Predicted Newcastle v Gillingham Starting 11
Attention will temporarily shift from the Premier League when we have Newcastle v Gillingham in six days time.
Only one weekend of Premier League football and the focus/pressure is already on managers who lost their first match of the season.
In Alan Pardew’s case it was always a strong possibility with the Champions in toon but sandwiched between what look ‘winnable’ games against Villa and Palace, just what kind of team will the Newcastle manager put out for the League Cup clash?
Pardew has claimed that Newcastle will ‘have a good go’ this season but will that extend to the cups?
Last season, League Two strugglers Morecambe were the better team for much of the match in the second round and only two late goals spared the team’s blushes, on that occasion Pardew put out the following starting 11;
Elliot, Debuchy, Mapou, Good, Dummett, Gosling, Bigirimana, Marveaux, Sammy Ameobi, Vuckic, Gouffran
With a supposedly stronger squad now, just who will the Newcastle manager select and will it convince fans that the NUFC cup policy has changed?
Barring injuries, I can see Alan Pardew putting out something along these lines;
Rob Elliot
Mapou
Steven Taylor
Mike Williamson
Massadio Haidara
Obertan
Anita
Abeid
Aarons
Perez
Ferreyra
Gillingham finished seventeenth last season in Division One and have started this campaign with a win, a defeat and a draw.
They are likely to prove more difficult than Morecambe to overcome and will the team Pardew selects be good enough.
With claims of improved form for Obertan and others, next Tuesday will be a good test to see if there is any truth in those rumours.
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