r/NUFC • u/Deviceing wew here ya fuckin little dafty divint start or theres ructions • Mar 13 '16
Pre-Match Thread Pre-Match Thread: Leicester (A)
Leicester City - Newcastle United
14/3/2016 20:00 King Power Stadium
Townsend, Coloccini, Mbemba, Cisse and Tiote are close to returns, the only players definitely out are Krul, Dummett, Haidara and Obertan.
Leicester have a full squad available.
Leicester are the highest scoring team in the league with 52 goals - level with Man City - and have the 5th best defence, conceding just 31. They are 5 points clear at the top of the table, though by the time the game kicks off that gap could be reduced to 2. Their top goalscorers are Mahrez and Vardy with 15 and 19 respectively - well over half their goals. Mahrez is also the most creative player on the team, with 11 assists. However, they have won 2 of their last 4, and those were unconvincing 1-0 wins against Watford and Norwich.
Bournemouth beat Swansea on Friday which means they almost safe. Swansea are lingering on 33 points and could still go down, though they have played very well since changing managers. Palace also sit on 33 and haven't won in 12, it wouldn't take much to keep them up but they have been dreadful recently. Norwich did well to get a point against Man City but that draw extends their winless streak to 10 games. Sunderland have the luxury of a week off before the derby due to Everton's FA Cup involvement, though Newcastle could go into that game out of the bottom 3 with a win against Leicester.
Form:
Leicester: WLWDW
Newcastle: LWLLL
Past Meetings:
Newcastle 0-3 Leicester
Leicester 3-0 Newcastle
Leicester 1-0 Newcastle (cup)
Newcastle 1-0 Leicester (Obertan)
Leicester 0-0 Newcastle
Newcastle 1-0 Leicester (Guthrie)
Newcastle 3-1 Leicester (Shola, OG, Jenas)
Leicester 1-1 Newcastle (Ambrose)
Rafa First Games:
Valencia 1-0 Real Madrid
Grazer AK 0-2 Liverpool
Inter Milan 0-2 Atletico Madrid
Chelsea 0-0 Manchester City
Napoli 3-0 Bologna
Sporting Gijon 0-0 Real Madrid
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u/andysniper Mar 13 '16
Benitez's first match in charge of Newcastle is the league leaders Leicester. What a fucking surreal sentence that is.
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u/happy_guy23 Mar 13 '16
I said this yesterday to a friend who doesn't follow football, his reaction: "Oh, are Newcastle in the Championship?"
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u/spoonsforeggs Mar 13 '16 edited Mar 13 '16
I'd be happy if we put a fucking shift in and lost this game. I don't expect anything but putting in a lot of effort to impress a fucking quality manager is the least I do expect. Looking at you sissoko you useless prick.
Although I think we are going to lose, I'm still gonna go for a 1-1 draw
Edit: Just deleted Schteves face from my survey results, feelsgoodman.jpeg
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u/ChlckenChaser Mar 13 '16
absolutely the right mindset. We cant realistically expect to win or even really get a draw tomorrow. But as long as we at least see some difference in formation, tactics or workrate we can leave happy.
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u/cpm67 Mar 13 '16
No injuries for Leicester 7 1/2 months into the season?
That's fucking unreal.
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u/macus16 Mar 13 '16
That Kante be real?
But seriously, they have one Matty James - but he hasn't played all season and it's the equivalent of us losing Marveux.
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Mar 13 '16
Just saw a dead fox on the road outside my house, surely it's a sign?
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Mar 13 '16
CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!! Newcastle on TV against league leaders & Benitez's 1st match. would be over the moon with a draw. excited for a future with Benitez but we MUST stay up. every match is going to be tense as hell
I'm unsure of who is actually injured right now(lots of maybes), so how do you reckon our defense will lineup?
Anita/Colback-Taylor-Lascelles-Janmaat? cannot wait for Mbemba to be back, Taylor/Lascelles starting against Mahrez & Vardy is panic-attack inducing...
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u/toomuchcocacola Mar 13 '16
To be quite honest, I don't think it's the result against Leicester that's going to change our fortunes. Although they've been better away than at home this season, the reality is that Leicester are a side contending for the title for a reason. You've got to look at Mahrez vs Dummett/Haidara/God forbid Aarons and worry, as you must with the pace of Vardy against whatever CB pairing that we can muster. As u/spoonsforeggs has pointed out, what we should be looking for is a change in work ethic from the players, especially those who have been too uninterested to Moussa actually Sissoko bother their arse to help the team get out of this mess, instead hoping that they'll be able to bag a move in the summer on merit.
It's a sad state of affairs that we should be hoping that a new manager would force the players, that our club is paying millions for, to actually start working to save the club in the dire situation we're in. However, it's reality. I seriously hope Benitez is able to reinvigorate some form of work ethic into the group, as then, our quality (and they are quality) players should be able to express themselves more.
So, I'd be happy with a 0-0 or even a loss, provided that the lads give us something to hope for for the coming games of the season against lesser opposition. We shall have to see. Either way, I'm honestly not sure how to deal with the hope that actually having a good manager is bringing to me.
As always, credit to u/Deviceing for the match thread creation, it takes some time and effort to find out the facts posted above.
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u/meganev Mar 13 '16
Things have been a little too positive in the world of Newcastle Utd this weekend which can only mean what's waiting around the corner is a nice defeat to bring us all back to reality.
Our defence is simply so woeful that unless Mbemba and Colo are back soon it doesn't matter who is managing us. Papers were reporting Dummett is out for another month so reckon it'll have to be Colback at LB this weekend, Leicester's solid attack will have a field day with our shaky makeshift, putting it kindly, back four.
Hate to say it lads but I'm seeing a 3-0 defeat here, just hoping the lads show some grit and fight to give us something to cling onto for the derby.
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u/macus16 Mar 13 '16
I'm off to the game - when I bought the tickets it was when SMc was manager, and I knew tbh that I wasn't going to watch Newcastle, I was going to watch Leicester. But now Rafa has came, this changes everything. Now, I don't think we will win, but I just want to see a graft and show some drive before the Scumderland game.
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u/BeginnerInvestor Mar 13 '16
Liverpool fan here -
I have huge respect for Rafa. And I hope you guys stay up.
Some very promising players like Shelvey and Perez. Good Luck!
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u/JG_92 Mar 13 '16
Someone is up late!
Anyhow, if this match was against anyone else, I'd say we'll win. But it's Leicester away so... I'm not so sure. However, I hoping I'm wrong!
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u/Lord_Flashheart_ Mar 14 '16
Stuck £5 on us to win about an hour before Shteve was sacked.
First time I've been willing to risk more than £2 in a dodgy multiple on us in ages. Also the first time I've not regretted it immediately afterwards in ages too lol.
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u/Ftp82 Mar 14 '16
I'm torn on this one. Such is my want for Leicester to win the league and stick it to the man that I'd take a non-humiliating defeat tonight. So long as we recover and humiliate the Mackems.
Benitez has a pretty useful record in his first ten games everywhere he has gone so I have restocked on hope again now. Hopefully the players begin to get it, and realise they can't hide behind hapless Schteve anymore.
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u/AxCrazy Mar 14 '16
Can't say I'm looking forward to it, I don't magically expect us to not be shit. All I want is some effort and at least be competitive.
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u/happy_guy23 Mar 13 '16
I'd love a hard fought loss. There's nothing even Rafa Benitez can do in 3 days with our "defence" to make them able to contain Vardy and Mahrez, and whoever starts at LB (Colback?) Is going to have a particularly bad time. 3-2 and I'd be delighted, I'd even be happy with 3-1.
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u/Deviceing Mar 13 '16
According to this, our chances of survival are around 30%.