This is the latest update on the website: The Magpies hope to have Joe Willock back from illness while Eddie Howe will make a decision on Jonjo Shelvey and Joelinton ahead of the match. Federico Fernández is now back in training too, but Callum Wilson and Kieran Trippier are still injured.
Everton will also have a late assessment on Calvert-Lewin, which could make a difference on how they set up to play.
Tonight we need players that will exploit a crap defence. Everton's weakest aspect is their defence. Max is worth his flaws. Murphy offers nothing in attack. We have to be ambitious and use our attacking talent. We should play Max, Targett can take care of himself. Go a goal or two up, then when we're pegged back in our own half late defending a result, take maxi off. We can just not play maxi because we're scared of his lack of defensive abilities. Its a risk you take sometimes when playing a winger with that sort of talent.
Max is lazy he hasn't been playing well and looked dreadful in his last two sub appearances. Murphy and Fraser or even almiron deserve to start. I'm sick of Saint max pretending he's hurt and not passing. Hope he plays well of he starts but I think he plays badly more than he plays well. I'm hoping Joe is fit that's all..
It's all about attitude, spirit and tactics. Everton looked disjointed and disinterested against us and we battered them in the second half. Vs Villa we were shaken by a few key injuries but restructured and made sure they didn't get any chances and deserved the win. Vs West Ham we got back into it against a very good side and matched them in the second half, and vs Brentford we fully took advantage of the extra man and comprehensively outplayed them. Vs Chelsea we were massively unlucky to lose, which shows the difference between us and a team like Everton.
This is why I said we'd been grinding out results and I see a very difficult away fixture in what's going to be a white hot atmosphere and i don't see us as big favourites. I'm hoping Joelinton plays and I'm really hoping lacelles doesn't.
Look at it this way guys. Last week we were the weakest we've been for a while. So many key players absent and yet Chelsea only scraped a lucky 1-0. I know their goal was not lucky, but they got away with so much. That should give us massive confidence. I'm sick of hearing "ASM was crap in his sub apps", remember he was playing in a defensive 5-4-1 vs Chelsea. He does not thrive in that situation. Lets see what happens when he gets a proper start in a 4-3-3 going for a win, rather than defending with 5 at the back. I for one strongly disliked eddie's decision to bring him on against Chelsea. Definitely his stupidest decision.
"Grinding out" put quite a negative spin on it tbh, the team is playing together better than they ever have, we have way more possession and chances than previously, and have far more confidence than before. Yes we hang on to result now that we'd previously let slip, but that's due to effort rather than luck. Contrast this with Everton, a team who have invested vastly in the likes of Richarlison, Siggurdson, Iwobi, Mina, etc, and they just look like a disinterested rabble. Even Robson, who was inspiring for us, looks uninterested there. Everton are every bit as good as on paper, but there's a big difference between them and us right now.
If Newcastle play anything like they have in the last 6 weeks Everton are doomed. They deserved at least a point against us and were robbed by the ref and a bit of brilliance by Havertz. No disrespect to Newcastle by any means but you'd think Everton are targeting this as a game they have to win given their horrendous away record and the next three at Goodison being against United, Leicester and Chelsea.
It doesn't mean that it means we are grinding them out in fairly tight affairs. The football side has improved there's no doubt about it, but that's never been the point of discussion. They're definitely as you say low on confidence, but I maintain there's not much between the sides and it'll just come down to who's better on the night. It's a pick em where people would edge towards Newcastle
Everton seem to be seeing his as the biggest game they've had for 30 years... The fans will be loud tonight and it'll help them. They'll try to do what they did to Leeds which was throw the kitchen sink newcastle early with a high press and it's whether Newcastle can handle that atmosphere and can pick the gaps on the counter..
I'll be shocked if Everton don't win this one to be honest. Never been so sure of anything in my life. Unfortunately Everton football club don't do relegation.
