Newcastle United V Chelsea - Official Build Up / Match Day Thread

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Newcastle United v Chelsea

Saturday 2nd November 2013

Kick off 12.45pm @ SJP​

Squad
News is awaited of Saylor and Colo whilst Raylor is the only other long term absentee.

Betting (from PP)

To Follow​

Streams
http://www.firstrow.org/

ACS's View
It's a game we didn't want after a derby defeat and I can only see another defeat on the cards. My guess would be 1-3.

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Agree that we're going to lose this one as well as getting humped in mid-week by Man City.

The derby was so important and we simply weren't good enough to beat (at the time) the PL's worst team... now we face two of the best teams in the league and fear humiliation

 

Will be there but not expecting a win, terrible to say against your own team.

 

A point would have been great yesterday especially in view of our next six league games:

Newcastle V Chelsea

Tottenham V Newcastle

Newcastle V Norwich

Newcastle V West Brom

Swansea V Newcastle

Man Utd V Newcastle

I hope we can scrap six points out of those, mainly the WBA and Norwich games. A draw is possible against Swansea, lets hope we can get something. I can't see us getting anything against Chelsea and Spurs, Man Utd might hopefully have an off day but it would be just our luck we catch them on the day firing on all cylinders.

 

Again will lose, don't care what Mourinho's record in the league at SJP is, got to change at some point.

 

I'd say Norwich and the baggies will be the only source of points out of that lot.

 

Probably, West Brom look good on the road so that isn't going to be easy, Swansea are shaky at home so you never know there.

 

Depends which version turns up. We could sneak a point or win if they decide to try. Equally we could try and still lose. Effort like Sunday and the result is a foregone conclusion. Looking at their physicality yesterday though, sort of team we struggle with.

 

Anyone remotely confident?

 

No and I already know Pardew's excuse "we had a hard midweek game and there were a few tired bodies out there today"

 

Spooky as I've just created a bingo game you may want to join in with on another thread. We both thuoght of the same thing but nearest the pin on the wording wins the most points.

 

To be fair I think last night did put the nail in our coffin. We had a large portion of our first team playing for 120mins. That always impacts on league form. Especially when they had luxury of a comfortable win with only one 1st team player used for 90mins. A difficult task just became near impossible. 0-5

 

Was thinking about it this morning - what concerns me most is our inability to be effective in the final third. However, what worried me about it was this was a cause for concern some 2 years ago and it hasn't been addressed. Sure, there's the point about personnel, but what I cannot sympathise with is 2 years and no goals from corners, nor a constant pattern of no cutting edge under Pardew.

I'm between two minds on these Pardew-Palace/Di Matteo-Newcastle rumours. Obviously first and foremost they're probably from Twitter. But I'm also of a mind that we could still be doing better, even under Ashley, with a better manager.

 

We certainly could. The question is, would a better manager than Pardew follow? I very much doubt it. When Hughton was described by Llambias as being "dithering" when speaking candidly with fans I think we can see what was meant. He thought the transfer policy was wrong, didn't want to go down the foreign route, wanted control of transfers to repair problems. Whoever follows will have a very straightforward contract like Pardew. Turn up to training ground, coach, we look after the rest. Say right things in media or your sacked. What are we looking at here? David O'Leary or Curbishley? Which one from the managerial scrapheap if we avoid the inevitable dose of JK?

 

Ok, so assume RDM is offered the chance. Let's further assume that a few lessons have been learned and RDM is given a bit more flexibility. Big assumptions, but not outside the realms of possibility - we have strengthened better under Pardew than his predecessor, Ashley's ways have changed from the ludicrously extroverted to the now unfathomable introverted, so change is possible.

How would you feel if RDM came in, was given a budget, pointed towards top 8 and asked "what do we need"?

 

It simply will not happen. I don't think RDM is all that either.

I love your positivity that change can happen. I'm afraid this juggernaut does not have the capacity to change direction.

 

To be honest, I'm not a fan of RDM, but the win ratio, the performances and the fact many of the issues are the same, tired things with AP makes me feel that we MUST change manager. I completely understand it doesn't solve everything. But there's a talented number of footballers there and we should be able to find more consistency than we currently do.

 

I honestly feel that until other factors change within the club, we'll never see a revival or anything better regardless of who the manager is. You might get a little honeymoon period of positivity but they'll soon have it ground out of them. I think Pardew would have to go in any regime change, not because he has been incredibly poor, just because he has clearly been tired by the job.

Anyway lets hope we can find some energy reserves and avoid a hammering. Have to say though, I have watched Chelsea of late and they look a really good side. Incredibly physical, and starting to get that typical Mourinho doggedness about them again. Once you get that with the quality they have, you have a winning combo. Fearing the worst.

 

Comfortable defeat. Very unlikely to score or even threaten the goal. No idea how we'll play. I'd go 4-5-1, drop Sissoko, keep Ben Arfa out as well and, if I could help it, use one of our good left backs -

Krul

Debuchy, Willo, MYM, Dummett/Haidara

Jonas, Anita, Tiote, Cabaye, Sammy/Santon

Remy.

We'll get crucified if we think Chelsea will play like Man City's B team and go with a 4-4-2, humping long balls up to Cahill...I mean, Shola.

 

Despite me not rating Pardew's tactical ability, his team selections and set piece drills one thing he has always had is energy and passion. For me there is absoutely no doubt that he no longer has these attributes. In his press conferences he looks exhausted, he looks like a man that no longer has the fight required for the job and that coupled with his other failings is a recipe for disaster.

For those reasons I feel a change of manager is essential. Di Matteo? Not for me I'm afraid but the fact remains that he's probably the biggest name that isn't currently in a job. He'd be the big favourite for that reason alone.

I'm not saying Pardew is completely to blame for our current situation. It's a combination of him, Ashley & Kinnear. I just think the players need rejuvenating and to hear a different voice on the training ground is the best way to make sure that happens.