New look midfield: Cheik Tiote and Yohan Cabaye in actionAfter the comings and goings of the ‘off season’, some of them obvious,, predictable, profitable and manufactured, it’s safe to say we now have a far more fluid midfield.
On top of the fluidity, we have also aquired a hell of a lot more pace. We seem very midfield focused at the moment, what with the possibilty of Yohan Cabaye being missing for the upcoming Spurs game. We also will lose the services of one Cheik Tiote when the African Cup of Nations swings around in January. No doubt losing his services a week or so before, as he meets up with his Cote d’Ivore team mates.
Both players will definitely be missed whenever they don’t play, whether by injury or suspension, but can we fill the sizeable gaps left? We have midfielders like Hatem Ben Arfa, Sylvain Marveaux, Dan Gosling, Haris Vučkić, Danny Guthrie to come in, not bad stand-ins, if you ask me. We also have versatile players like Ryan Taylor, James Perch and Shane Ferguson to come and ‘do a job’ if we get Davide Santon, Mike Williamson back into the defensive fold. So, as I was saying: We have a much more fluid arrangement from midfield to defence. (more…)
Pardew: Keeping expectations down.Alan Pardew states in a recent interview that the team is keeping it’s collective feet firmly on the ground.
After Saturday’s dramatic win away to Wolves that has us still in the top four after all the weekends games, briefly peaking at third spot, it’s good to know that the lads are aware that there are bigger fish to fry just around the international corner.
Some will say we’ve had an easy-ish set of early fixtures, but you can only beat what’s put in front of you. We’ve done that and we are where we are through some solid hard work and a little bit of the fortune that has frequently deserted us in the past. There are always going to be knockers of NUFC, that’s par for the course, but this set of lads has given the manager a good headache about selecion, when everyone’s fit.
Here’s what Pardew had to say:
“To be where we are now is an outstanding achievement, not just by the players, but by the staff I have around me,” (more…)
Maiga - still top target?Newcastle United are riding high in 3rd place in the Premier League but groundwork is already being undertaken in preparation for the January transfer window.
The last 10 minutes or so of yesterday’s game against Wolves nearly caused me to “‘ave a connery“, as DelBoy might say, but a combination of good fortune and good saves from both Krul and his defenders saw us take all three points and raised us – at least until Chelsea play – to the lofty heights of 3rd in the table.
I think we certainly rode our luck yesterday as we have done in a few other games this season but, credit where it’s due, we have also defended very well and look to be getting things together as a unit a bit more now.
I think 3rd place flatters us but even if we say that Lady Luck has gifted us 6 points this season, we’d still be 7th, which isn’t too shabby in itself.
We also have ‘significant’ players still on the sidelines. Neither Ben Arfa, Davide Santon, Silvian Marveaux, Haris Vuckic nor Dan Gosling featured yesterday through either injury or lack of opportunity, so it would seem we have talent in reserve. Let’s not forget the likes of Medhi Abeid, Shane Ferguson and Sammy Ameobi from the ‘youth’ setup either. (more…)
Nearing first-team fitness?Davide Santon looks to be fairly fit after playing the full 90 minutes of a reserve game against Swansea and does Jonas’s interview indicate that Colo is angling for a longer contract?
Davide Santon completed the full 90 minutes of our reserve game against Swansea last night, which we won 5-3. Santon only had his knee drained earlier this week and it looks like he’s already reaching a level of fitness that could soon put him in line for a first-team start.
Nile Ranger – who, like Santon, had part of his body drained at some point in the past, although in Ranger’s case the part drained seems to be somewhat north of the neck – also played the full 90 minutes and scored from the penalty spot (the other goals were scored by Michael Richardson, Shane Ferguson, Dan Gosling and Greg McDermot). I’m not sure how much Nile Ranger figures in Alan Pardew’s plans after his recent spate of alleged misdemeanours but I suppose he’s another attacking option, albeit one that’s a fair way down the list. (more…)
Santon: Confusion over knacked knee.Newcastle United have issued a statement on their website in an attempt to get things straight on Davide Santon’s recent training ground injury to his right knee.
As I pointed out in this story yesterday, the ex Internazionale wing back has a history of right knee problems stemming from an lateral meniscus tear picked up in an Italy Under-21s game against Luxembourg in November, 2009. After Santon had surgery and returned to playing, the injury returned and more surgery was required, resulting in another period out of the game, and a drop in form on his second return.
When speaking in the injury yesterday, Newcastle United manager, Alan Pardew may have caused some confusion when he said of the injury:
“Unfortunately Davide has hurt his knee in training and been sent for a scan.
“It is an injury he has had before, we think it is a cartilage problem. We thought it was best to send him for a scan.(more…)
