Match Preview & Predictions - Fulham (A) - Premier League - 21/01/2012 - 15:00

Saturday’s game against Fulham comes on the back of three United back to back home wins in January (League & FA Cup respectively).

In a traditional 3pm kick off, we face a Fulham team who are having a mixed season in terms of results, however look to be a steady side at home.  Only 3 teams have maximum points at Craven Cottage so far this term.

Along with Ba, Tiote and new signing Papiss Demba Rodney (Dave) Cisse is also away at the ACON.  Fulham are thought to be without Demblele and Schwarzer.

Our Thoughts:

@therealrobbo – Newcastle are coming into this game on the run of 3 wins and are the team on form, however without sparks of magic in previous games we have struggled to break teams down, now back on the road this could be a very low scoring affair and Fulham are favourites at evens, with NUFC out to 14/5 with some firms.

This I think will be a tight affair and I would be more than happy with a point, but no real reason why we couldn’t take 3 if the team find their shooting boots as Fulham look weak in front of goal and have no clean sheet in their last five league games.

Prediction - Therefore would go for Besty first and last goal and perhaps a 0-0 or a 0-1 NUFC win.

@rammlet - This is going to be tight and we don’t have a great record at Fulham down the years. At lot may well depend on Cabaye’s fitness and whether Pardew has the bottle to start with Ben Arfa.

The likes of Guthrie, Shola, Best etc have a lot to prove with their respective replacements off at the ACON so I think it’ll be an interesting match.

Prediction - I can’t see us winning but I don’t think they’ll turn us over either, so I’m going to go for a score draw.

@mattypnufc – Personally speaking I think this game may be asking too much for our stand-in strikers to do a job.  Saying that with the arrival of a new body it may just push Shola into activating his ‘can be arsed’ chip. 

Fulham are one of those teams that can be brilliant (Arsenal at Home) or shite (Blackburn Away), depending on their mood.  Ruiz looks a tidy player and could see him nicking a goal.  If Andy ‘bloody’ Johnson plays then he’ll no doubt get a goal too.  Stop Danny Murphy (I know…he’s not that good, he’s old etc but always plays a blinder against us) and we’ll win.

Prediction - . It all hinges on the midfield battle for me.  If Cabaye and Guthrie start then we’ll win 2-1. If not, I’ll go for an optimistic score draw like Gary.  

Shola is still at broon ale buoyant level of glee at the moment!