Newcastle United v Sunderland match banter!
Posted on October 31st, 2010 | 314 Comments |
Today sees Newcastle playing host to hordes of unwashed from the less developed side of the North East. Unfortunately though, these days they have support from a Dallas based billionaire caled Ellis Short, and we can no longer count on them rolling over as they used to in the good old days when it would take them a whole season to muster 15 points and get relegated to back to where they belong. Indeed, as sportingpreview.com say in their preview of the match:
“Such is the strength of Steve Bruce’s squad at present that £9million goalkeeper Craig Gordon, Champions League finalist Bolo Zenden, World Cup quarter-finalists Cristian Riveros, Paulo Da Silva and John Mensah and Ballon d’Or nominee Asamoah Gyan can’t get in the starting XI.”
As if this weren’t enough, they are unbeaten in their last seven Premier League games, having beaten Manchester City and Aston Villa, and drawn with the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool.
Perhaps though, Mr Short should have taken advice from a saying brought to prominence by his compatriot, Barack Obama, in his election campaign for the Presidency of the United States:
“You can put lipstick on a pig, It’s still a pig.”
Still, we can always take comfort from the fact that we have been no slouches ourselves in the giant killing stakes, slaughtering Villa 6-0 ourselves and knocking Chelsea out of the League Cup. We have also chalked up victories against Everton and West Ham too, but of course, it has been our home form which has been the main area of concern this season, with unexpected capitulations to the likes of Blackpool and Stoke City.
Speaking on the importance of this local derby, Newcastle United manager, Chris Hughton said this:
“I know what it means having been brought up at Tottenham, and knowing what the Tottenham-Arsenal derby means.
“If I look at the proximity of the two areas and the history, I fully understand.”
Meanwhile, his opposite number at Sunderland, Geordie, Steve Bruce, admitted that he had not even attended a Tyne / Wear derby in his 30 years away from the region. He had this to say on the local rivalry:
“It’s a big game coming up, they know it’s a big game, and they will be supporting their son or their brother or their brother-in-law or whatever, I am convinced of that – or at least I hope I am.
“I don’t know why I have never been to one, but I left 30 years ago, so I have been away a long time and have never come back just to witness one.”
For a more detailed look forward to the game, including team news, pre match gossip etc, please check oot Toonsy’s excellent Match Preview.
Howay the lads!
Teams
Newcastle United: Krul; Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Enrique; Barton, Nolan, Tiote, Gutierrez; Carroll, Ameobi.
Subs: Soderberg, S Taylor, Perch, Lovenkrands, Routledge, Smith, Ranger.
Unwashed: Mignolet, Onuoha, Bardsley, Turner, Bramble, Cattermole (C), Henderson, Malbranque, Welbeck, Elmohamady, Bent.
Subs: Gordon, Da Silva, Gyan, Richardson, Ferdinand, Zenden, Mensah.
NUFCBlog Author: workyticket
workyticket has written 1079 articles on this blog.
Demmit! i got tuition to attend! =(