Transcript
Global Sports Podcast Network: Hello and welcome back to the Daily Newcastle. I'm Michael Grahameslaw and today we're diving into Newcastle United did versus Burnley. Premier League clash coming up this Saturday 6th of December live from St James's Park and joining me today is the man who always brings tons of insight, great analysis and just a little bit of chaos, Mr Ian Mackay.
Global Sports Podcast Network: how are you doing?
Iain: Yes. I'm alright Michael, thank you very much. Just a little bit of chaos. Not my usual amount of chaos.
Global Sports Podcast Network: i was
Iain: Tonight it'll just be a little bit of chaos.
Global Sports Podcast Network: just a little bit um absolutely i'm glad you're doing well mate but let's set the stage here newcastle sit in the bottom half with 19 points but we are unbeaten in our last three and we're scoring quite freely once again the two two two the two two two The 2-2 draw against Spurs in midweek was lively, although a little disappointing at the end.
Iain: A sprinkling.
Global Sports Podcast Network: And it looks like Newcastle United have kind of rediscovered the confidence. But I think that might have actually dropped after the game in midweek. We haven't caught up since it. How are you feeling now ah about the game?
Iain: i was I was there. i was very disappointed. I mean, I couldn't believe that we got gifted the penalty to go 2-1 up with five minutes to go. don't know where the referee got nine minutes of injury time to play.
Iain: It kind of was a bit like the Liverpool game when you saw the nine go up. You thought, oh, aye, here we go.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Iain: And sure enough, and ah don't understand when we go ahead why...
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Iain: I know you want to hold on to the lead, but I don't know why all the eggs are put into that We shall not be beaten basket. The best form of defence, even in injury time, is to be on the attack.
Iain: um Taking Miley off and bringing Shah on, I thought, was a very psychologically damaging move by Eddie Howe to tell the the rest of the team, just sit back, just defend it. And then we couldn't defend.
Iain: So I was really disappointed to concede that equaliser. However, on reflection... You know, it was a great, I thought it was a great performance. i Couldn't believe how much on top we were in the first half.
Iain: The ball just wouldn't run run for us. I was quite encouraged by our defeat at Marseille as well. So overall, all having come back from the international break and being terrified about what we were going to watch, I think we put together a run of four decent performances and and not got as much from them as we probably deserved.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, absolutely. You say not got as much as what we deserved there. It's pretty much been the tale of our season. like and Before the Spurs game predicted points, the XG of points, we were fourth.
Iain: Thank you.
Global Sports Podcast Network: you know We're definitely not sitting in fourth right now. So it is one of those, the stats even back it up. We're not getting the results that our players sort of said that we should. Burnley, on the other hand, the stats say they've been pretty poor.
Global Sports Podcast Network: The points say they've been pretty poor. But when you've watched them, they haven't been as bad as you might think. Ten points, five straight defeats. Goals have been hard to come by and they're leaking them at the other end.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Especially away from home, they're conceding three per match.
Iain: Okay.
Global Sports Podcast Network: But they do tend to score a lot of goals. And to be honest, when you look at them against the likes of Manchester and United, they nearly um got a result against Liverpool as well. This is...
Global Sports Podcast Network: a difficult game and I think it's going to be one that's I'll ask you actually Ian how big is this game psychologically for both clubs because Newcastle need the win but Burnley are already four points adrift ah it's it's kind of a must win or a must not lose for Burnley and a must win for Newcastle how do you see it playing out
Iain: Well, from Burnley's point of view, any any decent result is a shot in the arm for them to give them some belief that they can keep battling and they can gather enough points to not finish in the bottom three.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Absolutely.
Iain: um And they must to be looking for some sort of reassurance having lost five on the bounce. So it it is a big game for Burnley. I don't think at the start of the season, Scotty Parker would have been looking down the list of pictures thinking this was one of the 10 wins he needed to stay up.
Global Sports Podcast Network: absolutely not
Iain: But nevertheless, I think you will also have noticed how fragile some of the leads Newcastle have had at St James' Park.
Iain: and And his lads will keep going right to the very end. From Newcastle's point of view, we've got to win it, I think.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Iain: Very disappointing that... We drew i think we we drew it ended up 13th, although after last night's games, I think because Bournemouth conceded two goals, we we gained a place and we're up to 12th now. um But when it was pointed out to Eddie Howe that if we actually hadn't conceded that second goal against Tottenham, we would have been in seventh, that's how tight the thing is.
Iain: But I think a win keeps our good run going. Three wins out of four. um It's a good return, 10 points from every 12. We would be challenging for Europe come Christmas if we can get 10 points out of every 12 that's available.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Absolutely.
Iain: um So let's let's try and redress the balance and get three points against Burnley. We should do. They're conceding a lot of goals and we do look very, very threatening.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, absolutely. You mentioned there, look very threatening. 12 straight games we've scored. At home, seven unbeaten at St James' as in all competitions, obviously. um And it's yeah it's it's one of those where we are doing really, really half well. I say really, really well.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Half decent at home, you have to say. Performance-wise, think we've been good. But four wins out of seven in the league, it kind of feels like it should be so much better given the performances.
Global Sports Podcast Network: What do you think?
Iain: I think, yeah, I definitely think we deserved at least a draw against Liverpool. And to be honest, that last 15 minutes where the 10 men had got us back to 2-2, it only looked like it was us that were going to win that.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Iain: So I thought we should have won that. So I agree with that. I think Arsenal was arsen were better than we were, to be fair. I don't mind. I know they left it late to score their winner.
Iain: um um And I would have loved to draw. But actually, it was all Arsenal deserved on that game. um But Tottenham, yeah, we should have buried Tottenham. It should be five, six wins out of seven, I think it should be.
Global Sports Podcast Network: yeah
Iain: I can't wait to get Liverpool in the Champions League and knock them beat them twice in that. Knock them out. That's what I want to do. Do you hear that, Jesse?
Global Sports Podcast Network: That would be a fantastic sort of when well continuation of that Champions League campaign. A culmination of all of our brilliant play, knocking Liverpool out the Champions League, getting Real Madrid or whoever it is next. We'll knock them out as well, but we'll get to that later in the season. ah Back to Burnley. A recent clash. I saw Sandro Tonali pick up a knee injury.
Global Sports Podcast Network: It is horrible to see, and probably, ah you know what, it's kind of horrible to say this. um It's horrible for a player to miss out, particularly when they've got Sonali's quality. But do you think this is potentially the most...
Iain: Thank you.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Reasonable injury that Newcastle could have picked up out of any of their starting XI. And the reason I say that, Ramsey and Willick both fit. Willick's impressed on his last two starts. Ramsey chomping at the bit. Lewis Miley playing very, very well.
Global Sports Podcast Network: We've got six players that could play that centre midfield role to a decent standard. Well, left-back, for example, we've got... One, two. So do you think Tenoly's maybe someone we could afford to have given a rest even if, well, we'd have rested him and Bruno, but we could afford to have him injured for a little bit, if anyone?
Iain: and Well, we we are I think we're strongly covered in midfield at the moment. But you just have to think if Bruno goes over on his ankle against Burnley, where we go to when we're playing Leverkusen, if the pair of them are out,
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Iain: Because however good those first change midfielders are, we need we need Bruno and Tonali playing the bulk of our games, certainly in the big games.
Iain: That said, this is Burnley.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Excellent.
Iain: This might well have been games that they could have been rested for. um But yeah, I know what you mean, Michael. if If someone's going to get crocked, it should be a midfielder because we've got plenty of cover there.
Iain: I would have picked a different midfielder. But yeah, and we could probably accommodate Tonali being... ah given plenty of time to recover, shall we say. But the massive change, I think, we'll see.
Iain: And it's quite exciting because you might see that Walter Marder almost playing midfield if Johan Wissler can have any length of time against Burnley playing number nine.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, absolutely. He's had two warm-up games, two 11 versus 11s. We'll hear in Eddie Howe's press conference tomorrow but exactly what he thinks. But it does sound like we are going to see the first of Johan Wisser in a Newcastle shirt.
Global Sports Podcast Network: And to be honest, he might actually be the player that Newcastle have missed the most. Because he's going to give us a really, really different style of play. Walter Marder is not one for getting in behind too much, although he has tried in recent games to some success.
Global Sports Podcast Network: But he is so much better coming deep and having more control of the play. Johan Wisser is going to get in behind. He's a bit more of a poacher. He gives us such a good array of options and a different option, doesn't he? like Those two up front could be really, really exciting.
Global Sports Podcast Network: for that next couple of months. Yeah.
Iain: I think so, and I think what's what when we're on when we're on the transition, which we're very good at, um a lot of the time it's it's, I don't know, Murphy and Barnes that are racing away on our opposite sides of the field.
Global Sports Podcast Network: yeah
Iain: That's where the pace is at the moment. With Visser up there as well, ah he'll get support. He'll get support from whether it's Barnes and Gordon on one side or Alanga and Murphy on the other side, and that That should make us have much more of a cutting edge when it comes to the transition. I don't know if we'll get much opportunity to break quickly against Burnley.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Probably not.
Iain: Maybe I'm doing them down. um But, yeah, I think it'll be giving us a different dimension to our attacking play. And as the guys seem to have picked up since the international break on their attacking play, that's exciting. Notch it up an extra level.
Iain: All sounds good.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, absolutely. It's coming at a perfect time as well. And coming at a perfect time halfway through the episode, we're going to go to our first advert of the evening. And that is by Anika.
Iain: uh
Global Sports Podcast Network: Now let's flip to Burnley for a few moments. Scotty Parker's team are struggling. As you mentioned earlier Ian, five straight losses. They've only got three wins in one draw in 14 matches.
Global Sports Podcast Network: They can't keep that defence shut. Surely Newcastle have got to get a few goals and keep a good goal scoring form up, right?
Iain: ah Michael, of course they should. Of course they should. But, you know, I was there when Newcastle took West Ham on this time last year. And we predicted 4-0, and that was us being kind to West Ham.
Iain: We lost 2-0.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Iain: Newcastle are capable of missing a hatful, like they did in the first half against Tottenham, and then going into their shell to get caught late. We've seen that.
Iain: Fulham did it to us last year. Bournemouth did it the whole game to us last year and won I think it was six games that we lost at home, which we shouldn't have lost last year. So we haven't had one of those yet.
Iain: So i'm i'm not um I'm not counting any chickens till I see how they start. But if they start like they started against Everton, like they started against Tottenham, like they started against Marseille, Burnley could be blown away in the first 15 minutes.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, absolutely. If they can't stop conceding, we're excellent in the England stages of games. Also, we haven't conceded a goal before the 30th or 30-odd minutes. I can't remember by exactly what minute Graven Birches was for Liverpool, but we're between the 30th and the 40th minute. But that is the earliest goal we've conceded in the league all season. So it's one of those, Newcastle, we're going to start strong.
Global Sports Podcast Network: We could blow them away. But if it gets to half-time and it's nil-nil, I'd maybe start getting a little concerned. Because even so, Burnley do tend to score goals on the road.
Iain: Thank you.
Global Sports Podcast Network: They've scored in six straight-away games, which is very interesting considering you wouldn't expect them to, when you particularly when you consider who they've faced.
Iain: Thank you.
Global Sports Podcast Network: and And they do have some very, very decent players. Florentino Luiz is one that I did had marked when we... um When the fixtures were announced against Benfica, in our preview that I did beforehand, pretty much as the draw went out, I spoke about Florentino Luiz being a massive player for them. And then he went on loan to Burnley. So that ruined everything. And to be honest, he looks ah cut above a lot of the players at that club as well. And then you've also got Quilly Hartman who can from the left flank who can influence the game, particularly if we switch off on the right flank. But Ian, what do you make of Burnley so far under Scott Parker? Do you think they've got enough to avoid being dead set relegation candidates? Do you think they've got enough to fight?
Iain: I they are a clear third best when it comes to looking at the promoted teams.
Global Sports Podcast Network: i would agree.
Iain: And I think the assumption before the season kicked off was it would be the three promoted teams that would struggle the most.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yes.
Iain: So if they are third, if they're going to finish below Leeds and below Sunderland, they're needing three existing Premier League teams to be poorer than they are. I think Wolves are.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yes, absolutely.
Iain: I think West Ham might be, but I think Nuno will get that sorted out so that they aren't. And I can't think of any... I mean, we thought Brentford might be, but they're doing pretty you well.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Iain: Everton doing pretty well. So the teams that have been struggling, Tottenham, with the new manager, probably going to avoid 17th this year. and i don't i don't see ah i don't see Burnley finishing ahead of anyone bar Wolves, to be honest.
Iain: Leeds could blow up, couldn't they? But then they've got to they've got the opportunity to change the manager if they need to. But I mean, last night, Leeds bleeds beat Chelsea, which was a fabulous result for them.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, you're fantastic.
Iain: And they deserve to. watched some of that. um So, yeah, the two other promoted teams have got some real fight to them. I forget who the third one is, but I think they're doing even better than Burnley and Leeds.
Global Sports Podcast Network: No.
Iain: Yeah, Burnley... I know you're saying they they keep scoring away from home, but you're talking about a their only win is at Wolves.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Iain: um I think they got a draw. Did they get a draw at Forest? don't know if that was away. But they have been beaten by Villa. They've been beaten by, and was it City beat them 5-1? 3-1 at Brentford.
Global Sports Podcast Network: yeah They've lost to Brentford, West Ham.
Iain: Some other teams lose 3-1 at Brentford and aren't necessarily terrible.
Global Sports Podcast Network: True, true. It's actually a good result, they say these days. brave If Brentford only score three against you, wow, you're actually a really good size. yeah If I don't laugh, I'll cry.
Global Sports Podcast Network: and both But back to Burnley and historically we do tend to enjoy this fixture. Eight the last 13 meetings have been won by Newcastle and that does extend back to the Steve Bruce era as well, including that emphatic 4-1 win at Turf Moor last year.
Global Sports Podcast Network: It's St James's Park specifically.
Iain: Thank you.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Out of 58 games, Newcastle have won 30, and it probably should be 31 by the end of this weekend. But... I'm going to say history probably doesn't matter.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Burnley's issues are so deep at the moment that it probably reinforces the fact that we we should batter them. So with that, I'm going to ask you to name your 11 for me um for Newcastle United. I'm going to assume, because of the Nick Pope injury, we haven't done a complete U-turn on Aaron Ramsdale and want... I guess it be John Ruddy to start. LAUGHTER
Iain: Ramsdale and Goal for sure. Haul and Liveramento at full back for sure.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, absolutely.
Iain: Do
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Iain: you think Chow needs a rest because he's played the full games of the last three games? I think Chau might get a rest, saved for Leverkusen away in Germany, which is obviously...
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Iain: He'd be be be excited about that extra edge with him being German and all. So I'll go Schaar and Bern, because I believe Bottman's going to be crocked.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yes.
Iain: I think Tenale's out this weekend because of his kicking that he took. So I would play Bruno, Miley and...
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Iain: I would play Ramsey. But if he's not picking Ramsey for some strange reason we don't know about, he'd probably start Willock.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, I agree. I
Iain: But I think Joe Linton needs to rest again to be fully up for the next two games.
Global Sports Podcast Network: would agree.
Iain: um And then I would probably, probably would play... you know what? I'd have a word with Harvey and say, look, I'm starting Anthony today because I want you fit for Leverkusen. And I'd give Gordon a chance.
Iain: I thought he changed the game.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah. He was good against him.
Iain: we looked we We lifted ourselves a ah level when he came on on 70 minutes against ah against Tottenham. Within five minutes, he'd set up the first goal for for Bruno. And he showed a very cool head and very professionally dispatched this penalty. So his first Premier League goal since January. So I'd probably start Gordon. um And if it's all going to be about the pace, let's put Alanga on the other wing.
Iain: I don't think Murphy was brilliant, to be fair, against Tottenham.
Global Sports Podcast Network: What's that?
Iain: And then Valtemarra will start up front, but hopefully Whistler will be yeah available for the last 20 minutes and we might get to see something fairly explosive.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, completely. I think it's one of those that this is the perfect game to bring Yorn Wissar back for. um Well, I might not be saying that at the 70th minute if Burnley are in the lead or still hanging in there.
Global Sports Podcast Network: But it's it's one of those where you do feel like Newcastle can return few players, don't you? And with with let's be honest, all I'm seeing on socials is how Sunderland are going to not play Granit Xhaka and Noah Siddiqui to make sure they're not out for the derby.
Global Sports Podcast Network: we're not really that desperate where we're like oh well Bruno can't be playing because he has to be fit for the derby no it's this is still important we've got Leverkusen as well but when you've got two brilliant players like the two Antony's you can put in there uh on the wings Jacob Ramsey can come in um Dan Byrne who's just been given the the freedom of Blythe by the way uh congratulations Dan um I'll put something up for you. But it's it's one of those where realistically this is the game where we rotate and the rotated players show that they should be in that Newcastle United XI. Because as you say, Gordon, very good against Spurs.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Alanga was brilliant against Everton my opinion. It's just Ramsey that really needs that time to cement himself. But...
Iain: He does.
Global Sports Podcast Network: I've got you to name your 11. Now we're going to go into predictions. The boogies are kind of leaning and towards Newcastle. I say kind of, very, very much leaning towards Newcastle. And there is one scoreline that is popping out a bit more than any.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Can you guess what that is, Ian? ah
Iain: Is it my 3-1, Michael?
Global Sports Podcast Network: It is! Is that what you're going to go for?
Iain: Well, um I wouldn't know. i wouldn't go for that. I mean, hadn't I hadn't spotted that in all of those hammerings that Burnley have been taking, they've scored at least one goal when they've played away from home.
Global Sports Podcast Network: I'd go for five. Yeah.
Iain: But they haven't been hammerings, to be fair. It's only City that's put them to the sword. um I know I would go for... um I would go Newcastle to win 4-0. faill
Global Sports Podcast Network: oh very emphatic victory. And one I agree with, to be honest. I think it's going to be one of those where, let's be honest, Burnley aren't going to score in every away game. The fact that they've scored 6-6 means they're due to not scoring one. And I agree. I think we'll batter them. i don't think it'll be I don't think it'll be as much as 4. I'm going to go 3. If we blow them away in the first 20 minutes like we could,
Global Sports Podcast Network: We could both be wrong and it could be five or six. um But how many times have we seen us blow teams away at the start and have four goals within 50 minutes?
Iain: Three or four times I can remember. Last season, Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, Tottenham the year before.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Absolutely, it's...
Iain: three niil threeil against Tottenham last year, and or two years ago, wasn't it? and What I do think, Michael, is that Eddie Howe was so annoyed when he heard that giving that goal away cost him six places in the league.
Iain: the eel of even though they played well, even though they avoided defeat, um and moved up the table a couple of places, I think they put a right flea in their ear for that.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Oh.
Iain: And they will be very conscious not to make the same mistake against Burnley. um So I think they'll be very, very focused. I don't think there'll be any complacency. I don't think they'll ease off till they've got two or three ahead.
Iain: They seem to ease off when they went up. Sit back. Why are you doing that? Just inviting trouble.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, we do. it so
Iain: Don't do that.
Global Sports Podcast Network: It's horrendous, isn't I mentioned i on the part they went out this morning, and it was one of the things that Eddie Howe had to fix because yeah it's happened against Brentford, West Ham, Arsenal. We did it against Bilbao and City. It actually worked. But there's so many games this season.
Global Sports Podcast Network: where we've sort of just sat back and just completely floundered. um i agree. I don't think this will be one of those games. um I think it's going to be the one where we stamp our authority on St.
Global Sports Podcast Network: James's once again. We've stamped our authority on the Hill Dickinson. We're just as good there as Everton are, if not better. And because Burnley are pretty desperate at the minute, you know they want to end that run of five defeats on the bounce.
Global Sports Podcast Network: They're either going have to tighten up and go 10 men behind the ball, or it's going to be a very long afternoon for them. I'm going to wrap up here. any Ian, any final words from you on the on the game that we haven't
Iain: yeah i think it I think, yes, it's just three points on Saturday. However, the difference in confidence, positivity, momentum that a draw or defeat would would give us is huge. It's so much more than three points. But the three points, I think, sets us up nicely to go and get a positive result in Leverkusen, to jump above the Mackams when we win at...
Iain: was to say Roker Park there. That was a while ago, wasn't it?
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Iain: But the the two games after that, it's our quarterfinal against Fulham and then a home match against Chelsea.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Iain: And I'm very encouraged for the home match against Chelsea, but having watched Leeds beat them 3-1 last night.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Iain: So this is a...
Global Sports Podcast Network: i
Iain: I mean, I know you talked about it this morning. and I don't know how far you far forward you looked. But this is our this is a set-up for us to do one of the yeah famous Eddie Howe runs, I think.
Global Sports Podcast Network: yeah yeah i think yeah
Iain: And our performances look like we could do that.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, 100%. I think it's one of those where you look at the teams you face and you go, well, they're not the kind of team that really blows us away traditionally or does well against us. I think the the next game we have where a team tends to do well against us is Aston Villa at Villa Park, where we yeah we do... Well, actually, Aston Villa, point blank.
Global Sports Podcast Network: We've already played them at Villa Park, haven't we?
Iain: We've cried the first game of the season at Villa Park, Michael.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, Aston Villa Park,
Iain: I think Villa at villa at home is is us if it's Villa. Is it Villa? After Chelsea, it's Man United at Old Trafford on Boxing Day, isn't it?
Global Sports Podcast Network: ah Maybe Palace whom could be one where we drop on.
Iain: And then it's Burnley again.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah. Leeds after that. ah Well, Palace after that, then Leeds, then Wolves. ah Again, very winnable fixtures. And the only two between now and PSG that I'm worried about is Crystal Palace and Aston Villa.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah. And again, Villa, we do well up here.
Iain: Thank
Global Sports Podcast Network: We do shockingly down there, traditionally. And Palace, we've got a great record against at St James' Park. So it could be, it could, well, you know what? I go into it in more detail.
Global Sports Podcast Network: That that podcast will go out tomorrow. and So join us for that and get the full thoughts. But yeah, I completely agree you. And I think it'll be a really, really good run of form for Newcastle.
Global Sports Podcast Network: And i think this is just the start. But that's it for today. I've been Michael Grahamslow. Thank you, Ian, for joining me. It's much appreciated. Check us out wherever you find your podcasts, on our social media at GSPN Newcastle, or even on the radio by checking out NUFC Talk TV.
Global Sports Podcast Network: But for now, take care.
