Newcastle vs WHUFC -- July 5th, 2020

might as well get an early start on this one as it's going to be an early start in the morning... it's a 6:15am kick-off in Los Angeles time...

all of which is a bit of a nightmare... but also good practice because looking at the final fixtures - especially the final three that have all been rescheduled... looks like I'm gonna have to be up way too fupping early for a lot of them...

No team news yet... Noble, Haller and the not-been-mentioned-yet Masuaku... all not quite fit enough but might be fit enough -- hopefully Noble won't play... but don't put any money of M*yes making the logical or proper choices...

So... all there currently is to do is sit here on the couch with the scared-stiff pooch panting away in terror as thousands upon thousands of fireworks explode around the neighborhood...

see y'all in the morning.

Not going to be easy today but I`d happly take a point especialy as yet again results went our way again yesterday. Hopefully Moyes starts with Yarmolenko today as he looked Impressive coming on the other night against Chelsea.

yeah, a point wold be welcome... but we need 3, so I'm all in on the win.

yes, the other teams did us another solid yesterday and unless Villa manage to beat Liverpool by more than 6, we'll say where we are even if we lose...
but a points cushion would be very welcome.

As it stands going into today's game. 

We never do well at St Sports Direct Park, I can't see us getting anything other than maybe a point there today. 

Priority must be to protect that goad difference, it could still come into play towards season end.

ugh... why do I do this to myself... 6:00am on a sunday feels so much worse than it is... but here we are...

Blakey is right... goal difference will be key - and everyone has done their best to help us out there.

Players are heading out onto the pitch...

Who's playing?

West Ham
1 Fabianski
24 Fredericks
23 Diop
21 Ogbonna
3C resswell
28 Soucek
41 Rice
17 Bowen
18 Fornals
10 Lanzini
30 Antonio

Substitutes

4 Balbuena
7 Yarmolenko
1 6Noble
19 Wilshere
26 Masuaku
27 Ajeti
32 Costa Silva
35 Randolph
53 Johnson

Noble's not playing, so we have a chance...

it's a sunny day up north...

pretty even after three minutes... we've made their keeper pick up the ball.... and as I say that.... Antonio slams the ball into the back of the net...

Great over lapping run from Bowen... plays the ball into the middle of the 6 yard box where the defender misses it and it falls to an unmarked Antonio who finds the net easily...

crumbs!

I doubt anyone was planning that...

"4 mins
GOAL - Newcastle 0-1 West Ham
Michail Antonio
What a start!

It's worked well by West Ham through the middle and it comes out wide to Jarrod Bowen on the right.

He slides it across the box and Michail Antonio is able to take a touch before thumping it into the roof of the net.

Awful defending from Newcastle."

"6:21
'Brilliant start'
Newcastle 0-1 West Ham

Pat Nevin
Former Chelsea and Scotland winger on BBC Radio 5 Live
It is brilliant wing play by Jarrod Bowen, he doesn't panic. It should have been dealt with in the middle but Michail Antonio couldn't miss from there. It's a brilliant start from West Ham. That will completely open it up now because Newcastle will have to go for it."

of course... it's a long way to go and for a team like us who doesn't hold onto leads too well... gonna make it all the more nervy as Newcastle smash the ball gdalbound but it deflects back out...

ooh... that big deflection was actually off Ogbonna's arm...

fortunately the show was so fierce I guess the Ref figured he couldn't get out of the way as there's no whistle.


Now the Toon have a free kick on the edge of the area...

ooh... a sneaky daisy cutter fools everyone except Fabianski who is able to scramble it away - not pretty looking but at least we remain in the lead.

good god, we even try some one such football and Antonio almost gets in again.... but his outstretched foot makes weak contact and the keeper smothers.

Still... all going well thus far

and I've not even had time to get me coffee...

13 minutes gone and all surprisingly good - with the provision that it is, as they say, early doors...

the addition to our superior goal difference is nice - but not as nice as the 5 point cushion three point will give us - especially as Norwich will be no push over next up.

and there it is... as I'm trying to make sense of the possession stats which show Newcastle in to 70th percentile... they slice through us as if we're not there and bang... 1-1

almost a carbon copy of our own goal, expect we had about 8 players back in the box and they still managed to stroll past us on the wing and play an unmarked ball into the back of the net...

M*yes looks as bemused as he did when we scored....

18 minutes gone - it's gonna be a long game

and yes, this currently counts as us throwing away more points from winning positions...

bit of a scramble following the corner... we clear but Newcastle come right back at us...

10 players behind the ball... it's the tried and trusted system that has failed us so many, many time in the past...

our razor sharp passing doesn't help either as we concede possession as soon as we get it...

almost drinkies time...

It was Oggy who left the player unmarked for the Newcastle equalizer, so i guess he evens out for escaping he handball penalty he could have given them earlier...

possession is 74-26% in facvor of the hosts...

see... when we do what i tell them... (attack) we score...

when we do what M*yes tells them (sit back and try to hold onto a slender lead for 90 minutes) we concede...

this Saint-Maxim guy or whatever his name is - plays us like Traore when we play Wolves...

he wins another free kick as we have no answer but to pull him down.

Fabianki punches clear... but with ten men behind the ball, Antonio has no options to play to and so we stutter and stumble...

even when we do move the ball into Newcastle territory we play it straight at them and lose possession...

So now the ball is back at Fabianski's feet and he has to wait for the entire team to push forward to give even the keeper some options... but the end result is the same... Newcastle have the ball.

"6:44
'It's joyous watching Saint-Maximin'
Newcastle 1-1 West Ham

Pat Nevin
Former Chelsea and Scotland winger on BBC Radio 5 Live
If there was fans in there they would be going absolutely mad watching Allan Saint-Maximin. Whenever he gets the ball it makes me smile. It's like Steve Bruce has told him 'it doesn't matter, every time you get the ball just run with it' and he does it. It's joyous watching him."


told you.

Fredericks gets bundled off the bal heading for the corner and so Bowen steps up to take a free kick from not quite at the touchline by the Newcastle goal.

Great kick, straight into the middle of the box but Newcastle beat us to it and we lose all momentum and give the ball away...

31 minutes gone.

Long range free kick goes ut for a corner... Bowen to take...

there's been a couple half chances in the past 5 minute or so - but we're just not very good...

weak header lands softly in the keeper's arms...

Newcastle are now back at us...

playing the ball into the box is a great idea... but an even better idea?

having players in the box to do something with it.

almost half time and we're starting to get bored defending and so looking to push forward...

bloody hell... I need that cup of coffee....

Saint-wahtsisname is hobbling off... so soon seemed to get the idea of how to handle him.

Oh there's something for the books... a fresh faced Andy Carroll sitting on the bench... can't even get in the Newcastle side...

48 minutes of the first half gone... West Ham attack... Fornals gives away possession...

Games certainly take a lot longer in this new format...

and there goes the half time whistle...

1-1