The season finale comes to Newcastle on Sunday in the shape of West Brom with a top 10 finish feasible for both teams.
I’ve already done my geeky permutations so now it’s a matter of getting out onto the pitch and winning to give ourselves the best chance of a top 10 finish.
West Brom are having a decent run of form under Roy Hodgson, having claimed the scalps of Villa, Liverpool, Everton and the Mackems in recent weeks and they should certainly be up for the game.
The Baggies have only won one of their last 18 games against us (the last one, in December 2010, after which Chris Hughton was sacked) but they have also never lost the last game of a league season. All of that means squat of course and it depends on how well each side performs on the day.
Russian-born, Nigerian international Peter Odemwingie is probably West Brom’s main danger man with 15 goals to his name in 32 appearances this season. (more…)
With just four games left to play, Newcastle United visit Anfield to play Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool.
It’s destination Anfield for the Toon on Sunday as we take on a Liverpool side revitalised by the arrival of Kenny Dalglish.
It will be a tough game and our record isn’t particularly good at Anfield. I certainly think we have the ability to take points off Liverpool – even a Liverpool that has had much improved performances since the arrival of their Messiah – but it depends upon which team turns up on the day. We could just as easily get hammered if our attitude and form is having an off-day.
Ahead of the game, manager Alan Pardew has been rallying the troops:
“Liverpool have great options and will be a big, strong team challenging for honours next season.
“We want to compete with them and it will be a good showcase for my players to show that they should be here next year competing against the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United.(more…)
It’s all the fun of the FA Cup today as Newcastle United visit Broadhall Way to take on League Two’s Stevenage.
Newcastle are 73 places above Stevenage who currently sit at 13th in League Two in what is their first season in the Football League.
This is the only Premier League v League Two tie of the round and I suspect neutrals will be hoping it results in a ‘Giant Killing’.
Truth is, it’s never as easy as the gulf in league positions would suggest to go to these places and dominate, so we should not be complacent.
We last played Stevenage in the FA Cup in 1998 when the then non-league team held us to a 1-1 draw to force a replay that we won 2-1 at home. Kenny Dalglish – our manager at the time – didn’t fancy that game at all and he complained about all manner of things from the size of the stadium to the quality of the balls. Kenny liked a good moan. (more…)