Erdinc is a damn sight better than Lovenkrands, Ranger, Best. With our midfield, we will create chances, and if Lovenkrands, Best, Shola can score goals in the PL, I am sure Erdinc can. I just want them home from America, its been a ****ing joke of a trip. And I can't believe who I have forgot!! Cabaye! Cabaye will certainly be starting in the middle, Barton on the right so its a fight between Marveaux and Jonas.
I'd imagine you'll go with Jonas, he's more physical and therefore a better fit for this kinda fixture. Cabaye will need protection from Tiote in this one to play his natural game, it'll be interesting to see how he handles it. It's a bi difference from playing in a wonderful and pacey Lille team in a slow league (Cabaye is great with the ball, but the runs of Hazard and Gervinho into the channels will surely have created space), to a full blooded local derby. Cabaye will be a good signing, but he may get a bit of a culture shock in this one, i think Catts will 'say hello' early doors.
Cattermole has the reputation amongst the referee's and I'd imagine the referee will stamp it out early. Tiote got booked after 7 minutes at St James' against you, made him a better player. Yours is pretty much a brand new team, and we have a few new additions so this game will have no bearing on how well they will go on to play with each other. **** time for a derby.
I agree mate, bit of a waste in truth. For all we have many new signings, i think you'll see a pretty settled team, the new lads will have been at the club 6 weeks, and the big players are those we already had, namely Gyan and Sessegnon. I have no fears about Gardner and O'Shea settling into the side, the big thing for us is up top if we need to change it. It could be a game where Whickham is introduce around the hour with the chance to make himself an instant hero, and Dong has been mightily impressive on tour. I can't see Gardner bottling it like Jordan, so that in itself would give us an enormous advantage over last year, he was totally worthless.
They will have settled into life on Tyneside But its just a case of playing as a team. John O'Shea is a good signing, and will see things that other players in your team won't. He will play balls into areas where players should be, but they won't read him because they aren't as good. Makes O'Shea look like a bit of a mug. We have the same problem, I think every team does to be fair, loads of summer signings mean the first 5-6 games are going to be very bumpy.
Can't argue with that to an extent, i do feel that O'Shea will prove to be a very astute buy, his experience should have a calming effect on the back 4, i'd be surprised if we lose as many late goals with him in the side. I'm excited to see Sess playing off Gyan though, it means one of your CB's is gonna have to keep stepping out to cover the movement of Sess, and Gyan is quicker that either (i'm assuming Colo & Taylor?), so can get into the gaps and exploit the space. My big concern is from Barton on the right, i just feel that the damage will come from this area, as you had first hand experience of twice last season, we just don't handle good delivery to the back post, i'd hope O'Shea will help here, but he can't do it all. We have a habit under Bruce of getting ourselves hemmed in as well, we pull too many back, making it hard for us to get the ball out, often we conceded because we were overmanned at the back, and either the keeper would be trying to get through a crowd and failing, or the ball would ping about and end up in the net.
Be sure to get yourself on the early train to have a couple of hours before the game mate, i understand people heading home after the match, but it'd be a shame if you didn't enjoy a bit of Mackem hospitalituy pre-match at least!
Yes, don't worry, we'll be giving ourselves plenty of time to spare. How much do you guys charge away fans? I take it it is somewhere in the region of £40?
It varies mate, but you'll be category a so around the £38 mark i believe, never bought an away ticket mind, so not 100%! I'm home for the Chelsea game for a stag weekend, try and catch me on here a couple of days before and feel free to come meet us, there'll be about 30 Sunderland (as it's a stag), but there'll be the 6 Chelsea lads, so you won't be out of it
Would be more than happy to oblige and take part in the stag/Newcastle relegation part 2. SOL looks like a magnificent stadium anyway so it'll be great
Yeah the stadium is magnificent even now, i think it's due a bit of a 'facelift' in terms of some of the gantry's and refreshment areas, but i hear the clubs on the ball with this already. One thing i will say, is much as i love my home town, it's nowt like Chelsea
