Before the season started this would have been one of the games that I would have pencilled in for Tottenham to be very hopeful of getting all three points, that is not to disrespect Newcastle in any way, but let’s be honest, no one thought that Newcastle would be sitting in fourth spot after 20% of the season had been completed.
Newcastle were being looked at as a team that would be struggling this season, but they have shut their critics up and good for them, but and it is a big but, I do honestly feel that if we play to our best form, we should still come away with all three points.
Of course I am biased, that goes without saying, but most neutrals will concur that Tottenham are the better team, but being the better team is not always a guarantee of a win and we simply have to play to form otherwise we will lose, that is the bottom line for me, we play to form and we will win, we don’t and we will lose.
Location
St James Park is not an easy place to go to, certainly for us, think we have to go back to 2004 for the last time we won in the Premiership at St James Park since then we have lost four and drawn one, we have managed to get a win in the League Cup, but in the Premiership we have been found wanting down the years.
That said, St James Park, while not an easy place to go to, is not a fortress, last season Newcastle lost five times at home and registered just the six wins, so from a Tottenham perspective, Newcastle are beatable at home, we are not talking Old Trafford here.
This season Newcastle have played just three times at St James Park, winning two and drawing one, but the opposition is hardly world beaters and that includes Arsenal who they drew 0-0 with, Tottenham are their first serious opposition this season at their ground.
Referee
Lee Probert will referee this game.
Probert can be a little card happy, though he is careful with his red card, so far this season in all seven games across all competitions that he has refereed he has dished out 30 yellows and one red, that is rather a lot.
In the Premiership he has been in charge of three games handing out a total of seven yellows and no reds, seems that when he is in charge of Premiership games he is more cautious, put him in a Championship game and he goes mad.
Tottenham have had him in charge twice already this season, the game at Old Trafford in which three cards were handed out, two to us and one for Man Utd, he also took charge of the Carling Cup game against Stoke in which he branded two yellow cards, one for each side.
Basically, if the game is kept clean Probert will not go mad with the cards, but if he has an off day then he has the potential to go card mental.
Opposition
Newcastle are flying, they lie in fourth spot and are full of confidence, but their opposition has not been the best that the Premiership have to offer, their results this season are as follows:
Newcastle 0 – 0 Arsenal
Sunderland 0 – 1 Newcastle United
Newcastle 2 – 1 Fulham
Queens Park 0 – 0 Newcastle United
Aston Villa 1 – 1 Newcastle United
Newcastle 3 – 1 Blackburn Rovers
Wolves 1 – 2 Newcastle United
One could argue that the 0-0 result against Arsenal is impressive, but considering what has happened to Arsenal this season a 0-0 home draw against Wenger’s men is no longer seen as great an achievement as it was in previous seasons.
But you cannot take away from Newcastle what they have achieved so far, they cannot do more than beat who is in front of them and to date that is what they have more or less done, in fact, it is against the lesser teams that clubs like ours tend to let themselves down, Newcastle have not let themselves down at all this season.
Newcastle have been lifted by the news that Demba Ba will, be fit, he is on fire at the moment and his partnership with Leon Best has seen them net seven goals between them and their defence is the best in the Premiership, conceding just four goals.
Alan Pardew has worked wonders this season, the defence is watertight, the strikers are finding the net and the midfield are a very strong and compact unit, they are well organised and on top of all that, they have confidence in bundles.
Conclusion
This is going to be a tough game, but we have the team to beat Newcastle, our confidence is just as high as Newcastle’s and there is a belief within the squad that we can do very well this season, to justify that confidence we cannot lose this game, this is the exact sort of game that will test our confidence and belief.
A draw would be satisfactory but depending on what Liverpool do against Man Utd today (Saturday) it could be costly, we do not want to fall to far behind the top four spots,.
There is a good chance Adebayor will be fit and he is becoming an integral part of the team, but with the likes of Bale and Modric in the side we will always pose a danger to any team, if Newcastle cannot contain Bale they will be in for a torrid afternoon.
Our defence is strong, King will no doubt be a colossus in the centre and while Newcastle have in form strikers they will not have come up against the likes of King this season.
Newcastle’s defence will face it’s strongest test on Sunday and not many teams have been able to contain Bale, Adebayor, Modric and van Der Vaart, not to mention Defoe, who has been far more workmanlike this season than any season previously.
Our midfield is easily a match for Newcastle’s, Parker has been awesome so far and he controls the middle of the park as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Our team is very strong, all over the park and as stated above, all we need to do is play to our abilities, do that and we will win this game.
Conclusion
I can see us coming out of this game with either a 1-0 or 2-1 win but will be satisfied with a draw, I cannot see us losing, but Newcastle are on a high at this time and any complacency by us will be punished, we must stay focussed, do that and we will win.