Newcastle United were overturned by Blackburn Rovers in the Carling Cup on Wednesday in a thrilling encounter. Tonight live on Sky Sports Monday Night Football The Geordies will be hopeful of preserving their unbeaten run in the league for at least a few games longer. They travel to Stoke and the Britannia Stadium, an unhappy hunting ground where United usually fail miserably and last season's heavy 4-0 thrashing was a game Alan Pardew got his tactics completely wrong. But defensively they are a much stronger unit these days. Jose Enrique's head had been turned by the time the Stoke game turned up on the fixture list last season and he was subbed before half time after looking particularly uninterested (the official word was that he was carrying an injury) and Sol Campbell was part of a centre back unit that couldn't cope with Stoke's relentless crossing and throw-ins into the danger area. Not to mention Steve Harper had one of his more forgettable days and was at fault for at least two of the goals. All those men won't play tonight. The emergence of Steven Taylor and Fabricio Coloccini as one of the more formidable centre back pairings in the league this season and Tim Krul playing like a World Class goalkeeper this season should see Newcastle put up more of a fight today. Stoke have only lost one match on homesoil in 2011 and that was last week courtesy of Liverpool and Luis Suarez. They aren't used to losing on this ground and despite how well Newcastle are playing, only the more ambitious of their supporters will be expecting a victory tonight.
Team News
A few key men are missing or are big doubts tonight.
Cheik Tiote has suffered a knee injury and is expected to miss the match which is a huge blow for United, especially when travelling away from home against a side that they need to be strong against. Though United will be thankful that Steven Taylor has been photographed wearing a mask that will protect his broken nose and should play, which is comforting as with
Mike Williamson still injured,
James Perch playing again at centre back is not something Newcastle fans want to see anytime again soon.
Shola Ameobi will miss all of November with a hamstring problem and sits out, whilst
Leon Best has contracted tonsillitis and may also be sidelined. Another striker missing for Newcastle will be
Nile Ranger who just as he had managed to get himself into the squad for a bench spot against Blackburn midweek, was then up to his old tricks and was arrested for being drunk and disorderly on Sunday night. That surely means his number is up by now? If Best does miss out, it will at least mean Pardew won't have to consider who in his team to drop and
Hatem Ben Arfa will probably play just behind
Demba Ba up front. With
Danny Guthrie scoring a great strike against Blackburn he has probably earnt himself a first team start to show what he can do and he will probably replace Tiote. Full back
Davide Santon also impressed on Wednesday, though was criticised for his lack of strength and in a game against a physical Stoke side may once again find himself on the bench. Therefore I would expect Newcastle to line-up like this; Krul, Simpson, S Taylor, Coloccini, R Taylor, Obertan, Guthrie, Cabaye, Gutierrez, Ben Arfa, Ba Subs: Elliott/Soderberg*, Santon, Perch, Gosling, Marveaux, Lovenkrands, Sammy Ameobi *
Rob Elliott picked up a thigh strain and was a doubt for travelling to Stoke so United recalled Swedish reverse keeper
Ole Soderberg from his spell at Darlington and could be on the bench tonight with Steve Harper and Fraser Forster also on loan elsewhere. For Stoke,
Jonathan Woodgate could make a start against his former team after playing midweek unscathed from recent injury.
Jermaine Pennant will also be challenging for a starting birth having come on as a sub in that game.
Mamady Sidibe will miss the game with a serious knee problem. Prediction 2 - 0 - Hate to bet against my own team but Stoke, like Sam Allardyce, plays tactics we don't understand or can accommodate and it'll be a frustrating night tonight.