First game of the season, so figured I'd get a match day thread up early for this one. We kick off the penultimate game of the opening weekend vs Arsenal 14.00 on Sunday at St James' Park, live infront the sky sports cameras (so no one really needs to go to the game #justsaying). No news on the officials just yet but imagine that'll be out in a few days time. https://www.premierleague.com/match/46614 for all the statisticians out there. For those of you who CBA to check we've only beaten the gunners 10 times in 48 attempts with the latest win coming in April 2018 at home where we seem to score more often than not against them Not to much info out there yet but from what I understand, Gayle, Ritchie, Yedlin, Lejuene and Atsu are all out injured. Arsenal don't appear to have an injury worries but are having trouble with want away club captain Koscielny demanding to leave, New signings Pepe and Cabellos should be available to the visitors. Newcastle new boys Joel, StMax and Jethro all available but don't think the the latter two will start having just joined and only played under a half so far each. Not to mention any signings made in the next 5 days before the window closes, so you can all fap away and get on with formation porn with the available players who are here already. Interesting to see if Bruce sticks with this 3-5-2 long term or if he opens up a spot for St Maximin to play alongside Joel and Miggy once he's settled in but I'd imagine we will line up vs Arsenal as we have for the last few weeks. Opening games are always hard to predict as you just don't know whos fitter, whos more up for it etc. but I've been reliably informed Jim sees this one being a 3-1 win to the lads. Poll available for people to stick their neck out! Any excuse to get this one out there...
This could be a hard fought 4-0 win to the Toon Joe Linton 2 Albert ( ankles ) Bennett 1 Gordon Hindson 1
Joelinton scores goals For the Magpies, for the Magpies Joelinton scores goals For the Magpies, for the Magpies See if anyone gets the tune.
Apologies, I forgot the weather report... 17 degrees but raining, humidity will be 80% and wind of up to 15 mph! I will lash myself 100 times and try harder in the future
It's **** like this that results in us having two matchday threads, sometimes three. There's kind of a prediction in there but it's not really from the OP so doesn't really count. Good idea to get one up early though so we can have the week to build up to our first game of the season. You have to go back to the 2012/2013 season for our last opening day victory :- Should be quite interesting to see how VAR works in the Prem. I suspect there is gonna be a bedding in period to fine tune things. There are quite a few rule changes coming into force as well this season, I thought it worthwhile listing them here for those who weren't aware or have forgotten :- 1. Free kicks - No opposition players allowed in the wall. If there are 3 or more players in the wall, opposition players are not allowed within 1 metre of it. 2. Subs - Players being substitued off now have to leave the pitch by the nearest point on the touchline. 3. Cards - Coaches can now receive yellow and red cards from officials in the same way players do. 4. Pelantees - Goalies must have at least one foot on or inline with the goal-line 5. Handball - No goal if the ball "accidentally" strikes a players hand before crossing the line. 6. Dropballs - no longer contested. Ball will be dropped for the goalkeeper if inside the penalty area, or to a player from the team who last touched the ball if outside. In either situation opposing players will have to be at 4 metres away. 7. Goal kicks - No longer have to leave the penalty area for the ball to be in play. There's a couple of other less significant ones but the main ones are above. I can see #7 catching a few people out early doors. I can also see #4 causing some disruption, especially if the player taking the penalty scores but the goalie has moved off his line. I hope in these cases that VAR is only used and applied if the penalty is missed/saved and the kick has to be retaken....it's gonna generate some talking points that's for sure. Anyhoo, I'm gonna go for 2-2 draw.
Also known as today's safety bet.... I'm astonished at the amount of optimism being shown. After the disrupted pre-season we've had, a depleted squad, new (and not exactly stellar) manager, and three new signings in key positions, and a match against one of the big six, yet nearly three quarters of us still think we'll get something from this. Geordies are nothing if not optimists!
Realistically, this is a game we expect to lose. I would hope, but do not expect, people to give it a few games before judging the Manager and the players. Just as a Reminder: Round. 1 2 3 4. 5 . 6 7 8. 9 10 Result L D. L L. L. D. L. L. L D Position 14 13 16 18 19 18 18 19 20 19
That won't matter. Rafa got judged by different criteria. This is proven by his inferior record to Pardew, yet look how they are remembered.
G W D L W%age Alan Pardew please log in to view this image 185 71 41 73 38.38 Rafael Benítez please log in to view this image 98 47 21 30 47.96 Never let the facts get in the way Pouchy.
Do I look like your Butler? If you want them, then get them yourself. More seriously though, that’s why the stats are irrelevant. Stats can usually be made to say whatever you want them to say. That’s why Pardew’s record can’t properly be compared with Rafa’s and vice versa. The stats are only part of the picture and not all of the picture. That’s where subjective factors play a part and why we can all happily be right with the other person wrong. Although in truth Pouchy’s always wrong.