Coming Home Newcastle - Premier League Match 2: Newcastle United vs. Aston VillaA prudent and measured bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48541/cominghome-fave.png2014-08-25T16:49:44+01:00http://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/rss/stream/58217662014-08-25T16:49:44+01:002014-08-25T16:49:44+01:00Newcastle United Player Ratings vs. Aston Villa
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<figcaption>Chris Brunskill</figcaption>
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<p>One of Newcastle's new boys was named Man of the Match after Saturday's draw.</p> <p><a href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Newcastle</a> United played <a href="https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Aston Villa</a> to a 0-0 draw at Villa Park on Saturday. Here are the results of our player ratings poll.</p>
<h4>Goalkeeper</h4>
<p><span>Tim Krul</span><br>Average rating: 6.74</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/assets/4931964/Tim_Krul.png"><img src="http://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/assets/4931964/Tim_Krul_medium.png" class="photo" alt="Tim_krul_medium"></a> <br id="1408979620711"></p>
<p>Krul wasn't given just a whole lot to do, but Villa came close on a few occasions and Timmy seemed to have it covered. They had a spell in the Newcastle end near the end of the first half, and Krul's leadership got them through it. It was a solid, yet unspectacular clean sheet.</p>
<h4>Defenders</h4>
<p><span>Daryl Janmaat</span><br>Average rating: 7.18</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/assets/4931972/Janmaat.png"><img src="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/4931972/Janmaat_medium.png" class="photo" alt="Janmaat_medium"></a> <br id="1408979646345"></p>
<p><span>Mike Williamson</span><br>Average rating: 6.12</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/assets/4931980/Williamson.png"><img src="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/4931980/Williamson_medium.png" class="photo" alt="Williamson_medium"></a> <br id="1408979675917"></p>
<p><span>Fabricio Coloccini</span><br>Average rating: 6.63</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/4931988/Coloccini.png"><img src="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/4931988/Coloccini_medium.png" class="photo" alt="Coloccini_medium"></a> <br id="1408979698675"></p>
<p><span>Paul Dummett</span> <br>Average rating: 5.58</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/4931996/Dummett.png"><img src="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/4931996/Dummett_medium.png" class="photo" alt="Dummett_medium"></a> <br id="1408979726263"></p>
<p><span>Steven Taylor</span> (substitute)<br>Average rating: 5.5</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/4932012/Steven_Taylor.png"><img src="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/4932012/Steven_Taylor_medium.png" class="photo" alt="Steven_taylor_medium"></a> <br id="1408979792337"></p>
<p>It doesn't quite look it from the ratings, but as a whole, the defensive unit played well. Williamson's rating is likely dinged because of the double yellow, but in all honesty, the first was a bit harsh and the second was more of the professional foul variety. Overall, he and Coloccini were a satisfactory partnership. Dummett got poor marks for a number of high profile mistakes and for generally allowing <span>Aly Cissokho</span> and <span>Fabian Delph</span> to do whatever they wanted on his side of the pitch.</p>
<p>Daryl Janmaat had a couple of key tackles and also managed to create some chances of his own, despite mostly playing a stay-at-home game. On almost any other day, it's not a Man of the Match performance, but because nobody else took hold of the game, he's the worthy pick.</p>
<p>Midfielders</p>
<p><span>Jack Colback</span><br>Average rating: 6.86</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/4932020/Colback.png"><img src="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/4932020/Colback_medium.png" class="photo" alt="Colback_medium"></a> <br id="1408979822056"></p>
<p><span>Vurnon Anita</span> <br>Average rating: 5.89</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/4932028/Anita.png"><img src="http://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/assets/4932028/Anita_medium.png" class="photo" alt="Anita_medium"></a> <br id="1408979855269"></p>
<p><span>Yoan Gouffran</span><br>Average rating: 5.54</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/4932044/Gouffran.png"><img src="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/4932044/Gouffran_medium.png" class="photo" alt="Gouffran_medium"></a> <br id="1408979921616"></p>
<p><span>Moussa Sissoko</span><br>Average rating: 6.03</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/assets/4932052/Sissoko.png"><img src="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/assets/4932052/Sissoko_medium.png" class="photo" alt="Sissoko_medium"></a> <br id="1408979953671"></p>
<p>Remy Cabella<br>Average rating: 6.4</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/4932060/Cabella.png"><img src="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/4932060/Cabella_medium.png" class="photo" alt="Cabella_medium"></a> <br id="1408980072847"></p>
<p>Siem de Jong (substitute)<br>Average rating: 6.57</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/4932076/de_Jong.png"><img src="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/4932076/de_Jong_medium.png" class="photo" alt="De_jong_medium"></a> <br id="1408980106659"></p>
<p>Jack Colback worked hard in the engine room once again. He set up a couple of chances on the counterattack and played with lots of width. I was surprised that he didn't receive the highest average score, and it's telling that he got more 8 votes than any other. Through 2 matches, he's been the best player wearing a Newcastle shirt. His partner, Vurnon Anita, touched the ball plenty and was fine in the middle of the park, but his final third passing (7/13) was less than stellar.</p>
<p>Sissoko and Gouffran were both punished by voters for their close-range misses, though I think both deserve a bit more credit for being involved in the buildup. Siem de Jong came on with 20 minutes left and wasn't heavily involved, but his touches were positive and he had perhaps the best shot of the day. Newcastle fans will be hoping for full health moving forward.</p>
<p>The biggest spread of votes (standard deviation = 1.37) belongs to the enigmatic Rémy Cabella, who frustrated some fans (including myself) with his soft, sometimes selfish play. Plenty of people seemed to be pleased enough with his performance, however, which seemed more like a vision of what could be somewhere down the road. Cabella's graph is fairly normalized in the middle, but the tails tell the story. There are enough people on both extremes that if he continues to play like he did on Saturday, we will be primed for a huge fight among the fanbase.</p>
<p>Forwards</p>
<p>Emmanuel Riviere<br>Average rating: 5.68</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/assets/4932084/Riviere.png"><img src="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/4932084/Riviere_medium.png" class="photo" alt="Riviere_medium"></a> <br id="1408980147904"></p>
<p>Ayoze Perez (substitute)<br>Average rating: 5.93</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/4932092/Ayoze.png"><img src="http://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/assets/4932092/Ayoze_medium.png" class="photo" alt="Ayoze_medium"></a> <br id="1408980168802"></p>
<p>Rivière also missed a close shot, which was inexcusable, but he should also be recognized for his hold-up play (just not through the air!), and had any of the other players been on target around the net, we'd be talking about him as a bona fide table-setter. I've seen a lot of negative comments about his play, and while I don't want to pretend that he was particularly good, I do think there's hope for the near future.</p>
<h4>Manager</h4>
<p><span>Alan Pardew</span><br>Average rating: 5</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/4932100/Pardew.png"><img src="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/4932100/Pardew_medium.png" class="photo" alt="Pardew_medium"></a></p>
<p>There are always going to be people who see in black and white and will refuse to acknowledge that Alan Pardew is capable of doing a single positive thing for this football club. That's understandable - he's given plenty of ammunition to the doubters during his tenure. On this occasion, however, I believe the 1 votes are unwarranted. Whether those votes are a result of the <a href="http://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2014/8/23/6059743/alan-pardew-wants-you-to-smile-vine" target="_blank">silly vine</a> making the rounds (one tweeter actually used that clip as evidence that Pardew had "lost the plot") or because they disagreed with the tactic (much more understandable), it's pretty clear to me that these 1 votes, typically reserved for the poorest of poor performances, are symbolic of the growing frustration with the direction of the club on the pitch. No, they haven't scored yet, but there were plenty of chances. The players simply didn't execute. I'm not happy with the continued inclusion of Paul Dummett, but Pardew was always going to pick the same team that played <a href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Manchester City</a> close for the majority of a match the week before. It wasn't a display of tactical genius, but the game plan on the road was a good one. They took the game to their hosts and were the better squad for the majority of the match.</p>
<p><b>Man of the Match:</b> Daryl Janmaat<br><b>Goat of the Match:</b> Alan Pardew<br><b>Goat of the Match (players only):</b> Yoan Gouffran</p>
https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2014/8/25/6065619/newcastle-united-player-ratings-vs-aston-villaRobert L. Bishop2014-08-23T15:01:00+01:002014-08-23T15:01:00+01:00Alan Pardew wants you to smile (VINE)
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<figcaption>Chris Brunskill</figcaption>
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<p>Television cameras caught Alan Pardew giving some sage advice.</p> <p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/">Newcastle</a> United's 0-0 draw with <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/">Aston Villa</a> on Saturday was so drab and boring that even the players had trouble getting into it. Luckily, Alan Pardew has some helpful advice.</p>
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<p>What looks like might be some tactical advice turns very weird, very quickly. Remember, team: When you smile, the whole world smiles with you. This might just be <span>Alan Pardew's</span> "<a target="_blank" href="http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/bent-hails-redknapp-revival-986878.html">FRAAB</a>" moment. I'm sure we'll be seeing this again in the future.</p>
<p>Let's put a smile on that face!</p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/VmJqPA5Vnj0" height="315" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p>Newcastle fans aren't exactly smiling after Saturday's lackluster performance, so perhaps Pardew's advice was prophetic in a twisted way.</p>
https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2014/8/23/6059743/alan-pardew-wants-you-to-smile-vineRobert L. Bishop2014-08-23T14:45:17+01:002014-08-23T14:45:17+01:00Villa - NUFC Instant Reaction & Player Rating Form
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<figcaption>Michael Regan</figcaption>
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<p>Well, that was a thing that happened.</p> <p>Both teams played football for a bit. Neither was particularly good, and as a result, each had chances, but since neither were any good, those chances were squandered.</p>
<p>Repeat for 90 minutes.</p>
<p>We expected a defensive struggle, and this one wasn't pretty. Unfortunately, this one will be remembered for lack of finishing from <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/">Newcastle's</a> perspective. <span>Yoan Gouffran</span>, Emmanuel Rivière, and <span>Mike Williamson</span> (!) all missed spectacularly from inside the 6 yard box. The best chance of the day came in the waning moments when Rivière found Siem de Jong behind the defense, but his powerful shot was right at <span>Brad Guzan</span>, who controlled his own rebound and prevented further chances.</p>
<p>It was scary for the Toon in their own end on several occasions, as they gave up counter after counter, but they were fortunate Andreas Weimann was wearing a claret and blue shirt today.</p>
<p>At the end of the day, it was an ugly 0-0 draw that we'd all like to soon forget, I'm sure. Also, Mike Williamson was sent off on a double yellow. At least there's a cup match midweek to take the sting off of his mandatory 1-game suspension.</p>
<p><iframe marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0" height="500" width="760" src="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Gi904OEWlqeGJLZ7MdTv_aGcAUYT2tQIK_lGe2JgLs8/viewform?embedded=true">Loading...</iframe></p>
https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2014/8/23/6059625/aston-villa-avfc-newcastle-united-nufc-instant-reaction-match-review-player-ratingsRobert L. Bishop2014-08-23T12:00:02+01:002014-08-23T12:00:02+01:00NUFC vs. Villa match thread
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<figcaption>Jamie McDonald</figcaption>
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<p>Discuss the match between Newcastle United and Aston Villa.</p> <p>Newcastle United are set to face off against Aston Villa in their second match of the premier league season. The Toon are coming off a tough fought 2-0 loss to Manchester City, but should have a much better showing against a Villa side on Saturday morning.</p>
<p>It's the first match of the day, so grab your coffee.</p>
<p>We'll add the starting lineups below when they're available:</p>
https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2014/8/23/6059073/newcastle-united-vs-aston-villa-match-threadAlfie Crow2014-08-22T14:52:50+01:002014-08-22T14:52:50+01:00Newcastle United vs. Aston Villa Match Preview
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<figcaption>Stu Forster</figcaption>
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<p>Newcastle United swept the Villans last season and look to open their account on the road.</p> <p>Newcastle United travel to Birmingham to take on Aston Villa in their first away match of the season, as they attempt to bounce back from a 0-2 loss to Manchester City. Villa are riding high after a convincing 1-0 victory over Stoke City. They are looking to improve on last season's less than stellar record against mid-table teams, so this is a good early test for both teams.</p>
<h4>Recent History</h4>
<p>Newcastle defeated Villa both times the teams met last year. The first, a 2-1 victory at Villa Park in September, was one of Hatem Ben Arfa's last <a target="_blank" href="http://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2013/9/18/4745690/aston-villa-1-newcastle-united-2-man-of-the-match-player-ratings">great performances</a> and is basically ancient history. Their 1-0 win in February was noteworthy in that Loic Remy scored in stoppage time to prevent a fifth straight match with no Newcastle goals. It was basically the lone bright spot of the second half of the season.</p>
<p>If you'd like to look a little further in the past, you may remember that Aston Villa happened to be the last squad that Newcastle faced in their <a target="_blank" href="http://avillafan.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Untitled.png">relegation season</a>, and that the Toon got their revenge a year and a half later when they came away with a 6-0 win at Villa Park in their second game back in the Premier League.</p>
<h4>Team News</h4>
<p>Alan Pardew says he expects Siem de Jong to be back in the squad, but that he must still pass a fitness test in order to play. I wouldn't be surprised if he came off the bench on Saturday. Cheik Tiote is still nursing a hamstring and will not feature. Has he played his last match in a Newcastle shirt? Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa is out with a short-term injury, and returns of Ryan Taylor, Papiss Cisse, and Davide Santon are not anticipated.</p>
<p>For Villa, new signings Joe Cole and Carlos Sanchez will reportedly be available for Paul Lambert. Defender Jores Okore could play for the first time in 11 months following a knee injury, but appears to be a bit of a long shot. Christian Benteke and Libor Kozak are still out with long-term ailments.</p>
<h4>The Match</h4>
<p>Aston Villa played a solid match defensively last week against Stoke City, and they were able to grab a goal when Andreas Weimann took advantage of a Stoke meltdown to slot home near the beginning of the second half. Weimann wasn't exactly influential for the majority of the match, however, and until Benteke returns, the Villans will continue to rely on moments of fortune from him and from Darren Bent, who has returned after a season-long loan at Craven Cottage. Villa has scored exactly one goal in 6 of the last 7 matches these two teams have met.</p>
<p>Newcastle have had their own scoring problems since the departure of Yohan Cabaye, and attempted to address those this summer with the purchase of several midfielders and forwards, many of whom featured in last week's 0-2 loss to Manchester City. Emmanuel Rivière was one of those, and while he was able to hold up play and create chances for himself effectively, looked panicky in front of goal and was unable to generate a quality shot. He scored 4 goals during Newcastle's preseason campaign, but Alan Pardew is expected to give him some help in the form of on-loan Facundo Ferreyra, and it certainly wouldn't be a surprise to see them play a more traditional 4-4-2 away from home. The Toon's defensive problems persist, but playing a less threatening opponent this week could mean that wingers Rémy Cabella and Yoan Gouffran (if he plays) may be more free to be aggressive on the offensive side.</p>
<h4>Possible Lineups</h4>
<p>The introduction of Siem de Jong could mean that Yoan Gouffran is the odd man out. If he goes, Moussa Sissoko will likely move to the wing, a move that will surely rankle the fanbase. Elsewhere, Pardew is expected to continue to place faith in Paul Dummett for some reason. I'm going to cheat and make two guesses. The first is more likely.</p>
<p>Krul | Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Dummett | Colback, Anita | Cabella, De Jong, Sissoko | Rivière</p>
<p>Krul | Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Dummett | Sissoko, Anita, De Jong, Cabella | Ferreyra, Rivière</p>
<p>The second formation puts more pressure on Anita (or Colback) and handcuffs Sissoko a bit. Ideally, Newcastle can roll with one striker and let the midfielders create, but if Rivière struggles, Pardew may be forced to shuffle the deck and provide more options up top. Be prepared for the very real possibility of hoofball, even after last week's positive performance.</p>
<p>Paul Lambert's dilemma is an interesting one, because he'll want to improve on Villa's lackluster record at home last season, but defense is clearly his strength. I've borrowed <a href="http://7500toholte.sbnation.com/2014/8/21/6050681/talking-tactics-aston-villa-vs-newcastle-united" target="_blank">7500 to Holte's probable lineup</a>:</p>
<p>Guzan | Hutton, Vlaar, Senderos, Cissokho | Sanchez, Delph | N'Zogbia, Richardson, Weimann | Bent</p>
<h4>Prediction</h4>
<p>This feels like a 1-0 match, but for which team, I'm afraid to say. I'll attempt to avoid bad juju and say that Rivière finds the back of the net.</p>
https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2014/8/22/6055715/newcastle-united-nufc-aston-villa-avfc-match-preview-team-news-lineupsRobert L. Bishop