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Match Previews

Predicted Newcastle United LineUp vs Crystal Palace

10 years ago
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Match Preview Newcastle v Crystal Palace
Saturday 22 March 3pm

Somebody needs to be brave at Newcastle United and look to make a dramatic change, rather than picking any two of Cisse, De Jong and Shola out of a hat to face Palace.

When Loic Remy doesn’t play we don’t score, it is no good simply shifting around the chairs on the Titanic, doing the same thing over and over again won’t work. It is a definition of insanity if you believe it will.

Newcastle United’s current strengths certainly don’t include our strikers at the minute, so why not look to get things moving from other areas.

I would propose the following line-up for Saturday;

Krul; Santon, Williamson, Coloccini, Mapou, Haidara; Tiote, Sissoko, Gouffran; De Jong, Cisse

By playing a back three/five you could have Santon and Haidara using their pace and ability to go past players, something lacking elsewhere in the team. As we don’t have any wingers unless Ben Arfa is fit and up for it, it gives us width. In addition with two other central defenders alongside him, it would give Coloccini the freedom to bring the ball out of defence which he is undoubtedly capable of.

With the strength and mobility of Sissoko and Tiote in the middle they can form a strong partnership to win the midfield battle instead of the ineffective Anita who was anonymous at Fulham.

Then by bringing Gouffran into a more central area you will at least have our most likely fit available goal scorer able to get into decent positions.

Up front, while De Jong and Cisse have been rubbish in front of goal, they haven’t lacked hard work and they could prove a handful if Newcastle push right up the pitch and unsettle the Palace backline.

In their last ten Premier League matches the visitors have had a decent return of twelve points which shows the steadying job Tony Pulis has done. However, this is a team who are by far the worst at scoring goals with only nineteen league goals, including a shocking six on the road.

I would say it is a safe bet that they will come and try to defend for a point but then surely that means it gives United the freedom to go out and try to do something different. What is clear is that what’s been tried without Remy hasn’t worked, so why not try to sue our players in a different way?

In the last match before Christmas, Newcastle showed what an average team Palace were, as they comprehensively outplayed and beat them 3-1 at Selhurst Park.

While that was achieved with the help of Remy, Cabaye and Debuchy, I’m confident that giving the team a revamp can at least see us beat such a poor team at home.

Betting – No Newcastle Goalscorer 3/1 Newcastle To Win From Behind 11/1 – Gouffran To Score First Goal 8/1

To view all Newcastle v Crystal Palace betting click HERE (Prices can fluctuate up and down)

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