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Predicted Newcastle starting 11 v Liverpool

9 years ago
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Newcastle v Liverpool
Saturday 1 November 12.45pm Live On BT Sport

Arguably one of United’s best performances, certainly at home, last season but which Newcastle starting 11 v Liverpool will do the trick today?

Last year Liverpool were easily the most entertaining team in the Premier League, with the two top scorers in the division, Suarez with 31 and Sturridge 21. The two players scoring more than half of Liverpool’s league goals between them.

A belter from Yohan Cabaye and a cool finish from Paul Dummett secured a point a year ago.

This season, Liverpool aren’t the most entertaining team and don’t count the top goalscorers, or indeed any kind of natural goalscorers, in their ranks at the minute. A goalless draw at home to Hull in their last Premier League game highlighted their problems this campaign, while in their previous two matches they may have defeated QPR and West Brom but each win had a big helping of luck as they won by the odd goal in both.

We are all aware of what Newcastle’s deficiencies have been this season and while creativity and goalscorers have been absent much of the time, effort and playing for the shirt haven’t. While United’s new players may have struggled for form, Liverpool’s new faces have looked like square pegs in round holes in many cases.

Big money was paid for players who did very well last season; Lallana, Balotelli, Markovic and Lovren, but who have found it hard to impose themselves. Liverpool having to rely on the likes of established players like Skrtel, Gerrard and Sterling (despite his youth) to keep things together.

When a team is struggling to find their feet like Liverpool, the last thing you want to do is allow them to play themselves into form, so Alan Pardew has to go with getting stuck into the visitors from the off and not let them settle, rather than reverting to his safety first tactics which have become the norm.

There is a strong feeling amongst fans that Alan Pardew accidentally hit on the success against Spurs and Manchester City, with players who aren’t normally given much of a chance taking centre stage – such as Aarons, Sammy Ameobi, Abeid, Perez, Haidara, Armstrong and so on.

The worry for many being that the likes of Gouffran, Anita and others will continue to hold favour for a manager who shows a reluctance to either attack or give a chance to young players.

On this website, in a fans’ poll the following eleven players got the highest percentage of votes to start today;

98% Krul, 98% Sissoko, 97% Coloccini, 92% Colback, 91% Janmaat, 77% Aarons, 70% Steven Taylor, 63% Cisse, 62% Obertan, 57% Haidara, 56% Dummett

The more eagle eyed will have noticed that two left-backs feature but to be fair both did well on Wednesday, Haidara on the left and Dummett at centre-back. Looking for more balance, then Remy Cabella got the next highest amount of fan votes (50%) and could Liverpool be the kind of opposition to bring out the best in him?

The injury situation is clouded in doubt today, with Cisse, Williamson, Steven Taylor having question marks, as well as Ryan Taylor and Rolando Aarons having doubts due to coming back on Wednesday after absence through injury – surely no start for Ryan Taylor today after his first competitive football in 26 months!

My feeling is that Cisse will definitely play if anywhere near fit and that Rolando Aarons will be one of two wildcards Alan Pardew will allow, otherwise reverting to his usual selection – though surely Gouffran can’t fluke his way onto the pitch yet again? I think the other wildcard could just possibly be Mehdi Abeid because to play with any kind of extra flair in the team, Pardew will surely look to compensate elsewhere in his team, rather than playing Remy Cabella or the lightweight and ineffective Vurnon Anita.

I predict a Newcastle starting 11 v Liverpool along the following lines;

Krul, Janmaat, Coloccini, Steven Taylor, Dummett, Colback, Abeid, Sissoko, Obertan, Aarons, Cisse

Match Betting: – NUFC Win 13/5 Aarons to score first goal 14/1Cisse to score anytime with a header 12/1

See all the Newcastle v Liverpool betting HERE

BetVictor independently proved to be best for football odds over the last two seasons.

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