CHN Links: Friday Edition

Good morning, Toon Army. I really hate reading that the owner had to fly in just to have a meeting with the manager, even if it is just from London.

Match Preview: Newcastle vs S*nderland, Tyne-Wear Derby, Pt. 2

The Magpies are headed to the Stadium of Blight on Sunday for the derby rematch that the M*ckem Unwashed have surely been eagerly awaiting. After the utter domination they suffered at SJP they really should be looking forward to the chance for recompense, but our lads won't be looking to make it an easy day for the Unclean.

CHN Links: Monday Edition

Good morning, Toon Army. You over the FA Cup defeat yet? Me neither.

CHN Links: Tuesday Edition

Good morning, Toon Army. Plenty of news and transfer rumors to go around today - so much so that I ran out of room to tag people in this post. (Sorry Andy Carroll and Tim Krul...)

Rumored target Adel Taarabt's playing style has been compared to Hatem ben Arfa. The difference is, Taarabt has two good legs at the moment. What, too soon?
Photo credit unknown

Match Preview: Newcastle and Wigan, Both Without Their Top Scorer

Apologies for the lack of a review for the MANC and Spurs games. I meant to roll them into one review but never even got around to that with an unexpectedly long week at work. On with the Preview.

Newcastle will be away at DW for the second rematch of the year, and hoping to force the issue a bit better than they did in early October when a home draw was all they could muster. One would think that the Latics should be ripe for picking with their best player out on suspension, but they are also unbeaten in their last four, and you can't give all the credit to N'somnia.

CHN Links: Christmas Eve Edition

Good morning, Toon Army. Alan Pardew is close to re-signing Steven Taylor and wants to keep Hatem ben Arfa. Maybe he's not Satan after all.

Alan Pardew and Steven Taylor yuk it up together. A face-to-face meeting between the two could be what ends up keeping Taylor in black and white stripes.
Photo credit unknown

CHN Links: Wednesday Edition

Good morning, Toon Army. It's been a slow news week, which is certainly a welcome change from last week.

Craig Gardner celebrates a goal against Tottenham Hotspur on December 4. Birmingham City scores an average of one goal per game, so I suppose you've got to fist pump when you can.
Photo credit unknown

Preview: Magpies on the Road at The Hawthorns

The Magpies are the top of four teams sitting on 19 points. On the bottom of those four are the Throstles of Albion, which, if you're wondering, is a song bird, like the one on their emblem. Follow us past the jump for the full preview.

These fellow promotion season Baggies are a team not unlike our own lads. They've snagged wins away at Emirates and Everton, and at home have won against ManC(Carling Cup) and drew with ManU. On the other hand, they've also lost at home and away to Wigan, Fulham and Blackpool, while only forcing draws with West Ham and Bolton.

It seems as though they are struggling just as we are to find or re-find an identity in the Premiership. Here's hoping it takes them at least one more week than us, because this can be a dangerous game. On its face it would seem that we have all the tools it would take to beat this team, but that's just the kind of situation in which we've made a habit of finding a way to lose, isn't it?

Our side will have some sorting out to do with Colo and Willo still out and skipper Kevin Nolan out with an ankle bother, while Joey Barton will be back from his three game ban. The starting 11 should look something like this:

Krul
Simpson Saylor Sol Enrique
Barton Guthrie Tiote Jonas
Andy Shola

Reasons we win:

Fullbacks-
WBA have honed the skill of scoring away, having scored twelve on the road this year, so a key to this game will be whether or not Saylor and Sol can continue to shake off the rust and play like they did against Chelsea, which I think is altogether probable.

Score Early-
This Magpies side is markedly better when it scores the first goal, and I think that will continue to be a theme for the team as the season goes on. With Barton back in the lineup, I'd expect the crosses to Andy Carroll to start coming in early and continue often. If we can put one of the early chances in, which I think we can, this should be just the kind of match we can win.

Cheik Tiote-
Midfield control is such an important part of Premiership success. If Tiote is on his game, which he is much more often than he's not, then the midfield should be ours. If we can keep the Albion attack one dimensional then we give ourselves a better chance at the clean sheet and the win.

Reasons we lose:

Respect-
Shola said it best this week when he said we have to start respecting these "other" sides as much as we respect the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea. If we don't, we could have another game which we will look back on in disappointment.

Passing-
Not that it's been a major issue, but when we get behind in a game our passing goes to crap . If we do get behind in this game we have to keep our heads, especially in the passing game. When you're behind those giveaways can be so demoralizing to the side that's already feeling down.

Goalkeeping-
Albion has been a side that makes the absolute most of its chances. In their win against Arsenal they only had seven shots and only five of those on target; three of those were goals. Arsenal poured on 12 SOG with only two finding the net. If Tim Krul isn't on the top of his game for every shot, he's likely to find himself digging the ball out of the net.

Prediction: NUFC 2-1 WBA

CHN Links: Friday Edition

Good morning, Toon Army. Just a heads up: There may or may not be a Saturday post. There is one today, though, so check it out.

More fun with GIS: This comes up on the first page when you search for "Qatar Football Team"

CHN Links: Tuesday Edition

Good morning, Toon Army. I don't want to divulge anything specific, mostly because nothing's been finalized, but exciting changes are ahead for us. But you didn't come here for us; you came here for the Magpies...so, Tuesday's links are after the jump.

Cheik Tiote battles for possession with Didier Drogba, who in this instance has chosen to stay on his feet.
Associated Press

Week 15 Talking Points

Today we debut a new feature: Talking Points. Because of our policy of waiting a day or two to post a review (hence the name "Reasonable Reaction") and because there usually isn't enough news on the day of a game to merit a links post, we often don't post anything immediately following a game. This feature will change that. Following each game we will post some suggested talking points for all to discuss in the comments. (We know you're out there; the numbers say we've got readers, but no commenters. Consider this your invitation to join the conversation.)

Talking Points:
1. Are you happy to escape with a point against a top side, or disappointed to settle for a draw at home?
2. Are you satisfied with Sol Campbell and Steven Taylor in the back?
3. For the Shola Ameobi haters: Why?
4. Sort of a follow-up: Do you want Shola or Nile Ranger up front with Andy Carroll?
5. Chelsea: Bad floppers or the worst floppers?

CHN Links: Monday Edition

Good morning, Toon Army. A good night for our home team as FC Dallas advances to its first ever MLS Cup Final. I'd trade it for a win at Bolton, though.

Chris Hughton's version of the #HyndmanJacket.
Photo credit unknown; pulled from chroniclelive.co.uk

CHN Links: Gameday Edition

Good morning, Toon Army. Would it be too much to ask for a home win today?

You're a great American and an even greater Texan, Clint, but today I just want to wipe that stupid look off of your face.
Photo credit unknown; pulled from insidemnsoccer.com

CHN Links: Friday Edition

Good morning, Toon Army. Tired of hearing about Joey Barton? This post has you covered.

CHN Links: Saturday Edition

Good morning, Toon Army. I've avoided making Arsenal puns in this space so far this week, but it hasn't been easy. Check out the links after the jump.

I'm not sure what the context of this is, but it's funny.
Photo credit unknown

CHN Links: Friday Edition

Good morning, Toon Army. Harper aggravates his injury, Bruce complains about poor treatment, and one more candidate is crossed off the list for assistant...after the jump.

Cheer up, Sleepy Jean...
Photo credit unknown, pulled from mirrorfootball.co.uk

CHN Links: Wednesday Edition

Good morning, Toon Army. Still on Cloud 9 after Sunday? Us too.

Walking in a Hughton Wonderland.
Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images

Reasonable Reaction- Aw Screw It, We Murdered the Mackems!

In our short and sweet preview we left you with a 3 word mantra for contemplation on the Derby: Beat. The. Mackems.

Blood in the water.
Getty Images

Even without a public prediction I expected a hard fought game. I expected for it to be a tactical battle, a competition of matchups. For 26 minutes the tie seemed to be just that. On that 26th minute something changed. Kevin Nolan once again found himself in the right place at the right time, and then he found himself at the bottom of a dog pile.

After going up 1-0 I was literally screaming at my screen for the lads not to protect this lead but to continue to attack. I wanted to see a "blood in the water" attitude, and on the 34th minute I was obliged. Nolan, again in the right place at the right time, hammered home from point blank and I started to notice how well this team plays after it gets an early goal. A penalty, converted by Shola Ameobi, in overage had us into the half up 3-0.

When the second half started I was feeling more comfortable about protecting the lead, but the lads continued to keep the pressure high. Titus Bramble suffered the most from that as he was sent off to a chorus on the 53rd minute, which really would have capped off a great day for most folks, but the lads were still not satisfied. Ameobi would be the beneficiary of that dissatisfaction in the 70th minute, and four minutes later The Skipper headed another one home. Have I mentioned that Kevin Nolan is a "right place, right time" scorer? No play better illustrates my point than this 74th minute goal. As Joey Barton's corner crossed in Nolan slid himself into a soft part of the defence, but he wouldn't be on the end of the cross in that spot. But, Shola rose to put a head on it and though he had not a chance to put in on goal at that height and angle he did have a chance to put it right into that soft spot that Kevin Nolan had sniffed out as the right place to be. At that point the Defence didn't have a chance to stop Captain Nolan from becoming Captain Hat Trick a feat not achieved in the derby since the year after my cohort and I were born.

Before I talk about form and starters let me first say that the Chris Hughton rumors have been in very poor form and I hope that this result goes a long way to shutting those shite peddlers up. Off soapbox. Hughton played the same side that faced West Ham a week ago, and much the same style. I was glad to see two attackers up front, and I hope to see more of it. He was dressed smart too, I like to see a coach on the touchline in a suit and tie, and not, say, a hoodie with the sleeves cut off.

Danny Simpson seems to be returning to good form, he looked a lot better than he did at West Ham. Not that he looked at all bad, he just seemed rusty. In fact the whole defense looked great, Colo and Willo are quite a pair, and Williamson has seemed to recover very nicely from his bad luck outing at ManC. Thought they did allow the consolation goal very late.

Tiote continues to hold down the midfeild like, well, I don't really have a good simile for what it is that he does on a weekly basis. He's just in top top form. Jonas did his thing on the left and Barton did his thing on the right, but obviously Kevin Nolan was the story of the midfield.

Andy Carroll had a quiet game, playing more the decoy to open up Shola and Nolan, but handled himself very well I thought. And Shola was Shola, with that lackadaisical approach that he has. I can see why people think he's lazy, but I think he just has an approach to the game that people don't quite understand. We will continue to defend him.

Man of the Match: Kevin Nolan, Obviously.

Beat. The. Mackems. And beat them we did. What a treat for all the Geordie boys out out there. By the way, this win put us 7th in the table! Howay the Lads.

Shola Ameobi Plays Big During The Tyne-Wear Derby

Obviously, I'm predicting big things for Shola this weekend.



And for good measure...

CHN Links: Saturday Edition

Good morning, Toon Army. It always feels weird when football is being played on a Saturday but you don't really care about any of the teams. Hopefully our patience will be rewarded with a decisive victory.

Shola Ameobi celebrates after scoring a goal in a win against Sunderland on October 23, 2005.
Photo credit unknown, pulled from bbc.co.uk