It’s looking more and more like Big Sam will not make too many changes to the team for today’s important game against Portsmouth at St. James’ Park.
Sam is worried about the team’s away form but has been happy with the club’s home form having won 4 of our 5 league games at St. James’ and drawn the other one.
Looks like changes will be made for the Sunderland derby game next Saturday, but exactly what those will be we have no idea at the moment.
Sam Allardyce – seems confident but wants all 3 points today
Sam talked to the Newcastle Journal this morning about the Portsmouth game:
“Maybe away from home, changing things might be an option, but at home we’ve been brilliant, so you look at that and pick the best side to beat Portsmouth
“The past is the past, we can’t do anything about Reading. The only past we should be thinking about is our home form. In the past we’ve been extremely good at home.â€
“In the last three home games, we have scored three goals in each. We should have that in mind, not the negativity of a poor away performance at Reading. We’ll worry about the away form when it becomes Sunderland away and not do so now.”
“It’s carry on as it has been at St James’s Park.â€
Sam is fairly happy with the progress Newcastle have made since the start of the season, even though he thinks the team should have about 4 more points than they currently have.
Sam said:
“We’ve had 10 games, 17 points and that is slightly ahead of what I expected. That’s pretty good, but we want to relieve the pressure on having to win at home every time we play, because that’s going to be impossible, by stabilizing away results.â€
“ Boro, we should have won, that was realistic. Derby we should have come away with at least a draw, same at Reading. An extra four points would make a massive difference to our league position.â€
Newcastle have yet to play any of the top 4 teams so we would expect to have done quite well as far as our points total goes. The next two home games are against Liverpool and Arsenal, so both games will be big tests of Newcastle’s home form.
Sam added:
“We go into the next five games and, like everybody, the bigger the team the more it challenges the players.”
” I believe these five games will bring out the best performances in my players. That’s what I’m expecting.â€
First things first though, and it’s so important that we keep up our good home form and also try to tighten up the defense today. Three points is what we need, nothing less than that will be good enough.
Comments welcome.
4 comments so far
George
Nov 3, 2007 at 11:43 AM
Comment #1All NUFC supporters are hoping for three points today, but to date this is our toughest test and three points would be welcome, but how long can we keep winning at home after losing away as at some point i think the jitters will set in especially with the derby game next weekend when all form books go out the window. Six points from our next two games is a must.
paul the pom
Nov 3, 2007 at 11:47 AM
Comment #2would drop butt for barton.he gives the ball away loads.cacapa is over rated too.
Leo
Nov 3, 2007 at 1:49 PM
Comment #3drop butt for faye in the middle of the park, to help combat diop. and bring the wingers back into the team that was when we were playing the best football
Arthur Prince
Nov 3, 2007 at 5:49 PM
Comment #4Ive just got home to find us 4-1 DOWN !!!!!!!!!!! What a load of rubbish . What is happening to the Team seems as if it has regressed to the bad old days YET AGAIN . I am sooooooooooo depressed . So who will be the next manager ???????? I cant believe what I am seeing after all the hopes raised .My neves cant stand this year in year out . What excuse will we be given today ??? Iam truly P****d off