Toon Army Blog - Dedicated Newcastle United FC news and discussion site, Newcastle Blog, Football Discussion

Surely Cahill Should Be Banned For 4 Games?

Unsurprisingly (although I suppose you never know with these jokers)the FA have turned down Everton's appeal over the red card that Tim Cahill received at the end of the game on Sunday after his altercation with Yohan Cabaye at the final whistle.

Surely though by the FA rules it should have been extended to 4 games as if appealing a red card for clearly grabbing a guy around the neck in full view of everyone isn't a frivolous appeal then I am not quite sure what is??

I know Cabaye has come out and apologised for his involvement in what was said etc but at the end of the day a lot of things get said on a football pitch but raising your hands to an opponent is a red card simple as that so it just baffles me how they had the cheek to appeal it.

What is even more baffling and ironic is Cahill coming out saying what a disgrace Cabaye is and how he is disgusted by what was said. This is coming from a guy who over the years has been a pretty nasty piece of work elbowing and fouling his way through the Premier League.

Add to that his little handcuff celebration paying some kind of tribute to his brother who was jailed for kicking a man in the head until he was partially blinded and I think there is only one discrace here really.

The sad thing is he is a really good player but he is just a nasty piece of work and one of these players that is more than happy to dish it out for 90 minutes but the minute he gets a bit back he doesn't like it, starts whinging and reacts - hope you enjoy your extended summer break Tim.

Defeat At Everton But Heads Can Be Held High

It was always going to be a tall order but Newcastle went into the last game of the season with a real chance of qualifying for the Champions League but ultimately a defeat at Everton ended those dreams and sealed a 5th place finish for the Magpies.

To be honest when all is said and done it didn't matter in the end in the sense that both Spurs and Arsenal won their games which ended our hopes anyway as we had to win and rely on negative results for one or both of them.

Saying that given what was at stake it was slightly disappointing that we didn't put on more of a performance at Everton and do our bit no matter what was happening elsewhere but in truth we were soundly beaten.

After such a fantastic season it would be very harsh to criticise the lads and I think whilst it would have been nice, the Champions League was just a step to far and in terms of progression the Europa League will do nicely. Add to that the fact we finished above the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool as well as finishing a massive 20 points and 8 places ahead of Sunderland and you have to look at the season as being a massive success.

Yesterday certainly emphasised where we need to strengthen ahead of next season with us once again giving away some cheap goals at the back.

To be fair the 1st goal from Steven Pienaar on 20 minutes was lucky to say the least looping in off Mike Williamson's back and how the 2nd goal from Jelevic on 27 minutes which effectively ended the game was allowed is beyond me as he pretty much caught the ball to control it but the 3rd goal from Heitinga on 65 minutes was woeful as he had a free header in the 6 yard box.

A commanding centre half who can give us some better presence in the air at both ends of the pitch has to be top of our shopping list along with a natural left back and from what the manager was saying in his radio interview the other night thankfully I think he also realises this.

Although Tony Hibbert gave us some hope in this one with a comical own goal it was pretty much a comfortable win for Everton and I think maybe the last 2 games have shown that our exertions over the season have started to take their toll and the players now need the well deserved rest that the end of the season brings.

So the Champions League dream ends but if we can keep hold of our key players and add some quality to the group then there is no reason why we can't be back up there again next season.

A quite fantastic season from all involved and everyone from the board at the top, right down through the management, coaches and players to the groundsman and the tea lady etc at the bottom as well as of course the fans deserve a big pat on the back.

When we were relegated 3 years ago the club was at an all time low but to see the way things have turned around now with most fans having a smile on their face as they have a team to be proud of is absolutely phenomenal.

The season may be over but we will be here all over the summer commenting on the Euros as well as the no doubt endless amounts of transfer speculation which will probably begin in the next few weeks before the players have even had a chance to jet away on their holidays! Also watch out over the next week or so as we will announce our player of the season as well as a full review of what has been a great season at St James' Park.

Toon Army Blog Team Of The Season

I have to admit I don't like seeing all of the player of the year, manager of the year, team of the year accolades given out before the season has actually finished but I have seen on quite a few other sites the pundits giving their teams of the season etc so thought I would have my two penneth and I suppose someone would have to do something pretty special or pretty bad in the games tomorrow to have any effect on my choices!

It's obviously difficult but I am going to try and be as unbiased as I possibly can. It is always going to be nearly impossible to include everyone that maybe deserves it but this is my take on the performances over the course of the season. To keep it simple its going to be a standard 4-4-2 for the starting 11 and then 6 on the bench as subs and then maybe a couple of honourable mentions.

Tim Krul - In goal has to be our very own Dutch stopper. I just think he has been top class all season and what gets him in ahead of the likes of Hart and maybe Voorm is the fact that this is his first full season and he has been an ever present in the league. Top all round young keeper.

Micah Richards - A lot of people seem to have gone for Kyle Walker at right back but I have to say for me he is one of those full backs where they look good going forward but there are still question marks about their defending and at the end of the day that is a fullbacks primary role. Richards has been great for City all season and is just an absolute unit defensively but can also get forward a bit too. Can also play centre half and just a generally solid defender.

Vincent Kompany - First name on the sheet with this really is Kompany who I think has been immense for City since he joined and this season in particular. No coincidence for me that City's form dipped when he was out injured and then picked up enough to haul themselves back in the title race when he returned. Top class defender and also comes across as a decent and honest bloke too.

Fabricio Coloccini - Nearly every team I have seen so far from other pundits in has had our very own skipper in there and I couldn't agree more. Absolute top class defender who has lead the team throughout the season and leads by example on and off the pitch. Got a lot of unfair criticism when he first arrived but has shoved that down his critics throats over the last few seasons.

Patrice Evra - At left fullback I have gone for Evra. Man United although obviously still in the title hunt certainly haven't been their usual free flowing selves this year but they are still up there just down to consistently getting results and Evra is usually at the heart of that. Good solid fullback that rarely misses a game. A lot of pundits have gone for the likes of Leighton Baines but again I am not totally convinced with him as a defender and worry that his goals from free kicks and corners and his assists sometimes paper over this.

David Silva - Not technically a right winger I suppose but lets be honest he is that good he could play anywhere and he and my left winger choice could easily interchange. I did nearly leave Silva out as he has tailed off slightly after such a good start to the season but he has still been vital to City's title charge and is such a clever and intelligent player and an absolute joy to watch.

Clint Dempsey - Another that was pretty much a first pick on this after a quite fabulous season where he has hit double figures in goals for Fulham from midfield. Not a massive fan of him in terms of the way he acts on the pitch etc but he is a top player and as far as midfielders go is up there with the best in the Premier League simply because he produces on a consistent basis in terms of goals and assists.

Juan Mata - Probably one of my most surprising and controversial choices especially given Chelseas fairly poor season in the League at least but again its probably consistency that has caught my eye. Players coming in from Spain sometimes struggle to adjust to the Premier League but he has come in and has looked a class act for Chelsea all season even when they haven't been doing well. Can score and create and like Silva a joy to watch when on top of his game.

Jonas Gutierrez - Could be seen as another controversial choice and a sign of my bias starting to maybe kick in but again one thing I look for in a player is consistency on top of the obvious traits like goals and assists etc. Jonas may not produce end product as much as people like but even so he has such a positive influence on the way Newcastle play. He is very good at giving us an attacking outlet and getting us on the front foot and I saw a stat not long ago that said he was the most fouled player in the league. Although he is actually skillful his main asset is his workrate, you don't get many wingers that work as hard as he does for the team. Every team needs grafters as well as silky skills and Jonas actually has both. Add to that his versitility and willingness to play anywhere where asked and you have a pretty valuable player.

Robin Van Persie - Again not a particularly likeable individual but it would have been impossible to ignore his goalscoring achievements this season where he has pretty much dragged Arsenal along all season into their current top 3 position. Without him I think most of their fans would dread to think where they would be.

Sergio Aguero - Partnering RVP I have to go for Aguero over other possible choices like Rooney. Again another player that has done well to settle into the Premier League quicker than many would have expected and he is just the complete striker really. Quick, skillfull and deadly in front of goal.

Bench - Joe Hart, Baines, Modric, Bale, Yaya Toure, Rooney

Finally some honourable mentions - From a Newcastle perspective Ba had a great first half to the season and obviously Cisse came in January and kind of took over the mantle. The likes of Cabaye and Ben Arfa have also been great for us.

Jelevic of Everton has to be up there with Cisse and Ba as signing of the season been really impressed with him at Everton.

At the promoted clubs the likes of Voorm, Ashley Williams, Scott Sinclair, Joe Allen, Danny Graham, Grant Holt, John Ruddy, Anthony Pilkington have all played big roles in keeping the likes of Norwich and Swansea up and certainly in the last couple of months Victor Moses has almost single handedly saved Wigan from the drop.

Even at the relegated clubs the likes of Jarvis and Fletcher at Wolves have stood out and the likes of Yakubu and Hoilett at Blackburn.

Like I say always hard to give everyone credit but I have tried to do so and as I said I have tried to be as unbiased as possible but at the end of the day I watch Newcastle nearly every week and only see some of the teams on Match of the Day etc so any opinion is always maybe going to be slightly skewed. Anyway overall it has been a very enjoyable season, here is hoping there is more of the same next year.

Everton Away 11/12

So the 2011-2012 season comes to a close tomorrow and I think in general it has been one of the most exciting Premier League seasons in memory. The fact that there are still title, european and relegation issues all to be settled by the final round of games gives you an indication on what a good season it has been.

Of course it has been particularly enjoyable for us Newcastle fans as our side have exceeded all expectations and have already secured a place in the top 5 and Europa League football at least.

A win tomorrow could see us even get in the Champions League and finish as high as 3rd depending on how results go. To be in with a shout of that is great and no matter what happens tomorrow it is nice that for once these final games are actually going to mean something as a lot of the time with everything already decided they can be pretty meaningless affairs.

It will be a tough ask for us to come away with anything at Everton who have had another solid season under David Moyes and although they are not playing for any place in Europe (unless there is a permutation I am unaware of) they are playing for the points that would see them finish above city rivals Liverpool in the league.

Like ourselves they have been on good form in recent weeks so it is going to take something special for us to take anything from them on their own patch.

One thing we have done this season though is bounce back well from disappointment so after last weeks defeat to Man City you would be hoping there was a positive reaction even ignoring the possible European rewards. Just generally it would just be nice to finish the season on a high and not go into the summer on the back of a defeat after such a fantastic season.

Can't see any major changes from the manager in this one from the team that started the Man City game. Simpson is still missing so assuming Perch didn't go off with an injury against City then he should continue to deputise.

Will be interesting to see if we go with the more conservative 4-4-2 variation of the formation or whether we go for it and go with the 4-3-3 that has got us some good results recently particularly on the road.

To be honest I would probably say go for it - it is a one off game that we need to win to have any chance of the Champions League so why not. As I have repeatedly said I don't think there will be any real disappointment if we don't make the Champions League as it was always going to be a massive bonus if we managed to pull it off.

Just really hope the lads can go out there for one final time and give it a real go - after such a brilliant season I don't think we can ask for any more than that and then whatever happens will happen.

Pardew Scoops Manager Award

Some news prior to our final game on Sunday is that Alan Pardew has scooped the manager of the year award which is absolutely fantastic for both him and the players and their performances over the course of the season.

I of course may be slightly biased but I think even the neutral will be able to disagree with this one and to be honest if he hadn't of won it then I think it would have been a travesty.

Yes the likes of Martinez, Rodgers and Lambert have done well in keeping their respective teams up on a budget but I think the job Pardew has done in getting this team where it is after all the doom and gloom of the summer when the so called experts were talking about relegation is far greater an achievement.

He has had the team performing all season long and they have been an absolute pleasure to watch combining some good football with hard work and organisation. It is the first time in a long time we have had a team that you would say is hard to beat and a lot of that has to come down to the work the manager has done on the training ground and in preparation for all the games.

Irrespective of what happens on Sunday its a well deserved accolade for a manager who has taken the chance he got given here and proved a lot of peopl wrong in the process myself included - long may that continue.

Quick mention for Vincent Kompany who scooped the players award. There are not many opposition players that I particularly like being complimentary to but I am a big fan of Kompany and he has been immense for them on the pitch this season.

Not only is he a class player but he also comes across as a decent and honest guy who will hold his hands up and give credit to the opposition where it is due which is refreshing for a modern day footballer really.

French Stars Make Euro Cut

Yesterday brought confirmation that Newcastle's Yohan Cabaye and Hatem Ben Arfa had been named by Laurent Blanc in a list of 12 overseas players who will be included in France's 23 man squad for the upcoming European Championships in Poland and the Ukraine.

I know some fans are always a little cagey about international callups given that in the past we have lost a few players to injuries sustained whilst on international duty most notably Michael Owen a few years back but for me it can only be a good thing for the club.

Firstly it is a massive boost for the players, Ben Arfa especially as unlike Cabaye he had been out of the reckoning for France for a while due to form and obviously fitness issues after he broke his leg last season.

Not only does it show these players that you don't have to be at a top 4 club to get noticed by your country it should hopefully show this to any potential transfer targets who may have similar reservations.

I think its also just good for the clubs image in general that it has players representing some of the top international sides out there and helps raise our profile in these other countries.

Of course the one downside is that Hatem and Yohan could mastermind England's downfall being in the same group but hopefully they won't do too much damage in that game and go through to the latter stages along with England.

There is always the worry of injury and I suppose ideally it would be good if they were able to rest over the summer instead but at the end of the day a footballer can get injured at any time and anywhere, its a risk that comes with the territory and I think the positives of them representing their country far outweigh the potential negatives.

Well done lads and also a well done to Tim Krul who was also named in Holland's provisional squad. There is obviously a chance he may not make the final cut but I would be very surprised if he isn't on the plane as one of the 3 keepers they will take and again it will be just reward for a fantastic season from him.

Next Wednesday apparently sees Roy Hodgson name the England 23 man squad which is unlikely to involve any Newcastle players barring some kind of massive surprise but will be interesting none the less given that he is naming it without even having had any kind of get together never mind played any kind of game.

Liverpool, The Side That Continue To Give

After watching and enjoying greatly Kenny Dogleash and his Liverpool team stumble through a pretty miserable season they continued their trend of putting a smile on my face tonight be beating a pretty weak looking Chelsea team 4-1.

Now normally I wouldn't enjoy a win for the reds but that victory for them tonight means that Chelsea can now no longer catch us which guarantees us a 5th place finish at the very least which is a fantastic achievement for the club considering where we were a couple of years ago.

Not only do we finish above Chelsea but even with that 3 points the best Liverpool can do is finish 10 points behind us which is a massive gap when you consider how much money has been invested on that team in the last 18 months.

Just goes to show that splashing the cash doesn't always get you where you want to be, certainly not if you have Kenny spending your money that's for sure - still absolutely clueless after all these years.

Here is hoping we can get 4th on Sunday but either way I think you will struggle to find many Toon fans disappointed with 5th.

Champions Elect Just Too Strong For Toon

Newcastle's home programme for the 11/12 season came to a close on Sunday with the visit of Manchester City and for once it was an end of season game that was still vital to both teams with Newcastle still chasing a place in the top 4 and City needing a win to edge themselves closer to pipping their red cross city rivals to the title.

My worry going into this game was that with the big build up and the eyes of the nation focused on us as being in with a real chance of derailing City's title bid we could freeze, let in an early goal and get absolutely hammered.

That would have been a really unfair way to bring the season to a close but thankfully the boys put in another good performance but unfortunately didn't get the desired result as City's quality told in the end.

We can take great pride in the fact that we held and pretty much matched them for 70 minutes and they certainly didn't come here and take an easy 3 points. We created a few decent chances but the 1st goal was always going to be important and when they got that through Yaya Toure's strike on 70 minutes then any kind of shock result seemed unlikely and as we pushed forward to try and salvage a draw Toure was on hand to seal the win in the last minute.

It isn't often that a team is applauded off the pitch after getting beat but I think everyone in the record crowd of 52,389 appreciated the effort the players from both teams put in over the 90 minutes and of course there was also an appreciation from both sets of fans for the efforts from both teams over the season as a whole.

Certainly from a Newcastle perspective we can't get too down over this result. This season has exceeded everyones expectations and we are going to be back in Europe in the Europa League at least which is a massive plus for the club.

Saying that though the Champions League qualification is still by no means over as a win in our last game at Everton could still see us sneak into 4th place were other results to go our way. The mere fact we are going into that last game still with a chance of that happening is testement to the work the manager and the players have put in this season.

I have said all along that Champions League qualification would be a massive bonus and certainly not something our season should be judged on at all. No matter how this season ends it has been fantastic from start to finish really with only a couple of little disappointments along the way.

The team that gave City a game on Sunday certainly shows that we are a team on the up and going places. If we can keep most of this team together and just make a few improvements to the squad here and there then I think we can all lick our lips at the prospect of next season as this one draws to a close.

I have to say I don't have any particular liking of either Manchester clubs so to be honest all I was thinking about in terms of this game was what it meant to us. Whilst I don't find it enjoyable to see a team buy their way to the title like it looks like City have I have to say it will be nice to see a different team winning it and on top of that I certainly won't be losing any sleep over Manchester United blowing an 8 point lead and handing the title to their rivals should City complete the job next weekend!

Only negatives other than the result for me was a bit of play acting from some of the City players and a truely awful performance from Howard Webb. The fact he is apparently the country's finest ref tells you all you need to know really about the standard. Play acting and referees are 2 things that I won't miss in the impending summer break from the Premier League.

Anyway moan over - beaten by the better team on the day but heads well and truely can be held high. Lets just give it one more big push at Everton next week and finish on a high.

Man City Home Preview 11/12

So a fantastic Premier League season is drawing to a close and Sunday sees Manchester City come to town for the penultimate Premier League game and the final home game for Newcastle. Often these end of season games can be meaningless but not this season with both teams needing points here for different reasons.

Newcastle of course almost unbelievably are still in with a massive shout of playing Champions League football next season. There are of course all sorts of permutations etc but really 3 points are needed here I think if we have any serious aspirations. I said the same before Wigan to be fair as I didn't expect us to get anything on Wednesday but with games running out and Spurs having a couple of easier fixtures then I think defeat here would this time end those Champions League dreams.

City of course will be looking for a win which will put them a step closer to pipping their cross city rivals to the title after quite brilliantly chasing them down over the last few weeks - this match is certainly well poised and I very much doubt we will see any kind of bore draw. As often happens when Newcastle are involved I can see this going spectacularly one way or the other.

I can't see the manager making any changes from Wednesaday unless there are any injuries. I would stick with the same 11 and would probably also stick to the 4-4-2 formation that served us well at Stamford Bridge. Against a good City side I think a 4-3-3 would leave us too open.

Hopefully Tiote is fit after his bang on the head as he is essential in games like these against the big guns. Not heard anything on Danny Simpson who missed Wednesday's win but James Perch came in and carried on his spectacular renaissance so I would stick with him even if Simpson is fit again.

As ever with games of this size I think the key is to start well and not let any early goals in. The longer the game goes on without them scoring then the more the pressure will build and of course with our strike force firing on all cylinders over the last few weeks then there is then always the chance that we can go down the other end and get one.

Irrespective of our European ambitions I would just like to see us get a result here to have a big say in the title race. I'm nit actually too fussed which of the Manchester clubs comes out on top, I am just happy that for once it has been a close race and with all the football world looking at us as a potential stumbling block for City and a us potentially having a massive say in the title race I wouyld hate to see City just steamroller us.

At the end of the day there isn't really any pressure on us as such, as we have said all along Champions League football would simply be a massive bonus. All the pressure is on City in this one really so with a full house hopefully we can just go out there and round off our home fixtures with a good performance and subsequent result.

How do people think this one will go? Would you play the same 11 and formation as Wednesday or would you make some changes?

Wow, Take A Bow Papiss!

Last night was another stand out moment in what has been an absolutely unbelievable season for Newcastle United and pretty much summed up what supporting this team is all about. Four days previous we were getting humped at Wigan yet last night we were beatign Chelsea 2-0 on their own patch!

Whilst it was definitely a team performance, star of the show once again was Papiss Cisse as he made it 13 goals in 12 games with a goal in each half both of which were of the highest quality.

He will rightly take a lot of the plaudits but like I say it was definitely a team performance with all of the back 4 putting in a solid display and making up for the Wigan horror show - Mike Williamson having a particularly good game shackling Torres and James Perch who was in at right back for the injured Danny Simpson also carried on his amazing revival with another good display.

Fair play to the manager, I thought we may go quite defensive in this one but he kept the same personel in midfield and attack but switched it to a 4-4-2 rather than the 4-3-3 we have been playing recently and that switch certainly benefitted Demba Ba who had one of his better games in recent weeks supporting Cisse in attack and was again unlucky not to find his way back onto the scoresheet hitting the bar and forcing a good save from Cech at the end of the first half.

For a midweek end of season game it was pretty exciting end to end stuff with obviously both teams still with a lot to play for. Chelsea had a few early chances but on 19 minutes Newcastle took the lead as Davide Santon came forward down the left, cut in and played a ball into Cisse just inside the box who nonchalantly controlled and flicked the ball up with his right foot and then dispatched the ball into the far top corner with his left foot giving Petr Cech no chance.

And if that goal was good his clincher in injury time was beyond good and definitely a big contender for goal of the season.

Ryan Taylor took a throw in down the left to Ameobi who chested the ball inside to Cisse who the proceeded to hit a right foot volley with the outside of his foot which started off heading about 10 yards wide of the goal but swereved up and over Cech into the far top corner to send the travelling fans into dream land.

I keep saying this but absolutely fair play to Pardew and his players for continuing to deliver in what has been an unbelievable season. Yes there have been a few disappointing set backs along the way like Wigan but to be fair whenever we have had such a set back then we have usually responded in the right way and boy what a response this was.

Unfortunately in terms of Champions League qualification Spurs also won at Bolton last night so we stay in 5th behind them on goal difference but as I keep saying I don't think there is any real pressure for us to qualify so we can just take these last 2 games as they come and see what happens - the mere fact we are still in there challenging is good enough for me.

One slight negative last night was a nasty looking injury to Tiote as he had to go off in the 2nd half after a nasty clash with Obi Mikel's elbow that went unpunished but the noises are that he is fine and he will be fit for Manchester City on Sunday which is great news. We have taken a few hidings this season against some of the better teams when we have had key players missing - last night showed what we can do with our best team out and hopefully we can repeat last night's performance against City and throw a real spanner in their title aspirations and at the same time write another fantastic chapter in this great season.

Whatever happens you just have to enjoy results and performances like last night when they happen.

Chelsea Away Preview 11/12

After Saturday's humiliation at the hands of Wigan the team are quickly back in action with the chance to put things right but on the back of such a heavy defeat an away game against a Chelsea team on form and on the back of putting 6 past QPR is probably not the game Newcastle would have wanted.

Saying that though, if you are looking for positives then it is a Chelsea team which hopefully may have one eye on Saturday's FA Cup final against Liverpool and a side that is struggling with a few injuries especially in defence.

Certainly we are going to have to play better than we did at Wigan on Saturday and as a team defend better otherwise we could find ourselves on the end of another London hiding. With Torres looking more like his old self again and the whole Chelsea squad on some kind of high after getting their season back on track I have to say I do fear for us slightly going into this one.

I think for the first time in a while the manager needs to tinker slightly with the team. The 4-3-3 has been working great but with respect a lot of teams we have played in our recent good run were not top teams with talent like Chelsea have at their disposal.

Certainly after Saturday I think the onus has to be on looking to stay compact and keep a clean sheet if possible, certainly early in the game and then push on from there and maybe hit them on the break which is something we have been very good at in away games this season.

There are a couple of injuury question marks over Danny Simpson and Yohan Cabaye from Saturday. If Simpson doesn't make it then I suppose Ryan Taylor is the obvious choice to play either left or rightback with Santon then filling the other flank accordingly or there is Shane Ferguson who could come in at left back but I would guess it would be Taylor.

If Cabaye doesn't make it then my guess would be that the fit again Guthrie would deputise. Personally I would maybe go for Gosling or Abeid just simply as I don't think Guthrie can be trusted to fulfil his defensive duties.

Formation wise I think it has to be some kind of 4-5-1 with Cisse up top and maybe Ben Arfa in behind him with maybe a more orthodox right midfielder coming in like Ryan Taylor or maybe the fit again Obertan who has done ok in some of our away games this season.

I suppose a lot depends on the situation with the fitness of some of the mentioned players but I expect and hope that we will be a lot more conservative that we have been in recent games as we really don't want to follow up Saturday with another pasting.

As I have said numerous times I think we all, including the players, maybe need to forget the Champions League and just see what happens but certainly if we do have any aspirations of being in that competition next season then we have to find an unlikely 3 points from this one.

As ever with these kind of games away from home against the top teams I think a point would be excellent and to be honest as long as we give them a good game then I will be happy. We certainly owe them one after the unlucky defeat we suffered at St James' park earlier in the season where the decision by the ref not to send off David Luiz early on cost us dear.

The lads certainly owe us one after Saturday and what better place to do it?

What are people's thoughts on how this one will go and what 11 would you go with?

Roy's The Boy For England

Not specifically related to Newcastle but some pretty big news if you are an English football fan this afternoon in that as expected from the rumours over the last couple of days Roy Hodgson has now been named as the man to take on the England hotseat ahead of the European Championships.

I have to say that relating it back to Newcastle it is good to see, with a few whispers over the last few months from some quarters that Alan Pardew should be in the frame after what he has done here.

Whilst I don't think any of us were seriously worried he would get it after he ruled himself out, when it comes to Newcastle I don't think anything is ever certain and had the FA come knocking and offered it to him and offered the board a hefty compensation cheque then I find it hard to believe that either would have turned it down so in that sense its good that it is now sorted.

With my England fan hat on its obviously great that they have finally got someone in place full stop. With the Euros fast approaching it was getting a bit ridiculous that we didn't know who would be taking charge of picking the squad and preparing them for the tournament.

There seems to be quite a lot of criticism for the appointment and a lot of disappointment that the apparent favourite for the job Harry Redkanpp didn't get it but I have to say I am happy with Hodgson.

It may not be a particularly spectacular or exciting appointment but we have been down that route before with the likes of Sven and Fabio and ultimately they were pretty expensive and yet ultimately fruitless experiences.

Personally I don't buy into the notion that the England manager has to be English, for me you simply want the best man for the job and i'll admit that Hodgson wouldn't have been my first choice. Personally I would have broken the bank to try persuade either Guus Hiddink or Jose Mourinho to take over but I don't think either of them were ever going to happen so in the absence of many other obvious options I think it is good to see an Englishman in charge.

In terms of English managers Roy is clearly the most qualified too with a pretty impressive CV that has seen him manage top clubs, win titles and also manage internationally very successfully for the likes of Switzerland, Finald and the UAE.

He is far more qualified than Redknapp and I have to say I don't really see what the massive clamour for him was all about really. He has won 1 FA cup at Pompey and to do that he had to spend a shed load of cash which has left the club on its knees in recent times. Other than that he has got Spurs into the top 4 again by assembling a fairly expensive team.

Yeah he might be a bit more charismatic than Hodgson and would have probably given the media the odd funny line and quote which they love and Hodgson but really in terms of managerial ability I'm not convinced he would have been that good and when you factor in the kind of money Spurs were looking for in terms of compensation then I think it could have been another unsuccessful costly exercise.

To lable Hodgson as a 2nd choice and cheap option is very harsh and I think anyone criticising his appointment is probably paying too much attention to his unsuccessful spell at Liverpool were at the end of the day he got no support and got royally shafted simply because he wasn't 'King Kenny'.

Good luck to the guy and maybe for once lets not get on someones back before they have even got their feet under the table. A good solid and sensible appointment for me and lets be honest the team aint exactly setting the world alight at the minute so if it turns out to be another bad appointment then it won't really have done much harm. As ever rather than thinking too much about the manager I think it's time the players stepped up to the plate.

Sorry Toon Brought Back Down To Earth

With the winning run and all the associated media talk about Newcastle heading into the Champions League I had a feeling a result like this might be around the corner but I have to say without sounding disrespectful that I was expecting it to maybe come from one of the Chelsea or Manchester City games rather than from the Wigan game!

Fair play to Wigan, they are fighting for their lives and are getting fantastic results in the run in which is likely to preserve their Premier League status once again which is a great achievement considering their budget and the crowds they attract etc.

Saying that though the simple fact is that if we have ambitions on building on this great season then we can't afford to be going to places like Wigan and shipping 4 goals in the first 45 minutes of a game.

The game was effectively over after 15 minutes as a Victor Moses double put the Latics 2-0 up and when Maloney and Di Santo added another 2 before the break it was game over with any kind of Arsenal style comeback unlikely as Wigan pressed and harried us all over the park.

Papiss Cisse did strike both the post and the bar in a slightly improved 2nd half where we at least didn't concede any more but those close shaves were as good as it got really.

Whilst I have seen the usual comments that seem to come out after defeats about how it's been a great season so far etc so we just have to forget about it etc some questions do need to be asked for me.

This isn't the 1st time this season where away from home we have started a game really badly and then just capitulated - see Spurs and Fulham away as previous examples.

As I have said fair play to Wigan but there is no way that a team pushing for a top 4 finish should be losing 4-0 to a team battling to stay in the division. Yes Wigan may have played well and pressed us on the ball etc but we have to talent to contend with that and bar Di Santo's goal which was a pretty sweet long range finish the defending for the first 3 goals was quite frankly appaling and further emphasises that is the area that needs strengthening in the summer no matter where we end up finishing in the table.

I have said this for weeks, I really hope that all talk of Champions League qualification stops and we just try and get results in the next 3 games and see what happens. I think Saturday shows that no matter how much the players have played it down the pressure of trying to get into that top 4 seems to have got to them slightly.

Yes there is nothing we can do about it and we have to move onto the next game but at the same time I hope this performance isn't just swept under the carpet and lessons are learnt because no matter how good a season we have had there is no excuses for performances like that. If you are shipping 4 goals to Wigan and more to the point Di Santo is scoring 1 of them then you know for a fact that as a team you clearly haven't turned up and put in a performance.

Having watched Chelsea stick 6 past QPR yesterday there certainly needs to be a massive improvement on Wedneasday otherwise we could see ourselves similarly embarrassed in West London.

Wigan Athletic Away Preview 11/12

It's a trip to the North West tomorrow for Newcastle as they travel to face Roberto Martinez' Wigan Athletic side looking to make it 7 wins on the bounce and further push our claims for a top 4 finish and a return to the Champions League.

As I think we are all aware Chelsea could obviously put a spanner in the works by winning the Champions League but at the end of the day we cannot worry about that. We have confirmed Europa League football at the very least next season which lets be honest is a fantastic achievement in itself. The pressure should now be off a bit and we just need to give it a go in these last 4 games and see where we finish and whatever happens happens.

There seems to be a lot of talk of the scenario with Chelsea winning the Champions League meaning 4th place would miss out almost assuming we have got 4th place sewn up - at the end of the day it will all be irrelevant if we dont even finish 4th so I think we just need to do what we have been doing and just try and pick up as many points as we can from these remaining fixtures and like I say what will happen will happen.

As ever we can't afford to be complacent against Wigan, at this business end of the season most teams are playing for something and Wigan certainly are with them still in the relegation dogfight despite a couple of decent results recently.

Those recent results have included home wins over Stoke and Manchester United as well as an away win at Arsenal so on their day they can be a match for anyone so we need to be careful.

We really just need to replicate our performances over the last 6 games and if we do that then we should take 3 points here. Yes you have to respect Wigan and not get complacent but the facts do tell you that we are the form team and the favourites here.

In light of the recent results you can't really see any justification for the manager to make any changes to the starting 11 or the formation. With no apparent injuries from last weekend I think it is fairly certain that the manager won't tinker with the winning formula which is serving us so well.

As ever if we can keep things tight at the back then with the firepower we have we should score the necessary goals to win this one. To win 7 on the bounce in the Premier League would be a great achievement and a 3rd win away on the road would be the first time that has happened for us in the Premier League since 2001.

With the away end totally sold out you can guarantee the boys will be getting a noisy backing as they look to finish what has been a fantastic season on a high.

To be honest whilst people may look to the Chelsea and Man City games as the important ones I think in all honesty if we are to finish in that top 4 then this is the key one we need to win - if we don't get 3 points tomorrow then I think we may struggle to get that top 4 spot. We shall see.

What are people's thoughts. Another easy 3 points in the bag or will battling Wigan upset the form book? Stick with the same team or make a few tactical tweaks?

Lovenkrands Launches Alzheimer's Fundraising Drive

Newcastle forward Peter Lovenkrands has launched an online effort to raise money for the Alzheimer's Society and by dontating to this good cause you could be in with a chance of winning a whole host of great Toon related prizes.

It was well documented about Peter losing his Dad a couple of years back to this horrible disease but it was testement to the guy that he battled on and played for the club whilst grieving for his father and seemed to kind of use playing and scoring the goals that played a major role in our promotion back to the Premier League as a way of a tribute to his late Dad who had been such an influence on his career.

Now Newcastle fans have a chance to repay Peter a little bit by making a donation to this fantastic charity which is also a a subject very close to my heart too so I would urge everyone to visit his online page and donate what you can.

The extra incentive on top of helping research into this horrible disease is that if you donate at least a fiver then you are in with a chance of winning prizes which include a signed Newcastle shirt, shirts signed by the likes of Coloccini, Cisse and Tiote, Ben Arfa's boots and Tim Kruls gloves to name but a few.

On top of that if you are feeling a bit more generous there are a couple of bigger prizes for people that donate a minimum of 20 or 30 pounds.

A 20 pound donation puts you in with a chance of some free designer underwear for a year which could maybe sweeten the Mrs up when you are asking for permission to travel to watch Newcastle in Europe next season or a 30 pound donation puts you in with a chance of winning 2 tickets to the Newcastle Man City game in May and getting introduced to the players in the dressing room by Peter Lovenkrands himself.

A great charity to donate to anyway but even better in that you also get a chance to win some great Newcastle related prizes which the players etc have been kind enough to donate.

Probably harming my chances of winning something by promoting this to people but that obviously isn't the main thing here - would be great for as many football fans as possible out there to really help Peter raise as much money as possible for such a good cause.