Newcastle - Boro Tonight anyone got any info on dyer? is he likely to play? i think if he plays you will sneak a win over us, considering our form is nearly as bad as yours at the moment. if not it is likely to be a very dull 0-0. i'm not confident at all, epsecially considering our derby record over recent years.
Whats the situation with Viduka & Hasselbank ? I think if either of them play boro have a good chance of scoring 1 or 2
viduka out for the rest of season. without viduka, we don't hold the ball up and we get run out of ideas in midfield. hasslebaink needs a support striker to play as a target man, without one he is very inneffective. zenden has been on fire recently so maybe dickvandyk has got it spot on, and we'll sneak one.
One of my mates is a huge Boro fan and he totally despises Steve McLaren, are the majority of your fans like this ? cause from the outside looking in it looks like he has done a decent enough job, the whole situation reminds me of the Reid sceneriao at us, to people not in the know it looked like he was doing a great job but the reality was he was not.
we have played crap football since xmas. we had a very good run of results before xmas getting us and keeping us where we are now. to most people watching it is obvious what the problem is, without viduka up front we don't have a presence, he moved the whole team 30 yards up the pitch with his ability to hold onto the ball. he also brought the midfield more into the game and gave your midfield runners chances to break into the box. since viduka has been injured, the ball invaribly doesn't stay forward much at all and we resort to playing counter attack football, when we only have one player with any pace! madness. since xmas i do believe we are in the bottom 3 on the form table.
The Tyne-Tees derby takes place on Wednesday, with Middlesbrough looking for points to secure a place in Europe and Newcastle simply looking for points. Newcastle's season went up in smoke in the space of three days earlier in April, as they bowed out of both the Uefa Cup and FA Cup, and they have failed to bounce back since. The Magpies have yet to reach the magical 40-point mark, but are unlikely to be relegated due to the shortcomings of the teams below them in the table. The natives are undoubtedly restless, though, and it will irk that Boro have emerged from their mid-season malaise and have a real chance of claiming a place in the Uefa Cup. With local pride at stake and a desire to snap a six-game losing streak, Magpies chief Graeme Souness will be looking for three points on home soil. The opening game of the season was a defining moment in Newcastle's season, as it witnessed Kieron Dyer anger the club and fans by refusing to play out of position and also saw Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink claim a controversial late leveller. The game was the beginning of the end for former manager Sir Bobby Robson, but Dyer has fought back and is in contention to face Boro after shaking off a hamstring complaint. Newcastle performed well on Sunday against Manchester United but were undone by a piece of brilliance from Wayne Rooney and some slack defending as Wes Brown netted the winner. Souness' defensive problems continue as he is still without Titus Bramble and Celestine Babayaro. With Nicky Butt, Jermaine Jenas and Lee Bowyer absent, Souness is contemplating throwing teenager Charles N'Zogbia into the middle of the park, while Laurent Robert is looking to return to the starting XI. Shola Ameobi is nursing a hip problem, but he is still expected to partner Alan Shearer in attack as Patrick Kluivert continues to be plagued by niggling injuries. Boro head into the game on the back a fine win over West Brom and victory at St James' Park will confirm their status as top dog in the North East. It is the prospect of snatching a place in Europe which is of more concern to manager Steve McClaren, but he heads to Tyneside without the services of veteran defender Colin Cooper who damaged his hip in the win over The Baggies. McClaren's injury worries are starting to ease, with Stuart Parnaby, James Morrison, Tony McMahon and Michael Reiziger closing in on returns, but it is likely that Andrew Davies will replace Cooper. Szilard Nemeth netted twice against The Baggies and will be hopeful of retaining his place, while Hasselbaink will be hopeful of adding to Saturday's goal against West Brom. Skysports.com Prediction: 2-0. Newcastle can bounce back against their North East neighbours Player to watch: Laurent Robert
My confidence has improved somewhat after this gem: http://www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10278~658224,00.html
Boro 12 - 0 Nah man, I Think Newcastle may sneak this one, they are due a win BUT Boro are still playing for a european place. Could be a good game
Its gonna be tight and the fact that we never do well at St James points towards a 2-1 to Newcastle but hopefully we can use the win on sat to give us enough belief to sneak a win
Boro all the way! I reckon it will be a hard match for them both neither teams have exactly been playing their best lately!
Boro on the back of a gud win... Newcastle...well.....what do we say Its Boro's for the takng IF they want it
