Will Pardew Get Revenge On Wednesday?

Last updated : 09 February 2015 By Footy Mad - Editor

Newcastle United's lack of a predatory finisher with presence has cost them dear, warns John Gibson - and he fears more woe at Selhurst Park.


 
Now, with victory from a match of mediocrity denied at the death, United must stagger on to confront a rampant Alan Pardew.

It was ever thus when it comes to the Mags. Everything is done the hard way.

Having deserted a town where popularity escaped him, Pardew has rediscovered his strut and his arrogance with five victories from six matches with a previously doomed Crystal Palace.

Come Wednesday night Pardew will go all out to improve that proud record against his old Newcastle No.2 John Carver, who finds victories as rare as snowflakes in the Sahara.

He was denied back-to-back wins by a typical last gasp header from Stoke sub Peter Crouch at a frustrated St James’ Park, no longer a fortress but a place where residents bite their nails in repeated frustration.

Having strode to a three goal triumph at Hull there was fleeting hope of a genuine rampaging home performance but it died upon an air of grim attrition.

It took United until quarter of an hour from time to inch ahead in a sterile match through Jack Colback, who could easily have been off-the-field having received a second yellow from a referee Kevin Friend who looked more like a Las Vegas card sharp.

A lot of sound football judges reckon any side is only as good as its strikers and if that is so we certainly know what is wrong with Newcastle. They lack a physical presence, a commanding leader, a man with an unerring eye for goal.

Ayoze Perez is pretty, a willing runner with a good touch, but physically he’s not a line leader nor a natural goalscorer. The Spaniard would be better employed playing off a main striker.

Papiss Cisse has been a good finisher but obviously he has major problems with his knee, an injury suffered towards the end of last season.

Both United and Senegal in the African Cup of Nations have been reluctant to start him or to play him twice in a week and that leaves Newcastle with only Manu Riviere as back up, a summer signing without a Premier League goal to his name.

Yet there wasn’t a feeling at top level that United ought to have signed a striker in January!

United have won only twice in 11 matches since their rare exhibition of exciting football when beating Chelsea and the lack of positive consistency is down to the desperate need for a finisher. You don’t win matches without goals and they haven’t ended a Premier League fixture at St James’ Park with a two goal margin in their favour all season.

That means they are constantly living on a knife edge and in danger of being caught as they were when Crouch rose to defeat Tim Krul from a delicious whipped cross.

Stoke were without their best defender Ryan Shawcross which gave United a real opportunity to get at them but what chances were created, mostly late on when the game got stretched, were squandered.

When you don’t have a two-goal cushion playing in front of 50,000 of your own fans then players become twitchy, especially defenders realising they could be responsible for the disappearance of two points.

The sight of Crouch coming on was enough to send the alarm bells into mad panic but the warning went unheeded.

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CRYSTAL PALACE v NEWCASTLE UTD

Wednesday February 11th 

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Newcastle Utd Fixtures ...

2014/15 SEASON


  
Sunday August 17
NEWCASTLE 0 MAN CITY 2
Krul, Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Dummett, Colback, Anita (63' Obertan), Cabella, Sissoko, Gouffran (74' Aarons), Riviere (83' Perez).
Subs: Haidara, Elliot, S Taylor, Abeid 

Saturday August 23 
ASTON VILLA 0 NEWCASTLE 0
Krul, Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Dummett, Anita (70' de Jong), Colback, Cabella, Sissoko, Gouffran, Riviere (77' Perez - 90+2' S Taylor).
Subs: Haidara, Elliot, Obertan, Abeid 

Tuesday August 26
LC GILLINGHAM 0 NEWCASTLE 1 (Egan OG)
Krul, Janmaat, Coloccini, S Taylor, Haidara, Sissoko, Abeid, Obertan, de Jong (68' Perez), Aarons (60' Cabella), Riviere (86' Gouffran)
Subs: Anita, Ferreyra, Elliot, Dummett

Saturday August 30 
NEWCASTLE 3 CRYSTAL PALACE 3 (Janmaat, Aarons, Williamson)
Krul, Janmaat (79' Perez), Williamson, Coloccini, Haidara, Sissoko, Colback, Cabella, de Jong (79' Anita), Gouffran (67' Aarons), Riviere
Subs: Elliot, Obertan, S Taylor, Dummett

Saturday September 13 
SOUTHAMPTON 4 NEWCASTLE 0 
Krul, Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Haidara, Anita (45' Tiote), Colback, Cabella (69' Perez), Sissoko (90'Ameobi), Gouffran, Riviere    
Subs: Elliot, Obertan, S Taylor, Armstrong 

Saturday September 20 
NEWCASTLE 2 HULL CITY (Cisse 2) 
Krul, Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Dummett, Tiote (85' Ameobi), Colback, Sissoko, Cabella, Gouffran (90+4' Perez), Riviere (69' Cisse)
Subs: Anita, Haidara, Elliot, S Taylor 

Wednesday September 24 
LC CRYSTAL PALACE 2 NEWCASTLE 3 AET (Riviere 2, Dummett) 
Elliot, Janmaat (46 Haidara), Coloccini, S Taylor, Dummett, Colback, Abeid, Obertan, Armstrong, Ameobi (66 Sissoko), Riviere (80 Perez)
Subs: Anita, Ferreyra, Cabella, Alnwick

Monday September 29 
STOKE CITY 1 NEWCASTLE 0 
Krul, Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Dummett, Tiote, Colback, Sissoko, Cabella (74' Ameobi), Gouffran (68' Obertan), Riviere (45' Cisse)
Subs: Anita, Elliot, S Taylor, Armstrong

Saturday October 4 
SWANSEA CITY 2 NEWCASTLE 2 (Cisse 2) 
Krul, Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Dummett, Obertan, Tiote, Sissoko, Colback (69' Riviere), Gouffran (58' Ameobi), Cisse (85' Perez).
Subs: Anita, Haidara, Cabella, Elliot   

Saturday October 18 
NEWCASTLE 1 LEICESTER CITY 0 (Obertan) 
Krul, Janmaat, S Taylor, Coloccini, Dummett (72' Haidara), Tiote, Anita (59' Perez), Colback, Obertan, Sissoko, Gouffran (90+2' Cabella), Cisse   
Subs: Elliot, Abeid, Armstrong  

Saturday October 26 
TOTTENHAM 1 NEWCASTLE 2 (Ameobi, Perez)
Krul, Janmaat, S Taylor, Coloccini, Dummett, Anita (45' Cabella), Colback, Obertan (45' Ameobi), Sissoko, Gouffran, Perez (79' Haidara)
Subs: R Taylor, Ferreyra, Elliot, Armstrong

Wednesday October 29 
LC MAN CITY 0 NEWCASTLE 2 (Aarons, Sissoko)
Elliot, Janmaat (64' Sissoko), Coloccini, Dummett, Haidara, Colback, R Taylor, Abeid, Obertan, Armstrong (65' Riviere), Aarons (46' Ameobi)
Subs: Krul, Gouffran, Perez, Cabella

Saturday November 1 
NEWCASTLE 1 LIVERPOOL 0 (Perez)
Elliot, Krul, Janmaat, S Taylor, Coloccini, Dummett, Abeid, Colback, Obertan (27' Aarons), Sissoko), Ameobi (66' Cabella), Cisse (45' Perez)
Subs: R Taylor, Gouffran, Haidara, Elliot 

Sunday November 9 
WEST BROM 0 NEWCASTLE 2 (Perez, Coloccini)
Krul, Janmaat, Coloccini (78' Williamson), Dummett, Haidara, Abeid, Colback, Cabella (82' R Taylor), Sissoko, Ameobi (78' Gouffran), Perez   
Subs: Anita, Cisse, Elliot, Armstrong

Saturday November 22 
NEWCASTLE 1 QPR 0 (sissoko)
Krul, Janmaat, Williamson, Dummett, Haidara, R Taylor (34' Gouffran), Colback, Cabella (68' Cisse), Sissoko, Ameobi, Perez (89' Armstrong)
Subs: Anita, Ferreyra, Elliot, Streete

Saturday November 29 
WEST HAM 1 NEWCASTLE 0
Elliot, Janmaat (74' S Taylor), Williamson, Dummett, Haidara, Tiote (63' Cabella), Colback, Gouffran (63' Cisse), Sissoko, Ameobi, Perez   
Subs: Anita, Riviere, Alnwick, Armstrong

Tuesday December 2  
BURNLEY 1 NEWCASTLE 1 (Cisse)
Elliot, Janmaat, Williamson (45' S Taylor), Dummett, Haidara, Abeid, Tiote, Gouffran, Perez (45' Cabella), Ameobi (75' Riviere), Cisse   
Subs: Anita, Alnwick, Armstrong, Streete

Saturday December 6 
NEWCASTLE 2 CHELSEA 1 (Cisse 2)
Elliot (45' Alnwick), Janmaat, S Taylor, Coloccini, Dummett, Tiote, Colback, Cabella (53' Cisse), Sissoko, Ameobi (83' Williamson), Perez   
Subs: Anita, Gouffran, Haidara, Riviere

Saturday December 13 
ARSENAL 4 NEWCASTLE 1 (Perez)
Alnwick, Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Dummett, Tiote, Colback, Perez (82' Armstrong), Ameobi (56' Cabella), Gouffran, Cisse (56' Riviere)
Subs: Anita, Haidara, Vuckic, Woodman

Wednesday December 17 
LC TOTTENHAM 4 NEWCASTLE 0
Alnwick, Coloccini, Williamson, Haidara, Dummett, Colback, Cabella (80' Vuckic), Gouffran, Perez, Sissoko (73' Anita), Riviere (60' Armstrong)
Subs: Streete, Satka, Woodman, Roberts

Sunday December 21 
NEWCASTLE 0 SUNDERLAND 1
Alnwick, Janmaat, S Taylor, Coloccini, Dummett, Tiote (75' Cisse), Colback, Gouffran (59' Armstrong), Sissoko, Ameobi (89' Cabella), Perez   
Subs: Williamson, Haidara, Riviere, Woodman

Friday December 26  
MANCHESTER UNITED 3 NEWCASTLE 1 (Cisse pen)
Alnwick, Janmaat, S Taylor, Coloccini, Dummett (63' Cabella), Anita, Colback, Gouffran, Sissoko, Armstrong (63' Cisse), Perez (82' Vuckic)
Subs: Williamson, Riviere, Satka, Woodman

Sunday December 28 
NEWCASTLE 3 EVERTON 2 (Cisse, Perez, Colback)
Alnwick, Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Dummett, Tiote, Colback, Sissoko, Perez, Gouffran (90+1' Cabella), Cisse (73' Riviere)
Subs: Santon, Anita, S Taylor, Armstrong, Woodman

Thursday January 1 2015 
NEWCASTLE 3 BURNLEY 3 (S Taylor, Sissoko, Colback)
Alnwick, Janmaat, Coloccini, S Taylor (Williamson 61), Dummett, Sissoko, Colback Tiote, Gouffran (Haidara 71), Perez, Riviere (Armstrong 57)
Subs: Santon, Anita, Satka, Woodman

Saturday January 3 2015 
FAC LEICESTER CITY 1 NEWCASTLE 0
Alnwick, Santon, Williamson, Dummett, Haidara, Tiote, Anita, Vuckic (79' Roberts), Armstrong, Riviere, Cabella   
Subs: Gouffran, Campbell, Satka, Bigirimana, Woodman, Gilliead

Saturday January 10 2015 
CHELSEA 2 NEWCASTLE 0
Krul, Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Dummett, Anita, Colback, Cabella, Sissoko (84' Riviere), Gouffran (63' Ameobi), Perez
Subs: Santon, Haidara, Vuckic, Satka, Woodman

Saturday January 17 2015 
NEWCASTLE 1 SOUTHAMPTON 2 (Gouffran)
Krul, Janmaat, Coloccini, Dummett (80' Williamson), Haidara, Anita (68' Ameobi), Colback, Cabella, Sissoko, Gouffran (68' Riviere), Perez   
Subs: Santon, Abeid, Armstrong, Woodman

Saturday January 31 2015 
HULL CITY 0 NEWCASTLE 3 (Cabella, Ameobi, Gouffran)
Krul, Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Haidara, Anita, Colback, Cabella (72' Gouffran), Sissoko, Ameobi (90+2' Abeid), Perez (82' Cisse)
Subs: Santon, Obertan, Riviere, Alnwick

Sunday February 8 2015 
NEWCASTLE 1 STOKE CITY 1 (Colback)
Krul, Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Haidara, Anita (65' Cisse), Colback, Cabella (69' Obertan), Sissoko, Ameobi (86' Abeid), Perez   
Subs: Gouffran, Riviere, Dummett, Woodman

Tuesday February 10 2015 
Crystal Palace v Newcastle United

Saturday February 21 2015 
Manchester City v Newcastle United

Saturday February 28 2015 
Newcastle United v Aston Villa

Wednesday March 4 2015 
Newcastle United v Man Utd

Saturday March 14 2015 
Everton v Newcastle United

Saturday March 21 2015 
Newcastle United v Arsenal

Saturday April 4 2015 
Sunderland v Newcastle United

Saturday April 11 2015 
Liverpool v Newcastle United

Saturday April 18 2015 
Newcastle United v Tottenham

Saturday April 25 2015 
Newcastle United v Swansea City

Saturday May 2 2015 
Leicester City v Newcastle United

Saturday May 9 2015 
Newcastle United v West Brom

Saturday May 16 2015 
QPR v Newcastle United

Sunday May 24 2015 
Newcastle United v West Ham United