durhamunigeordie

Also has very little game time with the players around him which could cause problems. Full 90 might not be right. Dont buy that argument for a number 9. As a defender who has to play as part of an organised back 4 then yes you need time to know the other players around you, but as an out and out goalscorer you should be able to slot into any side really. Of course as time progresses then you will develop an understanding with your teammates, which in turn is likely to be beneficial, however, that is not a reason to not put someone straight in. There are other factors, such as the 'buzz' that him playing will create and hopefully the determination he will have to impress, that I would hope will negate any negative effects that not having played with his teammates very much will have. Add in the fact he could play with Ba, a friend and someone he has been training with regularly for the last month, and there is no reason for him not to start.

Totally agree. Obertan got about 16 games in a row to prove himself at the start of the season. Am hoping that Pardew gives Hatem the same kind of chance to do so now and doesn't just drop him because he had a poor first half away at Blackburn - surely Pards himself will be excited at seeing what Hatem and the two Dembas in the same side will be like. I trust Pardew to put things into context and realise that Villa at home with our two main strikers back in the running is completely different to a midweek trip to Blackburn with Shola and Best up top.

http://www.shieldsgazette.com/sport/sport-columnists/black-white/cisse_gives_newcastle_a_lift_before_he_s_kicked_a_ball_1_4212037 Pardew - “It’s not impossible that they could be on the bench, as they’ve had a long journey, but I haven’t decided yet. Could be taken one of two ways. I really hope this doesn't mean what I think it means though.

He's in bibs

...His head looks like a lightbulb

Play them then. I reckon AP might well pick these two to get the place warmed up nicely. Totally agree. I would say Ba is nailed on to start, but it is most likely that this will be with one of Ameobi or Best. In terms of performances over the last few weeks Best has shaded it, although neither has exactly excelled - one goal between them in the 5 games that Demba has been away - congratulations on stepping up guys! Going on past selections though Pardew is more likely to stick with Shola and it would therefore not surprise me in the slightest if he does start. Think I am beyond the point of being able to get angry about this. However, Pardew should be factoring into the fact the massive lift that having these boys back will bring to the stadium. He has a choice really. Does he start Ba, which will itself give the crowd a lift, and hold back Cisse as his trump card, bringing him on in the second half to a huge roar, or, does he go with them both from the start and hope that this gets the crowd up for the entire game? Personally I hope he goes for the second option, but will not be too disappointed if he doesn't.

End it with ... In the toon from dakar, cisse and demba ba, OPTIONAL: We like to pardy, we like, like to pardy ...and you're onto a winner Make all the geordies disco, They're both better than Xisco We like to pardy, we like, we like to pardy!

Wouldn't mind Perch starting in the middle as long as it doesn't mean Raylor out wide instead of Ben Arfa. Yes Hatem was poor last night, but I hope Pardew realises that it was just one of those nights that was never going to be us at our best and we just needed to dig in and get the result. At home, with Ba and Cisse available, it is a completely different story. We need to have a go at Villa and that will not happen if Raylor is on the right hand side of midfield.

Did fine in the second half yesterday. Looks like that could be his best position and would rather have him in there than Raylor. Decent in the tackle and keeps it simple. His turn and then release of the ball at Fulham for our second goal was a very good piece of football. Obviously there was still a lot to be done before Hatem scored, but I thought he deserved some credit for that.

Took his goal well. Felt that he should have been brought on against Brighton and probably a bit earlier last night. His pace alone means he is enough of a threat late in the game. Wouldn't want him starting though at the moment ahead of Ben Arfa.

They still accumulate but the suspension doesn't kick in until 10 games, they just get a warning letter at 5 after december 31st. If you reach 10 it is still a 2 game ban though. At some point (Late March/April?) it goes up to 15 I think.

Raylor?! I cannot believe we are seriously staring down the barrel of him starting in CM for three games.

Anyone have any idea of pubs in Durham City that will have this one on?

Bit different though really. Kadar was an 18/19 year old kid who, if I remember rightly, had been highly talked about the season we went down before he broke his leg in an away reserve derby game. He was getting his first real taste of first team football and looked a good prospect as a defender in a pretty physical league. Smith actually didn't look that good, he was just passable as a footballer. That is the minimum would expect that from a 28 year old who had won the premier league with Man United a couple of seasons earlier and who had 19 England caps. As for Shola, well he was just Shola.

Indeed, would mean that he misses the whole of February which would be a real blow.

Yohan has to shoulder a large degree of the blame here. Yes the inconsistency of the FA is very frustrating, as is the fact that certain members of the media wouldn't let it drop, but at the end of the day the player has let us down with a piece of needless petulance. With Tiote already away we are now left without another one of our first choice centre midfield players for three games. Three tough games have no become that bit tougher. Hopefully one of Gosling or Abeid is given a chance to step up and grabs it with both hands.

So two years in a row we have gone out of the FA cup to lower league opposition, both times offering completely pathetic performances and both times the misery has been compounded by losing a key central midfielder for three games. The magic of the FA cup eh

There's no way that appealing this would be considered frivolous Rather we didn't, no way it will be overturned. Given that he will miss Spurs and Wolves (Tiote back for this one hopefully) either way i'd definetly rather he missed Blackburn away than the mackems at home and Arsenal away.

3 I expect as he hasn't seen red this season.

Or Danny Simpson spending hours on the phone begging one of his teammates to give him a lift to the airport because he can't afford a taxi. No,wait...that doesn't work

Don't think it is jet lag that is the problem as there isn't much of a time difference. It is about the effects that travelling might have on their bodies e.g. someone mentioned dehydration. I know nothing of it myself, but I guess when you're a premier league footballer having to perform at an extremely high level of physical of fitness then the effects travelling are likely to be felt more than they would by most of the rest of us. Someone might advise them to drink some water ? Possibly even with a little drop of sirop in it That would indeed be my solution to it, but of course I am no medical expert!

Don't think it is jet lag that is the problem as there isn't much of a time difference. It is about the effects that travelling might have on their bodies e.g. someone mentioned dehydration. I know nothing of it myself, but I guess when you're a premier league footballer having to perform at an extremely high level of physical of fitness then the effects travelling are likely to be felt more than they would by most of the rest of us.

Maybe they are flying into Senegal today and then from there back to Newcastle tomorrow. Complete speculation of course and I have no idea what difference this would make to flight times, but breaking up the journey can surely only be beneficial for us.