ExiledGeordie

Finally watched the match this morning as a mate recorded it for me. Perfect away performance really. Cabaye wasn't his usual best but that ball through to Ba in the first half was class. Hats off to all the team for that performance really.

Players will always be sold and under Ashley who is a total loose cannon nobody has any idea what he might or might not do. A certain framework to the team has to be kept though to allow for progression even if there is the odd departure here and there.

You need your best players for tough matches so Tiote has to play if fully fit.

This. The Carroll-esque offers will always be a threat from the top clubs. But having sold Carroll and having not spent a fortune we're not in a position where we need to sell. Also the money gained from finishing higher up the league, potential european qualification revenue, higher attendances due to good football and winning (generating further money) are all reasons why the main players at the club need to be kept. And you'd like to think that this is what Ashley thinks/is being advised.

Ba really is on fire, looks electric and will be tough to handle. If Obertan decides to really start going at the full back we could really be onto something. I'm still desperate to see Marveaux get some time because he looks like a really quality player as showed by that controlled pass to Cabaye against Wigan. You know you're in for a match against Everton though. Who is missing for them, is Cahill playing?

I like Gary Neville, just gets to the point.

Seems like it was a fairly close call for Stoke so I would've thought (wild speculation) that he'll be available for Everton.

Yes that is ridiculous. Football is strange.....to think we've found a team that has gone unbeaten without him playing is a real surprise. The lad will feature and will no doubt contribute soon enough. It's often either peaks or troughs with football fans, there is a middle ground and that will be Ben Arfa featuring at some point an no doubt causing havoc in defences. This whole Ben Arfa he's either the "second coming" or "not going to happen for him here" is so tedious.

What gets me is the way the press are talking as if "well the games at Man City, Man U and Chelsea will really tell us whether Newcastle are meant to be where they are" type line of comment. There's absolutely zero pressure on us in those games because we were never expected to get anything anyway and never considerered for anywhere near the top four (well we've got a good chance against Chelsea but more so the Manc away games). Most sides in the prem will go to the Manc clubs and lose or get turned over. Those games will tell us a lot more about the side but we won't suddenly be an average side if we lose both or even all three. We're 3rd on merit.

It almost seems like he's better suited for away games for the counter attack. Be good to see him start to open teams up at home with his confidence up a bit. Maybe we'll see him really go for the full back on saturday. Pleased he did well last night though.

Maybe some of the clowns who jeered him off in the last match will actually get behind the lad against Everton ffs

Everton are a proper side, full of grit and they get it down and play too.

Drenthe was sent off in the Cup game, straight red. Does that carry over to this game then, must do surely?

We may well need the creativity of Marveaux and Ben Arfa 2nd half to tip this one in our favour. Start with the same side apart from including Tiote assuming he's ok for this. Be interested to see how Obertan does, it's clearly a confidence thing for the lad so maybe he can start to string some good performances together. His pace away from home is a real asset but he just needs to find that little bit more to break teams down at home. Tough, touch match but one we can win. Should be a great match to be fair

Saylor is more important for this match against the high balls and to counter their "style" of play.

True

"Perch" It doesn't even bare thinking about does it

If Tiote is a real doubt better not to risk him and risk aggravating an injury. Get him sorted for the Everton match as that'll be a tough but very winnable match. I'd say Taylor's inclusion at the back is more important in this game to deal with the aerial threat but then you could argue that both players are so crucial that they're of equal importance. The difference is Guthrie can come in and do an ok job whereas who the hell would replace Taylor if he missed the match?

I'd rather we don't take a chance on him and aggravate an injury and in this game Taylor's inclusion at centre half may be more important. Links to the big clubs are bound to surface because Tiote's that good and because we have an owner who will always think of the £££££ signs first and the progression of the team second. Sadly I could see him going next summer but it would be criminal to sell any of our key players in January...........oh wait haven't we been here before

Sunderland fans I've spoken to to don't even want Cattermole in the side because he's nothing more than a football thug who goes out to intentially hurt people and in the process stops them from playing proper football.

Seems to be pretty good in the air from the clips I've seen, lots of headed goals.

Blackburn :lol:

:lol: On a serious note the more I think about it this side really is beatable or a point is certainly attainable. If we get the ball down and play we can cause them serious problems just as much as they can cause us issues with their aerial bombardment.

The sad thing is I can see it happening. Simply because they'll throw a load of money at him and in football today that's what counts sadly. Add to the fact we have an owner who is constantly thinking of ways to make/save money by shifting players off big contracts and selling them. You'd have to hope that the fact we're doing really well, Liverpool hardly setting the world alight, he enjoys living in the NE with his family settled and if the club can reward him with a proper contract then that should be enough to keep him. Liverpool are really starting to boil my p*ss though, can't f***ing stand them.

Vidic and Evra were written off by many from fans to pundits. Once they'd found there feet in the league look what happened. One particular Man U mate of mine has been properly made to eat his words regarding those two