The Battle of the Toon - A Joint Story

[MrFlabby]

Great updates guys !

 

[toddzy]

Yep well, I shall be playing on now, and I might be able to get in an August update while your sleeping And you deffo need a keeper, (maybe that awesome, super-fantastic, spiderman-like, beast... OCHOA :wub Good luck for the start, but you are gonna lose this year

Meh your all talk Aussie boy, we shall soon see who will win the battle of the toon

 

[AussieOchoa]

Jeez, that's some cheesy work right there

 

[toddzy]

Not cheesy, fitting is the word I believe you are looking for my friend. :wub: No more updates for me, Im off for a game of El Fifa 11. Look forward to your update tomorrow kid!

 

[pistolped7]

You two crack me up!

 

[samillyroy]

love it guys, you're doing really well indeed here. how ****** good is andy carroll?! haa

 

[AussieOchoa]

Newcastle experience "balanced" start to the season

With the 10/11 season starting with Man City, West Ham and Wolves, and a league cup match in the middle, Newcastle fans expected 4 or more points, with a win or two, but they were wrong, as Newcastle drew all of their Premier League games. Colchester were drawn against Newcastle in the League Cup 2nd Round, a chance for Beresford to play his youngsters and new signings.

The season started at home against big-spending Manchester City, and a very exciting first game was played out for the Toon fans to enjoy. An early Andy Carroll was cancelled out as Man City took a 3-1 lead into the last 20 minutes. Then Andy Carroll netted his second of the game, and Newcastle were back in with a shout. In the last seconds of the game, Kalou played a ball through for Carroll, who took it two touches to just inside the box, and put the ball in the goal off the post. An incredible 3-3 draw to start the season, with a hatrick for young superstar Andy Carroll.

Another tough match as West Ham was the second team to visit St.James' Park. Hatrick hero from last game, Andy Carroll, turned from goalscorer to provider for Kalou, and in the 45th second, Newcastle were up 1-0, after a clinical finish from the Ivorian. Rafinha had to leave the field after 25 minutes due to an injury, that would later be revealed, to keep him out for 2-3 weeks. Carroll had another amazing game, hitting the crossbar at one stage, but Robert Green was equal to many of his efforts on goal. Ochoa was equally impressive at the other end, and it took an 80th minute wonder goal from Carlton Cole to beat him. A very even, yet impressive game, ending in Newcastle's second draw of the season.

Kalou's scored his first competitive Newcastle goal

An easier away trip to Colchester was up next in the league cup. Players such as Jara, Kadar, Pablo Rodriguez, Luisma and Lovenkrands got to start for the Toon, and within 10 minutes, they were up 2-0 after goals from Carroll and Lovenkrands. Colchester pulled one back in the 20th minute, and the game settled into quite a boring affair. Newcastle just attacked, but never really finished, while Colchester were shut down by an in form Steven Taylor. Another player who impressed was Luisma. Not having really "shone" in his Newcastle career yet, the young Spaniard showed why teams like Leicester and Zurich were after his services. A boring game ending 2-1 to Newcastle, their first win of the year.

The last game of the month was a game against Wolves at the Molineux. A pretty dominant game for Newcastle, but a lack of finishing up front meant that both teams went home with a point after a 0-0 draw. Injuries to Riquelme and Jonas did not help the team either in this match.

First clean sheet for Ochoa

A decent month for Newcastle, leaving them 15th, but still undefeated. This year looks promising, and when Kalou and Carroll can come together like they did in the first game, they will be a strikeforce that would scare the best defences. Next month will really test Newcastle, with matches against Arsenal and Liverpool (Premier League), as well as another match against Man City (League Cup).

View attachment 109029

The Man of the Month award went to Andy Carroll, after a fantastic 4 goals in 4 games, as well as one assist. An England call up can not be far away for the young starlet.

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If you are a Newcastle fan, why not tell us what you think. Email us a [email protected] or text us 'YOUR NAME' followed by 'NEWCASTLE' and then your message. Gary will read several out on Saturday's MOTD.​

 

[toddzy]

Pheww, was expecting the worst tbh, I thought you were going to have a great start :O Anyhow, great update mate, smashing detail for only highlighting 4 games. Keep it going. I should have one later. :wub:

 

[samillyroy]

tough start for you there then :\ hopefully carroll can start banging in the goals on a game-by-game basis

 

[toddzy]

BBCsport returns with an August Review!​

Iker Muniain - The 17 year old boy wonder joined the Toon in August.​

Ahh. Welcome back. We here at BBCsport have been as excitied as you, the fans, have been for the return of our monthly updates for Newcastle United. With matches, transfers and several club issues to be involved, it'll be a bit differant than usual.​

We'll start with the matches. Newcastle had 5 games in August, 1 being in the Carling Cup and the rest in the League.​

They made a great start. An away trip to recently promoted Hull City would have been seen as a hard test for the Magpies. Under gaffer Nigel Pearson they won The Championship and invested heavily to their squad. But the Toon were confident following there previous season antics, a delightful 9th for those who live in Austrailia. They gifted the away support a memorable 4-2 win to mark the return of Premier League. A Thierry Henry brace, David Beckham wonder strike followed by a goal of the month contender from Ivan Rakitic. After gathering the ball from Alan Smith, 30 yards out, he takes the ball on the turn. He glides past Jimmy Bullard before rattling it off the crossbar and in. Rakitic has also drawn interest from Avram Grant of West Ham, and expressed a desire to join the Hammers.​

The following game was a against another newly promoted side, Nottingham Forest. Todd stated before the game it was great to see Forest back in the big-time, they were a welcome addition to the top flight. Billy Davies could not be reached for comment. But Davies probably left the happier manager. Despite having a man sent off, Forest held on at St.James Park (newly renovated by 5000 seats) for a 0-0 draw. New boy Iker Muniain came under pressure from the media after he missed a penalty in the 85th minute after coming on as a substitute to make his debut for the Magpies. At £15million, he was Todd's main buy with the £26million budget.​

The game that followed would be a shocker for Newcastle. They travelled to St.Andrews to play Birmingham. The result was extremely un-predictable, Birmingham taking the match 4-0. Goals from Sebastian Larrsson, Carmen Jerome, Christian Romaric (debut) and Nikola Zigic inspired the win. Todd stated after the game he went crazy at his players. And rightfully so. The Newcastle players look tired and lazy, showing little to no effort whatseoever.​

But a mid-week tie against weaker oppostition gave Newcastle the chance to bounce back. They came up against Southampton, who days earlier had purchased Ryan Taylor (RB) from Newcastle for £2.4million. But Newcastle ran riot, and picked up a good 4-1 victory. Goals from new CB Scott Dann (formerly of Birmingham), Iker Muniain, Kevin Nolan and and O.G were the names on the scoresheet. The game also marked the return of badboy, Hatem Ben Arfa. After been given a months leave of absence after missing a training session, he found himself back in England, 'very ready and prepared' he stated. He found himself on the bench, and earned 20 minutes at the end of the game. With no pre-season. he'll likely find himself playing a few reserve games before he gets back into the main squad.​

The final game of the month seen the Baggies travel to St.James Park. Roberto Di Mateo had done extremely well to guide West Brom to safety although he was heavilty tipped to get them relagated. But his side looked lost as they slumped to a 2-0 defeat at Newcastle. An early strike in the 18th second handed Newcastle a 1-0 lead via Iker Muniain after he earned himself a start due to his display against Southampton. But the 2nd didn't come until the 2nd minute of stoppage time of the 90 minutes, when former vice-captain Alan Smith (now Thierry Henry) scored a placed effort from the edge after a nice cut back from Andy Carroll. Some fans had been a little crirtical of Todd's change from a 4-5-1 which brought the best out of Jonas and Ben Arfa to a new 4-4-2. But it appears thus far that the 2 strikers up top now seem to be working for Newcastle.​

On the transfer front, Newcastle sent us an e-mail, which highlights the exact in's and out's of the club, it is given below;​

View attachment 109130​

Todd commented at the bottom of the e-mail that youth was his main prority this summer. This was shown as he never purchased a player over 23. Controversy surronded Danny Welbeck as he played for Sunderland last term, but he claims his loyalty is with Newcastle. Hmm. Iker Muniain the obvious one in which catches many eyes. The former Bilbao striker had offers from Barcelona and Real Madrid, but felt that a move to Newcastle would benefit him hugely. He becomes the youngest member of the 1st team squad, at a tender age of 17. Many will have high hopes for him no doubt. The other 2 additions are Mario, a DM/CM from At.Madrid. The Spainiard found himself transfer listed at the Vicente Calderon and Todd seen the chance to snap up another youngster from there at a cut price. Overall, a good deal for him. Another player for the future no doubt. The other is CB Scott Dann from Birmingham City. At £11.75million, he has a big price tag to make up for. Todd stated in his press conferance he rated the Englishman very highly, and was worth every penny. Lets just hope your right, Mr.Todd. As for the outs, it is just general loans of youngsters. Notable players leaving are Sol Campbell who was released, Tomas Kadar who moved to Burassppor for £3million. Mike Williamson and Ryan Taylor moved to Cardiff and Southampton respectivly. Shola Ameobi joined Watford on loan for 6 months whilst Nile Ranger was snapped up for 6 months by Coventry,​

And that concludes the August update here at BBCsport. Has it been what you expected for Newcastle? Were you hoping for something differant. Why not let us know as MOTD returns with Gary on Saturday. Email us a [email protected] or text us 'YOUR NAME' followed by 'NEWCASTLE' and then your message.​

 

[NunoPeixinho]

Your writing is class Toddzy, Iker Muniain, very good signing mate, keep up the good work, you and Striker

 

[samillyroy]

yeah like it a lot. very expensive signings though! just hope munian is worth that amount of money!

 

[AussieOchoa]

great update, I was also looking to get Dann in, but Cahill was cheaper Bit of an up and down start to the season, but at least you have got some wins And BTW, terrible spelling of Australia, *shakes head* :S

 

[AussieOchoa]

Newcastle continue average start in September

With 5 games coming up in September, the Magpies were looking to push into the top half of the table, but tough games against Arsenal and Liverpool would make that challenge difficult. A League Cup match provided more game practice for some young players, but against Man City, mostly first team players were fielded.

An away trip to the Emirates Stadium to start off the month against an in-form and undefeated Arsenal side. Newcastle were never expected to challenge the Gunners, and that's how the match went. Arsenal dominated for long periods of time, and this allowed Newcastle only 3 shots all game, compared to the 21 shots of Arsenal. Guillermo Ochoa was really on top of his game, and he is definitely evolving into a world class keeper at St.James' Park. Ochoa only conceded one goal out of the 13 shots on target, a great save/shot on target ratio. A very close scoreline, that didn't reflect the game at all, Arsenal with the 1-0 win.

After an international break, the Newcastle squad was ready to face struggling Stoke at St.James' Park. 3 goals from 3 separate players in the first half gave the Toon the platform they needed for their first win of the year. That man, Carroll, got the first, before two goals in the last 5 minutes from Hlousek and Kalou. After the break Newcastle didn't let up, and another goal from Kalou made it four. With 10 minutes remaining, Newcastle still pushed on, and Carroll scored the 5th in the 80th minute. In the last few seconds, Newcastle won a penalty through Daniel Pacheco, and with two players on a hatrick, who would step up? Andy Carroll gave Kalou the ball, and he cooly slotted home his 3rd to make it 6-0. A fabulous result for Newcastle's first win of the season, great performances from Kalou, Carroll, Hlousek, Jose Enrique and Daniel Pacheco, when he came on.

Big team performance from Newcastle

Another tough test for Newcastle, a trip to Wigan to face Wigan. Sitting in very similar positions on the table, this game was always going to be exciting for the fans in the DW Stadium. A first half Wigan goal remained as the only goal throughout the whole match, almost. A last second Jonas wonder goal gave Newcastle a point with a 1-1 draw. A fantastic 25 yard drive into the top corner from the super sub. Newcastle really dominated the game, and should have walked away with all 3 points, but that's football for you.

Another game against Man City, this time away, this time in the League Cup, but it was still set to be a thriller. Two early goals gave Man City a comfortable, yet unstable 2-0 lead going into halftime. Last time round, Man City held a 2 goal lead, but Newcastle pulled it back, how would things be this time. Yet another Andy Carroll goal against Man City in the 60th minute, only for Man City to counter it with a goal of their own minutes later. Adam Hlousek replied quickly, and it was 3-2 with 15 minutes left. Mario Balotelli dismissed all potential comebacks with a 4th Man City goal with seconds remaining. An impressive match from both teams, yet another 6 goal thriller, and these two teams are becoming a sort of "rivalry", so to speak.

Another goal against Man City - Carroll is their "Nemesis"

For the last game of the month, Liverpool travelled to St.James' Park, in what was set to be a big challenge for Beresford and Newcastle. Within 15 minutes, Liverpool had won a penalty, but Ochoa saved Kuyt's attempt wonderfully, and the confidence swung. Newcastle now attacked with real venom, and it was Lovenkrands who scored the opener after a lovely team move. Ochoa was full of confidence from his penalty save, and for the second time of the month, he was inspiring. Saving shots left, right and centre, the Mexican flew around the Newcastle goal to keep it at 1-0 at halftime. Eventually, though, something had to give, and Torres scored an equaliser not long into the 2nd half. Newcastle were given an advantage as Meireles was sent off for his second yellow with 20 minutes left. The match played out till the end with no real chances coming, and both teams left with a point.

Still only the one win for Newcastle, but also only the one loss, in the Premier League. Out of the League Cup, but hopes still high for the FA Cup, Now sitting 11th, and improvement from last month, and an incredible +5 goal difference for a mid-table team, all from the game against Stoke.

View attachment 109153

Beresford's Man of the Month award was a tough decision, Carroll who is always improving, no. Ochoa, who is a solid as a rock at the back, no. Hlousek, yes, the new signing has impressed so far, and he was rewarded, with no only the Newcastle Man of the Month, but the Premier League Player of the Month as well.

View attachment 109152

If you are a Newcastle fan, why not tell us what you think. Email us a [email protected] or text us 'YOUR NAME' followed by 'NEWCASTLE' and then your message. Gary will read several out on Saturday's MOTD.​

 

[toddzy]

Great update mate Hlousek looks to be a very good buy. Tad of a slow start, but I'm confident things will pick up rapidfully soon A point against Liverpool is good as well as that 6-0 rout of Stoke.

 

[AussieOchoa]

Thanks man, took me quite a while to write up, am very tired, got a bit frustrated, but pretty happy with how it came out. Hlousek is very up and down so far, but is starting to settle in a bit now. I was very happy with the Stoke result, and very lucky against Liverpool :S How long until you have an update? None from me now, will head to sleep early tonight

 

[toddzy]

You probably won't see it till later when I update September too, keeping at a nice steady pace with you

 

[Dan]

Absolutely loving this lads, keep up the great work!

 

[toddzy]

MARCA.com catch up Iker Muniain!


Muniain (above) is back in Spain for Under 21 International duty
​

Updated 09/09/10 by Jesús Morallez at MARCA.com​

He's tipped as our leading talent along with Barcelona's Bojan Krikic. With offers on the table from both the Galaticos and the Catalans, why did he choose the north of England? Iker Muniain reveals all about his move from Athletic Bilbao.​

Jesús: Iker, welcome, it's great to see you back in Spain.

Muniain : Thank you, it's good to be back, Jesús.

Jesús : We'll dive into the deep end shall we, your move to Newcastle United, how did that come about?

Muniain : Aahh, Si. I was at training with Bilbao when the president informed me that Newcastle had bidded £15million for me. I understood the major fan base of Newcastle, other than that, they were reletively unknown to me. The president informed me that he couldn't reject the fee, and had already took that option away from the manager. He stated that Craig Todd would be flying here to begin talks.

Jesús : And, Mr.Todd, what was he like when you met?

Muniain : He is a very confident man. He was very warm towards me, and his plans for Newcastle he stated were losely based around me and aspiring youth.

Jesús : Now when you say his plan, what are you refering too?

Muniain : Mr.Todd has conducted a plan in which he plans to, fase out, if you will. As his team gorws older the will slowly not be offered new contracts and replaced by younger players, such as myself, and Mario ( recently signed from At.Madrdi). He said it will take several years.

Jesús : It appears he has it all planned out.

Muniain : Yes, he does.

Jesús : Now, back to your arrangement, you were going to meet Mr.Todd...

Muniain : Yes, he came to Bilbao and I was schduled to meet him after training. We spoke for 1-2 hours, and he fully convinced me to reject a move to stay in Spain.

Jesús : Don't you think Real Madrid or Barcelona would have been more of a learning curve, rather than a mid table English side?

Muniain : No, Jesús I do not. Newcastle were offering me less money to join the other 2. They were more suited to me, and Todd's laid out objectives were a lot better than playing bench warmer to the likes of Gonzalo (Higuian), Karim (Benzema) and Cristiano (Ronaldo). There is no doubt in my mind I made the right choice.

Jesús : Will you return to Spain?

Muniain : For now and the forseeable future, no, I do not. Newcastle will be my home and I intend to spend many happy days there.

Jesús : Newcastle already have a couple of Spainiards, Jose Enrique, Alvaro Dominguez and Mario. Did this help you to settle in?

Muniain : Yes, yes it did. We have a special bond in this group. But, the other players were just as fantastic, especially Jonas, he has really helped me.

Jesús : Are you scared you might not live up to your £15million price tag?

Muniain : Persoanlly, no. It doesn't affect me. If Mr.Todd and Mr.Ashley value me that highly, I take that as a blessing. I have confidence in my abiltity to shine here in Newcastle, I've already scored twice, hopefully I can continue.

Jesús : The English game has came under critiscism recently with reckless tackles from several players. Whats your view on this side of the English game?

Muniain : I don't atually have an opinion. Luckily my team and I havn't been on the recieving end or handed any out. So right now, I can't comment.

*Jesús moves forward towards Iker, as if he is trying to apply pressure to the youngster*

Jesús : But surely, Iker, you must think some of the tackles are outrageous. You wouldn't be such an available target had you stayed in Spain surely.

Muniain : I disagree, football is a contact sport. Maybe the English league is more aggressive, but sanctions can be implied.

*Dis-satisfied, Jesús sits back. Iker smiles knowing he has de-railed Jesús' advance*

Jesús : Well, best of luck this season. We at MARCA.com can only wish you all the best. Good luck tomorrow against Sweeden too.

Muniain : Gracias, it's been a pleasure. :wub:

​

 

[pistolped7]

Fantastically written interview mate, nice wee bits of Spanish chucked in, very good!