Match Preview/Thread/Stats: Newcastle v Sunderland
By Tyne-Talk
January 31 2009
Sunderland go to Newcastle tomorrow hoping to build on their midweek win against Fulham and the gap between 13th where they currently sit just 3 points short of the drop zone. Newcastle however hosts the 130th Tyne-Wear league derby with numerous injuries as well as contending with the ever present threat of a relegation battle.
With just 3 points and 4 places separating the two sides, tomorrows match couldn't be more important.
Joe Kinnear will be keeping his fingers crossed that new signing Kevin Nolan will be available to bolster the midfield, however he may have wait before debuting the former Bolton player as the transfer is yet to be fully completed. He will also struggle to find strikers fit enough to play 90minutes.
Andy Carroll is likely to start upfront with Jonas Gutierrez after Michael Owen was ruled out for at least 6 weeks against Manchester City in midweek with an ankle injury. Barton will also be unavailable after picking up a metatarsal injury he too will be out for a minimum of 6 weeks and Steve Harper will replaced Shay Given in goal.
Kinnear has the following injury problems;
Shay Given | Knee (apparently) | Unlikely to play |
Claudio Cacapa | Knee | Returned to training this week |
Mark Viduka | Groin | Returned to training this week |
Obafemi Martins | Hernia | Unlikely to play |
Danny Guthrie | Hamstring | Remains a doubt |
Habib Beye | Knee | Unavailable |
Shola Ameobi | Ankle | May feature at some point |
Ignacio Gonzalez | Achilles | Unavailable |
Tamas Kadar | Broken Leg | Unavailable |
Michael Owen | Ankle | Unavailable |
Joey Barton | Metatarsal | Unavailable |
Alan Smith | Ankle | May feature at some point |
Kinnear will also be without Charles N'Zogbia as he is in the process of offloading the Frenchman to Wigan.
Newcastle have won none of their last 6 games, and have drawn just 1, whilst Sunderland have won 2 and drawn 2.
Sunderland will be without defender Paul McShane who has a hamstring injury and midfielder Teemu Tainio is also a doubt after picking up a knee injury midweek.
Kieron Richardson is ready to return after recovering from an ankle injury and George McCarthy is likely to feature.
Newcastle United | Sunderland | |
23 | Played | 23 |
23 | Points | 26 |
5 | Won | 7 |
8 | Drawn | 5 |
10 | Lost | 11 |
29 | Goals Scored | 24 |
39 | Goals Conceded | 32 |
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Fulham 3-1 Portsmouth
Hull 2-2 West Brom
Middlesbrough 0-0 Blackburn
Stoke 1-0 Man City
Could have done with these 5 games all ending in draws but we're not that lucky, though at least still out of the bottom 3. We must win tomorrow to take us up to 13th and then beat West Brom next weekend too, with Man United, Arsenal and Chelsea all coming to St James' in the next 8 games we really need wins in the next 4 fixtures which is definitely possible.
Think we should play a 4-2-3-1 tomorrow
Taylor Colo Bassong Enrique
Geremi Butt
Jonas Nolan Lovenkrands
Carroll
Mention that the paperwork isnt quite complete
I'm hoping for a win, 1-0 to us.
C'mon th Toon.

No Pace
No Heart
No Skill

But Jonas up top? He'll run his socks off but the boy can barely finish his lunch. If Nolan is available we should play with one striker and our new boy just behind him.
Harper
Taylor Colo Bassong Enrique
Jonas Butt Duff Lovenkrandts
Nolan
Carroll
or something like that, or maybe 4-3-3.
And what's this I'm reading about Guthrie having a hamstring injury that may keep him out for the rest of the season?
In any event, HOWAY THE LADS!!
if bassong can keep cisse quiet were in hope


Harper
Taylor Colochini Bassong Enrique
Jonas Butt Nolan Lovehandles
Caroll Duff

I pray the Lord my soul to keep
If I should die before I wake
I pray the toon, three points to take

Taylor - Coloccini - Bassong - Enrique
Jonas - Butt - Nolan - Duff
Carrol - Lovenkrands
SUBS:
Forster
Tozer
Geremi
LuaLua
Ranger
Smith
Edgar



Newcastle: Harper, Taylor, Bassong, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Gutierrez, Butt, Nolan, Duff, Carroll, Ameobi.Subs: Krul, Xisco, Geremi, Lovenkrands, Edgar, LuaLua, Donaldson.
Sunderland: Fulop, Bardsley, Ferdinand, Collins, McCartney, Edwards, Whitehead, Richardson, Malbranque, Cisse, Jones. Subs: Colgan, Murphy, Chopra, Leadbitter, Yorke, Reid, Healy.
Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire)
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we lost as long as we got ameobi on the pitch ...some of the chances we had through him .. he is sooooooooooo slow .... how old is he 40 .
long ball ater long ball ....... bring on loveonkrands for ameobi ...or we lost this .

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Our passing and crossing was DISGRACEFUL!

If only Enrique and Jonas could start finding that killer ball they could be two of the most dangerous left sided players in the prem..
Quote:Couldn't agree more. Enrique and Jonas need to learn when and how to pass!OnTheLevee
Not a bad performance.. But we really need to start getting more than a draw with these performances.. We need to start winning games especially at home.. Lets be honest we will get relegated if we can't win these games..
If only Enrique and Jonas could start finding that killer ball they could be two of the most dangerous left sided players in the prem..
Bassong looked strong and the full backs worked hard. But Shola "barn door" ameobi was useless.
Hopefully Lovenkrandts will start soon and give us some much needed pace.
Nolan had a solid debut..cleared off the line in the first half..Ryan Taylor hopefully to sign today to tomorrow.
Then we still need a striker and another midfielder.
Harper ok did fine
Taylor Very good, outshone duff and defended well.
Colochini Very good.
Bassong Very Good
Enrique Very Good, should have more confidence and shoot
Duff Disgrace to the shirt, please get rid.
Butt Not the worst but past it.
Nolan Very very average, but early days
Jonas Ran socks off, but headless chicken most of the time.
Carrol Worked hard but shouldnt be near the first team yet.
Ameobi Disgrace to the shirt, I will get very drunk and dance like a fairy the day Newcastle is rid of this player.

Quote:Jonas Ran socks off, but headless chicken most of the time.
Are you for real???


Your point is what exactly?

jonas headless chickejn most of the time?...... he was easilly the best tackler (probably even more then the defenders at times) and he was also the one that ran at the defence of sunderland at every opportunity and never gave them a moment of piece...
duff disgrace ? ....i know he wasnt as effective as usual ...but his workrate is also praise worthy and also his loyalty . he works hard then most ( unlike enrique who loses his man and the ball ends uop in the back of our net)
bassong is something special .... and not long b4 arsrnal or somebody will notice him.
Overall we have a really@#$%&team with a few potentially decent players. Note the word potential.
I love Martins like a lot of fans, but the scorer of great goals and not a great goal scorer is a very true statement.
More importantly with jonas and duff. What have they done. Like Dyer, but to a lesser extent, they run and run and run and run but virtually never ever ever produce a killer ball. This is one of the reasons we are 1 POINT OFF RELEGATION.
How many times do they run into the corner area and play triangular passes with team mates before NOT managing to cross the ball or at best hitting the first man.
This is not a conspiracy, they are just not good enough, at present. Duff is finished where as Jonas is one of those players who needs to be brought on and learn to pass. Dont think he will learn that at Newcastle.
Just wish people would get real. We're@#$%&and we're sick of it.

If this makes him a headless chicken then we better start cutting cause I'd like a few more.


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A goal would be nice too.

First season in the epl is hard enough without the added pressure of playing in our ramshackle side this year.
Overall tho I think he has been a positive in the side.

Having 2 Taylor's could prove a bit confusing.
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total liability. if he could cut the nonsense he'd do well, bit the fact is he's nailed on to have a rush of blood every week.
colo, should have put the ball out once or twice when he chose to shepperd the forward instead...only to be brushed aside at the crucial moment. luckily for him the sunlun forwards messed up a few chances he gifted them.
jonas, fantastic, he held the ball, ran with it, all effort and heart, but did he hurt them? all his best work was too far wide, or too deep. no-one came short to help, and it was clear he couldnt cross with his left. maybe one of the strikers could have come short once or twice instead of going behind 6 defenders to the far post...
got to mention enrique, particularly when things werent going well in the first half he showed great technique to halt attacks and get us going forward. one swallow may not make a summer, but maybe we saw what he is all about. close control, sharp passing and good vision on the ball, hard to beat in defence. we still need a left back, but maybe he'll take something from today into future games.
we didnt lose. shamefully, thats enough today
Jonas made many good tackles but his passes and crosses like most of the team were @#$%& DISGRACEFUL.
As for Duff, he's rightly named.
I was ashamed of Taylor, draw or no draw, I don't want to see such blatant diving from our team.

Its so easy isnt it. Good ball out to the winger, good first time cross and a good header. Lovely.
Got to put a little mention in as well for Lovehandles who I thought livened us up when he came on.

if we had the makems front pairing we would be scoring goals for fun
we need oba, owen, viduka on the pitch at the same time for atleast 5 games
is that too hard to ask for

Would normally agree but in derby games players with local roots i expect them to do whatever it takes and its not like Taylor is know for going down easily so i think its fair to say he let the game get to him a bit as his performance showed
Anyway, rather it was Tayls winninging a penalty than K JONES.


