It's three fingers Mike.Venue: St James’ Park, Newcastle. Date: Saturday 3rd Dec, 2011. Kick-off: 12.45pm. Referee: Mike Dean.
Newcastle made just one change to the side that drew 1-1 at Old Trafford last weekend, with the suspended Jonas Gutierrez replaced by Peter Lovenkrands. For the 13th time this season, Newcastle United were able to field the same defence that has conceded the joint lowest total of goals so far in the Premier League (12).
Frank Lampard returned to the Chelsea midfield, in place of Raul Meireles, who dropped to the bench. This was the Blues only change, with striker Fernando Torres again having to settle for a place on the bench. Danger man Sturridge was chosen to play wide right with Drogba and Mata completing the front three.
The players took to the field in front of a full house at SJP and joined in with the crowd of 52,305 for a rousing minute of applause for Gary Speed. Newcastle coach John Carver was clearly upset as he had worked with Gary as recently as last season when they were at Sheffield United together. Incidentally Speed scored his first goal for Newcastle in this corresponding fixture in 1998 which ended in a 3-1 defeat of Chelsea. (more…)
Chelski: The last of our terrible trio of fixtures.Venue: St James’ Park, Newcastle. Date: Saturday 3rd Dec, 2011. Kick-off: 12.45pm. Referee: Mike Dean.
Newcastle United will be looking to maintain their fine home form (undefeated in ten games) and increase the pressure on Chelsea’s beleaguered manager, André Villas-Boas in the 12.45 kick off at St James Park, Newcastle on Saturday.
NUFC report that the game is sold out so a capacity crowd will be able to watch an intriguing match up between the fourth and fifth placed teams both of whom have injured DM’s missing from their respective sides.
Cheick Tiote, who has been linked with a move to Chelsea in recent months, will definitely miss the game adding to concerns by some fans that he’s been left out deliberately in order to avoid further injury in the run up to January’s transfer window.
Worryingly, manager Alan Pardew said:
“I am not going to say he will be fit for next week. We must make sure he is right because he is a very important player to us.(more…)
Llambias: Shameless Opportunist?As I reported yesterday on these pages, Newcastle United’s managing Director, Derek Llambias, has responded to Joey Barton’s allegations about himself and owner, Mike Ashley, with a threat of legal action.
This is almost certainly an empty threat by the perfidious M.D. as he knows what happened, and what would probably happen if he attempted to take it to law. However that is not the main subject of this particular piece, it is just the context. The main reason is the ineffably crass and tasteless way that Llambias began his statement. He attempted to use the recent tragic and untimely death of ex Magpie legend Gary Speed, as well as the name of the club, to assume the moral high ground in his and Ashley’s dispute with an ex-player. It did the excact opposite.
The statement began:
“In a week when one of Newcastle United’s most beloved footballers passed away, it is disappointing that once again Joey Barton makes the headlines.”(more…)
Joey Barton: Saying what he sees.Well, Joey Barton did promise on Twitter that he would “tell all when the time was right” and he’s finally kept his word.
Speaking in a long audio podcast interview for the Queen’s Park Ranger’s ‘blog “Open All R’s,” he finally lifted the lid on his time at Newcastle United and his strained relationship with the infamous Ashley / Llambias regime. In the interview, he revealed what he felt were the real reasons why he and other senior members of the squad have been forced out St James’ Park, how the club tried to force him to sign a contract on a fifth of his old wage whilst he was in Walton prison, what he feels were the real reasons behind the sacking of Chris Hughton, how despite his profound hatred of Mike Ashley and Derek Llambias, he still feels a strong affinity with the club and more…
Some (misquoted) sections of the interview have already appeared in the media and other ‘blogs, so I decided to make a more accurate and extensive transcription of all the sections which related to Newcastle United. I’ve have also included the mp3 podcast of the entire interview at the bottom of the piece.
Responding to a QPR fan’s question on what swung it for him to come to Queen’s Park Rangers, Barton began by outlining the reson’s why he had to leave his former club saying:
“I was obviously deemed by the board at Newcastle “Persona non grata” (Person not welcome). They didn’t want me because I asked questions.(more…)
Manchester United: Not getting all their own way for a change.Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester. Date: Saturday 26 November, 2011 Kick-off: 3.00pm. Referee: Mike Jones (replaced Phil Dowd).
After such a great result was over-shadowed by the deeply sad news of the death of a true Geordie Legend, Gary Speed, I’ve found it very hard to commit to a match report. It’s with a heavy heart that I put finger to keypad to type out something that pales into insignicance in such upsetting circumstances. It times like these that football takes a backseat.
The game:
Newcastle traveled to Manchester for the second week running to pit themselves against the current champions at Old Trafford. Having not won there in almost 40 years, every pundit and their dog probably had us down for a loss. But despite playing the final 15 minutes with ten men after the senidning off of Gutierrez, and receiving everything Manchester United had to throw at us including the kitchen sink, once again it was some great last ditch defending including a few more great saves from Tim Krul helped Newcastle to snatch a rare point from Old Trafford. (more…)
