Goals practically assured

In the last three league meetings at St James’ Park, we have shared a whopping 15 goals (details below).

Add the fact that we’ve slammed in 13 goals in 5-league games already this season - plus we appear to be a little leaky - then I think you only have to glance at those very same, recent league meetings at their place to get an insight into how this game might play out.

You watch, it’ll be 0-0 now…🙄

There’s a small blog announcement at the end of this piece.

v Newcastle United

St James' Park

Predicted line-up, subs and outcome:

(Number correct from the starting line-up in the last game: 7/11).

A very fluid 4-1-4-1 / 4-5-1 / 4-2-3-1 / 4-3-3:

____________________Haaland____________________

 

 

Doku____________________________________Savinho

_______________________________Silva____________

_________Gundogan______________________________

____________________Kovacic_____________________

 

Gvardiol__________________________________Walker

____________Dias_______________Akanji___________

 

 

____________________Ederson____________________

Subs: Ortega, Lewis, Stones, Wright, McAtee, O’Reilly, Nunes, Foden and Grealish.

Ederson returns in goal for this league match.

We do have first team personnel options in defence, so I could be wrong here. There’s a good argument to put Rico Lewis on the right, which would give us the option of him occasionally popping into midfield not just to bulk-out that department but to-occasionally help Mateo Kovacic with defensive midfield duties. However, there’s equally a good argument to pick Kyle Walker, seeing as Newcastle like to break fast and use the wings. Therefore, I’m going for the pace of Kyle on the right and the rest are made up of Josko, Ruben and Manuel.

Mateo takes over the ‘Rodders role’ and ahead of the 5’ 10” Croatian, I’m going for Jeremy, Ilkay, Bernardo and Savinho.

Erling returns up front after almost a full week off.

Stefen returns to the bench; Rico and John make up the defenders on the side. Jacob, James, Nico, Matheus and Phil are the midfielders available to come on should they be needed, with Jack being the only natural wide man in ‘the 9’.

Notable absences:

-       Nathan Ake – Out injured with either a thigh / muscle injury or a ‘hammy’. The Dutch international will be out for around 6 weeks from the date we were given the information, which was 13^th September.

-       Rodri – Injured with an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury and will be missing for the remainder of the season. 😢😔

-       Kevin De Bruyne – Still sidelined with a groin / pelvic / hip issue and now, we were just informed by his manager, will be out for a few weeks. He could return either just before or after the next international break.

-       Oscar Bobb – Out injured with a fractured leg that he received in training. Expected return is anywhere between mid-November and mid-December, going off the initial assessment / information released.

Do I agree with Pep’s (predicted) line-up?

The only thing I’d perhaps question is whether it would be wise to use the slightly slower Dias over the pacier Stones in defence.

I appreciate that John played the whole 90+ on Tuesday night while Ruben got a rest but I have highlighted in my blogs, from time to time, Ruben’s lack of a ‘turn of pace’ when we get caught out. In fact, I seem to recall one of those occasions being at St. James’ Park itself; where he was left chasing the heels of an attacker and it lead to a Newcastle goal, unless I’m mistaken.

Other than that…yep. 👍

Result?

I’m gonna get this one out of the way straight away and not JUST because it appears to be a general theme for us so far this season. Our Saturday hosts have a nasty habit of scoring against us in recent seasons; often more than once and regardless of the final outcome. However, and in addition, the general theme that I mention is that all-but-two sides have breached our defences from the Community Shield game onwards, so why should this Saturday be any exception?

The Magpies have got their season off to a decent start but a draw and, last time out, a defeat have interrupted their 3 wins. Their goal difference is +1, having scored 7 from 5 league matches and conceded 6. As I say, not a bad start but I’m guessing there will be disappointment amongst the Newcastle ranks at their away draw and defeat; both games where they dominated possession but somehow failed to capitalise.

At home, where we travel to of course, it’s a different matter. They’ve won both of their home matches and those came on the back of two back-to-back pre-season home victories against Girona (4-0) and Brest (1-0).

So, City fans, I would expect similar to the last two campaigns:

2022-23 – Newcastle United 3-3 Manchester City

2023-24 - Newcastle United 2-3 Manchester City

With a bit of luck and some better defending of our goal from the midfield department backwards, I hope to see a similar result to-when we travelled to the North East in 2021-22: Newcastle United 0-4 Manchester City.

I expect an exciting, nervy-for-us at times, match…but I’m also going for a City win.

Last season’s, corresponding pre-match prediction and result:

(Pre-match blog posting from that game)

Prediction: Win

Result: Won

Expected weather conditions during the game: After torrential rain battered the region on Thursday, it dried up the following day and that dry theme continues into match day. The sun could be out for kick off but it would be advisable to wrap up, especially away fans ‘up in the Gods’. 11C is the maximum temperature but the ‘feels like’ is a degree or two cooler in a brisk, westerly breeze. Perfect conditions for the players exerting themselves on the pitch below.

Announcement

There is a chance that I won’t be doing a pre-match blog posting ahead of our Champions League fixture on Tuesday 1^st October.

Additionally, my blog time during the week may be limited over the next three months due to other commitments / time constraints and, therefore, I’m thinking of dropping pre-match blog postings for Champions League matches for the time being; likely until the start of 2025.

Solidarity

 

 

All change!

Well, mostly…

v Watford

Etihad Stadium

Predicted line-up, subs and outcome:

(Number correct from the starting line-up in the last game: 8/11).

A very fluid 4-1-4-1-0 / 4-5-1-0 / 4-6-0:

_______________________________________________

 

_____________________Foden____________________

 

Grealish______________________Nunes______Savinho

___________McAtee______________________________

____________________Kovacic____________________

 

Wilson-Esbrand_____________________________Lewis

____________Stones____________Akanji____________

 

 

_____________________Ortega____________________

Subs: Ederson, Walker, Gvardiol, Smith, Wright, O’Reilly, Silva, Doku and Haaland.

Stefan becomes custodian of the net for the first time this season and since signing an extended contract in the summer.

There’s got to be a lot of changes to the outfield players after an exhausting and somewhat bruising match just over 48 hours earlier and that starts with our defence.

With Rico Lewis fully rested since his last match 6 days ago, he surely gets the right-wing back role tonight. Goal hero, John, only came on for the last 20 minutes of last Sunday’s game so I’m banking on him to give Ruben Dias a little respite. Although he had a couple of wobbly moments in pre-season in the United States, this has to be an opportunity to give a rare, specialist left-wing back a go, so Josh it is. Can Manuel give us 45 minutes on Tuesday night? Would it be fair? Would it be risky? Despite the fact that we’re facing Championship opposition, I’m not sure it’s a good idea to give a debut start to a young, central defender. However, if Pep does ask our Swiss international to give him some more of his energy and experience then I would hope that we’re in a position to reward that with an early withdrawal before weekend’s early kick-off (Saturday 28^th September, 12:30pm BST).

James and Matheus must be chomping at the bit for some game minutes and should be relishing the chance for a starting place. Jack was only involved for the final 20 minutes of last Sunday’s game and having been substituted BY Jack; Savinho’s young legs should allow him to at least give us the first 45 minutes of this encounter.

I’m going for us not to have an out ‘n’ out striker for this one but I’m guessing that Guardiola might give Phil a start and in the most advanced position of ‘false 9’.

Ederson steps back for the first time to find a comfy seat on the side; Kyle, Josko and Isaac are the three defenders on the bench in my predicted squad for this match. Jacob, Nico and Bernardo are the three midfielders in reserve; Jeremy is the only winger in ‘the 9’ and Haaland the only back-up striker.

Other youth contenders for a place in the match-day squad could be…

-       Harrison Parker – Defender - Centre

-       Brooklyn Nfonkeu – Winger – Left / Right

-       Justin Oboavwoduo – Winger / Forward – Left / Right / Centre

-       Tai Sodje - Striker

-       Will Dickson – Forward / Striker

Notable absences:

-       Nathan Ake– Out injured with either a thigh / muscle injury or a ‘hammy’. The Dutch international will be out for around 6 weeks from the date we were given the information, which was 13^th September.

-       Ruben Dias – Not selected / rested.

-       Rodri – Injured and possibly out for the rest of the season with a, suspected / rumoured for now, Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury. 😢😔

-       Ilkay Gundogan – Not selected / rested.

-       Kevin De Bruyne – Injured. I’m not entirely sure of the nature of the injury nor the expected length of time out, although we were told by Pep in the embargoed section of his post-Arsenal press conference that it won’t be long before we see Kev return. One source says that the nature of the problem is his groin / hip / pelvis area and Pep appeared to indicate, in a rather comical way, that the issue was in that region.

-       Oscar Bobb – Out injured with a fractured leg that he received in training. Expected return is anywhere between mid-November and mid-December, going off the initial assessment / information released.

Do I agree with Pep’s (predicted) line-up?

If I knew of a sensible way we could avoid having to start Akanji once again then I would suggest it but, other than that, yep.

Result?

Our visitors got their season off to a flyer with 3 league wins from 3 but have faltered somewhat since, with an LDL next to those first 3 Ws. The last loss, in fact, was a 4-1’er away at 11^th-placed Norwich City. Watford currently sit 8^th.

They do know where the net is being, as they are, the joint-3^rd-top goal-scorers in the division but they also leak too – scoring 10 but conceding 9 in those 6 fixtures.

They beat Milton Keynes Dons (5-0) and Plymouth Argyle (2-0) to get to this round of the League Cup.

Cup games do tend to throw up some unusual results and/or a shock or two and I suppose if we are to put out a side that can be considered partially ‘second string’, then we could be in the mix for a potential upset. However, I very much doubt it. Yes they have scored 17 goals in those 8 games in all competitions so, yeah; they may well breach our defence. Huh…nearly everyone else has this season so far… 🙄

Still, I think we’ll have way, way too much for The Hornets, especially at home. It’s a City win for me.

Last season’s, corresponding pre-match prediction and result:

Prediction: N/A

Result: N/A

Expected weather conditions during the game: After a dull Monday and before a dull-damp Wednesday evening / Thursday, Tuesday is not too bad at all really. It’s mostly dry and, in fact, is forecast to BE dry for the game itself. Chilly, at 11C, so we’re definitely into warm coat territory for this one. No conditions that will affect the match at all.

Solidarity