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…)
Demba Ba: Knacked ankle?There have been some reports that Newcastle United’s top scorer in the Premiership season so far, Demba Ba, may miss Newcastle United’s next game with Tottenham Hotspur in two weeks.
According to the AFP (Agence France-Presse) newsagency, the player turned his ankle before just before being substituted by Peter Lovenkrands in yesterday’s game with Wolves at Molineux. In their report of the game they wrote:
“But midway through the second half they had to make a change up front as Ba, having seemingly turned his ankle, gave way to Peter Lovenkrands with 20 minutes remaining.”
Meanwhile another source has suggested that the player may be out of action for a period of around two weeks, which would be a day after the time of our next game due to the International break next weekend. Of course, Ba scored in the Wolves game, and also scored a hat-trick against Blackburn in the previous game and would be a big miss for the team against the strong North London side. (more…)
4 goals in 2 games for Demba Ba.Venue: Molineux, Wolverhampton Date: Saturday, October 1st, 2011 Kick-off: 3:00pm Referee: Mark Halsey Goals: Ba (17), Gutierrez (38), Fletcher (88)
In what was quite possibly the most exciting, and surprisingly nerve-wracking Newcastle game so far this term, some brilliant individual performances, and more than a little help from referee, Mark Halsey, helped Newcastle United ascend even higher, to third, in the Premiership table.
Despite a couple of helping hands from Halsey though, a denied penalty and a perfectly good goal for the home side ruled out, We just scraped over the finishing line in the end though! More than a little of this was thanks to Tim Krul in the Newcastle goal, helped out with yet another potentially match saving blockage for Steven Taylor to add to his collection.
After the sides felt each other out in the opening period of the game, the first real chance went to Wolves after ten minutes when Matt Jarvis put in a decent cross to to Kevin Doyle right in the middle of the box. However his right footed volley was tipped away by Tim Krul. Doyle had another crack three minutes later after reciving a headed ball by Steven Fletcher. Once again, it was easily saved in the middle of the goal by Krul. Newcastle’s defence certainly didn’t look like an almost impregnible unit which had only let in three goals in the season at that point. (more…)
Highlights of the game. Includes goals from Demba Ba in the 17th minute, an excellent strike from Jonas Gutierrez in the 38th minute, and a consolation for Wolves from Steven Fletcher in the 88th minute.
In what was quite possibly the most exciting, and surprisingly nerve-wracking Newcastle game so far this term. A few excellent individual performances, not least from Tim Krul, and more than a little help from referee, Mark Halsey, helped Newcastle United ascend even higher, to third, in the Premiership table. (more…)
£13m+, allegedlyNewcastle United may need to find £13m+ if they want to bring Pappis Demba Cisse to the club in the January transfer window.
Having allegedly had a £10m bid for Papiss Demba Cisse rejected in the summer transfer window, it would seem that Newcastle will have to find more than that if they want to bring the striker to St James’ Park in January. Furthermore, we’d find ourselves competing with the Mackems for his signature from Freiburg.
Cisse definitely wants to move on from the German club and recently told German radio:
“I want to leave. I want to try to play at a different level.”
And Freiburg chairman Fritz Keller is fairly pragmatic about the matter, saying:
“We are all still pretty calm, the boy has been doing a little in-house advertising, that’s legitimate.
“As long as he is scoring goals for us, then things are very well.” (more…)
