Pardew on 4th round Carling Cup Draw: “It’s a tough game”

Posted on September 26th, 2011 | 25 Comments |

Pardew sees 4th round Carling Cup draw as tough for Newcastle.
Tough, but could be worse
Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew sees our fourth round Carling Cup draw as ‘tough’.

Alan Pardew sees the next rounds’ Carling Cup draw as ‘tough’ but is thankful we weren’t drawn away against one of the ‘top’ clubs. Pardew said:

“It’s a shame [that it’s an away draw], but we want games because these players want to play.

“It’s a tough game, but we could have been drawn against one of the top clubs, who are all still in it, away from home, so it’s not the worst draw we could have had, but it’s still a tough draw.

“Blackburn will be hurting from today [Saturday’s game against them] and that’s going to make it even more difficult.“

The full draw for the last 16 is as follows:

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester City
Cardiff City v Burnley
Blackburn Rovers v Newcastle United
Arsenal v Bolton Wanderers
Stoke City v Liverpool
Aldershot Town v Manchester United
Crystal Palace v Southampton
Everton v Chelsea

I don’t think that’s a particularly good draw. I’m not talking about our own fixture but it would have been nice to see Man City v Man Utd, Chelsea v Liverpool or similar to get rid of some of the top seeds.

If we get past Blackburn in this round and make it through to the quarter finals, I wouldn’t be surprised if Alan Pardew gives the Carling Cup a bit more ‘priority’ and starts to think about playing his first XI, or at least not making 9 changes from his League side as he did last time.

I tend to agree that the League is the most important in general (what is it? £800,000 per place approximately?) but there comes a point when you think you might just be in with a chance of the cup and, unless we’re realistically targeting a European finish in the League, it has to be worth a shot.

Let’s face it, after a 42 year gap, any silverware would be welcome at St James’ Park and it seems like that’s the view of most Toon fans if our vote is anything to go by.

Poll

NUFCBlog Author: Hugh de Payen I'm a baby-boomer of the punk rock persuasion, currently exiled in Somerset for crimes committed in a previous life where locals keep trying to poison me with something called 'scrumpy'. Hates sprouts, coat-hangers, Cilla Black, ornaments, Steven Seagull movies and 50 Cent (he's not worth 10). Hugh de Payen has written 634 articles on this blog.

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Comment on this post

25 Responses

  1. The ground swell of popular opinion among supporters clearly favours moving heaven and earth to win something – two generations of geordies have grown up not knowing the elation & pure joy of success!
    Its not as if it is restricted to a narrow elite beyond our reach – I have seen dozens of clubs with a fraction of our tradition & support win cups and the respect & rewards that come with it.
    Go for it! Theses are grim grey times – lets do our best to light up our lives with some long over due glory!

    HWTL

  2. No reason why Stoke won’t beat Liverpool again – everton will give chelsea a tough game n’all..

    We don’t have to agonise about over-stretching the players as we now have very good players ‘in reserve’ – Marveaux, Sammi, Guthrie, Abeid, Gosling, Loven, Willo + Vuckic (when fit).. who can give anyone a game.

    As long as we avoid the two Manc sides, there’s no reason we can’t progress – otherwise it’s curtains probably, so hopefully someone can do us a favour, or we get very lucky with the next round (and beat blackburn of course).

  3. Well I’m pleased with the draw as Blackburn are one of the sides that I think we can beat. I’m not sure our ‘second string’ can beat them though, so if I was Pardew I’d go all out. Play Cabaye, play Best, play Colo and Taylor, play Yiote, play Obertan and Jonas – PLAY THEM ALL!

    They are professional footballers and should be able to manage two games in one week, they are getting paid enough! I think that we should go all out for the cup and although we won’t win it, I think we should attempt to get as far as possible.

    I’d love to see us lift it though, because this season I have a gut feeling that something is going to go right for us and so far, so good!

    Howay the lads! <3

  4. Don’t know if we’ll have to play the whole 1st team.
    But it is away & they’ll want some kinda revenge.
    That could be their weak spot though.

  6. Pardew said he wanted another couple of wins before he “attacked” the League Cup. That was before the Blackburn win and we have Wolves (A) Spurs (H) and Wigan(H) before the next round.

    He may have been talking shite though. We’ll see in the fullness of time unless he loses or draws the next three games.

  7. Hi all, another holiday for me, so just chipping in a few cents worth now I’m back. Thought I might as well spend my cash before the financial system finally crashes around us. :)

    Will Blackburn play all of their first teamers, I would have thought they have more to lose trying to win the CC and getting players crocked. It’s probably a good move by us to rest certain players anyway and as Hugh says Pardew might be more committed if we get closer to the finishing line.

  8. Grumpy Old-Toon says:
    September 26, 2011 at 2:54 pm

    “Will Blackburn play all of their first teamers, I would have thought they have more to lose trying to win the CC and getting players crocked.”

    That’s a good point Grumpy. Hope yoo had a nice holiday?

  10. Eh ! aint worth the bother, give the Kids and bench warmers a run out and some match practice.
    If were gonna go for silverware then go for the FA cup, something worth winning.
    If we were really ambitious, a return to European competition with it’s rewards of additional revenue would be the way to go.
    But the competition is a bit tougher than when we were last involved.
    Spurs are looking pretty decent and would’nt surprise me with a top four spot, with Arsenal and Liverpool fighting it out for the five and six berths.
    It’s still an open field for the top three, between both Manchester sides and Chelsea, too early to be making any real choices.
    Behind that lot not too many choice sides, there’s ourselves, a depleted Villa side and of course an Everton side with huge cash problems, plus the also rans.
    None having the revenue generated by NUFC with it’s attendance figures.
    If we had any ambition we should be challenging for a spot in the European competition, with it’s increase in revenue.
    But for that we need a bit of quality in depth, at least a bigger squad, a requirement, with the number of games involved.
    Perhaps our astute owner might be interested in a bit of extra revenue, but it comes at a cost unfortunately, nah! what am i saying, probably stick with mid league mediocrity ?

  12. CLiNT FLiCK says:
    September 26, 2011 at 3:32 pm

    “worky,
    i’ve submitted somethin’, have a skeg!”

    Great stuff Clint. I’ll have a butchers me old china plate.

  14. Chuck says:
    September 26, 2011 at 3:29 pm

    “Eh ! aint worth the bother, give the Kids and bench warmers a run out and some match practice.
    If were gonna go for silverware then go for the FA cup, something worth winning.
    If we were really ambitious, a return to European competition with it’s rewards of additional revenue would be the way to go.”

    Howay man Statler! 43 years and despite what you say, it’s still one of the major trophies.

    Besides, it IS a way into the Euro competition you crave ye daft get! You think we’re gannin’ to be in the top six at the end of the season?

    Forget about the Champion’s League ATM.

  15. In all honesty I think we should go for it. After all we don’t need to winn it to get into Europe the final will do. After all if we are up against a top four club in the final the surely that would be enough. And to be honest this is no mickey mouse cup anymore too many top four clubs are making this an easy target. About tream selection our players should be ashamed of themselves what more important for a club? Getting into the premier league or staying in it (not that I think we need to worry about either now) a little club called Brighton, with one of our own, kasenga lua lua, played Liverpool in the cup on Wednesday and then played Leeds in the league on Friday winning 3-2 coming back from 2-0 down to win the game. If a club like Brighton can manage it and a Newcastle united player can also why can’t the rest of his team? Get a full squad in the next game and let’s take this cup serious and stick one into the smoggies after all they won it without breaking a sweat. COME ON THE TOON.

  16. Hey worky,
    i’ve put something else up mate, except there seemed to be a bit problem with the ‘new post’ page.
    It wouldn’t let me paste it in correctly, so i ‘quick posted’ it mate.
    Sorry!

    Weird!

  19. Stephen C,
    good points mate.

    We need to build momentum & the team.
    If we keep playing a few players coming back from injury & squad players it keeps them in the lime light & gives them a toe hold to getting back into the first team.
    It will help build squad confidence too.
    Meaning there’s always someone who can slot in if/when injuries happen later in the season.

  21. Is that right that “we don’t need to winn it to get into Europe the final will do. After all if we are up against a top four club in the final the surely that would be enough”?
    Or does that not only apply to the FA Cup?

    And “As long as we avoid the two Manc sides, there’s no reason we can’t progress ” – not really as they be fielding reserves.

    Someone asked a couple of seasons ago “what’s the best way to beat manu?”
    The answer was “draw them in the league cup!”

    Come on! Fear nobody! Win three more games and its time to rock & roll !

    HWTL

  22. Worky, yeah thanks for asking, it was just a week in Suffolk but a nice rest. Driving was actually quite pleasant but once I got back into Sarffend I had some moron grunting out his window at me cos I had inadvertantly got into the wrong lane, my missus and I just burst out laughing at him, I suspect he is heading for an early heart attack or something, poor bloke. :)

  23. Clinton. I don’t mind watching fringe players as long as its restricted to 2 or three. A full back 4, krul, tiote Cabaye, best and BA with the likes of Sammy and marvaux on the wing. But once you start messing with the dynamics then the team first function Luke its used to. I know gutierez get a lot of stick for lack of crossing ability and he struggles to get by his men, normaly two of them, but when he came off for marvaux at the weekend it left us week at the back. The one thing gutterz gives is defence and he has been just as much a part in the success of our defence as any of the back 4 Enrique doesn’t seem to be doing to well without him.at Liverpool. I say that excluding the ball he put in for suares at the weekend that ended in a goal. But we can easily play two games per week from now on. It will be good excersice for the winter months when games in the league are jam packed. Let’s get prepared now for the coming months by preparing the team for strong Midweek games in the league.

  24. CLiNT at the risk of seeming to tell you how to suck eggs, I don’t know if you are using Word 2007. But it’s default setting does try to double space everything.

    If so you just need to click on the single space option.

  25. Stephen C,
    nowt wrong with any of that mate, that is pretty much what i was alluding to.
    Not wholesale changes i.e. less than last game v Notts. Forest.

    Grumpy,
    na i wasn’t using word, just notepad & pasting in.
    I think there was an internal issue.
    Thanx for the tip though mate, i didn’t know that.
    ;)