Brighton's Amex Stadium.
Date: 28th January 2012
Kick Off: 5.15pm
Referee: Lee Probert
It’s the 4th Round of the FA Cup and we’re still in it! Added to that some notable teams such as Manchester City have already left the competition, and the so-called “big boys” keep getting drawn against each other for a change which can’t be bad. Could this be our year? I would love it, just love it if we went all the way (and beat Tottenham in the final, but that’s just a personal wish…). At least six Premier League sides will go out in this round so there’s everything to play for!
But first there’s the small matter of facing a rather good Brighton and Hove Albion for a place in the last 16 at the 22,500 capacity American Express Community Stadium in East Sussex. Brighton needed a replay to knock out non-league club Wrexham, in the last round. They also reached the fifth round for the first time in 25 years last season, and have lost only one of their last 11 home FA Cup matches over six years.
Brighton play a style of football which has been likened to that of Swansea City, technically very good keeping the ball and passing it well. They come into the game on the back of three straight wins in the Championship and can be expected to be confident and present a really stiff challenge for United.
In contrast, Newcastle followed the trouncing of Manchester United 3-0 on January 4th 2012 with a narrow win over Queens Park Rangers, then last weekend’s strange loss 5-2 at Fulham in what was very much a game of two halves. We beat Blackburn Rovers in the last round of course.
Alan Pardew can expect to be given some stick by the Brighton fans as an ex-Crystal Palace player. Palace are seen as Brighton’s main rivals even though the clubs are 40 miles apart. We sold out our initial allocation of 2,500 tickets for the South Stand and yet again, our wonderful management turned down an additional 800 tickets, which therefore went to home fans. Thanks Mr. Ashley.
The game will be shown live on ESPN. As usual, we’ll also try to identify some useful streaming links before the game for those of us who won’t be there or can’t access ESPN. If you know of any good links yourself, bring them along to our regular “match banter” feature, which will be on here from around an hour before kick off. If we still have an interest in the competition, I’m sure we’ll also be keen viewers of ITV at around 3.30pm on Sunday afternoon when the draw for the fifth round will be made.
Brighton Team News
Winger Kazenga LuaLua could be the past player who comes back to haunt us. He has missed the last three weeks with a hamstring injury but will no doubt be desperate to return against us. Fellow winger Craig Noone and midfielder Vicente Rodriguez are others who could return for Gus Poyets side. Noone has been suffering a hamstring problem while Rodriguez hasn’t played since October after pulling a thigh muscle. Full-back Marcos Painter will not play after reinjuring his hamstring against Peterborough on Saturday. Defender Tommy Elphick (Achilles) and midfielder Gary Dicker (broken leg) are still recovering from long-term injuries.
Brighton Likely Squad: Peter Brezovan, Casper Ankergren, Corey Gonzalez, Gordon Greer, Lewis Dunk, Adam El-Abd, Inigo Calderon, Romain Vincelot, Marcos Painter, Mauricio Taricco, Grant Hall, Ben Sampayo, Alan Navarro, Matthew Sparrow, Craig Noone, Rodriguez Vicente, Ryan Harley, Liam Bridcutt, Kazenga LuaLua, Will Buckley, Will Hoskins, Ashley Barnes, Craig Mackail-Smith, Jake Forster-Caskey.
Newcastle United Team News
Strikers Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse are away on African Cup of Nations Duty with Senegal of course, although Senegal’s failure in the competitions means they will be back in soon. Pardew has revealed that pressure is being applied to try to get them back by Tuesday of next week – not in time for this game of course. Steven Taylor, Sylvain Marveaux and Sammy Ameobi are all injured. Captain Fabricio Coloccini is also a major doubt with a groin problem – which gives us a problem for this game and also emphasises the urgent need to sign a decent central defender before the end of the current transfer window.
Newcastle United Likely Squad Tim Krul (G), Rob Elliot (G), Steve Harper (G), Danny Simpson, Ryan Taylor, Davide Santon, Shane Ferguson, James Perch, Fabricio Coloccini, Mike Williamson, Tamas Kadar, Yohan Cabaye, Gabriel Obertan, Hatem Ben Arfa, Jonas Gutierrez, Dan Gosling, Mehdi Abeid, Haris Vuckic, Leon Best, Shola Ameobi, Peter Lovenkrands.
What The Managers Are Saying
Gus Poyet the Brighton Manager has been full of praise for the United manager:
“Alan’s done very well, putting together a great set of players and he deserves credit. They’re a very difficult team to beat.” Then adding:
“It’s a cup game, and you always have a chance, Saying that, in terms of their quality, their performances and the way that they’ve been playing, you would say that Newcastle are favourites. That’s not me trying to put pressure on Newcastle, or trying to play any mind games. That’s just the reality.
“It’s one-off game, and with the atmosphere and the players’ excitement, it’ll be a great game. We will need to be very good and we need to be playing the way we did against Sunderland, because we were very good defensively and going forward. We were decent against Liverpool, and that’s what makes us think that maybe we had a chance. We need to make sure that we are very good on the day.”
For his part, Alan Pardew is quoted as saying:
“For us, it’s a competition we can focus on. We’ve got ourselves in a good position in the league. We’ll be sending a strong team. Brighton are a good team. They play the ball about and move you around. They are good technically, and we will have to be at our best to get the right result.”
Prediction
The signs are not good for United – particularly if Coloccini doesn’t make the starting line-up. With the players we have missing, I actually think Brighton are favourites for this game, and would be happy if we come away with a draw.
NUFCBlog Author: UTD111
"...the number nine is a number that is not a big number, it is a legendary number for this team. I promise that I will do what is required of me, wearing this number."
- Papiss Demba Cisse
UTD111 has written 24 articles on this blog.
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..Why not get a 
Its a massive worry whenever Colo is missing but I still think we’re too strong for them…and we really should be.
Brighton were completely hopeless against Wrexham and did not deserve to go through based on their efforts over the 120 minutes.
They were just lucky it went to pens in the end. Obviously they’ll rais their game against us but realistically hope far can they raise it?
If we lose this match I will be seriously pi55ed. There’s no excuse, not even losing our captain for the day.
(How far can they raise it even)
This team should batter Brighton imo:
Krul
Simmo-Willo-Perch-Santon
Raylor-Guthrie-Cabaye-Jonas
Ben Arfa
Best
WOW! Can’t get a word in edgeways tonight can you…..?
I agree with you GeordieDan, and sorry to interupt you when you had the floor…, but there is no good reason why we should loose this match with the team you have selected. Mind you, as they always like to say, “football’s a funny game.”
HWTL – and don’t screw up!
It should be a good game but Brighton are dangerous and us without Capt. Colo makes me nervous. I am with Pardew we should go all out to win it!
HWTL
JP, that’s not Brighton Rock is it by any chance?
These are the matches we always seem to cock up somehow. Hopefully we’ll see a few of the fringe players get some time on the pitch. FFS, the last thing we need is more injuries. HWTL!!
Brighton rock was a classic. i have played air guitar so many times at that.
what a tune
How weird!?
I’ve just finished watching the re-make of the movie ‘Brighton Rock’.
(Twilight zone music)
so at what point did Freddie Mercury don the stage in spandex and long hair with Brian May on guitar?
spooky! the old movie was on TV this afternoon ! in black & white of course – a good omen?
Brighton will be right up for this, their ‘big day’, at home.
Total concentration will be required.
Clint ! we were writing that at the same time ! I recon the UFOs will be out again tonight – watch the skies !
Shit!
Too weird!
Is the original a 50′s movie, supermac?
It’s a long time since i saw it.
I’m proper scared now!
Smith’s a Don!
where is everyone tonight?
it seems everyone has either went to bed or are in Brighton.
Clint – “Is the original a 50′s movie, supermac?” yes mate, it was on Channel 4 at 1.25 this afternoon, made 1947 starring Richard Attenborough as Pinky !
that’s it then, our name’s on the cup !
I just hope we don’t play in the orange away top
can i pose a question? isnt Brighton Rock about a Murder?
would that mean Brighton’s name is on the cup?
is the orange top not our lucky away top?
cant say we have ever lost 5-2 playing in orange.
we wore all black last week didnt we?
Cheers supermac,
thought so, i didn’t realize it was ’47 mind, woo!
The new one is set in the 60′s, mods & rockers n’ all that.
I knew ‘Dickie’ was the star like.
Top movie.
Pity we have a new sponsor, it coulda been ‘Northern Rock v Brighton Rock’.
Stephen C says:
January 28, 2012 at 12:28 am
“can i pose a question? isnt Brighton Rock about a Murder?”
Aye Stephen, Dickie Attenborough in the film. One of his very finest performances.
Stephen C says:
January 27, 2012 at 11:29 pm
“where is everyone tonight?”
I was watching a documentary on the world’s finest guitar amp, the Vox AC30. Funny you should have mentioned Brian May as he was on it extolling the virtues of that venerable box.
well going off tonights conversation i wouldn’t like to turn up tomorrow with a Northern Rock v Brighton Rock battle might end up in murder.
worky he didnt do his Version of Brighton Rock on it did he because if he did.
you can have my tickets im not going.
no way sorry
not going ill ring the boss tell him i cant do his coach.
sorry
no way.
Stephen C says:
January 28, 2012 at 12:58 am
“worky he didnt do his Version of Brighton Rock on it did he because if he did.”
I’m not a Queen fan but I know that he’s an AC30 man and his guitar sound is classic Vox.
Stephen,
Steve’s guide to classic amp sounds 1: The Vox AC30 sound:
http://www.stevesamps.co.uk/wp/?page_id=287
The Brian may guitar sound:
http://www.brianmayworld.com/BrianMaysound.htm
oh bugger.
well Brighton Rock was his solo, he plays guitar using the delay and melodies with himself, creating what sounds like an electric orchestra.
if you are into guitars, Google it. its probably one of the best guitar solos you will ever likely to hear.
and yes, one man one guitar.
Stephen, I just updated my last comment with a link to a page on Brian May’s guitar sound.
Aye, Brighton Rock I can hear the bits you mean http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdUKi3_QntE
so what do you do worky? are you involved in music at all?
i was refering to this one worky
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xvsjvdw2qxw
what about this one? not as good as the last i think. but different.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYabmM-uxdE&feature=endscreen&NR=1
EXPECT NEWCASTLE TO GIVE THESE A GOOD TONKING LMAO
LMAO
see sunderland after Kevin Davies god that is scraping the bottom of the pan,hope he forgets his zimmer frame lmao 
im not sure elite i think this might be a hard game.
remember Stevenage last season?
nothing is impossible in the FA cup. every one is equal.
do we need to go back to Hereford and Ronny Radford to see that?
i expect Brighton to bring the game to us. the first 20 or so minutes the game will probably be equal. they will know our weeknesses and how to exploit perch, if collo isnt fit.
i think lua lua will have alot to prove and if he plays will torment simpson and probably torment lamearse and Pardeux at the same time.
you would expect us to win on paper but the FA cup isnt paper. if it was paper it would be along side dellusion’s and dreams, but thats what the FA cup is made of and that is why it is so special.
but werent we after kevin davies 5 years ago?
i heard bentnoser is out for a while.
so maybe they want some one who can score goals.
Stephen C says:
January 28, 2012 at 4:57 am
“i heard bentnoser is out for a while.”
Thought he was managing Wolves now Stephen?
To answer you questions above, yes I have brushes with the music industry in the past. I used to combine my knowledge of that business with my web design and promotion skills to look after the web side of a music company and specialise in music websites in general. I experienced a fairly long bit of turbulence in my life recently though which knocked my career sideways a bit so I need to get my act together again really.
What about you, what do you do?
BTW Stephen, if you want to listen to a guitar solo, THIS is a guitar solo.
I see lucky Tottenham got through last night – so my masterplan is still on course….:)
Worky I used to be a chef. I had ambitions to be a singer once but a large portion of turbulence put a stop to any momentum I had. Now over ten years later I’m slowly picking up the pieces of broken life and proving people wrong. Still got my ambitions. I still want to rock but at 32 time is getting on. I remember two years ago an old aging guy got an appearance on rules Holland on new years eve, long grey hair with a bear to match and I thought to myself. Themes still time for me yet. Apart from that, I’m starting my own business and in my spate time I’m head steward on a coach taking toon fans to every away game. And with a spare Brighton ticket I’m off to Brighton. On a coach.
Should be a good match-would love us to win the Cup.
Howay The Lads!!!
Worky I’ve got a spare ticket in my pocket. You fancy popping down to Brighton? Or anyone else for that matter.
We will beat Brighton today, also looks like Manc are now out. Bit of luck, and some kind home draws, we could go far. It’s about time we went to the new Wembley!
an old aging guy got an appearance on rules Holland on new years eve, long grey hair with a bear – Simon Smith perhaps?
prophet stephen c says:
January 28, 2012 at 1:04 pm
“Worky I’ve got a spare ticket in my pocket. You fancy popping down to Brighton? Or anyone else for that matter.”
I would have loved to Stephen,
I would have had to abandon the site though and there wouldn’t have been any blogs today.
I would have had to abandon the site though and there wouldn’t have been any blogs today – worky you’re a hero!
Supermac says:
January 28, 2012 at 4:42 pm
“worky you’re a hero!”
Thanks Supermac. Really wish I’d gone now seeing how busy the match banter is today!