Newcastle entertain the Arse on SaturdayNewcastle United take on Arsenal in our first home game since the Andy Carroll departure and it’s up to Alan Pardew to come up with a solution to our striking problems.
Newcastle are in fact the highest scoring team outside the top 4 – although Carroll accounted for 11 of our 36 goals – and we’re going to need to rediscover our scoring form if we intend to finish the season with a flourish. Arsenal are going to provide tough opposition and we really can’t allow them to settle and gain control of the game.
Chiek Tiote will be available for selection after serving a three match ban but we have Ameobi, Ben Arfa, Gosling, Ireland, Smith, Raylor and Saylor on the injury list. I suspect Tiote will come straight in for Guthrie and I would guess we’ll start with Best and either Ranger or Lovenkrands up front. (more…)
That FrenchmanAlthough the transfer window is shut, Alan Pardew could still engage the services of a free agent to bolster Newcastle United’s striking options.
There are those who would suggest that Ashley demonstrated his inexperience by letting Andy Carroll go without having a replacement lined up.
After all, Liverpool didn’t let Torres go until they were sure they had Suarez and Carroll to replace him.
There may be something in such accusations but there’s also no accounting for dumb luck. What are the odds that, 15 minutes of football after letting your number one striker go, your number two striker will pick up an injury that will sideline him for 4-6 weeks?
The rumour-mill has already started churning out options as to how the money we got for Carroll will be spent with the Brazilian Hulk leading the way. I’m pretty sure there’ll be plenty more rumours to join that one before the summer’s over. (more…)
Toon Duffed upNewcastle United are sunk by a Damien Duff goal and go down 1-0 at Craven Cottage.
If there’s one thing you don’t want to see happen after you’ve just sold your number one striker and not lined up a replacement, it’s to see your number two striker get injured. Unfortunately that’s exactly what happened to Newcastle as a 14th minute collision with Steve Sidwell saw Shola Ameobi leave the pitch with a fractured cheekbone.
There were few other notable events in the first half, although Williamson was lucky not to concede a penalty after some of his wrestling matches with Fulham players in the area.
Clint Dempsey smashed a shot over the bar and Nile Ranger, coming on for the injured Ameobi, made himself busy enough in the penalty area on the end of a Barton free kick to force a corner, but that was the sum total of first half excitement. It’s halves like that where they should really release a leopard onto the pitch from time to time to liven things up.
Fortunately things improved in the second half when Steve Harper was called into action early on to make a great save against Dempsey and Leon Best had an early chance at the other end, heading over the bar from a few yards out. (more…)
Away at Fulham the neetAs the dust seems to be doing anything but settling over the Andy Carroll sale, we now have to get back to the troublesome business of winning football matches as Newcastle United face a challenging away trip to Craven Cottage this evening.
Fulham are on the back of an impressive 4-0 thumping of Spurs in the FA Cup, so their confidence will be high and we’ll have to be on our toes to counter the direct brand of football Mark Hughes peddles at Fulham.
We’ll be without Tiote, who is suffering the last of his 3 match ban, and Ben Arfa, Gosling, Smith, Raylor and Saylor are still out with injury. As too is new loan signing Stephen Ireland who has a hamstring injury.
Speaking ahead of the game, Pardew said (initially referring to life without Andy Carroll or any replacement striker for him):
“That doesn’t feel good and it’s a difficult day because I have to prepare the team for Fulham.
“And if you think I feel like that, then the players feel the same and of course the fans do too.(more…)
Do I care what Shearer says?Derek Llambias engages in a war of words with Alan Shearer.
Alan Shearer has been critical of Newcastle United’s sale of Andy Carroll to Liverpool, particularly following assurances that he wouldn’t be sold and given that no replacement was made in the transfer window. Shearer said:
“I’m staggered just like the rest of Newcastle fans. I am surprised at how quickly it came along and it’s an astonishing amount for a young guy with huge potential.
“It’s all right selling your best player, but not getting anyone in to replace him is staggering.
“People are saying that Liverpool have sold Torres, but they have got two guys in for over £50million to replace him. I just hope Newcastle invest some of the £35million in new players at the end of the season.
“I am disappointed as he is Newcastle’s best player and their best hope of being successful this season and getting a Europe League place.
“They would have just been happy to avoid relegation at the start of the season but, mainly because of him, they had a chance of a Europa spot.” (more…)
