A high quality live stream of this evening’s second leg Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse’s Senegal, and Cheick Tiote’s Ivory Coast.
In case you don’t know, the outcome of this game could have important consequences for Newcastle United. If underdogs Senegal manage to overcome a two goal deficit (the first leg was 4-2 to the Ivorians), then the club could find that their only proper strikers during the ACON tournament proper, which will be held in South Africa from the 19th January to the 10 February, will be the Shola Ameobi and Academy hitman, Adam Campbell, though Shola’s brother Sammy can also play upfront at a push and Hatem Ben Arfa can act as a “second” striker. It’s not a great situation though. On the other hand, if favourites, Ivory Coast win, then we will be without key midfield enforcer, Cheick Tiote. Whoever goes, they will not be available for our games against Reading (19th Jan), Aston Villa (29th Jan), Chelsea (2nd Feb) and Tottenham (9th Feb).
Who do you think Newcastle United will miss more?
Looking forward to this evening’s game, Alan Pardew had this to say:(more…)
The road to Amsterdam.Venue: St James’ Park, Newcastle. Date: Thusday 30th August, 2012. Kick-Off: 8:00pm. Referee: Stephen Studer . UK TV: ITV 4.
With the sides evenly matched at 1-1 after last week’s first leg Europa League tie in Athens, Newcastle United entertain FC Atromitos at St James’ Park this evening to determine which club will take the road towards the Amsterdam Arena (with some welcome additional revenue), and which team will pack away their passports and sun tan lotion for another season.
Should we prevail and make it through to the Group Stages we’ll be one of 48 teams split into 12 groups who will play one another, home and away during the next few months. After which, if we finish in the top two, we’ll move on to the Round of 32 having been joined by the eight clubs finishing third in their UEFA Champions League group.
Europa League Finances
So what exactly is at stake tomorrow evening? While we all know that this revamped second tier competition is the poor man’s version of the Champions League, it is encouraging for all competing clubs to learn they will now benefit from a greater proportion of the “Market Pool” to help add to the official UEFA prize money. (more…)
DON'T PANIC! DON'T PANIC!Speaking in his pre match press conference for tomorrow evening’s Atromitos game, Alan Pardew has suggested that the club’s policy of making very low bids for transfer targets, hoping to unsettle the players until they force a move from their current clubs may have failed this time, and that all the transfer targets we have in mind all seem to be “secure at their clubs.”
The Silver Supremo told reporters:
“We know who we are watching and if there is any movement on them we may trigger ourselves. Agents keep offering us players but we scout our own targets. The players we have in mind all seem secure at their clubs.”
Also, when Pardew was asked if there was still the possiblity of a deal being on for potential prodigal son, Andy Carroll, Pardew reponded:
♫ "Blue is the callah, football is the game!" ♫Venue: Stamford Bridge, London. Date: Saturday 25th August, 2012. Kick-Off: 5:30pm. Referee: Phil Dowd. UK TV: ESPN / HD.
Roberto Di Matteo’s Chelsea await the Magpies this Saturday, as Newcastle United return to Premier League action in the capital for another live ESPN scheduled encounter.
Alan Pardew will look to build on last weeks 2-1 home victory versus Tottenham Hotspur at a ground in which we are now undefeated for four games. This stretches back to the 2008 / 2009 season where we left with a point after a 0-0 draw.
You can’t help but reminisce about last seasons fixture, where a certain Papiss Cissé opened the scoring with a sublime flick and volley in the first half to put United 1-0 up. Unfortunately for that particular strike, it was completely overshadowed by what he managed to do late into injury time, when he smashed a right-foot volley at an insane angle past Petr Cech, securing Newcastle the three points in a 2-0 victory. If you haven’t witnessed that goal, then I seriously suggest you scroll straight to the bottom of this page right now and watch it before reading any further. (more…)
Hands off my lads!After the very welcome signing of Ajax’s Vurnon Anita, but also abject failure in the hunt for Lille’s Mathieu Debuchy, Alan Pardew, as well as Cheick Tiote have once again switched the emphasis on to keeping existing players at the club.
Looking at Pardew first, he has said in very recent interviews after the Tottenham game:
“We are on our guard in case some really big bid comes in and we need to react because if someone goes out, another player will come in. But success for me in this transfer window would be losing none of our stars.”
Also saying:
“I worry about losing all my players because unfortunately we’re not Manchester United or Manchester City. We’re always vulnerable. If you ask me do I sleep well at night, I’d have to say, ‘not always’. I’m looking forward to September 1 because by then we’ll all know where we are. We have match-winners in the side.”(more…)
