Premiership preview, table prediction: 19. Newcastle United

Newcastle United

Nickname: The Magpies

Ground: St James’ Park

Capacity: 52387

Manager: Alan Pardew

Goalkeepers 1 Steve Harper 21 Fraser Forster 26 Tim Krul 33 Ole Soderberg  Defenders 2 Fabricio Coloccini 3 Jose Enrique 5 Sol Campbell 6 Mike Williamson 12 Danny Simpson 14 James Perch 16 Ryan Taylor 27 Steven Taylor 34 James Tavernier 48 Matthew Grieve

Midfielders 7 Yohan Cabaye 7 Joey Barton 8 Danny Guthrie 15 Dan Gosling 17 Alan Smith 18 Jonas Gutierrez 22 Sylvain Marveaux 24 Cheik Tiote 35 Bradden Inman 37 Hatem Ben Arfa 39 Joan Simun Edmundsson Attacking Midfielders 11 Peter Lovenkrands 31 Shane Ferguson

Forwards 20 Leon Best 21 Demba Ba 23 Shola Ameobi 26 Joan Edmundsson 29 Haris Vuckic 30 Nile Ranger 32 Ryan Donaldson 38 Phil Airey 42 Shefki Kuqi 44 Sammy Ameobi

Newcastle has been a club with a lot of negativity the last year, and it all started when they out of nowhere decided to fire their manager Chris Hughton. Who was do an excellent job with a newly promoted team, and had the backing from both fans and players, but not owner Mike Ashley. The reason for this was that Hughton didn’t have the right experience as a manager to take the team to the next level was Ashley comment. For me this is just ridicules, and when you go and hire a manager like Alan Pardew it just makes I worse. In my opinion he is no better manager then Hughton, and if you ask me he might be the poorest manager in the premiership at the moment. I think it’s sad to see a big club like Newcastle being led by a business man with no clue about how to run a club. And I feel with all the great fans of the club. The Toon Army is one of the absolute best supporters in England, and deserves so much better then what they have gotten the last year.

Pre-Season Fixtures/Results

July 15 vs Darlington 2-0 – Barton, S Ameobi

 July 20 vs Sporting Kansas City 0-0

July 23 vs Orlando City 0-1

July 26 vs Columbus Crew 3-0 Shola Ameobi, Coloccini, Vuckic

July 31 vs Leeds United 2-3 S Taylor, Vuckic

August 6 v Fiorentina 0-0 – Match Abandoned

Players in

07/11 Demba Ba FW  

07/11 Yohan Cabaye MF  

07/11 Fraser Forster GK  

07/11 Sylvain Marveaux MF  

07/11 Ben Tozer DF  

07/11 Xisco FW  

Players out

06/11 Kazenga LuaLua MF  

06/11 Kevin Nolan MF  

Newcastle’s pre-season results have not been the best, and I think Alan Pardew is in way over his head at the moment. When one look at what quality players that have left the club after he came in charge, it’s horrible to see what he has manage to get in so far. I mean losing Andy Carrol and Kevin Nolan and replacing them with unknown and injured players from France is just ridicules. The signing of Demba Ba from West Ham might be a good signing, but when there is talk about both Joey Barton and Jose Enrique wanting to leave the club because they feel that the club is a selling club without ambitions there is trouble coming for MR. Pardew. The wrath of The Toon Army is nothing to joke about, and it will hit him hard if deliver as poor results as he did last season. There is still time to bring in players for Alan Pardew, but if he lose both Barton and Enrique before the transfer window closes, he needs to spend big money to cope with all the holes that are left to fill from last season. Remember that Carrol, Barton and Nolan stod for most of the Magpies goals last season.

Most likely starting lineup for Newcastle next weekend:

                                            Fraser Forster

Danny Simpson       Mike Williamson     Steven Taylor    Jose Enrique

Danny Guthrie                 Cheik Tiote

Yohan Cabaye                                                  Jonas Gutierrez

                            Shola Ameobi          Demba Ba

The starting lineup for Newcastle scares no one at the moment. And if Alan Pardew doesn’t make more harmoni in the squad there will be trouble from the start. This will make it hard for the club get the backing from the fans, and I predict relegation for Newcastle if they don’t sack Alan Pardew within a short time. I hope I’m wrong but I have a bad feeling for Newcastle this season.