Newcastle United's dugout last Saturday.After a gutsy win over Everton this weekend I picked myself up from the floor after a nervous last 20 minutes or so and began to wonder, “Did the performance display Newcastle United’s squad depth and quality, or did it highlight our lack of it?”
Let me explain. Most so called “pundits” have attributed the main factor of our success to the ability to put out the same team each week without injuries, now with Gabriel Obertan, Yohan Cabaye and Sylvain Marveaux picking up little injury niggles as highlighted in a previous blog, I think a few fans are beginning to wonder how this will affect the team in the coming weeks against the big boys of the Premier League.
In the first 35 minutes or so at St James Park we dominated Everton in my opinion. They had a couple of chances with Seamus Coleman and Louis Saha but no real sustained pressure. Then the injuries began to appear. Cheik Tiote, having already been sidelined previously, was then joined by our midfield maestro, Cabaye. For me that turned the game on its head, something that Pardew agreed with. The lads that were brought on to plug the gaps so to speak (Dan Gosling, Hatem Ben Arfa etc) did the job and brought the 3 points home. However I can’t decide if it was a quality defensive display, or just Newcastle struggling with our 2nd string. (more…)
One game at a timeNewcastle United manager Alan Pardew keeps ambitions in check ahead of our game against Everton on the weekend.
What exactly is a ‘potential banana skin’? I ask because my local shopkeeper and I were having our daily discussion about life, the universe and everything and he left me with the comment “Everton are a potential banana skin”. Which got me to wondering if a ‘potential banana skin’ is actually just a banana.
Anyway, we’re playing this banana on the weekend and I’m pleased to see that Alan Pardew is keeping a sharp perspective on things. Pardew said:
“We have had a great start and have shown a lot of sides to us as a team. But we look no further than that.
“We are coming up against a very good established Premier League side in Everton, with a great manager and good players, and you have to respect every team in this division. And that is what we will do for the next game.(more…)
Sticky Toffee time?Following on from last week’s facts on Blackpool I have decided to take a slightly different approach to this week’s preview of the trip to Goodison Park.
I am now going to try to incorporate more facts relating to this history between the two clubs as well as facts which relate to the big game along with the trivial facts of The Toffee’s to cast your eyes over. I hope you enjoy!
1. The record between the two clubs over the years is incredibly close. Out of 158 games, United have won 62 and Everton have won.. 62, with the the clubs drawing 34 times. The two clubs are even neck and neck for goals scored with United just edging it with 239 compared to 238 for The Toffees.
2. The bad news for United fans travelling down to Goodison Park however is that United have managed just five wins from the last 16 league visits to Merseyside in the Premier League, failing to win in the last 7 trips. United’s last win came in the 2001/02 season with messers Bellamy, Solano and Acuna netting the goals in a 3-1 win. Take some comfort from the fact United battled to a 2-2 in their last visit to Goodison Park in Joe Kinnears first game in the Newcastle hot seat. (more…)
