SB Nation - Vurnon Anita

Bent "keen" to join Newcastle, but is the feeling mutual?

Robert L. Bishop — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 09:17:00 -0000

Reports of possible Newcastle interest in Aston Villa striker Darren Bent have surfaced over the last couple of days, and Mark Douglas of The Journal has apparently reached out to Bent to see what he feels about a possible move back to the North East. The article doesn't feature any direct quotes from Bent, with the possible exception of the word "keen," but the takeaway is that he is reportedly amenable to the idea.

Douglas also uses the k-word to describe Villa manager Paul Lambert's desire to offload Bent, as well as Alan Pardew's hopes to buy experienced, English players, a refrain that is apparently not going away any time soon. Douglas acknowledges that Bent's age (29) and wage (currently £80,000 per week) would seem to rule out a possible move, admissions that lead me to believe that there may actually be something to this rumor (Why connect dots that don't make any sense unless something's actually been said?). The rumored sale price of £6 million may be a hindrance as well. While Newcastle have been connected to players said to have 8-digit price tags, in reality they have been reluctant to spend more than £5 million on any single player, with exceptions being made for young (Vurnon Anita, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa) or in-demand (Papiss Cisse, Yanga-Mbiwa again) players.

So we've conceded that Bent appears to be a player atypical of the sort NUFC tend to pursue, while also paying mind to the adage that where there is smoke, there is likely fire, and we have at least a bit of a reason to believe this rumor has more teeth to it than certain others. Would Bent be a fit at Newcastle?

As it happens, the reasons we've listed that make Bent an unlikely target would also make him an ill-advised signing. It would be easier to stomach if they could pry him away from Villa for a cheaper fee and if Bent reduces his wage demands, but he'll still be a 29 year-old with an injury history and a declining skill set. If not for Andy Carroll, the £24 million fee Aston Villa paid for Bent in that same window might be regarded as the cautionary tale about overpaying for English pedigree. He's played a season's worth of matches over the last two years and has been largely ineffective. Where once opponents may have crafted their defensive game plan around his presence on the pitch, he's now an anonymous face who once showed promise.

That doesn't mean Darren Bent can't rekindle the old magic; given the right set of circumstances, I believe he could flourish. Those are the types of gambles taken by clubs that possess deeper pools of resources than Newcastle have, however. Somebody inside of the organization has apparently told members of the press that they are only looking to add two players this summer. If that's the case, one would hope those two would be impact players. At this stage in his career, Bent appears to be more of a role player with an outside chance of having a significant impact.

Poll

Do you support signing Darren Bent for £6 million?

Gosling'd - An Instant Reaction to West Ham United 0, Newcastle United 0

Robert L. Bishop — Sat, 04 May 2013 16:07:54 -0000

West Ham United and Newcastle United battled to a 0-0 draw at Upton Park Saturday, giving Newcastle a vital point in their efforts to stave off relegation. The optimists will point out that drawing with an in-form team is not a bad result, but pessimists will counter by saying the match was there for the taking and Newcastle looked mostly disinterested in the second half.

The second half was indeed a nervy one for the Toon, as West Ham appeared to be the team with ambition. Rob Elliot bailed his teammates out on a couple of occasions, and Newcastle were lucky for once that one of those "pinball around in the six yard box" balls didn't find the back of the net. The Magpies did have their chances, though. Yoan Gouffran caught Jussi Jaaskelainen out of his net in the second half, but the angle was too extreme for him to finish. The other was a Papiss Cisse chip that may or may not have gone completely over the line. Replays eventually seemed to show that it was a good goal, but even those were inconclusive. It's hard to blame the linesman for not giving the goal, but it's still disappointing. If only goal line technology had been implemented in a more timely fashion (the Premier League will have it next year), we might be talking about a 1-0 victory.

That's story enough, but of course the tie is overshadowed by some dodgy substitutions made by the manager. Alan Pardew was probably always going to bring Hatem Ben Arfa off around the 60 minute mark, but swapping the creativity that was absolutely befuddling the West Ham defense for Shola Ameobi's brute force proved to be predictably ineffective. That Dan Gosling was the other substitute is absolutely mind-boggling, especially since Vurnon Anita was apparently available. It's more ammunition for the #PardewOut crowd, especially since both Aston Villa and Wigan Athletic won today.

Poll

Who was the Man of the Match for Newcastle?

Rob Elliot

30 votes

Hatem Ben Arfa

6 votes

Papiss Cisse

1 votes

Yoan Gouffran

8 votes

Other

9 votes

54 votes | Poll has closed

West Ham United vs. Newcastle United: Final score 0-0, Magpies still endangered after Hammers stalemate

Callum Hamilton — Sat, 04 May 2013 15:52:39 -0000

Newcastle enjoyed most of the early chances as they got off to a reasonably bright start, Hatem Ben Arfa looking less than an adonis in terms of his physique after returning from a long injury, but still proving dangerous as he curled an early free-kick just over the crossbar.

Shortly afterwards, Papiss Cisse went close too, picking up a fine ball from Yohan Cabaye but seeing Winston Reid clear his disappointing effort off the line. The Magpies protested that the ball had crossed the line, but the referee correctly waved play on.

Despite their energy, Newcastle struggled to create too many more clear chances, and went in at the break level. In an all too familiar pattern for fans of the club this season, their second half was initially lacklustre in comparison, as they allowed the Hammers to grow into and then impose themselves on the game. Mohamed Diame and Matt Jarvis both supplied fine crosses to Andy Carroll, but the former Magpies striker couldn't make anything of either of them.

Newcastle were then within a hair of falling behind during a remarkable spell of play - first a dangerous ball from a corner was cleared by Gouffran, before a cross into the area saw Carroll hauled down at the far post for a big penalty shout for the hosts. With the ball still in played, Kevin Nolan was inches away from scoring at the other side of the goal, before Matt Jarvis let fly with a swerving shot for the top corner which Rob Elliot somehow kept out to keep the scores level.

Newcastle were under pressure, but came close to the lead shortly afterwards - Jussi Jaaskelainen needlessly came out of his goal to deal with a long ball, but was beaten to it by Gouffran, but his volleyed effort landed just wide of the open goal. Shola Ameobi also went close with a long-range effort, although there was some discontent from the away fans when Pardew questionable opted to introduce Dan Gosling to the fray, with Vurnon Anita remaining idle on the bench.

The rest of the game saw few chances, until West Ham almost clinched a late winner, with Andy Carroll towering above Rob Elliot from a free-kick but hitting the post, only for it to be ruled out for offside.

In the end, the game ended goalless as neither side could force the issue. West Ham are safe, but with results elsewhere having gone about as bad as they could have, Wigan and Aston Villa both clinching wins, it'll make for a very nervy end to the season for Newcastle, who really should be doing better than they are currently.

Where has it gone wrong for Newcastle?

Tim Palmer — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:46:01 -0000

Seven years ago, West Ham made the FA Cup Final and finished ninth in the Premier League. Their manager, Alan Pardew, was widely praised, having initially faced opposition from the club's supporters after a poor start.

Twelve months later, the former Crystal Palace midfielder was out of a job, having been sacked for poor results in both the Premier League and the UEFA Cup. On Saturday, the Newcastle manager returns to his former club praying history does not repeat itself.

It was meant to be a very different season for Newcastle. It started with hope, as all seasons do, but in this case, the hope was justified. The Magpies were coming off a campaign in which they had surpassed all expectations with a surge up the table into fifth place; a just reward for their consistent performances throughout the campaign. Newcastle's success was built from a raft of clever, inexpensive purchases; Yohan Cabaye and Demba Ba the most impressive - the latter scored goals, the former created them.

But it was difficult to identify exactly what the Newcastle style was. Broadly speaking, they played direct football, profiting greatly on the counter-attack, but were also capable of long periods of short passing to create goals. That flexibility was probably their greatest asset - against weaker sides, they could dominate possession, but against the top tier, they sat back, suffocated the space, and broke quickly into the attacking third.

This adjustability was exaggerated by the arrival of Papiss Cisse from Freiburg. With Ba in terrific form, the logic of signing his Senegal teammate, another striker, was questionable, but it gave Pardew an extra option in attack. Switching between 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 to accommodate the two, Cisse embarked on a stunning run of form - a remarkable thirteen goals in twelve games - and Newcastle avoided stagnation, finishing the season on a high with the confirmation of European football in 2012-13.

But that prize has turned into punishment. While the first-choice side was strong on paper, Newcastle's depth was weak, and the extra Europa League games pushed Pardew's squad to the limit. Their exertions in reaching the semi-final, toppling Anzhi Makhachkala and Bordeaux along the way, seems to have robbed them of the energy required to grind out results on the domestic front.

Newcastle's form has been awful and frustratingly inconsistent all season, and the most damning statistic is goals conceded - 66, the worst in the league. Injuries to Davide Santon, Fabricio Coloccini and more recently, Tim Krul, undermine Pardew's attempts to replicate the defensive solidity that was so imperative last season. The five Frenchman signed in January introduced a little impetus, most notably in that 3-2 win over Chelsea in which Mousso Sissoko's strength simply destroyed the Chelsea back four, but have since struggled to reprise that same influence. The reality is that Papiss Cisse's impact was exaggerated by form that was, for all intents and purposes, impossible to maintain for the course of a season. His impact was staggering, and expecting the same from another player is unrealistic.

Part of the problem has been Pardew's bizarre tactics. The aforementioned performance from Sissoko saw him operating as a powerful no.10, motoring forward in support of Papiss Cisse. On Sunday, Pardew used him out wide, up against Jose Enrique. The Spaniard overlapped down the left manfully and drove the Frenchman back towards his own goal, limiting his influence on the contest.

The midfield zone has been a particular problem for Pardew. Two standouts from last season, Jonas Gutierrez and Cheik Tiote have faltered alarmingly. The former was bizarrely cast into a central role at the start of the season but is clearly suited to the wing, while the latter's previously impressive physical strength is now reserved for conceding silly free-kicks, rather than for protecting the back four.

The versatile Vurnon Anita is yet to find a proper role, while the continued selection of James Perch in a defensive midfield role robs Newcastle of passing quality in midfield. The manager presumably wants that guile to instead come from Cabaye but the midfielder has been out of sorts - probably a correlation with the fact he's continuously switched between an advanced and deep-lying role. He can operate in both positions, but the lack of cohesion throughout the side disrupts his ability to influence the tempo.

Put simply, this Newcastle side is yet to gel. There's an obvious lack of familiarity in attack - through balls come too late, and so Papiss Cisse ranks amongst the highest in the league for offsides. Yoan Gouffran cuts inside from the flank but provides little else, meaning he is anonymous in matches where Newcastle does not dominate possession; while Hatem Ben Arfa's long-term injury has its own obvious implications.

The organization of the back four is even more alarming. Liverpool's fluidity and rotation in attack was impressive but the extent to which Newcastle's defenders were dragged out of position bordered on the ludicrous. Despite starting with two holding midfielders, there was no-one to be found shielding the defence - a problem particularly evident in the 3-0 defeat to Sunderland, where all three goals came from long-range shots in positions that should have been occupied by the nominal holding midfielders. Against Liverpool, Mathieu Debuchy's red card for a scything tackle summed up his side's frustrations.

With their downward spiral seemingly never ending, the board's decision to hand Pardew an eight-year contract last year seems especially foolish. Newcastle's style is obvious now: lots of long balls, desperation, and above all, the hope that they can avoid a repeat of 2009, when they were ignominiously relegated. But sometimes, as has been the case this season for Newcastle, it's the hope that kills you.

Anzhi Makhachkala vs. Newcastle United Five Point Match Preview

Robert L. Bishop — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 18:21:04 -0000

Newcastle play Anzhi Makhachkala in the first leg of the Europa League Round of 16 Thursday. Alan Pardew held a press conference today that presented plenty of talking points. Thanks, Alan! Here's our match preview.

1. The Plastic Pitch

No doubt you've already read our interview with Anzhi supporter Andy Shenk, so you know that this match is being played away from Dagestan for political reasons. The venue will instead be Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. Luzhniki was opened in 1956, but it hosted the 1980 Olympics and has a downright 70's feel to it...right down to the artificial surface.

That surface has already wreaked havoc with Newcastle's plans. We noted Jonas Gutierrez's absence in the traveling party earlier today, and Alan Pardew revealed in his press conference that it's Jonas' injury history that will prevent him from playing in Moscow, as artificial surfaces can aggravate knee injuries. Wait, there's more:

Pardew: "Shola has been advised in the past not to play on plastic pitches, but I'm short of a striker #nufc
— Luke Edwards (@LukeEdwardsTele) March 6, 2013

That leads us straight into our second point:

2. Newcastle's Striker Problem

I erroneously passed on a report earlier that Papiss Cisse was on the trip to Moscow. As it turns out, I was wrong. Cisse has apparently been sick since Sunday, according to Pardew, and was not included in any of his plans. With Shola characterized as an emergency option, we turn to 18 year-old Adam Campbell, who got some sniffs of first team action early on this season but hasn't featured at all recently. It seems that young Campbell has the opportunity to become a folk hero. Andy's suggestion that the back four is Anzhi's weakness means he can certainly capitalize, but if he can't, Pards' options appear to be risking injury for Shola or bringing on a rusty Hatem Ben Arfa, who has experience playing at the front of the formation, but never alone. Essentially, if Newcastle want to come home with an away goal in their pocket, it will have to come from Adam Campbell.

3. Pardew's Aggressive Policy?

Alan Pardew made a curious decision today, especially in light of numerous previous statements about taking the Europa League seriously. In Ukraine, Pardew brought Yohan Cabaye along to his press conference, leading some to speculate that he was the captain-in-waiting given Fabricio Coloccini's impending departure. Sure enough, Dreamboat wore the armband during the next weekend's league clash with Swansea City. Pardew's decision to have Vurnon Anita sit beside him at today's press conference should raise some eyebrows, then. It doesn't mean that Anita will be the captain, but it seem equally unlikely that he'll simply ride the bench tomorrow. One doesn't single out a player to speak to the media one day only to ignore him the next.

So what role will Anita play? This week I spent some time doing some investigating into possible internal replacements for Cheik Tiote, following some suggestions in this week's game thread that Cheik Tiote is no longer passing muster at defensive midfield. What I found was (A) Cheik is doing much better than he's been given credit for this season, and (B) only one other player even comes close to reproducing the impact he has on the pitch: James Perch. Vurnon Anita is a fine player and a criminally underrated signing from this summer, but he is not a defensive midfielder, and based on team selection when Tiote was out for AFCON, I think Pardew has realized that. In other words, I don't think Anita will be lining up at CDM tomorrow. So will he take Cabaye's place, or perhaps displace Sissoko? I'm personally hoping that Pardew gives him a chance on the edge, but Gabriel Obertan has been his recent preference there, and he's in the squad as well. However it shakes out, there will be several bench players lining up in starting positions Thursday, and that represents a change in philosophy for Pardew, even if his hand has been forced by injury and injury prevention.

4. Containing Anzhi

Anzhi Makhachkala have by far the most skilled attacking unit that Newcastle have faced in the Europa League thus far. Willian, Samuel Eto'o, and ~~Mbark Boussoufa~~ will form the front line, and the Toon's Coloccini-less defensive unit will have their hands full trying to keep shots from coming Rob Elliot's way. EDIT: Boussoufa will be serving a yellow card suspension Thursday. Danny Simpson and Davide Santon (or whoever plays at full back, who knows anymore) will be tempted to play their normal attacking games, but they will need to hang back and keep a crossing team from crossing. I'd feel better about this if Jonas were available. Pray for Tiote to play and have a clean game.

5. Rust

Anzhi haven't played a competitive match since their last Europa game at Hannover 96. They do resume league play this weekend, so it's not like they've been sitting around not preparing, but a little rust is to be expected. For Newcastle, Hatem Ben Arfa will attempt to shake off some rust of his own as he returns from a hamstring injury (which really shouldn't be an issue on the plastic pitch, handwringing on Twitter aside). Pardew said he would like to get HBA some action, which smacks of a late substitution, but don't be surprised if he sends him on early if things are going poorly.

Prediction: Anzhi 2, Newcastle 0

Poll

Who will advance to the quarterfinals?

Anzhi Makhachkala

91 votes

Newcastle United

65 votes

156 votes | Poll has closed

Newcastle Land in Moscow with 19 Players in Tow: Possible Formations

Robert L. Bishop — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 14:05:58 -0000

Newcastle United have landed in Moscow ahead of their Europa League clash with Anzhi Makhachkala on Thursday, and they have brought 19 players with them. Once again, Alan Pardew has not shied away from naming several first teamers, even with a league match looming on the weekend. Based on his comments in Ukraine, we can expect that he'll not be pulling any punches for as long as Newcastle remain active in this tournament. Let's take a look at possible lineups.

Goalkeepers

Rob Elliot, Jak Alnwick

The same configuration as the last two Premier League games: Elliot backed up by Alnwick with Steve Harper nowhere in sight.

Defenders

Steven Taylor, Massadio Haidara, James Perch, Davide Santon, Danny Simpson, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa

As expected, Fabricio Coloccini and his injured back have been left behind. Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa played for the captain at Swansea, and despite a few shaky moments he was mostly solid. I'd expect him to play alongside Saylor once again. European play means a chance to give Simpson some minutes, so the only choice left to make is on the left side. Jonas Gutierrez is missing from the squad (see below), so perhaps his partner in crime Santon will take a rest as well.

Midfielders

Yohan Cabaye, Moussa Sissoko, Cheik Tiote, Hatem Ben Arfa, Vurnon Anita, Sylvain Marveaux, Gabriel Obertan, Gael Bigirimana, Dan Gosling

Forwards

~~Papiss Cisse~~, Shola Ameobi, Adam Campbell

The shape of the formation is an interesting choice. Pardew played two strikers against Metalist Kharkiv as he pursued an early away goal, and the inclusion of 18 year-old Adam Campbell might mean he wants to pursue the same strategy while keeping a fresh striker on the bench. Then again, if Ben Arfa is slated to start, the favored 4-2-3-1 might be give him a bit more room to roam around. I seriously doubt he would be in Moscow if the plan did not call for him to play or even to play a minor role. The unavailability of Yoan Gouffran and the absence of Jonas gives The Silver Fox the chance to experiment with HBA's role in the new formation without bruising any egos.

EDIT: Cisse did not make the trip after all. So it's probably a 4-2-3-1, unless Pards wants to roll without a striker on the bench again.

I've put together ~~a couple of~~ one possible formations. What do you think?

Possible Lineup:

Elliot

Simpson --- STaylor --- MY-M --- Santon

Tiote --- Cabaye

Ben Arfa --- Sissoko --- Marveaux

Shola

Bench: Alnwick, Perch, Haidara, Anita, Obertan, Bigirimana, Campbell

Poll

Will Hatem Ben Arfa start on Thursday?

Yes

30 votes

No

55 votes

85 votes | Poll has closed

Nineteen NUFC Players Headed to Ukraine

Robert L. Bishop — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:07:25 -0000

As we noted in our match preview earlier today, Alan Pardew has taken 19 players with him to Ukraine for Newcastle's match with Metalist Kharkiv Thursday. It appears that the Toon will indeed field a strong lineup, which will surely make those who would abandon Europe to concentrate on league position nervous. Just how strong will the XI be? Let's take a look.

Goalkeepers

Tim Krul, Rob Elliot

Pardew didn't bring Krul along so he could ride the bench. If he intended to start Elliot, surely Harper would have been the reserve.

Defenders

Fabricio Coloccini, Steven Taylor, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Massadio Haidara, Danny Simpson

The absence of Davide Santon means we'll likely see MY-M or Haidara on the left side. Yanga-Mbiwa was impressive down the right last week. Either Pardew is interested to see how handle the other side or he's going to give Haidara some work as a reward for some strong reserve performances. If Massadio gets the nod, we could see Mapou at RCB, but I'd wager on Saylor starting there no matter what. Coloccini and Simpson are near-locks. Simpson appears to be match fit now, and easing him back into the flow away from England is a shrewd move.

By the way, I've left James Perch out of this discussion because he hasn't been used on the back line since Steven Taylor returned, but he could always slide back if needed.

Midfielders

Yohan Cabaye, Cheik Tiote, Moussa Sissoko, Jonas Gutierrez, Gabriel Obertan, Vurnon Anita, Sylvain Marveaux, James Perch, Gael Bigirimana, Dan Gosling

The abundance of midfield players suggests that one of their number will be the one left out of a bench spot, assuming there are no injuries between now and game time. Dan Gosling sticks out as the obvious candidate, since it's been quite a while since he's been in Pardew's plans. Even without him, it's hard to figure how Pardew will play this one. The rest of the team selection suggests he's going for it, so we'll assume that Cabaye, Tiote, Sissoko, and Jonas will all start. Jonas has been effective on the right side, and since Santon is missing there's absolutely no reason to mess with a formula that works. Obertan shredded Metalist's wing backs last week, so he's an obvious candidate to return. However, given our stated desire to see more effective crossing, I'd prefer Marveaux on the left wing. One will likely be available to spell the other, and Bigirimana will back up Tiote in case he gets into disciplinary trouble.

Forwards

Shola Ameobi, Papiss Cisse

The inclusion of only two strikers ensures a return to the 4-2-3-1. Pardew's comments all week have been about Cisse's unlucky streak, and he'll likely be looking to use this fixture to get him back into form. Bet on Shola to be used as a sub no matter the situation - deployed as an extra striker should Newcastle need a late goal or used as an extra tall man in the box if they have to bunker down. I'm not sure what the line is on Shola to score, but if I were a betting man, I'd bet on him to score every time Newcastle played on the road in Europe.

Starting XI

Our best guess is a lineup that's not all that different from last week's:

Krul

Simpson --- STaylor --- Colo --- Yanga-Mbiwa

Cabaye --- Tiote

Jonas --- Sissoko --- Obertan

Cisse

How would you play it?

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Metalist Kharkiv vs. Newcastle United Match Preview

Robert L. Bishop — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:31:40 -0000

Newcastle United travel to Ukraine to take on Metalist Kharkiv in the second leg of Europa League Round of 32 play Thursday. The first contest at St James' Park was mired in controversy as two Papiss Cisse goals were ruled offside, even though replays showed that one (if not both) was clearly the wrong call. This is a five-point match preview.

Metalist

If you haven't already, check out Jim's and 51dimes' introductions to Metalist Kharkiv. The former is a history of the club with lots of cool anecdotes, and the latter gives a look at their season so far. Otherwise, all but the newest of Toon Army recruits will remember Metalist (Hi, #Jagpies).

As we expected, Jonathan Cristaldo and Xavier had the most influence on the Ukrainian attack. Willian provided an injection of confidence when he was inserted into the match, though he and Cristaldo both seemed determined to perpetuate the "Brazilians are floppers" stereotype. The player who had the most impact on the match, however, was without a doubt goalkeeper Oleksandr Goryainov. He was massive all day long, even if he did get beaten twice. He had complete control of his defense, and in return, his center halves effectively funneled play to the outside. In order to consistently put pressure on Goryainov's goal, Newcastle will either have to unlock a path through the middle (Hatem Ben Arfa?) or find a way to make their crosses connect (if only Yoan Gouffran wasn't cup-tied!).

Kharkiv

Is it fair to judge a whole fanbase or a whole city based on the actions (or printed publications) of one ultras group? No. So I guess I'm being unfair when I suggest that the atmosphere is not going to be terribly friendly based on these cards left around Newcastle when Metalist came to town:

There's got to be a lot of cognitive dissonance going on when you represent yourself using a racist symbol, yet the team you support is full of people with a darker skin color. Let's just move on before it gets preachy up in here.

Selection

Earlier this week, Jim took a look at how Newcastle could go about balancing the desire to advance in Europa with the need to achieve a result at Southampton, and he basically came up with a first choice for the Premier League match, leaving the rest to start in Ukraine. It's a plan that makes sense, and it's even plausible. After giving this quite a bit of thought, however, I've just about convinced myself that this fixture is worth chasing with a fairly strong selection. We've seen the numbers. With the caveats that (a) nothing is guaranteed and (b) one of the many lessons from 2008-09 is that nothing should be taken for granted, we nevertheless realize that it's not likely at this point that Newcastle will find themselves relegated at the end of the season. The difference between 14th and 17th place is a larger cut of Premier League TV money...and that's it. The upside to winning the Europa League, while less financially rewarding, is a trophy.

The desire to compete for a cup will always be inversely proportional to the perceived ability of the club to legitimately compete for the trophy. The Round of 32 is quite a long way from silverware, but who lies in wait should Newcastle advance? Likely Anzhi Makhachkala, but maybe Hannover 96. Not pushovers, either of them, and Anzhi represents yet another trip to the former USSR in the middle of the season, but either is a winnable matchup for the Toon. All of sudden, we're talking quarterfinal. It's not as simple as all that, of course, but the road is easier with a few veterans in the lineup. How do we feel about mixing in a few senior players?

Shola

Marveaux -- Sissoko -- Obertan

Bigirimana -- Cabaye

Haïdara -- Coloccini -- Yanga-Mbiwa -- Simpson

Krul

Here are the 19 players making the trip to Ukraine (from the Official Site): Shola Ameobi, Vurnon Anita, Gael Bigirimana, Yohan Cabaye, Papiss Cisse, Fabricio Coloccini, Rob Elliot, Dan Gosling, Jonas Gutierrez, Massadio Haidara, Tim Krul, Sylvain Marveaux, Gabriel Obertan, James Perch, Danny Simpson, Moussa Sissoko, Steven Taylor, Cheik Tiote, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa

What Needs to Happen

Since Newcastle didn't allow any away goals last week, they have the advantage. A 0-0 draw will necessitate extra time (followed by penalty kicks if both teams still fail to score), but a 1-1 draw or higher will result in advancement for NUFC after 90 minutes - no extra time necessary. The whole scenario makes Metalist's obvious desire to play for a draw last week especially puzzling, and it makes me doubt their ability to muster a heroic comeback should the Magpies put themselves in a position to win. In short, a Newcastle goal dramatically increases their odds. I like Pardew to deploy an aggressive tactic, knowing that an early goal will put pressure on the hosts. Even if they are burned on the counterattack, an equalizing goal is all they'll need.

What's Next?

As I noted earlier, the other side of the bracket is contested by Anzhi Makhachkala and Hannover 96. Christopher Samba no longer plies his trade for the Russian side; he's at Queens Park Rangers now. However, the club still benefits from the services of Samuel Eto'o, who has scored 15 goals in 29 matches this season, 8 of them in Europe. They are up 3-1 on the Germans heading into Thursday's actions, but 96 are quite formidable at home. I'm personally rooting for Hannover, if only for the shorter travel in March.

Of course, Newcastle have to take care of business first. If they don't, it means a lighter schedule and full concentration on the league. It also means no more European competition for at least another year, which is why I'm hoping for a strong effort Thursday.

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Poll

How should Newcastle handle this fixture?

No trophies in 44 years. Go for it.

18 votes

Maybe play one or two senior players, but no more.

3 votes

Second-team lineup only. Get ready for Southampton.

0 votes

21 votes | Poll has closed

Cheik Tiote Confirmed To Be Available For Tottenham Match

Other Side of the Pillow — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 05:49:46 -0000

If this were an Ivory Coast blog, the narrative of this would likely be one discussing "Golden Generations" and the frequent failure of such eras for certain countries (see Portugal, for instance) to capitalize upon their not negligible talent. It is not, so I make passing reference and move on - the good news for Newcastle (and perhaps for Tiote himself) is that he will be returning to the club forthwith and will be available to play against Tottenham Hotspur on February 9.

With the mercurial ascendance of Moussa Sissoko at the heart of the Newcastle midfield, the heartbreak of crashing out of the Cup of Nations allows Tiote to return and stake a claim to a position that prior to his departure would have been written in pen on Alan Pardew's squad sheet. Since Sissoko's arrival, James Perch has surpassed Vurnon Anita for the spot that Tiote will be hoping to return to. Perch has played a much more Tiote-style role than Tiote himself has done this year, but a return with pure defensive responsibility may just be the tonic that the Ivorian needs to cure his club-level performance ills. Sissoko's ability to press forward effectively and create alongside Yohan Cabaye could free Cheik from feeling like he needs to press forward to do the same and allow him to do what Cheik Tiote do - breaking up play and starting counter-attacks.

At this point, there are those who would rumble that Tiote not be returned directly to the lineup. I don't think that we're at that point just yet although he has struggled for the club at times...but it is a nice feeling to know that if he continues to struggle, James Perch has proven himself to be quite capable within the current lineup to do the things that will allow his teammates to succeed, and that is comforting.

Poll

Do you put Cheik Tiote immediately back in the lineup for Tottenham?

Yes

93 votes

No

46 votes

139 votes | Poll has closed

Newcastle vs. Everton: Final score 1-2, Leighton Baines helps Toffees strike back

Callum Hamilton — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 22:02:42 -0000

Everton managed to fight back to claim three points in a gritty but entertaining game at St James Park.

Papiss Cisse appeared to ease the pain of Demba Ba's departure after he put Newcastle in the lead within two minutes, latching into the end of a Tim Krul goal-kick to nod over the ill-positioned Tim Howard and into the net.

Alan Pardew had gone with the odd decision to keep Cisse on the right-wing, a position that he has not acclimatised well to, with Shola Ameobi up front, and despite his early goal, the Senegalese striker appeared to struggle throughout the game, wasting a Newcastle chance soon after as he seemed to stop his run for no reason while attempting to link up with Sylvain Marveaux with the Everton defence AWOL.

Despite their slow start, the Toffees then almost equalised as Leighton Baines gave an ominous delivery from a free-kick which Tim Krul managed to claw out with a diving save. Yet the next goal could easily have gone the other way afterwards, as Vurnon Anita's free-kick found James Perch at the back post, but his header clipped the woodwork before going out with Tim Howard well beaten.

Everton were now having more of the game, but it was an end-to-end encounter, and they again went close to equalising when the (offensively) excellent Baines released Steven Pienaar in the area with a brilliant pass, but Tim Krul was alert to charge out and save with his feet.

With half-time almost up, Newcastle appeared to be taking a narrow lead into the break, but they were soon denied as Leighton Baines scored a fantastic goal to make it 1-1. From a free-kick 30 yards out, the left-back smashed in a piledriver which just swerved away from Tim Howard's grasp at the last second.

The game was quieter in the second half, but there were still chances at both ends. Newcastle went within inches of retaking the lead after Shola Ameobi got on the end of Vurnon Anita's chipped pass, but could only prod the ball wide in a huge let-off for Everton. Newcastle would soon regret the miss - immediately afterwards, they found themselves behind, substitute Victor Anichebe prodding home after being on the pitch for less than 90 seconds after fine work from Marouane Fellaini and Nikica Jelavic.

Newcastle tried to press for an advantage, and should have been boosted by the award of six minutes of injury time, but Everton managed to see the game out well and deny the Magpies any further clear chances. The home side will feel desperately unlucky once again, and in a game where they had plenty of bright performances from the likes of Vurnon Anita and Sylvain Marveaux, really ought to have got something from the game. For Everton, it was a classic, disciplined away performance - doing well to fight on despite the early setback and seeing the game out well. Newcastle's injured players and January reinforcements can't come soon enough.