binnsy

Good game tonight, we started really well in the first 15 mins, playing into the wind and should have took the lead when we were awarded a pen but Ranger missed, although the keeper pulled off a good save. Ranger then managed to hit the post from about 3 yards and also missed again from close range from a corner. Liverpool then came into hit, Raheem Sterling looking particularly sharp, Elliott got into a right mess and almost gifted them the lead when he cleared a back pass straight off the Liverpool forward. Liverpool then took the lead when the broke clear and although i think kadar got back to make a decent block it broke to Sterling who scored. Newcastle started the 2nd half brilliantly and great work down the left by Fergie, Inman and vukcic saw Inman break into the box to square for Ranger to tap in. Then again we broke down the left and Fergie broke clear after good play by Kadar and Vukcic and Fergies excellent crosss to the back post was headed in by Ranger, couple of minutes later it was 3, again another move down the left saw the ball cut back to Richardson at the edge of the area and he hit a superb curling effort into the top corner. Liverpool then pulled one back and after NUFC had missed a couple of chances to sew the game up they could easily have snatched a draw with the last kick of the game but dragged the shot wide with a scuffed shot when he should really have scored or at least hit the target. Of the players who would come into consideration for the first team i thought Vukcic was excellent, Sammy showed some flashes of sheer brilliance, Kadar was steady at the back. Abeid was ok, gets stuck in and is quick but could have used the ball better and give it away a few times in dangerous positions, don't think it was the best of nights for him. Despite his two goals thought Ranger was poor, should really have had 5 goals and the two he did score were put on a plate for him. Finally the keeper, got to say he doesn't inspire you with much confidence, he made a couple of good saves but i would be very worried if he was coming on for a league game.

Why? he was the first to jump ship after we went down, despite us plucking him from obscurity.

Circumstances change though and i doubt Pardew would have thought Ba and Best would have started the season as well as they have done.

Love the fact that he's still virtually ignored by the media and so called experts, this lad has been brilliant for well over 18 months and still seems to be stuck with the unjust Coco the clown tag. That alone just sums up the type of punditry that we have in this country.

I'd make 5 changes but still be a strong team, being in the likes of Santon, Marveaux, HBA, Gosling and Harper.

yeah that would be my team, with perhaps Sammy or Vukcic on the bench instead of Lovenkrands.

I'd play both. in place of who? Obertan and Best? If i was to make one change i think i'd be tempted to play HBA on the right hand side, in a similar role to how Modric played for Spurs, with licence to come inside. I don't think we could risk putting two players who have been out for so long and lacking match fitness into a league game, even the likes of Wigan are a different level to playing Forest in a cup game.

I take it by that post that you think they should play on Saturday? Can i ask why you would want to throw in 2 players who have barely played a competitive game in a year into a team that is playing really well and unbeaten?

He's not in the reserve squad for tomorrow nights game with Liverpool (no Marveaux either). Think they both should be playing, HBA needs some match fitness, i don't think he's ready to start a league game yet.

Rihanna was also at the Spurs game.

That 20 min spell from Shola must be how he's played in training for the last 12 years and why every manager still picked him, it was like he was giving a masterclass in playing the lone frontman, never gave the ball away, battered the centre halfs, linked the play with the midfield and then when presented with a chance produces a wonder striker with his weaker foot! Either that or someone told him we were playing Sunderland and not Spurs.

Almost cost us the match when he cheaply lost possession. He has too play on Tuesday night when the reserves play Liverpool, he needs match fitness and get get the kind of match sharpness that you don't get in training sessions and then give him another run out at Blackburn in the cup and after those two games i'd then consider him to start a League game, however i'm not sure Stoke away would be an ideal one. The lad has been out for virtually a whole year, I think we will be much better off easing him back slowly and not to expect too much too soon, some of the hype in this thread is quite scary.

yes and the reserves play Liverpool at Whitley Park so hopefully they can win that and stay top, if the likes of Ben Arfa, Santon and Marveaux don't play against Spurs tomorrow they could feature which i'd think would get a few extra 100 through the gate.

From .com. He actually only played 70 odd minutes in the first game still class that he's come through another match ok. If the likes of Santon and Ben Arfa don't start on Sunday, I fully expect to see them play against Wigan. what happens if we end up beating Spurs 3-0 with the best performance of the season?? Would you change the team to accomadate those two?

i was just reading the Lee Ryder webchat and the first question was some kid saying would you play Best and Ba at the weekend or bring Shola back in now he's fit!!

Strange enough that everyone in the country seems to rate him bar most Newcastle supporters. Not true, I think he's brilliant. Really obscure hatred of him on this forum tbh, especially considering his attitude while he played with us/any club. Was that the attitude of telling fans in the East Stand to fuck off??

Loving how quick he's settled in and looking a real bargan however i have the same fear with him as HBA thats nagging away in the back of my head and that is PSG with all there money, i am worried that they will come in for him in the future. Hopefully is wife settles well as i think it could be her that is the reason why he'd move on.

Reserves now top of the league along with the Under 18's and along with the first team all are unbeaten. Tremendous achievement.

Both his goals came from the right hand side, cut in and hit a shot with his left foot and then scoring at the back post from a left wing cross from Fergie.

By the sound of it Marvaeux has played on the right tonight in the reserve game, certainly scored his 2 goals from that side, cutting in and scoring with his left and coming in to convert Fergies left wing cross from close range at the back post.

NUFC's dodgy goal over in the 1932 cup final on, RTG will be going mental!!

Amazed he's not in the reserve team just as it was a suprise that he didn't play last week aswell. Surely while he's building up fitness in training he needs some match time just to get his match fitness and sharpness up. Plus while you don't want to him gettin whacked you want him getting tackled and been able to overcome challenges, even just to help is mental side of the game.

today is the anniversary of his broken leg against Man City.

Always dodgy looking ahead at the fixtures and trying to predict them but would be excellent if we could win and the other results go our way, wins for Man U v Liverpool, Citeh against Villa plus wins for Chelsea and Arsenal will see us and the other top 3 sides get a nice little cushion over the likes of Liverpool and Villa while Arsenal winning should see the mackems drop into the bottom 3!! What a brilliant weekend that could turn out to be! :-)

Hoping he's back to play against Blackburn in the cup.