⚽ Newcastle Utd 1-1 West Ham Utd (4/2/23)

[Shabu]

Saturday 4th February 17:30 KO

We travel to high flying Newcastle, who sit 3rd in the table, 11 points off the top but a healthy 8 points ahead of 6th place. They have the lowest goals scored against by quite a distance. 11 to Arsenals 16 then it's City on 20 & Chelsea on 21. After that we're next on 25 along with Liverpool & Man Utd. They're the 6th highest scorers on 33 but they've only scored 1 goal in their last four league games.

Our overall record against them is 43 wins, 39 draws & 58 losses. Our record hasn't been great in recent years but we beat & drew against them last season.

If results go against us this weekend we could be joint last, just above Southampton on goal difference.

However if things go our way we could be up at 13th & gazing at the top half.

It looks like we'll be without Scamacca, Ings, Zouma & Cornet but several of our players are getting back to form or new signings starting to impress.

I reckon Moyes will go with...

Fab
Kehrer Ogbonna Aguerd
Coufal Paqueta Rice Emerson
Bowen Antonio Benrahma

But he might want to stick with Soucek who played with aplomb today. And we know he likes to drop Benrahma randomly.

I'm feeling like we've turned a corner. I know we haven't played any tough teams yet this year but we're 3-1-1 in January scoring 7 goals in the process.

In August Man City scored 3 against Newcastle in a draw & Liverpool beat them 2-1 in their only loss. I reckon we'll be the 3rd team to score twice against them in a 2-1 win .

Onwards & Upwards. Come on the Hammers

[hammers92]

This will be the real acid test in whether we have actually turned a corner. Everton and Derby we beat without being put under much pressure and got the job done.

I think we continue with the 5 at the back again, Paqueta and Benrahma in for Soucek and Fornals and let’s see how we get on.

[Burnley Hammer]

I don't think we'll win. A draw is a possibility though.

[likemydreams]

3- 0 home win unfortunately

[Garry]

3- 0 home win unfortunately

I agree

[hammerman11]

we will get smashed in this one. their pace will be too much for us. no way can kehrer play as he was poor last night against league one opposition.
our defence is too slow but we have limited options now.

fabianski
augerd ogbonna cresswell
coufal rice paqueta soucek emerson
bowen antonio

or
fabianski
coufal augerd ogbonna johnson
rice paqueta soucek emerson
bowen antonio

no idea how we deal with wilson almiron joelinton bruno or that scouse diver gordon ?

2-0 defeat

[funky chicken]

I fancy a draw in this one.

Newcastle do appear to struggle when they have to break teams down more. A bit like us in the last couple of seasons. And with how we’ve been set up in recent weeks, dare I say it, they just could suit us.

If anything will defeat us it’ll be a quality moment from one of their players, whether that’s a Trippier freekick, or we’ll shoot ourselves in the foot with a sloppy mistake. Fab in the last 2 seasons doesn’t seem to have his best games against this mob.

We will probably need to get at least one goal when you consider Wilson is bound to get his token goal for them against us. But looking back at their fixtures in all competitions, since their 4-1 win at Southampton, in the 11 games after, they have only scored more than 1 goal twice. And that was against a leaky Leicester City. In 4 of those games, they fired a blank. Twice against Palace and once against Leeds United. And we saw how cr*p Leeds were at the back when we played them.

Keep it tight at the back, battle hard in midfield, don’t give them any gifts and be ruthless with any chances that are presented to us and it’s not impossible for us to pick up something.

[Shabu]

3- 0 home win unfortunately

That would require a big change for both teams. They've not scored many lately and we've not let in many lately.

[prophet:marginal]

The other fixtures being played around ours pit most other stragglers against teams in form, save for the Forest - Leeds encounter.

As such, a draw up at SJP would be welcome. I frankly don't care how we achieve it, but I do think that retaining Emerson down the left offers options in terms of overlaps that Cresswell can no longer provide for 90 minutes.

[norse]

Newcastle can f*** right off

[hammerman11]

eddie howe will know this is the game they get scoring again.
they will target our slow defence. cresswell coufal ogbonna will be burnt by their pace. kehrer if he plays will make his usual big mistake. johnson may be suited to this as he will need to defend most of the time.
emerson willget skinned several times.
who do we play in defence ? our best defenders are too slow , augerd aside.

coufal ? augerd johnson who plays next to augerd. ogbonna is too slow, kehrer is useless zouma is injured

[Shabu]

eddie howe will know this is the game they get scoring again.
they will target our slow defence. cresswell coufal ogbonna will be burnt by their pace. kehrer if he plays will make his usual big mistake. johnson may be suited to this as he will need to defend most of the time.
emerson willget skinned several times.
who do we play in defence ? our best defenders are too slow , augerd aside.

coufal ? augerd johnson who plays next to augerd. ogbonna is too slow, kehrer is useless zouma is injured

Your eternal optimism is exhausting :lol:

[funky chicken]

I guess the one decision Moyes needs to make for this game is who comes in for Zouma. Will he stick with Kehrer who played there last night? Will Ben Johnson get the nod instead? Or will Cresswell (God forbid) be thrown back in?

I have a feeling he played Kehrer deliberately last night, not just to give him minutes, but to see how he got on alongside Aguerd and Oggy in a central 3.

I’d personally be leaning towards going with Johnson for this game. As I just feel we need someone more physicality commanding and who is more suited to playing deeper.

The other 10 starting will probably remain unchanged from the Everton game.

[IronZ-79]

I guess the one decision Moyes needs to make for this game is who comes in for Zouma. Will he stick with Kehrer who played there last night? Will Ben Johnson get the nod instead? Or will Cresswell (God forbid) be thrown back in?

I have a feeling he played Kehrer deliberately last night, not just to give him minutes, but to see how he got on alongside Aguerd and Oggy in a central 3.

I’d personally be leaning towards going with Johnson for this game. As I just feel we need someone more physicality commanding and who is more suited to playing deeper.

The other 10 starting will probably remain unchanged from the Everton game.

A right footed RCB is what we need. Not three left footers in a back three leaving no balance.

[Georgee Paris]

5-5 game of the season.

[Coops]

A draw would be massive. It's going to be tough though, if only Zouma was fit I think we would stand a much better chance.
Kehrer worries me, he is a brain fart waiting to happen.

[BondsoBob]

Acid test. I can't see us winning, but a 0-0 draw is possible. But I think 1-0 to the Geordies.

[CanberraHammer]

This fixture, albeit the first, was one of our standout performances last season. We absolutely destroyed them 2nd half. Bowen, Benhrama, Antonio & Fornals were flying.

To say they’re a different prospect from that day would be completely understating the dramatic change of fortunes for both teams. Howe has done a brilliant job and it’s been done by using their wealth correctly. They’re heading in the right direction in all facets of the club it seems. From their perspective they’ll see this as a should win game given the heights they’ve reached this season and just how good they’ve been at home.

A draw would be a great result and continue the gradual turn around in form this year. Team selection is wide open for me, Soucek staked a claim last night and could suit this game better than Paqueta. There’s a battle for RB as well. However were almost nailed on to see the same starting XI as Everton. It’ll be a fascinating game and a 4:30am KO Down Under which is one of the more sociable kick off times here.

[sendô]

This'll be a classic Moyes counter attack smash and grab. The barcodes will have to come at us at home.

------------------------ Areola --------------------------

-------- Kehrer ------ Ogbonna ----- Nathan --------

Coufal---------------- Rice ------------------ Emerson

------------ Paqueta ---------- Fornals ----------------

-------------- Bowen --------- Antonio ----------------

1-0 Bowen.

[AnthraxDave]

I shall be very, very drunk.