A bad season at the office for Owen Coyle so far.Venue: Reebok Stadium, Bolton. Date: Monday 26th Dec, 2011. Kick-off: 3.00pm. Referee: Peter Walton.
Dear readers, for any of you who were expecting some kind of “normal” match preview for this Boxing Day away game against Bolton, I am writing this after a fairly messy Christmas Eve Party followed by two nights of very little sleep (none at all last night) and a couple of days full of Champagne overconsumption, hence an in depth analysis of the Trotters’ own kind of “Champagne” football isn’t really on my agenda at the moment. However you may get a bit of team news, a bit of history between the two sides and some opiniated waffle this time if you’re lucky.
Stats, previous matches etc…
The two sides come into this game with Newcastle United standing at seventh in the Premiership, with Bolton standing at second bottom. However the two sides do have roughly similar records as Newcastle’s terrific start to this season has somewhat inevitably crumbled into ashes. (more…)
Pardew: Problems at the rear.Venue: St James’ Park, Newcastle. Date: Saturday 17th Dec, 2011. Kick-off: 3.00pm. Referee: Lee Mason.
With the Magpies still lickng their wounds after a 4-2 mauling by some powerful Canaries, they return to their nest at St James’ Park to face another bird attack, this time from the Swans of Swansea.
In case you were wondering about the title, Newcastle United are not the only team to have a very promising flying Dutchman between the sticks. Tim Krul’s biggest competitor for the Netherland’s substitute goalkeeper slot (behind Roma’s Maarten Stekelenburg) is Swansea’s £1.5 million bargain buy from Utrecht, Michel Vorm. Like his Dutch compatriot, Vorm has also played a significant role in his team’s good start to the Premiership season. The unfancied Swans have certainly been no ugly ducklings in a fairly respectable 11th place, which is quite an achievement for a team on their budget and in their first season after promotion. However, as in our previous game against those other Premiership underdogs, Norwich City, it will be other areas of Pardew’s back end where attention will be focused, but more on that in the team news… (more…)
It's three fingers Mike.Venue: St James’ Park, Newcastle. Date: Saturday 3rd Dec, 2011. Kick-off: 12.45pm. Referee: Mike Dean.
Newcastle made just one change to the side that drew 1-1 at Old Trafford last weekend, with the suspended Jonas Gutierrez replaced by Peter Lovenkrands. For the 13th time this season, Newcastle United were able to field the same defence that has conceded the joint lowest total of goals so far in the Premier League (12).
Frank Lampard returned to the Chelsea midfield, in place of Raul Meireles, who dropped to the bench. This was the Blues only change, with striker Fernando Torres again having to settle for a place on the bench. Danger man Sturridge was chosen to play wide right with Drogba and Mata completing the front three.
The players took to the field in front of a full house at SJP and joined in with the crowd of 52,305 for a rousing minute of applause for Gary Speed. Newcastle coach John Carver was clearly upset as he had worked with Gary as recently as last season when they were at Sheffield United together. Incidentally Speed scored his first goal for Newcastle in this corresponding fixture in 1998 which ended in a 3-1 defeat of Chelsea. (more…)
Chelski: The last of our terrible trio of fixtures.Venue: St James’ Park, Newcastle. Date: Saturday 3rd Dec, 2011. Kick-off: 12.45pm. Referee: Mike Dean.
Newcastle United will be looking to maintain their fine home form (undefeated in ten games) and increase the pressure on Chelsea’s beleaguered manager, André Villas-Boas in the 12.45 kick off at St James Park, Newcastle on Saturday.
NUFC report that the game is sold out so a capacity crowd will be able to watch an intriguing match up between the fourth and fifth placed teams both of whom have injured DM’s missing from their respective sides.
Cheick Tiote, who has been linked with a move to Chelsea in recent months, will definitely miss the game adding to concerns by some fans that he’s been left out deliberately in order to avoid further injury in the run up to January’s transfer window.
Worryingly, manager Alan Pardew said:
“I am not going to say he will be fit for next week. We must make sure he is right because he is a very important player to us.(more…)
De Jong just making absolutely sure he maims Ben ArfaVenue: City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester. Date: Sat 19th November, 2011. Kick-off: 3.00pm. Referee: Chris Foy (Linesmen: D Bryan & D.C.Richards).
Don’t forget that as usual, we will also be doing our usual “what the managers have been saying” review in the run up to the game, and also our regular “match banter” feature where you can make comments, share good streams for the game etc while the match is in progress. This should be going up around and hour before the kick off. Also as usual, we shall also be posting our report of the game some time after.
Well, it’s all gone quite swimmingly for Newcastle United so far, even against contenders such as Arsenal and Tottenham where we departed with honourable draws. However, the next three games (Man City, Man United and Chelsea) could well be reality check time, starting with this one away against table-topping, moneybags Manchester City.
