Normal Service Will Be Resumed.

After a two week break, football gets back to normal with a visit to the Britannia Stadium to play Stoke City next Saturday.

We've sold our full allocation of 2,750 tickets as usual, and after our tonsils have had a rest we should be in fine voice to get behind the lads.

Stoke are currently two points and two places behind us and a win for them and Fulham would mean they'd both go above us and drag us down into 12th place and heaven forbid, if Villa were to win they'd be level on points with us although we have a better GD. That's not a position I'd like to be in, a bit like being down among the dead men, although I think the relegated teams will come from the current bottom five.

Kenwyne Jones will no doubt be trying to score against us for old times sake and Shawcross is always out to get anybody he can. It'll no doubt be a very physical game and not pretty, I just hope our guys will be up to the challenge.

We do have Wolves, Birmingham and West Brom to play at home so hopefully we'll get enough points from those games to make sure of survival while probably helping to push them down. Anyway it won't be easy with so much to play for and the massive financial difference it will make to all the clubs concerned.

In spite of the rather uneasy feeling I've got about the game I'll be going for a 2-1 win with Nolan getting the first goal.

HTL.

 

Not going to predict a score until I see what team Pardew puts out against Stoke due to injuries.

It will be a hard game and I expect Pulis to have Stoke fired up, like ourselves they need the points.

 

I think draw.

God knows how we are going to defend their set pieces. Williamson on Carew and Colo or Shola on Jones? Thats what worries me.

These are the kind of games where we aren't expected to get anything and then we do. The Wolves, Birmingham and West Brom games are all games I can guarantee that we will get no more than 4 points.

We can beat Stoke with a bit of luck, just need to bully them and take our chances when they come.

 

Talking about set pieces I was going to mention the throw ins that are more like corners from Delap.

 

Stoke fan in peace. We'll start the game slowly like we always do, you'll dominate, Begovic will pull off save after save and we'll fluke a 0-0

Also you don't have to worry about the throw ins, they aren't a threat anymore, Pennant is our most dangerous man, scratch that, only dangerous man from set pieces.

I doubt Kenwyne will play, he's been utter crap for the past 3 and a bit months. He'll be on the bench, Walters and Carew will start.

 

How is Walters doing? I know there were some questions when he signed but has he impressed you?

 

Thanks for that bit of info sgtpotters.

 

Walters is no world beater for sure, but I like the lad, he's a good honest trier, never ever stops, always does his best wherever he's asked to play, whether it's the wing or up front. He hasn't got much pace, but he is deceptively very good in the air, decent at holding it up and a decent finisher. He's got 7 this season, a few in cups admittedly but some vital goals in the league as well. I think he's been a pretty good signing. He's been a single shining light in a dank and depressing last 6 weeks or so.

 

A bit of rep for you to take back to Stoke sgtpotters.

 

Thanks mate. It is a big game for both teams, but particularly for Pulis, as the general consensus seems to be that if we don't get results against West Ham today and against you then the "Pulis out" and "You don't know what you're doing" chants may start to resurface sadly. He is not a popular guy with Stoke fans at the moment, we've been mostly poor all season, but since selling Tuncay, his kudos has dropped every game since then it seems.

Onto to another subject. How's Nile Ranger coming along? He's always looked a real handful whenever I've seen him play. Big, strong, good worker.

 

Still got a way to go yet but he's got it in him to be anything he wants to be.

 

He needs to sort his life out.

He is always late for training yet he lives the closest. He is always being a dick out in town and walked out of a cinema half way through the movie shouting that it was ****. Pardew and a few players have gone public on his behaviour.

He is a handful because he is fast and clumsy, he has potential but he needs a goal. He cares more about how he looks when putting the ball in the net instead of actually just doing it.

 

Sounds an awful lot like Fuller, except that Ranger isn't on his last legs.

 

Good summing up, like I said he's got it in him to be anything he wants to be but he's got to make his mind up and meet the challenge.

 

Stoke havent had a good time of it recently, and Newcastle have played some good football and have been unlucky against Bolton and Everton in only getting 1 point. But, good football can mean very little in a game against Stoke. We need to have our cloggers on top form. So that means Tiote and Nolan will have to get very physical. I wouldnt start Shola, following what he said about being very cautious with his mask. To be honest, I'd play Kuqi with Best. Best isn't physical enough to win as much headers as he usually does, so Kuqi could be his knock-down man. Defensively I think we'll be alright. Coloccini has been in outstanding form and Williamson is very capable. Etherington could cause problems but remember, We had Perch last time playing, not Simpson, who quite frankly has been a bit of a revelation this season. Harper will need to be on top form as I can see shots comiong in from every where. My prediction; If Barton plays, Newcastle win. If he doesnt, Draw

 

Repped. Spot on mate!

 

I think we'd do very well to get a draw out of this one, will be very difficult, hoping for some injuries that will keep Stoke's players out for the game today

 

With regards to Barton, Spiderman-Mask has hit the nail on the head. If we've Barton playing I think we've got a decent chance of all 3 points. I fear that we are too reliant on Barton/Tiote (understandable though, considering how great they've been this season) and when they don't play, it is glaringly obvious in our performance.

I think Stoke will be a tough game and we'll have to put in a gritty performance to match them, but if we can get some of the injured/unfit players back for it I reckon we can grind out a result.

 

All i'll predict is that we again out sing the home crowd.

 

Haha, but that's like predicting the day after Monday would be Tuesday.