Match preview by Ramone, click here to go the our match discussion thread
With more than half the season behind us, Newcastle sit exactly where we were when I last wrote a match-day thread; 8th. 1 point behind soon-to-be former champions Manchester United but 5 points ahead of our nearest rivals Southampton. The dreams of a push for Champions League football are all but dead and even competing for the Europa League spots seems unlikely at this point.
Like almost everything else this season, the January transfer window seems to have completely passed us by. Fans and pundits alike were convinced that signings were going to be made in order to remain competitive but yet again Mike Ashley and his band of merry men have defied all expectations.
A solid move for French midfielder Rémy Cabella seems to have been pushed back until Summer and the best we can hope for in terms of a new striker arriving is the loan signing of the, as yet, unconvincing Luuk De Jong. In even more depressing news, PSG have made another bid for Yohan Cabaye, who has played out of his skin at times this season, and by all reports this time it has been accepted and he’ll be leaving the club this week.
Team News
Debuchy is back from suspension and will likely return to the starting line-up, forcing Pardew to decide whether Yanga-Mbiwa gets to play at centre-back or drops to the bench. Cissé, who has been linked with a transfer away this month, is out of contention owing to a back injury, leading to Adam Armstrong being included in the match-day squad. Local press report that Gouffran is a doubt.
Coloccini still has a couple of weeks before he’s expected to return, and Ryan Taylor is a long-term absentee. Bigirimana, who has been absent from the first team scene for most of the season anyway, is out until late February with an ankle injury. Cabaye will be concluding his transfer, so won’t be included. Continue reading