[Archived] Newcastle v Rovers

[AggyBlue]

my debut at this ground, very excited i tell thee! what's the atmosphere like? How many will we take it being a wednesday?

good night out as well i hear...

I'd advise taking the lift in the ground, ask a steward, it's the 8th floor.

[Majiball]

I hope they take a pounding today against the Gooners.

I wonder what approach we will take against Newcastle as 3 more on the board and we pull away from the drop zone nicely.

[SouthAussieRover]

Sorry to be pedantic but - Arentoft and McNammee were signed from Newcastle but Kit Napier was signed fron Brighton. He had played for Newcastle but only 8 games back in 1966. The game in which Graham Fenton scored two goals was at Ewood.

Did those two goals and our win help ensure Newcastle definitely couldn't win the Premiership?

[brian_gallagher85]

my debut at this ground, very excited i tell thee! what's the atmosphere like? How many will we take it being a wednesday?

good night out as well i hear...

Mine too, can't wait it's been too long since my last away game....which was Inces first match in charge. If it's half as good as that one I'll be happy

[emerton]

looking forward to this one & a night out in the toon afterwards!

the strength of samba & nelsen could work well for us against ameobi & carroll...

my hunch says 1-1 but theres no reason we can't get all 3 if the lads are up to it

[den]

Our chances here clearly lie with our ability to deny Carroll service from out wide. Stop Newcastle getting crosses in from wide areas. Easier said than done.

[MarkBRFC71]

This one could go either way.

Will also be interesting to see how each team has progressed. One team back on the up after the debacle of the Souness/Allardyce/Shearer (plenty of Rovers connections there!) stewardships, the other stagnated after some small signs of promise under the same but somewhat rehabilitated manager. Both have had nothing to spend, so have to make do with what they've got. Rovers have the stronger squad imo, but only just, however Hughton has done a better job of getting his team to perform 'greater than the sum of it's parts' than BFS based on this season's results.

Will Sam have Rovers fired up to prove a personal point? No doubt he's in for dog's abuse at St. James's.

On the fence ..... 1-1.

[John]

Newcastle actually have a decent/solid set of players.

Having had a quick look at their squad - Jose Enrique (natural left back), Barton, Tiote, Nolan, Alan Smith, Gutierrez (maybe), Carroll, Ameobi would either come very close or would probably get into our team currently.

Looking at their defence, I am not that familar with Williamson though and presumably Danny Simpson is not playing as shyte as he did for us!

[Amo]

We need to bring someone else into midfield who can show some quality, especially for these tricky away games. That means dropping Pedersen, who has looked crap for weeks on end and is NOT a centre-midfielder. However, Sam was singing his praises yesterday, so there's more chance of peace on earth.

Sam/Topman compromise:

Robinson

Salgado - Samba - Nelsen - Givet

Emerton - Jones - Goulon

E. Diouf - Olsson

Roberts

I'd actually fancy going 4-4-2 for this game. Our away form has been so bad that we need to do something, whether that means throwing an extra man up front maybe? With Roberts making a nuisance of himself, could Kalinic finally get some change?

Robinson

Salgado - Samba - Nelsen - Givet

E. Diouf - Jones - Goulon - Olsson

Roberts - Kalinic

[philipl]

This lot are unpredictable to say the least- results against Prem opposition so far are:

Man U 3 NU 0

NU 6 Villa 0

Wolves 1 NU 1

NU 0 Blackpool 2

Everton 0 NU 1

Chelsea 3 NU 4

NU 1 Stoke 2

Man City 2 NU 1

NU 2 Wigan 2 (last gap equaliser for NU if I remember right)

W Ham 1 NU 2

NU 0 Arsenal 4

NU 5 Sunderland 1

Arsenal 0 NU 1

So let's just be glad we are playing them at their place and learn from the mistakes of Villa and Sunderland!

[Steve Moss]

If we shut down Carroll, we shut down Newcastle.

Robinson

Salgado - Samba - Nelsen - Givet

Emerton - Jones - E. Diouf

Kalinic - Roberts - M. Diouf

[Majiball]

Our chances here clearly lie with our ability to deny Carroll service from out wide. Stop Newcastle getting crosses in from wide areas. Easier said than done.

Samba

[brian_gallagher85]

If we shut down Carroll, we shut down Newcastle.

Just so long as we don't leave Nolan in oceans!

[joey_big_nose]

We need to bring someone else into midfield who can show some quality, especially for these tricky away games. That means dropping Pedersen, who has looked crap for weeks on end and is NOT a centre-midfielder. However, Sam was singing his praises yesterday, so there's more chance of peace on earth.

Sam/Topman compromise:

Robinson

Salgado - Samba - Nelsen - Givet

Emerton - Jones - Goulon

E. Diouf - Olsson

Roberts

I'd actually fancy going 4-4-2 for this game. Our away form has been so bad that we need to do something, whether that means throwing an extra man up front maybe? With Roberts making a nuisance of himself, could Kalinic finally get some change?

Robinson

Salgado - Samba - Nelsen - Givet

E. Diouf - Jones - Goulon - Olsson

Roberts - Kalinic

I would say Pedersen actually had a decent game yesterday, especially with his set pieces. Certainly better than most ofour team so he will stay I think. Probably means he will go back to being absolutely terrible.

I agree that 442 needs a go, and Goulon needs - if he is fit - to get a run out but I can't see him as anything other than sub.

To be honest I would say it is pretty much stuck on that we will start the same team as the Wigan game if there have been no injuries. If Sam wanted to do 442 or make major changes in personnel he would have done it when we were at home.

[JAL]

Can somebody post the most likely Newcastle team just to compare.

[Majiball]

Newcastle

* 26 Krul

* 02 Coloccini

* 03 Jose Enrique

* 06 Williamson

* 12 Simpson

* 04 Nolan

* 07 Barton

* 18 Gutierrez

* 24 Tiote

* 09 Carroll

* 23 Ameobi

[tony gale's mic]

A point here would be a good result.

[JAL]

Newcastle

* 26 Krul

* 02 Coloccini

* 03 Jose Enrique

* 06 Williamson

* 12 Simpson

* 04 Nolan

* 07 Barton

* 18 Gutierrez

* 24 Tiote

* 09 Carroll

* 23 Ameobi

Oh dear, its upto the expert now to get a result they look stronger than us.

[Hughesy]

Defence has to be the weakest part of their side looking at that line-up.

We need to just go for them.

Prediction from me....4-0 Newcastle, got a bad feeling about this one

[Steve Moss]

Defence has to be the weakest part of their side looking at that line-up.

We need to just go for them.

Prediction from me....4-0 Newcastle, got a bad feeling about this one

Be confident. We can pull our hair at the half, if we must.

I think Sam will be extra-motivated for a point or three, as will the squad. They need to make up for lost time and this is one of the matches that they can do it in.

And I agree, an attacking formation is the way to go.

[Tom]

A Comfortable defeat followed by another at weekend for me.

My only hope is that this season is a funny one and every team seems to be picking up shock results, apart from us that is but you never know.

We just dont even seem to challenge most teams away from home though so I imagine Newcastle will win without having to break a sweat.

[Iceman]

Newcastle 0-2 Rovers. Dunn and Emerton with the goals. Got to get at their defence, with Simpson the obvious weak link. E Diouf will have to get at him, and i believe we can win this game. A draw wouldnt be a bad result either.

[Bobby G]

Chance to beat them cause they will be up in the clouds. If any single fixture would give me joy in winning, its this one.

[trueblue]

I think we will find Carroll and co too much of a hand-full... 3-0 Barcodes

[joey_big_nose]

Newcastle 0-2 Rovers. Dunn and Emerton with the goals. Got to get at their defence, with Simpson the obvious weak link. E Diouf will have to get at him, and i believe we can win this game. A draw wouldnt be a bad result either.

Apparently Simpson has been excellent for toon recently. For me he always looked liked he had ability, he was just too young to be thrown in the way Ince did with him.

The strength of Newcastle is the central pair of Barton and Nolan who have a really excellent partnership going. We are going to find it very difficult to deal with them, and of course with Caroll.