Newcastle United (a) pre-match thread

[Blu1]

Not looking forward to this if I’m honest.

would anybody be surprised if we dropped points the way we are playing ? I wouldn’t. :-(

 

[St.Pauli support]

Ref: Kavanagh
VAR: Marriner

(For Burnley away on Tuesday: Moss / Scott)

 

[Len Rum]

Rodri and Gundogan in midfield again.

U wot????

 

[bluevalley]

We need to give Sterling a rest for this one. His body might be OK but his mind is not there anymore. We will need him fresh for the big three December games.

 

[argyle]

U wot????

...as in sadly, expect them to be in midfield again.

 

[domalino]

Yeah, you may well be right. Think he’s invested a fair bit of time on the training pitch getting Fernandinho to play as a centre-half which makes sense, given his age, and can’t see him reverting for a short-term fix. Shame though, as he’s still comfortably our best holding midfielder. Pity we can’t clone him.

When Laporte got injured Fern said he had exclusively been training at CB since he got back from the copa america.

It was definitely a planned move and not a reaction to the injury, Fern was Vinnys replacement at CB.

 

[AliBobbyJ]

Not looking forward to this if I’m honest.

would anybody be surprised if we dropped points the way we are playing ? I wouldn’t. :-(

Yes.
They just got beat by Aston bloody Villa.
A Steve Bruce side vs a Guardiola side.
City by three.

 

[paulchapo]

I am already having nightmares about that lightning fast forward of theirs running at our slow midfield and defence. He makes Traore look slow.

 

[Blue Elvis]

I can see this one being a banana skin Ric. They will park the bus and try to hit us on the break and given how we've been playing they are likely to get a goal. Our opponents look like scoring with nearly every attack! It's not an easy place to play if they get the crowd behind them and the best thing to do is get an early goal to finish them off. The longer it's 0-0 the more they'll fancy it.

For me, it starts at the back. We can't keep conceeding goals when the opposition has 1 attack and scores, it's almost comical!! I wouldn't play Otamendi again myself, but if a centre half pairing of Otamendi and Stones can't keep a clean sheet at Newcastle, they probably need to go. Since Vinnie left, we needed a leader at the back and these two have gone AWOL big style. Both have big mistakes lined up in them this season. Garcia has looked good enough when I've seen him and let's be honest, he can't be any worse and if he his, he realistically has no future at the club! Ultimately, If we don't make defensive signings in January we're not going to win anything this season. I have been shocked at how our defence has completely crumbled like it has - it needs rebuilding and I'd not be unhappy to see the lot go.

I just think we need to keep it simple. Get Fernandinho where he belongs in central midfield and play an attacking, pressing, aggressive style like last year. We need fresh legs in midfield so get Foden, Fernandinho, KdB and Bernardo/Mahrez playing and give Silva a rest. He should be an impact man, not a starter although he is a legend, pure legend.

If we do that, we'll win but they way we've been playing this has got 1-1 or 1-2 all over it.

We got an early goal in the first minute and still contrived to lose the game last season !!

No idea which Pep team is going to turn up for games this season so anything is possible!

Really poor team performance tonight after a largely poor game v Chelsea. We look bereft of ideas and Plan A isn’t working!

Think we need to start managing expectations for this season as Peps assurance that the best is yet to come looks way out.

Too many players look a shadow of what they were last season.
CTID

 

[lmhblue1]

We need to give Sterling a rest for this one. His body might be OK but his mind is not there anymore. We will need him fresh for the big three December games.

He's one yellow away from a suspension. Needs to get it this weekend so he'll be in the clear for United, Arsenal, Leicester, etc.