Another game, another strange kick off time. Well that’s if you can call 4.30pm on a Sunday a strange kick off time in this day and age.
It’s Newcastle United. A team often described as a big club, a sleeping giant, with only 7 clubs ahead of them in terms of major trophies. The problem for Newcastle is that, if they are a sleeping giant, they’re practically comatose. Their last major trophy was the FA Cup in 1955 and they haven’t won the league since 1927. Their status as a “big club" is more about having a big ground and lots of support these days, but their lack of success, before the Mike Ashley era, is perhaps a bit strange.
My biggest memories of playing against Newcastle are mainly from the 1990s. More precisely they are of Micky Quinn – a fat bloke with a moustache who looked like he would suit the environment of a builder’s yard more than a football pitch. The problem was he had the uncanny knack of scoring goals – lots of them – and quite a few against us. I remember, in particular, a 5-4 home win when Micky Quinn’s hat trick was matched by one from our very own David Kelly. Incredibly this match came less than 12 months after they beat us 5-4 at their place – including 2 goals from Micky Quinn. We’ve both had many ups and downs since then. They had the Keegan era. We had the MON era and now they have the Ashley era and we have the Srivaddhanprabha era.
So what about this weekend? They find themselves just above the relegation zone and we’re in 3rd, but it’s very early days. A win for them on Sunday would put them only 3 points behind us and who could forget their perfect away performance from last season (I wish I could): a masterclass of how to play Leicester, with 10 men behind the ball and a smash and grab win. A loss, for us, that probably more than any exposed the lack of development under Puel. The question is: have we learned enough under Rodgers?
My team for Saturday would be as close as possible to the one that beat Spurs. Why change? If Maddision isn’t fit I’d probably play Tielemans as the advanced midfielder behind Vardy and maybe drop Praet into the midfield with Wilf.
I can’t make my mind up whether it will be a Leicester win or a boring draw. Surely not a loss? And it can’t be as bad as the same game last year, can it?
Leicester v Newcastle- Pre match witterings
posted on 26/9/19
Joby
My biggest memory of playing ‘the toon’ was either the stench of the brewery when playing away or Steve Walsh ridiculous OG from 25 yards at Filbert Street and the police on horseback making an appearance!!!
I am sure there are some good memories in the recess of my brain as well.....
As for Sunday, if Maddison is out then as suggested move Youri forward and bring Praet into his role. Continuity and ball playing creativity is what’s needed to turn this from a banana skin to a peach of a result.
UTF
posted on 26/9/19
Keep these pre match thoughts coming please Joby. I for one am thoroughly enjoying them.
I thought the obvious choice was to go 4-1-4-1 and do our best to break Newcastle down. They’re very organised and very defensive under Bruce. It won’t be easy to find space between the lines.
With that in mind I actually quite liked the suggestion of a diamond in the mercury. Perez and Vardy up top to make a 2. Praet, Ndidi, Choudhury and Tielemans begins them with the fullbacks offering width appeals to me.
Allows us to be compact in the midfield and defensively stable whilst occupying the centre backs and allowing Tielemans to get on the ball and work his magic.
I like it.
Therefore Rodgers will go 4-3-3 and we’ll win 2-0 😂
posted on 26/9/19
comment by Don'tUpsetTheAppletonCart (U13248)
posted 2 minutes ago
Joby
My biggest memory of playing ‘the toon’ was either the stench of the brewery when playing away or Steve Walsh ridiculous OG from 25 yards at Filbert Street and the police on horseback making an appearance!!!
I am sure there are some good memories in the recess of my brain as well.....
As for Sunday, if Maddison is out then as suggested move Youri forward and bring Praet into his role. Continuity and ball playing creativity is what’s needed to turn this from a banana skin to a peach of a result.
UTF
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Also my main memory of playing Newcastle. That and the 7-1 defeat away from home when their ground bared no resemblance today and we sang “you’re not singing anymore” when we got our goal at 6-0 (I think).
posted on 26/9/19
Mersey
That sounds similar to the away game at Hillsborough against Sheffield Wednesday when we were 7-0 down (i seem to remember) and we were all singing “we want 8......”
Funny old things us supporters 🤣
UTF
posted on 27/9/19
There's the classic '5-4, we're going to win 5-4' when we've just gone 4-0 down with 15 minutes left!
posted on 27/9/19
Yes - I was in the ground for the Walsh own goal match. I think he equalised one end and then conceded the own goal the other end, which was enough for some to storm into the pitch.
The away 7-1 game I seem to remember was on the telly and they had a certain Andrew Cole up front (although it was Andy in those days).
I was also in the ground for the Sheff Wednesday away game. I thought it was fairly safe, however, to leave early when we were 7-0 down - only to hear a huge cheer when walking away from the ground. I’d missed Bobby Davison’s consolation goal. That’ll teach me not to leave early!!
posted on 27/9/19
“Keep these pre match thoughts coming please Joby. I for one am thoroughly enjoying them”
—/—
Oh... and thank you for those kind words Mersey
posted on 27/9/19
You’re welcome. Your posts are like a sprinkling of hundreds and thousands on my otherwise bland life.
posted on 27/9/19
Yes, they're a good read between matches
posted on 28/9/19
A past game that sticks in my mind was the 2-0 home win in 1996 under MON. If memory serves me correctly, Newcastle had battered Man Utd 5-0 the week before. I remember Larry playing a blinder and Ginola complaining afterwards how Larry wouldn’t let him play.