Match Preview & Predictions - Brighton (A) - FA Cup - 28/01/2012 - Live on ESPN - 17:15

After last weekend’s second half capitulation to Fulham we face a stern test down the south coast against a decent Brighton team.

With the team currently on a ‘refresh’ break in Tenerife, Newcastle will be looking to bounce back from Saturday’s terrible second half display.

Gus Poyet (still despise this prick for those goals in that semi-final) is in the dugout for them and former Newcastle player Lua Lua is set to come back from injury. 

Our Thoughts:

@therealrobbo – Well…talk about a game of 2 halves! What happened at Fulham should be brushed aside for this potential banana skin.

Brighton just lucky to get past a spirited Wrexham side will be looking to knock United out of the cup live on TV (déjà vu anyone). Most ties of this nature are unpredictable and I can see both teams scoring and United perhaps coming away with at least a draw.

Prediction -   United to shade this 2-1 or 1-1 and a 40 yard screamer from Brighton which will be showed ad-infinitum every cup weekend football focus from now until the end of time.

@rammlet - We really should be taking the FA Cup as seriously as possible, there’s no point in playing a weakened side when all we want to do is win some silverware finally.

Having said that, I would like to see the likes of Vuckic and Abeid get a run-out, but ideally not too many changes.

If we play a reasonably strong side we can get a victory though for some reason I see us struggling. If we could get them back to SJP I’d be reasonably happy (apart from the extra game).

Prediction -  I’ll say score draw and United through in a replay.

@mattypnufc – The FA cup is an important competition in these parts.  Perhaps devalued due to the big clubs not giving too much of a fuck over the years sadly, it remains our best possible way of achieving silverware and European qualification.  We have to go all out for it.

We should be putting out a full strength team, however with three games in quick succession, changes will probably be made and probably the same as Gaz has said, put Vuckic & Mehdi in. 

It will be a tough game as Brighton aren’t an easy team especially at their place.

Prediction -  A 2-0 to us or an exciting 2-2 with the replay back at St James’.

Shola is still a happy lad even after last weekends game.  A pint of exhibition please pet.

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!

Match Preview & Predictions - QPR (H) - Premier League - 15/01/2012 - 13:30

On the back of two home games, comes an unusual third in a row this Sunday.

Live on Sky for the second time in quick succession we face the now Colin Wanker-less ‘Super Hoops’ at home.

“The Joey Barton Show” and Traore are set to miss out for them, along with Ba and Tiote for us.  Danny Simpson was taken off with a slight shoulder injury on Saturday.

Our Thoughts:

@therealrobbo: - The focus will be more on QPR for this tie, and this may play into our hands, they currently lie 3pts off the bottom in 17th place have sacked Colin Wanker and Sparky Hughes is currently favourite to jump into the Loftus Road hot seat.

This begins a tough looking run of games for QPR who after our game head into a 6-pointer with Wigan at home on the 21st, then an away game at Villa and a home game v Wolves, topped off with a tricky trip to Blackburn which also proves to be another 6-pointer. 

By the middle of February the seasons outcome maybe a lot clearer for QPR.

I think with QPR missing a few key players will benefit a NUFC without Ba and Tiote and I think this game will be won or lost in the midfield, we pummelled Blackburn on Saturday and think Pardew will have the team perfectly prepared following the learning’s from Saturday.

I think there were some positives to take from Saturdays game in Ba’s and Tiote’s absence and I think we can win our 3rd game on the bounce Sunday.

Prediction: I will go for a 1-0 / 2-0 win to United, with Ben Arfa to find the net again at some point.

@rammlet: - I’d take a win of any sort here, scrappy or otherwise. Ben Arfa has to start on the right for me, with Shola and Best up top. Guthrie would come in for Tiote if fit, otherwise I’d be tempted to go with Abeid, he looked tidy on Saturday.

Keep Obertan for the last 20 mins when they’re tired and let him stretch them with his pace.

Prediction: I’ll take a scruffy 1-0 please.

@mattypnufc: - I’m with Gaz on this.  3 points in any shape or form and I’ll be a happy lad. 

Obviously they’ve been on a bit of a bad run of games recently, and their form will not be helped with the absence of Joey, but they may well suffer from ‘New Manager’ syndrome if someone is in place by the weekend which would make it more difficult than people are expecting. 

I still think, even with the absence of Ba & Tiote we should be a little too strong going forward for Anton and co to deal with. 

I just hope our fans don’t start to hum and har at every missed pass or scuffed shot.  Let’s get behind the lads!

Prediction: 2-0 for me, Shola and Ben Arfa. 

Match Preview & Predictions - Blackburn (H) - FA Cup - 07/01/2012 - 15:00

In a new weekly feature, starting today, we will gauge opinions and predictions from all three of us of the week’s forthcoming game and perhaps a few of the other games too.    

As everyone knows, the FA Cup Third round takes place this weekend and countless replays of THAT bloody goal will be shown across the country.

In the oldest and best domestic cup competition we are facing fellow Premier League opposition Blackburn Rovers on an unusually fashionable 3pm kick off.

In our past three years in the competition, we have progressed just once (Plymouth - 2010) and have been knocked out twice (Stevenage - 2011 & Hull - 2009).

Our thoughts:

@therealrobbo – If we play a good strength squad I think we will have a good chance to progress, I’m sure Blackburn would prefer to concentrate on their relegation battle so it could be a good chance for some of the ‘2^nd’ teamers to strut their stuff.

Prediction: I would think there might be a few shocks but can see us winning 2-0 or 2-1 but I don’t think it will be as the league game was last year when we pummelled them.

Other games are obviously the Manchester Derby (Man City to win) and I think the Mackems will also win at Peterborough.

@rammlet - No doubt this will be a case of ‘after the Lord Mayor’s Show’ with the brilliant midweek win being followed up with a poor performance.

It doesn’t matter though as long as we go through, and Steve Kean and his Venky’s may well be focussing on staying in the division. 

Prediction: 2-1 NUFC with Morten Gamst Pedersen scoring for them, as always.

@mattypnufc - I can see us winning this one.  Blackburn should be concentrating on the league and will be putting priorities on trying to stay up. 

Are they saying boo or boourns?

Firstly, an apology for severe lack of updates on the site. 

Life and work getting in the way of our mundane, mental and somewhat daft site recently.

Why not kick start things again with a lovely rant towards several bits and bobs that have been getting on my tit end the past few weeks.   You may notice some familiar themes pop up from previous rants…

Match Of The Day – Saturday & Sunday

Bore’fucking’ing.  The one show that should be one of the ‘must-watch’ programs on TV has become increasingly harder and harder to watch.   Watching Lineker,  Hansen and Lawrenson sitting on those chairs looking gleefully smug on their hefty paypackets, week in week out, offering little or no opinion on the game that’s just been on just boils my fucking piss. 

If things weren’t bad enough I now get to see Lawrenson’s “I’m a bigger cunt but don’t give a flying fuck cos I earn bucketloads” fucking grin in HD. 

The format has become stale, the presenters dull, opinions from ex-players barely even associated with anything other than arse licking Liverpool, Man U or fence-sitting until it ends up splintering his arse (Shearer).  You’re a legend Alan, but howay man, HAVE A FUCKING OPINION FOR ONCE!

As for Match Of The Day 2.  I’m shocked and appalled that it hasn’t been at least nominated for the British Comedy Awards…what with the top gags that Colin Murray cracks every Sunday night.

What’s with the shitty cartoons and puns they do before each game? Fuck off man, just show some fucking football. 

Is it wrong that I actually preferred Adrian Chiles?

Is this really what it’s came to?

Bloody Adrian Chiles?

May Shola have mercy on us all.

Spurs Spunkfest

As usual, ‘Arry Redknapp’s get nothing but praise from the national media wanking all over their style of play and application in games. 

Scott Parker is named man of the match even when he’s sitting on a couch at home sipping cups of tea whilst turning constantly on a swivel chair getting his practise in.

Can someone remind me when’s good old candleface’s tax evasion trial is again?

Chelsea’s Fortunate Decisions & Villas BO-ASS

It’s now been three weeks and I’m still fuming about the Luis decision.

When your chips are down what else can you do but bribe, bribe, bribe away!

Fuck you Abramovich. 

And as for their manager…I like him, he’s young, he’s hip, he does a funky little crouch thing on the touchline, he has a bit of a personality…what I don’t like is his inability to give credit where credit is due…totally ignoring his team were unlucky not to have 10 men for a full 85 minutes during our game.  A match in which we hit the bar twice, post twice and had a clearance off the line against their 11 men. 

Prick.

And on this subject, what’s with commentators pronouncing his name like they’ve been spending too much time with Sean Connery?

Yesh Mister Villas-BO-ASH!

Thanks to my mate Jonny for pointing this out…I can’t help but notice it now.  Sorry everyone.

Boourns

Some part-time fuckwits booing our team in the game against Swansea at the weekend. 

A game that on any other day would’ve been a howking for the away team, people fucking booing at the end?

What’s all that about?

If you don’t like it, do us all a favour and FUCK OFF.  Seriously…St James’ park doesn’t need you.  The team doesn’t need you as a “supporter”. 

Robbo summed it up nicely on Saturday night, “You wouldn’t sit through a shit film and then boo at the end…you’d just get up and leave.”  

Steve Kean

Cretin

FA Cup Ticket Prices

Scandalous pricing strategy by the club again. 

£20 for an adult ticket, £5 for bairns = ground half full.

Honestly, when will they realise they could pissing fill the place for £10 tickets and make more money?

That’s about it from me today.

I’m off to abuse some bellends on twitter claiming to be in the know.

KTF

#TicketsForTroops - Newcastle United Donation

Newcastle United have announced that not only will they be wearing a special remembrance day Home shirt, but have also announced 400 tickets, along with price cuts for the #TicketsForTroops campaign.

Our very own @therealrobbo wrote to the club to ask about donating tickets to the cause after discussing at monthly meetings with @NUFCFansUtd and it’s various supporter groups. Our friend @NufcKev also did lots of work collecting spare unused ticket stubs from pre-season to donate to #TicketsForTroops.

We’d like to think all who attended that meeting, Robbo and Kev had something to do with it…

Article taken from nufc.co.uk

Newcastle United will once again wear special edition poppy-embroidered shirts for their home game against Everton on Saturday to mark Remembrance Day.

The shirts will be worn at St. James’ Park as United take on the Toffees, before being auctioned to raise money for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.

The poppies first made an appearance last season for our November home game against Fulham, and each shirt was individually signed by the players before being passed to the Royal British Legion to auction off.

And the famous red flower, which commemorates those who have died while fighting for their country, is set to make a return this year on the black and white shirt as well as being proudly displayed by a host of other teams in the Barclays Premier League.

In an additional show of support for the armed forces, the Club has donated 400 tickets to the Tickets for Troops appeal for the games against Everton (5th November), West Brom (21st December), Queens Park Rangers (15th January) and Aston Villa (4th February).

These are allocated to servicemen and women via a ballot process online at www.ticketsfortroops.org.uk. Further details for armed forces personnel can be obtained from their base.

The Club are also offering a significant number of discounted tickets to members of the armed forces and their families for the same four fixtures. Tickets will be available for just £5 for over 11s and free for under 11s.