Though some at Newcastle might suggest that there's little to gain in pursuing cup success when the result could lead to relegation - as it did with Wigan last year - Newcastle have nothing to lose in going for it against Man City in the League Cup tonight. The club would gain a rare publicity win - something Keith Bishop is probably all too aware of in his capacity as "crisis manager" - the team would pick up more confidence ahead of the Liverpool game (another one they will need to attack without fear) and Alan Pardew will have three wins on the bounce. If the win does happen, there would be more reason to believe the endless backing of the manager from players (the latest being Daryl Janmaat). Or at least to partially understand it. The win is there for the taking as well: City will inevitably put out a weakened team because of the Manchester derby at the weekend, and they've already been beaten twice this season (by Stoke at home and West Ham away last week). And West Ham proved that taking the game to the Champions could result in victory, as Steve Howey astutely reasoned:
If you get at them and dont let them settle, like West Ham showed at the weekend, you can upset them. You rarely get a team that is unbeatable, and that has been shown this season. They lost at home to Stoke in the league, which was unexpected, and they might have one eye on the Champions League, so there is an opportunity there for Newcastle."
Even with a depleted team, Newcastle face a tough prospect, but their fortunes may rest on the form and availability of captain Vincent Kompany. If he plays, Newcastle will struggle with one striker (the expected formation), but if Demichelis and Mangala play, the back-line will be significantly weakened. With Ayoze Perez likely to start again in the absence of Papiss Cisse, and the expected lack of sharpness in Emmanuel Riviere, Newcastle should go with a strong 4-3-3, with one defensive midfielder in the middle, Sissoko and Cabella more advanced and Sammy Ameobi and Gouffran playing wide. This is not a game to rest people, unless it's Gouffran who has missed very little football all season.