[Archived] Blackburn 1- 3 Newcastle

[ihtd]

Saturday 9th December see's two teams meet who should be further up the table then they currently are. This is very early in the season to be saying this but this is a 6-pointer even with the barcodes win last night over Reading reality of it is simple, they need points, we need points. At the start of the season this fixture would have been looked upon as being as fixture between two top-half teams both in the Uefa Cup. Instead it is a bottom half of the table scrap between two sides distracted by the Uefa Cup and ravaged with injury problems.

Both sides have a host of names missing from their squads with us missing players like Ryan Nelsen, Steven Reid, Jason Roberts, Zurab Khizanishvili and Francis Jeffers, could probably add Brett Emerton to that list now. Newcastle have players like Shola Ameobi and Michael Owen missing indefinately and with having injury prone players like Damien Duff in their squad, they were tempting fate with an injury crisis.

Both sides campaigns this season have been blighted by injuries and with fully fit squads, both teams should make their way back up the table.

After Tuesday's pathetic performance down at the Valley, we need a big performance against the barcodes, players like Gamst and IMO Benni who i don't see what all the fuss is about, need to step their game up. Gamst looks like he cannot be bothered anymore, he looks tired and he looks like he has no desire. As for Benni, the guy never gets in the box to get on the end of a cross and is constantly being caught offside. On Saturday, Benni should have no excuse for getting caught offside as Newcastle's defence has to be one of the worst in the league. Big Titus Bramble is a big strong but slow centre half, a player with a slight bit of upper body strength and some pace can make a fool out of him, here's hoping Benni can do that. Although Bramble may not even be fit for the match as he missed Newcastle's superb win over Reading, coming for 1-2 down to win 3-2.

The Bardcodes are relying on a blend of youth and experience to get them through their problems with players like Ramage, Taylor, Huntington, Pattison and Rossi(on loan from Manure) all making appearances this season. We do not have any youth team players who are making starts for us, only Sergio Peter has had a start this season even with our injury problems. We did see Matty Derbyshire get a run out against Fulham but that wer for about 3-5mins and we were 2-0, just closing the game out. Newcastle are finding out if their youngsters are capable of playing in the Premiership whereas we are just putting up with out of form players like Gamst and Nonda instead of giving some players who possibly deserve a shot a chance. IMO Derbyshire would struggle to do worse than Nonda, because Nonda doesn't look interested at the moment, the lack of effort and passion he displayed against Charlton appauled me.

Probable Line-Ups

Rovers

Friedel

Neill Henchoz Ooijer Gray

Bentley Savage Tugay Gamst

Nonda McCarthy

whereas if i were in charge we would be playing the following line-up with our injury problems.

Friedel

Neill Henchoz Ooijer Gray

Mokoena

Bentley Savage Tugay Peter

McCarthy

That would offer us the protection of playing an extra man in midfield because we cannot even win the ball at the moment nevermind create anything with it. I would have put Derbyshire upfront on his own but that us never going to happen.

Newcastle United

Given

Solano Taylor Ramage Babayaro

Emre Butt Sibierski N'Zogbia Milner

Martins

One To Watch

Obafemi Martins, once regarded as the next big thing in world football, but has so far failed to deliver on that name-tag. On his day he can be a real threat to any defence and IMO will probably cause our centre half pairing a lot of trouble on Saturday provided he is given the right service. When Michael Owen returns from injury, i can see Newcastle having one of the best forward pairings in the Premiership. Hopefully we won't be seeing Martin's signature celebration on Saturday.

Prediction

Rovers 0

Newcastle 1

I cannot see where the goals are going to come from for us, we are not creating many clean cut chances and the ones we do create, we are wasting. The team is carrying to many players such as Gamst and Nonda IMO, drop the dead-weight and we might have a chance of turning our season around

Attendence-1 man, his dog and about 4000 barcodes.

[herbergeehh]

Nice preview, ihtd, even though I wouldn't use Martins in the same sentence as "next big thing". He's got great physical abilities, but lacks both the mental and finishing qualities to become an overall great striker. This might of course come with age, but I have my doubts - I certainly wouldn't pay the amount the Barcodes had to spend on him. But then again, I could say that about most of their transfers..

Don't know what to think about this match, three points would get us away from the bottom - but it depends whether our strikers are Benni and Nonda or Diawara and Ward for the weekend. And whether our "wingers" can create something similar to what they're capable of..

2-1 Rovers

Gamst Pedersen and Oh Yeah to score.

[Billy Castell]

1-0 with substitute Gallagher to pick the ball up and throw it into the net.

[OJRovers]

Good point about Derbyshire - he would struggle to do worse than Nonda - even though I like Chris Nonda he's not cutting the mustard at the minute.

I'd play Peter over MGP.

We need to stick Emo back at right back too.

[Presty On Tour]

Good point about Derbyshire - he would struggle to do worse than Nonda - even though I like Chris Nonda he's not cutting the mustard at the minute.

I'd play Peter over MGP.

We need to stick Emo back at right back too.

emerton is out for around 2 weeks with hamstring trouble again!!

btw well good preview ihtd

[Jordan]

1-1 (Bentley, Sibierski)

If Emerton was fit I would have played a 4-5-1 with Bentley sitting behind McCarthy.

[SuperStella]

I hope Spongebob Square Toes (Nonda) isnt playing

[Nayef]

If Nonda and Pedersen play like they did on Tuesday:

Blackburn 0 Newcastle 3 with a very beaming Glen Roeder.

If Nonda and Pedersen get kidnapped the day before by some die-hard Rovers fans:

Blackburn 1 Newcastle 1

Rovers doing their best to lower their attendances by giving heart attacks to the older fans.

[b12_simon]

I'd play Peter over MGP.

Too right!

I live with a Geordie, so really need this win.

0 - 1

Simon

[chris]

Team

Freidel

Neil Henchoz Oojier Gray

Bentley Savage Tugay Pedersen

McCarthy Gallagher

victory 1-0 Gallagher scores with hand

Nonda is dropped because he is a joke

[ace]

Following the stupifyingly incompetent performance at Charlton and on the backs of the staggeringly inept result by the youth at Reading last night ( we lost 5-1!)..I fear the worst..0-4!

[G Somerset Rover]

Just fear the worst right now and I think that even Hughes is getting concerned.

Surely we should beat them at Ewood without Shearer though?

Rovers 0 Newcastle 1-Sibierski

Edited December 7, 2006 by Somerset Rover!

[Eddie]

Absolute must win and rovers to bounce back in fine style with a 5-1 win.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Team

Freidel

Neil Henchoz Oojier Gray

Bentley Savage Tugay Pedersen

McCarthy Gallagher

victory 1-0 Gallagher scores with hand

Nonda is dropped because he is a joke

I think that Gallagher and McCarthy are too similar to play up front together. I would play Derbyshire - as has been said,he can't do any worse than Nonda. If nothing else it would send out a clear message to the players that lack of effort won't be tolerated. Bit split about MGP - I don't think he is playing much worse than last season - IMO he works fairly hard, is always a threat from set pieces - but this season hasn't been as good in front of goal. Beyond that there isn't much more to his game - he rarely beats his man - other than in the air for the now well documented long ball ploy (which rarely works). For this match - I think I would start with Peter - rest MGP to the bench - and see how it goes.

[gazsimm]

lawro predicts a 2-0 win for Rovers, lets hope he is right

i say Rovers 3 Newcastle 2

[Atomicrover]

Too right!

I live with a Geordie, so really need this win.

0 - 1

Simon

Really, what's his name?! (Sorry, not PC, apologise, couldn't resist, - after all someone earlier was predicting us older ones would decrease the populace by having heart attacks - already had one, didn't like it, shut up now, goodbye)

[frosty]

1-0

[Ozz]

Surely we should beat them at Ewood without Shearer though?

Shearer has scored more goals at Ewood playing for Newcastle than anywhere else!

NUFC OFFICIAL STATS

They couldn't sneak him on could they?

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Boring 1-1

Att: 19,200

[1864roverite]

It was only last year when a seriously depleted Newcastle side raomed into Ewood expecting an annihilating Rovers victory, they walked it with ease 3-0.

This season sees a massive 6 pointer already and this game has a serious pointer for the rest of the season. A win is a must for all blue and white.

On the plus side there is NO Shearer, a spectre of hate for Rovers since 1996.

NUFC have almost as many injuries as Rovers.

We wont see 8000 mad Geordies taking over Blackburn and the pubs as they havent sold more than 2000 as it stands.

On the negative side, we see a weary Rovers side with a massive European game looming Wednesday, a team on a downer with injuries all over the place, a team low on confidence, a team that cannot pass, run or score and a team that appears to be totally different to one that played just a few months ago, and finally, a team that has seen its home record shattered compared to last season.

I cannot see a Rovers win that is needed unless someone kicks the front men up the arse.

0-2

Hughes seeks consolation with Wednesday in mind and then we see a mid December plunge into the bottom 3, get the easiest draw out of the hat in the EUFA having whooped the frogs 2-0, a Russian tycoon and oil magnate takes over the club and injects 500million, burnley go bust and sell the land off for affordable housing and jsut for good measure it snows Christmas Day

[trueblue]

Hughes seeks consolation with Wednesday in mind and then we see a mid December plunge into the bottom 3, get the easiest draw out of the hat in the EUFA having whooped the frogs 2-0, a Russian tycoon and oil magnate takes over the club and injects 500million, burnley go bust and sell the land off for affordable housing and jsut for good measure it snows Christmas Day

Whoaaa.. look out Bob F ! .... serious contender to take over the monthly reviews here

[Driftpeasant]

Whoaaa.. look out Bob F ! .... serious contender to take over the monthly reviews here

I dunno...

How about Michael Dell buys the team, injects 500 million, moves the team to Austin, Texas to be near his home so he doesn't have to travel to get to the games, we get Beckham on a ludicrous transfer, and convince Pele to come out of retirement and play in some insane scheme to get ratings, the Dingles go up and become the first team in Prem history to score no goals and get no points and are drummed out of the FA for such a poor showing.

Oh, and it snows on Christmas AND Boxing Day.

[RoyRover]

This is a must win game for us. We have to beat Newcastle at home. I really can't stand Newcastle and their 'big club' ideas. 3-1 win for us. Nonda, McCarthy and Bentley for us, Martins for the barcodes.

[Mike Graham]

1-v-1

20,000 if we are very lucky

[LeChuck]

This is a must win game for us.

No it is not. This phrase is being thrown around all the time now, it's just becoming a meaningless cliché. If we lose against Newcastle it is not the end of our season, nor will it define it. A win will help a lot, undoubtedly, but it is not a 'must win'.