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Opposition Q & A

Opposition Q&A With Newcastle United

Well last Saturday’s away victory against Stoke was another great result from the boys. Three goals and a clean sheet – wow! The fixtures are coming thick and fast over the festive period, and this weekend’s game sees Newcastle United come down to the London Stadium for a traditional 3pm Saturday kick off! Praise be! Ahead of the game I spoke to David Punton from NUFC fanzine The Mag to gain his thoughts of everything Claret and Blue and Black and White.

The last time we spoke was after the first two games of the season, when we were both pointless: I predicted an away win for West Ham, and you said you would have been happy with a 1 – 1 draw. As it happens you thrashed us 3 – 0. This week’s game comes just as we move out of the bottom three, and Newcastle move into it: are you confident you are going to be able to beat us back here in London?
The win against West Ham at St James’ Park feels like a long time ago. We played well that day but our season has since gone off a bit of a cliff edge. Things feel decidedly bleak, even if we are just a couple of wins from getting back into mid table. The lack of quality in the NUFC squad has been exposed, especially at centre forward, where we lack a cutting edge. I’m not confident we will get anything at the London Stadium. West Ham have turned in some form of late and had something of a belated new manager bounce under Moyes, who has boasted he can manage any club in the world! The Sunderland thing was just a dream then, like when Bobby died in Dallas and then turned up in the shower.

It seems that all Newcastle fans are going to get their collective wish that Mike Ashley is going to be selling up, what’s the latest on this?
We’re all on tenterhooks waiting for a development. There are claims that a deal is agreed in principle, albeit with a few sticking points. This is NUFC though, so it’ll probably fall through. We all want shot of Mr Ashley, his shoddy approach has seen us relegated twice in the last ten years and we’re on course to go down again. The club really needs a fresh start and some fresh investment.

Presumably you will want this to be sorted a.s.a.p. so that you can start investing some money in your team. Where needs strengthening most?
We need a Prem proven centre forward to stick away the chances. Rafa clearly doesn’t rate Mitrovic and Joselu is that Stoke reserve who can work his socks off up front, do the donkey work, but can’t score his chances when they come along. He’s no Alan Shearer.. If we get some investment then we need some full back cover and a playmaker too. What we actually end up with is anyone’s guess at the moment.

How do you view West Ham’s sacking of Slaven Bilic, and can David Moyes do for West Ham what he was unable to do with your neighbours Sunderland, i.e keep us up?
Bilic seemed to lose something at West Ham, either ran out of ideas or maybe he lost the dressing room. David Moyes has a charmed life when it comes to employment. He was referred to as the ‘energy vampire’ at Sunderland. The football, by all accounts, was dire, lacking in ideas and tactical acumen. That said, he’s joined a club in West Ham with a good group of players and he may prove the doubters wrong. That would be some story.

Will Rafa be able to lift you out of the bottom three come the end of the season?
It’s going to be tough. I have that dreaded feeling at the moment when you just can’t see where the next win is coming from. We did look good, but it’s all a bit ragged now, though we played a bit better at Arsenal despite the narrow loss. Rafa has a small minority of critics, but this is the guy who stuck around, worked for a bloke like Mike Ashley and got us promoted at the first attempt. He deserves our backing. We can’t do any better at the present time.

Any movement in your early season prediction of West Ham finishing tenth?
I’ll go for 12th.

Which three teams do you think will suffer relegation and who will lift the title this season?
Despite the fears NUFC are toast I can’t tip them, so I’ll go for some wishful thinking – Swansea, West Brom and Bournemouth to go down. As for the title: Man City. They are going to dominate for a few years with that team. Scarily good.

Any particular memories of West Ham/Newcastle games of the past?
I recall a Leon Best hat-trick at St James Park in January 2011. You lot were terrible that night. The Cabaye free kick at Upton Park a few years ago was pretty special.

If you could have any current West Ham player in your first team who would you choose?
If I had to take one West Ham player it would be Lanzini.

Which Newcastle player(s) are key to your hopes this season? Who is not living up to expectations?

We have to keep our captain Jamaal Lascelles fit, he’s a great leader and he’s a decent defender. Big let downs this season have been Shelvey (an idiot) and the French centre half Florian Lejeune (looks a bit unnerved by the Prem power and pace).

How do you expect Newcastle to setup against West Ham on Saturday/ Team/formation prediction?
Who can second guess Rafa. He’s a tinkerman. He might try 4-4-2, he seems to be keen on that ploy at the moment.

Prediction for score?
I’m only being honest when I say I can’t see where the next win comes from. 2-1 to West Ham. I’m sure the Geordies will drink the local hostelries dry, especially with Xmas just around the corner. All the best!

Well many thanks to Dave for his time: definitely not a happy chap! I remember that feeling well from the Avram season, when you can’t see a gola let alone a point. I’m going to go with his prediction for a West Ham win, but will raise it to 3 – 0 to West Ham. Come on you Irons!

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