Click here to go to the discussion thread by Cisse’s Overheating Torso

Can this beleaguered Newcastle playing staff do it on a wet, windy Tuesday night in Stoke? We can’t say. What we will soon be able to speak to, is can they do it on a cool, cloudy Monday night in Stoke.

Since returning to the top flight, Newcastle’s have lost 3 games at the Britannia. Last season a decidedly dull and lifeless performance allowed Stoke to coast to a victory. A solitary deflected Erik Pieters goal always looked enough for the Potters, safe in the knowledge that Pardew’s men yet again posed an almost undetectable goal threat.

However, Halloween 2011 is often quoted as one of Pardew’s best away performances as Newcastle boss; an efficient attacking performance with a clear tactical plan resulted in an impressive 1-3 victory. This game is also noticeable for the positive analysis of Gary Neville, forcing many Newcastle fans into the peculiar position of begrudgingly heaping praise on the former Red Devil.

Mark Hughes’ Stoke have had a mixed start to the season, accumulating 5 points. Having finished last season in 9th with 50 points, their highest ever tally, expectations have been raised. Adapting a less direct style than under predecessor Tony Pulis, Mark Hughes’ summer dealings were a mixture of steely experience or exciting pacey and skilful players.

Eyebrows were raised at former Barca prodigy Bojan coming to the Potteries, but so far Mame Diouf has made the biggest impact. Diouf’s seventy yard run and cool finish sealed a victory away at Manchester City, by far the best result of Stoke’s fledgling season. However, this has been balanced by disappointing home defeats to Leicester and Villa.

With Stoke’s defensive solidity and pace in attack, they go into this feature as clear favourites. Under pressure Newcastle have been troubled by pace when defending, which Stoke would aim to take advantage of. The possibility of Cissé returning to our starting line up or a Rivière with increased confidence can only be utilised if our lone striker is less isolated. Noticeable this season is the gap between our creative, attacking midfielders and a hapless front man. First game of the season aside, Newcastle’s defending has been pretty shocking. Continue reading →

Click here to go to the discussion thread by Cal

Three weeks on from the 3-3 thriller (perhaps thriller isn’t the word, but it sounded nice) we again face Crystal Palace, albeit this time at Selhurst Park and in the League Cup for an 8PM kick-off that must be settled on the night. Newcastle defeated the mighty Gillingham to get to this stage, with Palace winning against Walsall.

Since the two sides last met, Newcastle have put in an utterly disgraceful performance away to Southampton, mirroring the 0-4 defeat of last season, followed by Cissé somewhat saving our sorrows by snatching a whole point from Hull at home. Palace, meanwhile, played a scoreless draw against Burnley and then won in impressive fashion against Everton, the scoreline reading 3-2.

Newcastle’s terrible start to the season, which sees them firmly rooted to the bottom of the table, has been accompanied by a number of players underperforming. Since the Hull game, Pardew has had a few words to say about some specific members of his squad, who will presumably be played in the cup in the hope of them finding their form:

“I was really pleased with Cabella. He’s such an important player for us with Siem de Jong out, and I don’t think up until now he has really produced a performance which warrants his tag, the money we have spent. But I really felt he showed the character, he showed the quality that really buoyed me, if I am honest, that has buoyed me a little bit going into the next game.”

“I feel some sympathy for Manu because he has had to carry the shirt and he’s not ready to carry that shirt yet full-time. It’s a shirt that is heavy and I think he has seen an example from Papiss to take that chance to make that little movement in the box. Manu will learn from that, and it gives me the opportunity with Papiss coming back to fitness to rest Manu and for him to understand what it is to play at a big club like this. He’s only 24, Rivière, and really and truly, we have had too much responsibility on him.”

“Sammy is a player who has unbelievable talent and we have been waiting and waiting for him to deliver something on the football pitch. I warned him last week that I am running out of time with him and he is running out of chances. Against Hull, he came on and changes the game a little bit, running up the pitch and taking players on. That is what we want from him but then he concedes a free-kick and we could lose the game. These are the things you have to learn even in a pressure situation like Saturday.”

Continue reading →

Click here to go to the discussion thread by TJR

Newcastle head into this game on the back of a 4-0 defeat to Southampton last Saturday, while Hull come into it having drew 2-2 with West Ham on Monday night. The scoreline flattered a shambolic Newcastle United side on the south coast, it quite easily could have and perhaps should have been a 6 or 7 nil defeat.

Still though, a 4-0 defeat was enough to firmly place Newcastle United at the bottom of the Premier League table with just 2 points from 4 games. Our visitors this weekend sit in 10th place with 5 points from 4 games.

While it is wrong to take the league table seriously until at least 10 games have been played, but there is no doubt that our poor start to the season is cause for concern especially when you consider how we ended last season. Winning only 5 games since the turn of the year is far from acceptable and this has rightly resulted in a lot of discontent from the fanbase. At most other clubs such a horrifically bad record will have seen the manager depart. Continue reading →