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.

Match Preview: Toon vs. mackems

We like to impress ourselves sometimes. We write previews and talk about tactics, selection, storyline, formations, and form. We make predictions that never come even close to reality, then conveniently ignore them when it comes time to write up a review. Those things are good to talk about - what's a blog for, after all? Sometimes, though, you don't need to read or write something like that to know the gravity of the situation. If you pay enough attention to this site, you know what I feel about this match already. It's time to let the game do the talking.

Only one thing matters today, and it's summed up in three words:

Beat. The. mackems.

Derby Match Previews From Around The Web

The Guardian - The Squad Sheets are always top-notch.

Sky Sports - focuses on Sunderland's defensive prowess and predicts a 1-1 draw.

BBC Sport - features some good statistics and a soundbite from Chris Hughton.

Paul Merson (Sky Sports) - Takes some time to back Chris Hughton before warning him not to play a 4-4-2 and predicts a 1-1 draw.

Darren Lewis (Mirror Football) - Martin Lipton is out for the week, but he must have left a Post-It note on Lewis' desk reminding him not to pick Newcastle under any circumstances.

Ed Harrison (nufcblog.com) - calls this match the most important of the season, especially considering the rumors surrounding Chris Hughton.

Toonsy (nufcblog.org) - calls for a 4-5-1 and declines to make a prediction.

Rob McCluskey (EPLTalk) - provides some great insight into the derby and some terrific analysis of what we could see. Makes me feel inadequate.

CHN Links: Gameday Edition

Good morning, Toon Army. Are you willing to do what it takes to win today? (+1 million internets to anybody who knows what that's a reference to.)

Credited to "Barry H." on shiteseats.co.uk

Shola Ameobi Plays Big During The Tyne-Wear Derby

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



And for good measure...

Cheik Tiote is Happy in Black and White Stripes

In a feature that deserves more than just a line in our Morning Links post, Louise Taylor of The Guardian profiles Cheik Tiote.

I call this one "Blue Steel."
Photograph: Gary Calton, The Guardian

Tiote, who is quickly becoming a fan favorite on Tyneside, speaks about the differences between Dutch and English football, his manager, and his inspiration and heroes. Taylor also interviews Chris Hughton and Steve McLaren, Tiote's old manager at FC Twente.

This is definitely worth a read, so if you're like me and you're falling in love with Tiote's style of play (and if you're not, get with the program!), make sure you check it out.

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

Alan Shearer Owns the mackems

CHN Links: Friday Edition

Good morning, Toon Army. Let's focus on the mackems now, shall we?

An oldie but a goodie.

CHN Links: Thursday Edition

Good morning, Toon Army. What an awful sports day. Newcastle lost by 4 and Texas had an awful World Series debut. Let's just look forward.

Match Preview: Magpies vs. Gunners

42: The number of years since Newcastle have won any silverware of any distinction. That's not a drought on the level of the Chicago Cubs, by any means, but it's longer than I've been on this earth. I'd like to see a trophy that doesn't have anything to do with the Intertoto Cup before I'm in the ground, and you never know when you're going to get your opportunities. I've said this before - I don't agree with the idea that you put all of your eggs in the "Surviving the Premiership" basket. Sure, a League Cup victory would mean nothing if the team were relegated, but at some point you have to stop being satisfied with mere survival. Our boys will be putting on the black and white stripes and playing for a chance to advance in cup play tonight, and to expect anything less than for the team to go all out to win is blasphemy in my eyes. The League Cup is as much a part of the season as Sunday's derby match will be. In the words of the great Lester Freamon, "All the pieces matter." Besides, wouldn't it be a shame to waste that win we earned at Stamford Bridge?

Arsene Winger seems to agree with me, and Arsenal's "drought number" is a mere 5. FIVE! Ultimately, I think it is this attitude that proves my point more than anything. I don't think anybody, even the most naive of Magpie supporters, fancies Newcastle as the best team in England right now, but I want this team to be the kind of team that is disappointed when they haven't produced anything in the last five years. I don't want to be content with survival. We're not at a place where we can demand the kind of success that the Gunners can, but winning the League Cup would go a long way towards breeding the confidence that leads to that success. In other words, this match probably means more long-term than this week's tie against the mackems will, as much fun as it is to put the SMB's in their place.

What to do about selection, then? Winger says he will play his squad at "near full strength," while Hughton seems to be taking the opposite tactic. Missing Cesc Fabregas is good news for The Toon, but it won't make a bit of difference if Tamas Kadar is out there kicking around. I expect the lineup will look somewhat like the following, as much as I wish it wouldn't: Soderberg, Kadar, Williamson, R.Taylor, Simpson, Guthrie, Smith, Vuckic, Routledge, Ameobi, Ranger. The saving grace would be a stacked bench that Hughton could use if the scrubs could stay close through 60 or 70 minutes, but that's asking a lot. (Side note: I wonder if reserve manager Peter Beardsley will be on hand to "audition" as the assistant.)

I expect Arsenal to come out guns blazing (pardon the pun) and take a decisive 4-1 victory, which will be a shame, given that Ipswich Town will be among the teams in the draw for the next round. Prove me wrong, lads.

CHN Links: On A Wednesday My Trial Was At-tested

Good morning Toon Army.

It's Carling Cup week and later today we'll face an Gunner side that Wenger has promised will be strong and looking to win. While avoiding relegation should still be the main priority of Chris Hughton and the lads, I'd still like to see us put a good foot forward in these Cup matches. Follow us past the break for a look at that and other things.

Reasonable Reaction Wednesday: Toon Too Much for the Hammers, by Just a Little

Due to time constraints today, this will be the cliff-notes version of a match review.

I wondered last week which Magpie team might show up in Boleyn, and the answer was, I think, a move in the right direction. The team that lost to Wolves and Blackpool was the team that showed up first, which was admittedly disconcerting. But; after allowing that first goal, the side that beat Everton started struggling for dominance. At the end of the day I think that better side was on the field more often than not.

Good work roomy! Src: Telegraph via Action Images

CHN Links:Tuesday Edition

Good morning, Toon Army. Good news for Andy Carroll as he basically ducks one of his assault charges. Details on that and more stories after the jump.

Andy Carroll as he appeared in court on Monday. I say Chris Hughton pulls off the suit a little better.
Photo credit unknown; pulled from chroniclelive.co.uk

How the Internet Saw The West Ham Match

For your reading pleasure: a roundup of reviews from Saturday's win after the jump. Enjoy!

Andy Carroll celebrates his header on Saturday.
Photo credit unknown; pulled from thesun.co.uk

Highlights: West Ham United 1, Newcastle United 2

Enjoy! UPDATE: Found a different video; the original wasn't working. H/T CaughtOffside

CHN Links: Gameday Edition

Good morning, Toon Army. Let's beat the Hammers!

Andy Carroll celebrates a goal against West Ham United on January 11, 2009. The teams drew 2-2.
Photo credit unknown; pulled from dailymail.co.uk

Match Preview: Toon head for Hammers

In my look forward during the International Break, I called the game against Wigan a must win game. Well we didn't win, but the fashion in which we were able to fight back for a draw still gives me great hope for the season. The Toon come into this game with West Ham forcing me to ask the question: Which team will show up? I hate having to ask that question of a team I support. It is one of the most frustrating parts of being a fan. But, here we are.

So, if I ask myself that question, I answer like this. I think that we saw glimpses of that team that we all prefer last week. If we can grow the amount of time that team shows up on the pitch we'll be in good shape. Since we're facing West Ham, there is also a little room for that other team. Of course I don't want to see them, but the thing about exorcising demons is that the demons have to be present.

I see this game as a chance against one of the weaker teams in the league to do some pruning, so to speak. Pruning out the bad habits, pruning out the melancholic attitude that has shown up in spurts, pruning out the sense of deserving that my partner illustrated days ago.

I expect the lineup to look something like this:
Krul
Simpson, Colo, Willo, Jose
Guthrie, Barton, Tiote, Jonas
Nolan
Ameobi

Bench: Soderberg, Raylor, Routledge, Carroll, Perch, Campbell, Smith, Lovenkrands

Perch gets the bench after a very poor game last week, and, let's face it, Ameobi is the only striker is starting form. But, CH loves the 4-4-1-1 format so I think that's what we'll see.

A tough game on the road today, but if the right team shows up the Toon can get 3 points here. If last week was a must win that ended in a draw, that makes this week all the more must win.

Prediction: NUFC 2-0 WHUFC

Portsmouth "likely" to be shut down

A sad day for football fans, as it looks like the fight to keep Portsmouth open has been lost. (BBC Sport) No team should ever have to suffer the fate of this once-proud club.

CHN Links: Friday Edition

Good afternoon, Toon Army. Chris Hughton's "testing times" just got a little more trying. Read more after the jump.

Carroll's car was set on fire, its windows were smashed, and its bonnet was forcibly opened. A quick search tells me that "bonnet" means trunk.
Photo credit unknown, pulled from guardian.co.uk