Newcastle away

alderz

"It's never too early to invest in success" - Expat, June 2021

The Demba Ba Derby to start the season.

Ace of Clubs

The Pop Robson derby.

Ravel49

😂 straight in there

The Kieron Dyer Derby

DJ Hammer

The Andy Carroll derby

OutcastLondoner

Diamantis_Are_Forever said:

😂 straight in there

The Kieron Dyer Derby

The Lee Bowyer derby

Ravel49

🥊

yoyo

The Paul Kitson Derby..... And we're off to a winning start

alderz

FWIW

Since 1977 we've played at St. James' 37 times. We've won 8, drawn 11, lost 17

Hamstew

The Nobby Solano derby. Loss

buffybegood

My concern, given that this is more than 2 weeks before the transfer window closes, is that, as usual, dithering Davey Sullivan will still be waiting for a last minute bargain and we'll be going into this without players that we need for the upcoming season.

whupathman

buffybegood said:

My concern, given that this is more than 2 weeks before the transfer window closes, is that, as usual, dithering Davey Sullivan will still be waiting for a last minute bargain and we'll be going into this without players that we need for the upcoming season.

we will sell 4 bring in 1 and claim a success

alderz

buffybegood said:

My concern, given that this is more than 2 weeks before the transfer window closes, is that, as usual, dithering Davey Sullivan will still be waiting for a last minute bargain and we'll be going into this without players that we need for the upcoming season.

As it stands, our match day squad would be something like:

Fabianski; Coufal Dawson Ogbonna Cresswell; Soucek Rice; Bowen Benrahma Fornals; Antonio

Subs: Randolph; Diop Fredericks Masuaku; Noble Yarmolenko Lanzini; Silva Odubeko

Which feels like it needs some reinforcements for sure, but also feels like it should be enough to get through our first few games.

OldCastleSwift

It should, no club should be starting a season with a weaker squad than it finished the previous season with, IMO.

As it is we're two match day squad players down (Balbuena and Lingard), and I would imagine Xande Silva will be gone before the season kicks off.

But I do share buffy's concerns that we won't see much business at all until the last couple of weeks.

ScotHammer

The Shaka Hislop derby

Barney

It is perhaps unfair to blame GSB for transfer business being done late in the window; that the way it is for most clubs. Thunderstorms tomorrow and i know who I am blaming.

Kuchinghammer

I confidently predict we'll pick up as many, or even more, points than last season.

Ravel49

Sunday 15th Aug
Newcastle United v West Ham United
Premier League
14:00
Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Premier League / Sky Sports Ultra HD

welovethehammers

I’ve recently moved to Newcastle and would love to go to this match. As someone who’s never been a season ticket holder, is it going to be virtually impossible for me to get an away ticket?

IronHerb

Do you have a Client Reference?

Pearces_Left_Foot

Its very difficult to get away tickets you need alot of points to get tickets and you can't get enough points to get away tickets most of the time. There are no of people who always buy away tickets to keep their points up and then sell the tickets my mate bought tickets to a few games this way although i think the club are trying to stamp down on it.

whupathman

Also Newcastle is not the best place to be a London team away supporter

Lukerz

So what do we reckon, predictions on the line-up:

Fabianski
Fredericks - Dawson - Ogbonna - Cresswell
Noble - Lanzini
Bowen - Fornals - Benrahma
Antonio

Areola, Diop, Milenkovic (Johnson), Coufal, Rice, Souček, Oxlade-Chamberlain (Yarmolenko)

🤔

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years

Depends on how long Soucek & Coufal play against Atalanta

But thats probably the team If those two don't get 60 minutes

buffybegood

Will be a nightmare if we have to start without both Rice and Soucek, which unfortunately may well be the case. There's a big drop off in quality in midfield when one is missing, but if they're both out we're a completely different team; I genuinely fear for us with a CM pairing of Noble and Lanzini.

The pairing of Rice and Soucek in CM helps paper over weaknesses elsewhere in the team and without either of them we're nowhere near the team we are with them. We'll struggle to win and retain possession and our back line will be under considerably more pressure as a result.

Lukerz

Buffy - Moyes may well try and get Souček in there, having had the longer training time, to beef it up, but I would be surprised. I genuinely don’t think he’ll select any of them.

I think we’ll see them all play a half on Saturday & then it’s over to Moyes to see if he thinks any can start against Newcastle but I think 45 minutes vs players who have played every pre-season game is a bit of a no-brainer, even if they are superior players.

buffybegood

I'm not saying that Soucek should start, simply that we'll be significantly weaker (compared to a team with a fit Soucek) if he doesn't; it's all down to, as usual, the complete lack of any quality depth in the squad.

IronHerb

How many clubs of our stature would have someone coming off the bench to seamlessly replace a Soucek or Rice? Can't think of any myself.

OldCastleSwift

I'm 99% sure Soucek will start the Newcastle game.

Bloke's a machine.

thornburyiron

Soucek and Coufal’s Euros finished about 5 weeks or so ago and they had a four week break before returning to training. Rice is about a week behind them.
Given that the Euros would have been far more beneficial than any amount of pressure season training and that all players are given tailored fitness regimens for whilst they are on holiday I can’t see it’s beyond them to play in the opening game of the season.
I expect they’re fitter at the moment than most of the squad.

alderz

I fully expect both Coufal and Soucek to start against Newcastle, tbh.

IronHerb

welovethehammers said:

I’ve recently moved to Newcastle and would love to go to this match. As someone who’s never been a season ticket holder, is it going to be virtually impossible for me to get an away ticket?

The Newcastle tickets have now gone to ballot. I'm not sure about this but if you register with the Club and get a Client Ref you may be able to apply. Maybe worth a call to the ticket office.