Sunderland v Newcastle United match preview.

Posted on January 15th, 2011 | 73 Comments |

Sunderland's "Stadium of Blight".
Sunderland's "Stadium of Blight".
When Newcastle United manager, Alan Pardew, takes his place in the dugout for his first Tyne – Wear derby, he will encounter an opposite number, Steve Bruce, who will be deperate for revenge for the 5-1 drubbing administered by the previous incumbent, Chris Hughton.

Pardew has been speaking quite alot on the upcoming game, as he seems to about most things.

Firstly, looking back to the time of his appointment at the club, he said:

“As soon as I’d signed up here I looked to see when we’d be playing Sunderland.”

Speaking on the aforementioned victory in the last fixture against the Mackems he went on:

“Whatever I do between now and May, that 5-1 win is almost certainly going to be this season’s stand-out result.”

He then added somewhat bizarrely:

“I’m not going to be able to change that, so I have to accept it. But that doesn’t mean to say we can’t go to Sunderland and win. That would be some coup for myself.”

Why would he want to change that? Surely a 5-1 victory against the old enemy is good for the club?

He continued with his impressions of that game, adding:

“I wasn’t really concentrating, to be honest.

“But I saw it again yesterday and noted how crucial Andy Carroll was to a first-class, disciplined display.”

Unfortunately, Pardew will be without Carroll this time, as he failed a fitness test. On this he said:

“Andy won’t play, it’s a huge disappointment.

“Not only are we missing Andy but a very influential midfielder. Cheik has been one of the stars of the season.”

Tiote of course will be missing the next three games through suspension, after picking up a straight red card in the F.A. Cup defeat against Stevenage. But more on the team news later.

Getting back to Pardew, he moved on to the subject of local derbies in general, saying:

“Whenever you go into a derby there’s always an enormous electricity.

“You have a special Cup final-type experience.

“But if you have a gameplan, all 11 players have to know their roles and your discipline has to be in good order, you can get on the front foot.

“If you go on the back foot at any stage you’re in trouble.

“You’ll get dominated, especially if you’re the away team. So it will be a case of stepping on to Sunderland and meeting the challenge head on.”

He then concluded by saying:

“Sunderland start as favourites.

“Pulling off a win would be a massive achievement for us.”

Meanwhile, his opposite number, Steve Bruce, has been saying that his Sunderland side will go out on the attack. Indeed, the “Black Cats” of Sunderland have been in fairly good form since their humiliation at St James’s Park, and are currrently sixth in the table, and eligible for a Europa League place as things stand, with Newcastle three places below them in ninth. But I digress.

Getting back to Steve Bruce, he said of the upcoming fixture:

“I have my team sorted out in my head.

“I have my game plan ready and a big part of it will be for the players to go out there, express themselves and go hunting for goals.

“We are at home, in front of our own fans and we need to take the game to them from the start.

“I look at my squad and I have young players who are full of energy – the youngest squad in the division.

“We need to harness that strength and energy in a way we did not last time we faced Newcastle.

“I am also in a situation where injuries leave us with only one way to play – given the players we can call on – and that is to be attack-minded.

“We have exceptional defensive midfielders – Lee Cattermole and David Meyler – and both would probably have played tomorrow had they been fully fit.

“That is not the case with Meyler and it is unlikely to be the case with Cattermole.

“When I look around my squad and my options, I find almost every player available to us is someone who loves to go forward.

“So we will look to play to the strengths of the players we have and we will go for it – I don’t think our fans would want or expect anything else.”

Team news so far.

As hinted at above, Alan Pardew has a few injuries with some key players to contend with, plus a suspension with the aforementioned Cheik Tiote. Centre back, Steven Taylor, is said to be out with his hamstring, but Shola Ameobi, Jose Enrique and Jonas Gutierrez are said to be available despite some doubts over their fitness. Shola was said to be out with an ankle injury, but that was only the Daily Mail. Dan Gosling, who has yet to play for the team since his transfer from Everton in July of last year, will be available for selection after coming through a recent practice game against Hibs.

Meanwhile, Newcastle aren’t the only side to be facing a somewhat depleted line up. On the Sunderland side, David Meyler, Michael Turner, Jordan Cook, John Mensah and Frazier Campbell are out of action, while Danny Welbeck, Nedum Onuoha and Lee Cattermole are doubtful.

Howay the lads!

NUFCBlog Author: workyticket workyticket has written 1093 articles on this blog.

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73 Responses

  1. Really getting excited/ nervous about this game now…

    Can’t believe this is not on live, hope there is a good stream for it!!

    I really dont have a clue how this one will pan out.. I think it will be tight and hope we get a win. Then again we may see a great performance and tank them again :)
    Its crazy to see us out of the blue play amazing and spank a team then next week look average.

    If we could get some consistant performances I think we could really pull away from the bottom teams and maybe even start looking up the table at where we might finish..

  2. that cattermole is a animal,hope he doesnt go with smith in m/f,will be happy with a draw.
    can see a couple of sendings off like,we arent webbs best friend either :(

  3. 4-4-1-1 shoala up front nolan behind him and a midfield of routledge, barton, smith and jonas. not our first choice but it is the best we have available. gosling to come on after a hour could be for either smith or routledge

  4. Ice – totally agree, people talk about Barton but cattermole is just a t0sser.
    I have heard so many people talking about how he is calming down and playing some good football but I dont see it. He is average at best and would not even make the Toon bench!

  5. Tez131 says:
    January 15, 2011 at 7:08 pm

    “Really getting excited/ nervous about this game now…”

    I usually get nervous about the Mackem games, Tez. As for the erratic performnces, I think that we’ve gone through alot of changes recently with relegation, players coming and going etc. We haven’t quite settled yet and sacking Hughton just when he was starting to get going didn’t help at all with that. It can take a long tome to rebuild a good team when it’s been to hell and back. People forget now that it took Alex Ferguson the best part of five years to rebuild Manchester United into a team that was capable of winning the League.

  6. think best will start up front dont think shola is 100% fit,could be wrong like think he might be on bench (i hope)

  7. icedog says:
    January 15, 2011 at 7:10 pm

    “that cattermole is a animal,hope he doesnt go with smith in m/f,will be happy with a draw.”

    I’ve never seen two more graceful tacklers than those two, Ice. :-)

  8. icedog says:
    January 15, 2011 at 7:23 pm

    “think best will start up front dont think shola is 100% fit,could be wrong like think he might be on bench (i hope)”

    The Shola injury thing was in the Daily Mail though, Ice.

  9. I’d be interested to see us start with Loven and Best up front again. We need to be able to get them on the counter and Ameobi just does have the pace or the ability to hold the ball up…or the ability to take a quick shot

  10. asim says:
    January 15, 2011 at 7:28 pm

    “smith plays we wont get nothing…joke player and if he plays then pardew get some specks..”

    :lol:

  11. Worky – we really do need some stability at the magnificent club. I was really hoping this was going to happen under Hughton, even though at the start I was not sure just how good his tactics and in game decisions were in my opinion this was improving the longer he was manager. He could have grown with the club and while building the team could have got the experience MA was said to be looking for.
    I for one want to give Alan Pardew his fair chance and hope he does well as it was not his fail. I would have jumped at the chance of getting the job is if was available so why should he not. I do however have a few reservations about him but I will be happy for him to prove them wrong :).
    You need the right manager in to be able to give him the trust and time, once you have that the club can grow and improve.
    If Pardew wants to be a success, Step 1 beat the Scum tomorrow!!

    My prediction 2-1 win for the toon. Nolan & Ameobi

  12. Sorry lads but I just feel totally negative about this game – can’t shake off the feeling that they will be so up for it – and we’re missing two very influential players. If we get away with less than a 2 goal defeat I will be amazed. Now where did I put me Prozac….

  13. TEZ,ime afraid his record doesnt bode well mate,cannot stand his gob either,but thats just my view pal,sorry

  14. Tez131 says:
    January 15, 2011 at 7:34 pm

    “I do however have a few reservations about him”

    So do I, Tez, and the more closer I look at him, the worse they get. But I’ll always support the team though thick and thin though.

  15. So much negativity going around !!! Look, it,s 11 against 11. Were not starting the game with 9 players. With 100% effort and application to the job in hand, we have the same chances as the jammies. Short memories you lot. What was acheived at Arsenal and Chelski in the cup is surely to be acheived at the
    Stad des hite.

  16. Icedog says:
    January 15, 2011 at 7:41 pm

    “TEZ,ime afraid his record doesnt bode well mate,cannot stand his gob either,but thats just my view pal,sorry”

    I know I wrote it in the piece, Ice, but this is this is one of the things that gets me about Pardew.

    On the 5-1 victory against Sunderland:

    “I’m not going to be able to change that, so I have to accept it. But that doesn’t mean to say we can’t go to Sunderland and win. That would be some coup for myself.”

    So he’d rather we lost so Hughton looks bad and he looks good if he wins tomorrow? Rather than wanting what’s best for the team, he seems to want what’s best for him.

    “That would be some coup for MYSELF”

    What about the team, Alan?

  17. WORKY dont know if my comment came through y/day as net crashed again.
    on H.G. my dads hero he never bought rags,but the storeys going round clubs/bars at that time was he was owr soft with the kids,he needed a clip (you got one them days)but never did give him one did throw ashtray at the “door”,make of it what you will

  18. icedog says:
    January 15, 2011 at 7:41 pm
    TEZ,ime afraid his record doesnt bode well mate,cannot stand his gob either,but thats just my view pal,sorry

    I was really disappointed by him when he publicly had a dig a Krul, not going to do the lads confidence much good and for a young keeper it important to have.
    Talking of young keepers anyone seen how Foster is doing on loan at the minute?

  19. We can only hope Pardew has a game plan, other than the route one game we played against Stevenage.
    And contrary to a lot of fans wishes, hope he does`nt rely on introducing our youngsters, this is a game for seasoned pro`s and for my part, a draw would be acceptable.
    Look Sunderland are a decent side and apart from the drubbing at St. James have had a decent run recently.
    Newcastle without Carroll, Tiote, Taylor, Colo, and possibly El Toro (not saying they will all be out)does`nt leave a lot of talent other than Joey, Nolan and Jonas.
    As for Goslin, an unknown factor, who`s best spot in the side has yet to be determined, hopefully he can fill in for Tiote as Smith just doe`sn fill the role, despite his effort and aggression.
    That`s another problem, talking about Tiote and his card collecting playing style, the same thing the fans used to get onto Butt about.
    The difference is Butt was selective both in where and how heavy to go in, someone has to have a word with Tiote and explain, you dont have to foul on every tackle and you dont have to put the body on opponents every time, or you are going to spend a lot of time watching the side from the stands.
    Would be nice to do the double over Sunderland, but i`d settle for the point.

  20. TEZ thats “one of my worrys with him when it comes to the likes of benny,who left france because of just that way the manager acted,stays in-house and say nowt like that to press imo m8

  21. Toite will be a big miss tomorrow, he allows other players to play and compensates for Nolan s lack of mobility. If smith plays, we will have to play a 4 5 1. I think playing a 4 4 2 with smith and Nolan in the middle of the park would be taking a big risk.

  22. Worky, not sticking up for Pardew but i think he means that he is not going to be able to top the 5-1 master class earlier in the season but any win will be a real coupe for him.
    If not and he would as you say have wanted Hughton to get beaten to make him seem better then he can just F**k right off now! The club is more important than any one individual!

  23. @TGS
    Agree mate. Smith is our weakest link. !
    I hope Pardew doesnt play Barton out of position again!

  24. icedog says:
    January 15, 2011 at 7:56 pm

    “WORKY dont know if my comment came through y/day as net crashed again.”

    Aye, it did, Ice. I read something similar about him and his bairns too. When social workers and the Police came to take his boy away, he didn’t want to go at all.

  25. icedog says:
    January 15, 2011 at 8:02 pm
    TEZ thats “one of my worrys with him when it comes to the likes of benny,who left france because of just that way the manager acted,stays in-house and say nowt like that to press imo m8

    Some players need to be loved, lets just hope that Ben Arfa gets enough from the fans that he does not need to get the ego boost from the manager, I’m not sure Pardew has it in him.
    Then again he does seem to be talking up Barton (and Barton talking himself up as well I see). Barton has been top drawer this season.

    Can Pardew lift the spirits of a player with low confidence?

  26. he wont play smith..thats a fact..it has taken him 2 games to relize we are playing with nine men..in central midfield..nolan and smith are just the same..apart from tug boat scoring goals..stevenage took the piss out of nolan and smith..thats why he will not play that way…

  27. Tez131 says:
    January 15, 2011 at 8:03 pm

    “Worky, not sticking up for Pardew but i think he means that he is not going to be able to top the 5-1 master class earlier in the season but any win will be a real coupe for him.”

    I know Tez, it’s a matter of interpretation and I’m not infallible. But I researched him very closely when he came to the club, and besides what I knew already, it didn’t make very good reading at all, both on the pitch and off it. I admit, I do miss Hughton as well.

  28. barton doesnt play in central mid tomaz with tug boat i will give u all ten pound notes on this blogg..smith wont play..

  29. we know that catt is a animal,but that henderson kid is a bit of dirty git on the sly,can see a sending off coming here

  30. Tez131 says:
    January 15, 2011 at 8:11 pm

    “Can Pardew lift the spirits of a player with low confidence?”

    Tez, I don’t think he’ll have done much for Krul’s confidence when he ripped apart his kicking technique on television. I’ll shut up about Pardew now though. :-)

  31. Hope if he is fit Guthrie and not smith in midfield , if not then try Perch there anyone except Smith . Upfront Lovenkrands and Best they did well against West Ham so lets give them another go .

  32. axel good call..perch would give us pace..which would unable us to move forward quicker..might be were he should play..good and mobile..

  33. TonyGreenSupreme says:
    January 15, 2011 at 7:59 pm

    “We will be in trouble tomorrow if the “Imposter” Smith plays, he is a sad excuse for a footballer.”

    TGS, There was something very strange about the way Allardyce bought Smith and Geremi, just after they were comprehensively knacked. He was even warned about Geremi by Bobby Robson and Jose Mourinho. I still laugh when I think about Bobby warning the club that Geremi’s “legs have effectively gone” :lol:

  34. icedog says:
    January 15, 2011 at 8:32 pm

    “aye that geremi has walked oot (or limped)of his new club,after half a dozen games”

    He was a great player though, Ice, until about a week before he signed a contract with us!

  35. are people forgetton sumthing dan gosling a 70%fit gosling is better than a fully fit smith n guthrie id go
    harper
    simpson willo colo jose
    routledgr barton gosling jonas
    nolan
    ameobi
    or
    barton gosling nolan jonas
    best ameobi

  36. Workyticket hè signed cacapa also and his legs were as gone as Geremi’s . Hè even Pulled him off after 20odd minutes in one game

  37. Axel says:
    January 15, 2011 at 8:50 pm

    “Workyticket hè signed cacapa also and his legs were as gone as Geremi’s . Hè even Pulled him off after 20odd minutes in one game”

    Aye, I should have put him on the list too, Axel. As I wrote, it was very strange. Especially so with Geremi though, because he was warned.

  38. icedog says:
    January 15, 2011 at 8:53 pm

    “thing is sam thought he had a magic medical team”

    Aye, Ice. He had lots of nutritionalists and stuff like that. He prided himself on getting a year or two extra out of great players, like he did at Bolton with Djorkaeff and a few others. It certainly didn’t work at Newcastle though!

  39. players get up your nose at times,that BA shouting and stamping his feet to get oot of club well he failed his medical at stoke today,what now bonny lad :)

  40. lot of the times players are owr soft now-a days imo,the fairs cup team were lucky to have a physio never mind a bloody medical team,and some still played into there 30s,think insurance companys are harder now like

  41. Don’t shoot me if I am wrong but a mate who is in the know told me on Monday taht Shola would be fit and Taylor said he had a ‘slight’ hamstring. He thought that meant he would be ok v scum.

  42. icedog says:
    January 15, 2011 at 9:10 pm

    “lot of the times players are owr soft now-a days imo,the fairs cup team were lucky to have a physio never mind a bloody medical team,and some still played into there 30s,think insurance companys are harder now like”

    Ice, do you remember Trautmann playing in goal for Man City with a broken neck? And Stuart Pearce telling Bobby Robson that he’d run off a broken leg?

  43. tom tomb says:
    January 15, 2011 at 9:15 pm

    “Don’t shoot me if I am wrong but a mate who is in the know told me on Monday taht Shola would be fit and Taylor said he had a ‘slight’ hamstring. He thought that meant he would be ok v scum.”

    Tom, as I mentioned earlier, the Shola one was the Daily Mail. If they write something, it’s usually best to go with the exact opposite!

  44. Snoods, gloves, no mud, heated pitches, heated sub seats not allowed to be tackled = homo’s.

  45. WORKY aye i do both cases,moving up a peg or two,how many times did A.S.play on one good leg which he has since admitted,how many times have we played with hamstring injurys.
    run it off bonny lad its nowt like dicks we tried,oh for the good old days lol

  46. Aye you are right Worky it is a safe bet!

    It would be great to have our 2 local lads playing v scum!

  47. Worky bumped into David Mcreery the other day-e looks great! Still can’t beleive a small slight bloke like him tackled like he did- great lad! Should have asked him what he thinks of these gay boys these days!

  48. aye aye lads , any more news on new players coming??? bothroyd didnt play today is he injured????

  49. Ye but henderson is a hell of a young player with a future infront of him, also i dont think smith will play,

  50. if you want good stream for match go to veetle .com download player takes about 2 mins and look for fsc channel its streams are normally spot on and hd if u got hd laptop

  51. Steve Bruce is making Titus Bramble captain for this game……I am feeling a bit more confident of getting something out of this game.

  52. I am unsure how we will line up tomorrow. It won’t be the eleven i would go with because I would go with the youth of ferguson and vuckic.
    Somebody said Lovenkrands should play because he is fast. I haven’t got a clue how that makes him a good footballer. Usain Bolt is very fast but he doesn’t play. I have been to games this season and Lovenkrands has been the worst of all 22 players on the field.
    Guthrie, lads please remember the west brom game he was an absolute disgrace and that is being kind to him

  53. I love how Bruce has talked up bramble like a superstar for this game….I think he’s forgetting their ‘superstar’ played in the 5-1 thumping…and got sent off to our great amusement!

  54. Paul.

    He is out with a thigh injury. That’s the level of journalism and research you’ll get from a paper that comes free on the bus!

  55. Worky – its pretty obvious when he says he can’t change that, he’s talking about that result being the best of the season come what may. Think you knew that too, but you had to get some kind of dig in…

  56. Bramble always looks good heading the ball out but get at him down the side and he is a liability, say one thing for the mackems, how they turned the 5-1 into a positive result for them was an achievement in itself, but talk is cheap and they are the team under pressure to get a result. We get an early lead and they will go to pieces.

  57. Re: “I’m not going to be able to change that, so I have to accept it. But that doesn’t mean to say we can’t go to Sunderland and win. That would be some coup for myself.”

    “Why would he want to change that?”

    I think yous are getting the wrong end of it.

    It’s not the 5-1 he’d change. He’s saying it will be the stand out result of the season (i.e. the best result for obvious reasons) but that doesnt mean we can’t go to Sunderland and win.

    Funny how different people read different things.

    :)

  58. Gotta agree with Stu, worky.

    Your constant sniping at Pardew is getting very tiresome, and not really befitting someone of your intelligence.

  59. off subject guys but just saw a canny interview with Van der Vaart on bbc website, he seems like a complete legend! Would love to have him in the team not just for his ridiculous skill alone.
    Getting nervous about the game now, my prediction 2-2.
    I’ve also got a strong feeling that cattermole and welbeck will be passed fit, don’t know why just do.

    And who’s bright idea was it not to broadcast the game in England!? Why would anyone choose the birmingham derby over ours!? A relegation scrap vs a (potential) European scrap. I know it sounds arrogant but Jesus, Brum aren’t exactly half decent to watch anyway…