Starters: Elliot, Debuchy, Saylor, MYM, Santon, Tiote, Cabaye, Sissoko, Jonas, Gouffran, Cisse. Subs: Harper, Haidara, Perch, Anita, Marveaux, Squidward, Campbell. And then there's Michael Owen: "Just signed autographs for about 40 Newcastle fans outside our hotel. Not one single bad word spoken towards me. "I reckon they will be the exact same people who will be booing the life out of me should I appear on the pitch today!!!" On the bench for Stoke. I honestly forgot he was still a professional footballer.
Has he been since he was signed with us? Does anchoring the bench and collecting a paycheck count as "being a professional footballer" now?
Frustrating first half. Clearly the better team but unable to capitalize when Stoke has a breakdown. Both teams keeping it mostly tidy in the back. Need a moment of magic to open up the game.
Meh. Im not surprised. Typical Pardew team, typical work rate, typical result so far. Lots of air balls into areas defended by some of the best aerial defenders in the league. It's defend and counter vs defend and counter...yawn. I'm going to re-wire my basement....
Thank f*ck for that. I thought we played really well today and to not get all three would have been undeserved. Tiote's tackle was insanely stupid - what the hell was he doing? Other than the penalty I thought they never looked like scoring. How's this for a pass and finish? (Was I the only one who immediately thought he would be offside?)
I sure did. Lots of guys on Facebook and twitter did. Judging by the way he struck the ball I'm inclined to think even Cisse thought he was offside. Someone get a video of the Cabaye goal. If you can see Steven Taylor's antics pre and post goal, it's worth the price of admission. Comedy gold.
Watching the first half i would have looked at you funny if you said it would turn out the way it did. We're we're pretty dire and then it was only a matter of time. Cisse's goal was almost a let down as I had reflexively dismissed it for him being offside. By the time I realized it went in they were showing the replay as if it was unbelievable that was onside Only thing I can add is Pardew got it spot f*kin on today. Props to him for that. I think he's found out just how to play Marveaux.
Tayls probably doesn't go all batshit crazy if Brgvc doesn't get all up in his face when he's trying to play the peacemaker. Nice result. No backsliding, please. Thx, Jay!
When I wanted to start following an EPL team, I found out what team Michael Owen was playing for because I have a random poster on my wall of Owen for the English national team. He was playing for Newcastle at the time, or at least that's what FIFA told me, so I decided to become a Newcastle supporter. I later learned what Newcastle supporters thought of him....
That sure was a whole lot of bringing the ball up the wings at will... followed by kicking the ball the Begovic. I particularly liked how you couldn't tell Debuchy was playing right-back. Lucky to waste so much and still get the win.
Nolan was great at standing on the goal line and poaching balls in front of the keeper, but trying to block the keeper from lining up his wall is gamesmanship. They'll have to make a rule if this catches on.