, he said: (more…)
Match highlights, with goals from Shola Ameobi (9mins), Fabricio Coloccini (53 mins) and great goal from substitute, Haris Vuckic in stoppage time. The sending off of the Columbus Crew goalkeeper didn’t help the cause of the home side. As usual, Cheick Tiote also picked up a yellow card for a wreckless challenge. (more…)
Colombus Crew's club crest.You may be happy to know that a video stream of Newcastle United’s game with Ohio’s finest, the ‘Columbus Crew’ is available on the club’s website here. Columbus Crew’s matchday page on the game with other braodcast informtion, radio, live updates etc is also available here.
The game will kick of at 7.30pm local time (12.30pm UK time) so be ready!
Hopefully, the lads will perform better than they did against Orlando City, and not lose any more key players like Hatem Ben Arfa for the upcoming Premier League season.
Newcastle United manager, Alan Pardew’s pre match interview for the game is available for your viewing and listening pleasure below to get you in the mood for the match.
And also a pre match interview with Jonas Gutierrez and Steve Harper with an American lass called Ashleigh Ignelzi. (more…)
Non-news IMHONews about a bid for Mevlüt Erdinç may not in fact be news and Pedro’s boys get a result in Holland.
I’m a bit confused. News is doing the rounds that Newcastle have had a £6.5m bid for Mevlüt Erdinç accepted and that Alan Pardew was informed about the situation in the States.
I thought we’d already had a bid accepted by PSG anyway and that it was just the personal terms where things were being held up, so that bit saying that Alan Pardew was informed about matters threw me as that made it sound like a new thing.
The French press – which, rightly or wrongly, I tend to see as more reliable in terms of truth than our own – has nothing new to offer in relation to our potential interest in Erdinç and is only quoting the rumours in our own newspapers here and there.
I’m therefore of the opinion that this is a bit of a non-story. What I mean to say is that I’m pretty sure we are indeed pursuing Erdinç’s signature but that nothing has changed to prompt the ‘news’ appearing in the Sunday press. (more…)
