Newcastle United v Ipswich Town
Saturday 22nd October 2016 – 15:00
St James' Park
Opening Thought – Jamma
Well I'm not sure what all the fuss was about! With a 2-0 win over Burton, Town claimed their fifth clean sheet in seven matches, retaining their status as one of the league's most solid defences and adding some attacking threat to banish a five-game goalless run. In the process, Freddie Sears ended his own 38-match goal drought and fired the Blues to within just 3 points of the top six. Crisis? What crisis?
I'm being facetious, of course, and Tuesday night's success, although extremely welcome, was anything but the routine victory that the scoreline might suggest. The Brewers impressed with their enterprising approach and attractive, quick-passing style of play. Another day could so easily have seen us facing up to the recurring frustrations that I had envisaged in the preview, with the visitors passing up two or three gilt-edged opportunities in the first half alone. Once the game got going, it was clear that it was not going to resemble the insipid non-events of our previous two outings at Portman Road, and instead turned into an end-to-end affair full of chances for both sides. Luke Chambers, not universally popular in recent times, produced a diving header to finish off a fine move involving Kevin Bru and Sears, helping to calm the nerves of the home support. Burton continued to push forward but were repeatedly denied, either by the aforementioned wasteful finishing or thanks to some courageous defending. Fans have been clamouring for Teddy Bishop to be given a run, more for his energy in attack than the desire he showed in tracking back to make two sublimely timed tackles. This was one of the facets of the team's much-lauded togetherness, epitomised by Bartosz Bialkowski sprinting the length of the pitch to join in the celebrations for Freddie’s long-anticipated goal. This performance may not have answered all of the critics that have been levelled at Mick McCarthy's team over the last few weeks, but it can have left no room for doubt about the continued spirit in the squad.When questioned about the importance of the win – our first in six – McCarthy admitted that the overriding emotion was relief. No matter how much faith he has in his players, there was always going to be an element of uncertainty in the back of his mind the longer we went without scoring. To that end, we shouldn't have been surprised that the football on show against Burton was short on quality. Passes were often misplaced, or wrong decisions made, when in promising positions, inviting the opposition on to us and resulting in several desperate clearances. But, where aimless punts upfield would have been bemoaned in previous matches, supporters were sensible enough to realise that the result was all that mattered on this occasion, and willing to forgive the odd instance of 'hoofball'. It was essential to take some kind of result into our next fixture, against most people's pre-season favourites for promotion. Had a goal and win eluded the Blues for another 90 minutes, we would have been given next to no chance for our trip to St. James' Park. After a stuttering start which took in two defeats from their first two games, Newcastle have gone on to win nine and draw one of the next eleven to take their place at the top of the table. Even when they have been up against it (they were 3-1 down against Norwich before two stoppage-time goals secured a 4-3 win, if memory serves
), the Magpies' undoubted quality has shone through. Any Ipswich fan who is expecting anything other than one of Mick's 'dogged, belligerent' away displays on Saturday is surely deluding themselves. We have been here before, in 2009/10, when Jonathan Walters inspired us to a heroic 2-2 draw at the home of the champions elect under a beleaguered Roy Keane. With the midweek win, Town have at least regained some confidence, as they go looking to upset the odds on Tyneside...The Opposition – Newcastle United
The origins of Newcastle United Football Club itself can be traced back to the formation of a football club by the Stanley Cricket Club of Byker in November 1881. This team was renamed Newcastle East End F.C. in October 1882, to avoid confusion with the cricket club in Stanley, County Durham. Rosewood F.C. of Byker merged with Newcastle East End a short time later. In 1886, Newcastle East End moved from Byker to Heaton. In August 1882, Newcastle West End F.C. formed from West End Cricket Club, and in May 1886 the club moved into St James' Park.
The two clubs became rivals in the Northern League. In 1889, Newcastle East End became a professional team, before becoming a limited company the following March. However, on the other hand, Newcastle West End were in serious financial trouble and approached East End with a view to a takeover. Newcastle West End were eventually dissolved, and a number of their players and backroom staff joined Newcastle East End, effectively merging the two clubs, with Newcastle East End taking over the lease on St James' Park in May 1892.
Newcastle United was decided upon on 9 December 1892, to signify the unification of the two teams.
At the start of the 1893–94 season, Newcastle United were refused entry to the First Division and so joined the Second Division, along with Liverpool and Woolwich Arsenal.
Newcastle were promoted to the First Division for the 1898–99 season.
In 1903–04, the club built up a promising squad of players, and went on to dominate English football for almost a decade.
Newcastle United went on to win the league on three occasions during the 1900s - 1904–05, 1906–07 and 1908–09 - as well as the FA Cup in 1910.
The team reclaimed the FA Cup in 1924, and also won the First Division championship for a fourth time in 1926–27.
In 1931–32, the club won the FA Cup for a third time. However, a couple of years later, at the end of the 1933–34 season, the team were relegated to the Second Division after 35 seasons in the top flight.
They were finally promoted back to the First Division at the end of the 1947–48 season.
During the 1950s, Newcastle won the FA Cup trophy on three occasions within a five-year period, beating Blackpool in 1951, Arsenal in 1952 and Manchester City in 1955. However, after this last FA Cup victory the club fell back into decline and were relegated to the Second Division once again at the end of the 1960–61 season.
Newcastle returned to the First Division at the end of the 1964–65 season after winning the Second Division title. The club qualified for European competition for the first time after a good run in the 1967–68 season and the following year won the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final.
The club had back-to-back triumphs in the Texaco Cup in 1974 and 1975.
United once again dropped down to the Second Division at the end of the 1977–78 season but returned to the First Division at the end of the 1983–84 season and remained in the top flight until relegated once more in 1989.
The club won the then First Division Championship at the end of the 1992–93 season, earning promotion to the then new Premier League. At the end of the 1993–94 season, their first year back in the top flight, they finished in third, their highest league finish since 1927.
Newcastle finished as high as 3rd in the 2002/03 season under Bobby Robson, qualifying them for a place in Europe.
The club was again relegated to the Football League Championship at the end of the 2008–09 season, the first time the club had left the Premier League since joining it in 1993.
Newcastle made an immediate return to the top flight in 2010 after their relegation the previous year.
The 2012–13 season saw Newcastle regain European football for the first time since 2007.
Newcastle failed to win any of their first eight Premier League games of the 2015–16 season. On 11 March, Steve McClaren was sacked after nine months as manager, with Newcastle in 19th place in the Premier League and the club winning six of 28 Premier League games during his time at the club. He was replaced on the same day by Rafael Benítez, who signed a three-year deal, but was not able to prevent the club from being relegated.
The Gaffer – Rafael Benítez
Past Match - Video Highlights - Trev
Relive the highlights from when it was Ipswich who were going for the second tier title against their Geordie visitors:
Media Watch - K L Blue
MM hopeful on Jonny Williams:
http://www.itfc.co.uk/news/article/2016 ... 72400.aspx
Freddie's frustration over:
http://www.itfc.co.uk/news/article/2016 ... 71007.aspx
If MM were to go................................
http://footballleagueworld.co.uk/if-mic ... cements/4/
View from the opposition..................Do you agree?
http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/turner-burt ... story.html
http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/opposition- ... story.html
Form Guide
Newcastle United Last 5 Matches - Currently in 1st place on 28 points
Barnsley 0-2 Newcastle Utd
Newcastle Utd 3-1 Brentford FC
Rotherham 0-1 Newcastle Utd
Newcastle Utd 4-3 Norwich City
Aston Villa 1-1 Newcastle Utd
Ipswich Last 5 Matches – Currently in 12th place on 17 points
Ipswich Town 2-0 Burton Albion
Blackburn Rovers 0-0 Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town 0-1 Huddersfield
Ipswich Town 0-0 Brighton
Leeds United 1-0 Ipswich Town
Fixtures of Interest
ASTON VILLA VS FULHAM
NORWICH VS PRESTON
WOLVES VS LEEDS
BRENTFORD VS BARNSLEY
Marko’s Caption Contest
Guys, unbelievably busy through this week, I'll get the captions in for the week after with a pic of "The Don Cup"
Have a go at this in the meantime:
Match Referee – James Adcock
Final Thought - Bluemike
How nice it is to write this piece after a Town win, I had almost forgotten what it felt like. Tuesday night’s slightly fortuitous victory over a plucky Burton Albion ended a few droughts for sure: our winless run, our goalless run, Sears’ unbelievable non-scoring run and our winless October record under MM all went by the board. I always try to tell people not to get too down and negative after a defeat so the same must be said after this win. There is still much to improve on and several facets of our game are still not right. However, this should not detract from the fact that we won and once again kept a clean sheet. We really are becoming hard to break down.
Something I have picked up on on Tuesday night is the subject of team spirit. There had been one or two murmurings on the subject of MM possibly losing the dressing room. I think we can say 100% that nothing could be further from the truth. Team spirit would not be as close-knit as it obviously is if there were issues in this department. The way the players to a man celebrated Freddie Sears ending his goal drought speaks volume for the togetherness in the camp and for Bart to run the length of the pitch to join in says it all. I think any doubts on this score can be laid to rest.
We have clearly been struggling in the striker department but it looks like the poor showing by Leon Best at Ewood Park was a one-off as prior to that game I felt he had been doing OK and Tuesday night was without doubt his best performance in a Town shirt. He really did work his socks off. Add to that a resurgent Sears and the impending return to fitness of Didsy & Williams and things may well be improving in the not too distant future.
They will not come any harder than this weekend’s trip to the North East and a tough game against Newcastle Utd and all their riches. It would have been nice to have a slightly easier fixture with which to build on our victory over Burton but it is what it is and for me this is one of those "free games" because I doubt anyone will be expecting anything other than a defeat so anything gained from this one will be a massive bonus. I will be making my first visit to St. James' Park and am looking forward to that while taking in the delights of Geordie nightlife on the Friday evening so possibly numbing the pain before the events on the pitch take effect. I am afraid that personally I can see nothing more than a comfortable 3-0 Newcastle win but my predictions have been rank bad lately so hey you never know!!!
We don’t want to end on a negative note, so the preview team’s ‘joint prediction’ is…
NEWCASTLE UNITED 1 IPSWICH TOWN 1
It will be a good and interesting game whatever.
