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Season 2014-15
 Swansea City (a) Premier League


In association 
with NUFC.com 
 

 
Date:
Saturday 4th October 2014, 3.00pm.

Venue:
Liberty Stadium

Conditions:
mixed

Admission:
£25 (£20 in 2013/14)

Programme:
£3

Swansea City

 

Newcastle United

2 - 2

 

Teams

Goals

17 mins: former mackem Ki Sung-Yong swept upfield to where Gylfi Sigurdsson and Wilfried Bony combined for the latter to shoot home - amid question marks over the positioning of both Fabricio Coloccini and Paul Dummett in the Newcastle back four. 0-1

43 mins: Gabriel Obertan tiptoed into the right hand side of the box and slipped over a pass that Papiss Cisse flicked home from six yards at the front post in front of the travelling support 1-1

Half time: Jacks 1 Magpies 1

50 mins: Moussa Sissoko was feebly shoved off the ball just outside his own area and Sigurdsson slipped a pass through for SJP old boy Wayne Routledge to chip in. 1-2

75 mins: Emmanuel Riviere successfully challenged for the ball towards the City area and Sammy Ameobi's perfect cross allowed Papiss Cisse to stab home right-footed from close range. 2-2

Full time: Jacks 2 Magpies 2

We Said


Alan Pardew:

"We showed so much character and were determined to try to win. One thing you have to analyse as a football manager is – is the team giving you everything?

"I don’t think our worst critic could argue they didn’t give me everything. We wanted to push for the win and had the chance to do that at 2-2.

"It’s obvious we’re not playing the way that I would like. We’re a little bit tight in the way we’re playing. For now we have to grind ourselves a win and then the confidence will come back.

"We're a better team than we're showing at the moment but I have to concentrate on the here and now. I'm not looking too much further forward than I was Swansea and my attention turns to the next game.

"We know that the tension in the stands and in the stadium is not going to go away in the short- term, but what we must focus on is performance and I think we've got a bit to lean on from this game.

"We'll take the positives out of it so the players can play to the best of their ability. I just have to just focus on the team and improve the team as best I can.

"I don't think I'll ever get a boring fortnight, but what I would say is that I've had lots of messages of support from within the game and I would like to publicly thank people for them.

"Papiss
(Cisse) had a tough year last season with a lot of injuries but it looks like the rest has done him good. He's in a good place at the moment and he looks enthused.

"The first goal was an absolutely brilliant goal, it was a really clever, technical finish. Not many could score that goal and he’s in a good place at the moment.

"At 2-1, Bony has connected with a cross, and Tim
(Krul) has made a fantastic save. I think that will go in his top five.

"It was that good. His weight was going all the wrong way, and to be able to reach that was a big lift for him, because everyone needs confidence.

"I think Sammy (Ameobi) has looked bright. We’re really hoping the penny has dropped with him because he has got such talent.

"He produced that on the Premier League level, and now we’ve got to see more of that this season. I’ve been talking about him for a long time without him really delivering. This season he looks better than any time I’ve seen him. Hopefully, he can have a big season for us.”

Papiss Cisse:

"I'm so hungry, I need to score more goals. It's important for me and the club, Newcastle are a big team and we need points. I feel good, I just have to work hard all the time and believe in myself.

Speaking about Alan Pardew:

"Yes, I know this moment is not easy for him. The team don't think about that one (protests) because the players just play. It is for the gaffer, but it's not good for the team.

"It's not easy for the players because it is the player playing the game.You have to believe in yourself and believe in the team. You have to keep going and work hard and maybe one day it will come good."

 

They Said


Garry Monk:

"It's two points dropped and the goals we conceded were poor. There was a lack of concentration and it's cost us dearly - we knew Newcastle would be fighting and they showed that in their performance.

"We were dominant but we conceded a poor goal before half-time and we spoke about starting the second half very well.

"We did that but possession came for us too easily and that was our downfall for the second goal because they countered and scored."

About the refereeing:

"I think my point was made blatantly clear once again. I can't say any more than I've already said and yet it seems to have gone unheard. They had 13 or 14 fouls before anything even happened and
(Fabricio) Coloccini was in the back of Bony all the time before he was booked."

 

Stats


United are still looking for a first league win since Cardiff City were beaten at SJP back in May - a barren now that now stretches to eight games.

Cisse's first goal came 763 minutes after a Newcastle player last scored a league goal for his side away from SJP (Vurnon Anita at Hull in March). 

In visits to Fulham, Southampton, Stoke City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Southampton and Stoke again our only effort until today was an OG from a Liverpool player.

Season-opening winless runs (PL only):

2014/15: no win in seven games
2013/14: won the third game
2012/13: won the first game
2011/12: won the second game
2010/11: won the second game
2008/09: won the second game
2007/08: won the first game
2006/07: won the first game
2005/06: won the sixth game
2004/05: won the fifth game
2003/04: won the seventh game
2002/03:
won the first game
2001/02: won the third game
2000/01: won the second game
1999/00: won the eighth game
1998/99:
won the fifth game
1997/98: won the first game
1996/97: won the second game
1995/96: won the first game
1994/95: won the first game
1993/94: won the fourth game

Magpies @ Swans - all time:

2014/15 drew 2-2 Cisse 2
2013/14 lost 0-3
2012/13 lost 0-1
2011/12 won 2-0 Cisse 2
2009/10 drew 1-1 Carroll
1983/84 won 2-1 Wharton, Mills
1980/81 lost 0-4
1979/80 won 3-2 Hibbitt, Rafferty, Shoulder
1964/65 lost 1-3 McGarry
1964/65 lost 0-1 (FAC)
1963/64 won 1-0 Anderson
1962/63 lost 0-1
1961/62 lost 2-3 Thomas, Wright
1951/52 won 1-0 Mitchell (FAC)
1946/47 won 2-1 Shackleton, Wayman
1938/39 won 1-0 Clifton
1937/38 lost 0-2
1936/37 won 2-1 Rogers, Smith
1935/36 won 2-1 McMenemy, Smith
1934/35 won 4-3 Boyd, McMenemy, Murray, Weaver
1914/15 won 2-0 King, Pailor (FAC)

Full record v Swansea:

  P W D L F A
SJP 17 9 3 5 39 18
VF/LS 18 9 2 7 25 29
League 35 18 5 12 64 47
SJP(FA) 3 2 1 0 7 1
VF 3 2 0 1 3 1
SJP(LC) 0 0 0 0 0 0
VF 0 0 0 0 0 0
Cup 6 4 1 1 10 2
Tot 41 22 6 13 74 49

Cisse's brace took him above Michael Owen and level with Craig Bellamy in eleventh place on the all-time Premier League scorers list for Newcastle:

NUFC Premier League top scorers:

Alan Shearer 148
Peter Beardsley 46
Andy Cole 43
Shola Ameobi 43
Les Ferdinand 41
Nolberto Solano 37
(OG 36)
Robert Lee 34
Gary Speed 29
Demba Ba 29
Obafemi Martins 28
Craig Bellamy 27
Papiss Demba Cisse 27
Michael Owen 26
 
 

Waffle



For the avoidance of doubt, that's the home support Cisse is shushing...

 

Another two goals from Papiss Cisse spared United from defeat on Saturday, but Alan Pardew's side left South Wales after extending their winless Premier League run since the beginning of the season to seven games.

Restored to the starting line-up for the first time since Swansea's win on Tyneside in April, our number nine twice netted from close range after questionable defending had allowed the home side to go ahead.   

Cisse was one of two changes to the starting XI at Stoke on Monday, Emmanuel Riviere making way. Also demoted to the bench was Remy Cabella, with Gabriel Obertan handed a first Premier League start since March 2013.

Clad again in their green and blue third kit, United took to the field in sunshine at the Liberty Stadium and after a quiet opening period should have taken the lead after 17 minutes, Obertan seizing on a defensive slip but only managing to screw his low shot wide of the target.  

The Swans promptly punished that profligacy, Ki Sung -Yong sweeping upfield to where Gylfi Sigurdsson and Wilfried Bony combined for the latter to shoot home - amid question marks over the positioning of both
Fabricio Coloccini and Paul Dummett in our back four.

Ki and Bony had chances to extend Swansea's lead, the ex-mackem midfielder heading wide with the goal at his mercy before Krul made a fine save to deny Bony what would have been a fourth goal against us in two games. 

And that action became pivotal on 43 minutes, after Obertan tiptoed into the right hand side of the box and slipped over a pass that Cisse flicked home from six yards at the front post to send his side in level.

Wayne Routledge put a dipping effort narrowly over just before the break, but did rather better on 50 minutes, Moussa Sissoko feebly shoved off the ball and Sigurdsson slipping a pass through for the SJP old boy to chip in.

Backing from the away section had drained away at 0-1 and once 1-2 behind, songs and chants of protest came to the fore again (including "Alan Pardew, it's your fault we're sh*t" and a return for that old favourite from the Allardyce era, "we're sh*t and we're sick of it").

Another non-performance from Yoan Gouffran saw him yanked off in favour of Sammy Ameobi, and he almost made an immediate impact when crossing for Cisse. A second alteration of the afternoon resulted in Cisse and Riviere appearing in the same side for the first time, as Pardew withdrew Jack Colback in a rare show of intent. 

And after Krul had produced a fine one-handed stop to deny Bony again, United were rewarded with a second equaliser, just six minutes after going two up front. The extra body paid off with Riviere challenging for the ball and Ameobi's perfect cross allowing Cisse to stab home right-footed from close range.

That set up a final 15 minutes during which both sides had opportunities to win it, United finally attacking with some purpose and both strikers having sight of goal. After Daryl Janmaat's long-range effort in added time was held by Lukasz Fabianski as third substitute Ayoze Perez closed in though, the final whistle blew and the points were shared by two sides who didn't deserve to win. 

Another comeback from a losing position did at least harvest a point and prevent City from registering their fifth successive victory against United, but once again defensive fragility (and midfield shortcomings) left Newcastle's front line with an uphill battle. 

Looking for positives, the goals Cisse has plundered since returning from injury evoke memories of the instinctive finishes that saw him start his career here in lethal form. 

Contrast that to the offside-straying, shot-snatching, weight-of-the-world-on-his-shoulders look last season.  Without him, we're absolutely desolate in front of goal.  

While Cisse has hit the ground running this season, the same just cannot be said of other senior and high profile players though.

On a day when Pardew couldn't find space among seven substitutes for central defensive cover despite another forgettable display from Mike Williamson and Coloccini, around £20m of midfield talent languished unused on our bench in the shape of Vurnon Anita and Remy Cabella.

Add in the aching underachievement of Sissoko and Gouffran and there's relief tinged with embarrassment that unfashionable players such as Obertan and Ameobi are providing what creativity we currently possess - free transfer acquisition Rolando Aarons also coming into that category before his untimely injury.

The point took Newcastle into eighteenth spot above QPR but having played one game more and Burnley's late leveller at Leicester leaves the bottom three all on four points. A home success for the mackems over Stoke means that ourselves and the Clarets are the only two teams without a win in the Premier League this season.

Attention - and pressure - now shifts to Gallowgate in two weeks time when Nigel Pearson returns with a Foxes side who have taken just four points from their last ten visits to Tyneside but shown flashes of inspiration since returning to the top flight this season. 

Whether the manager will revert to his trusted - and failing - players and formation for that game remains to be seen, but some tangible reward for a positive approach here will at least see Pardew live to fight another day.

Thinking about how best to deploy his resources should occupy him until then, along with saying his prayers that Cisse returns unscathed from two games for Senegal. 

Both would be more useful pursuits than buffing up his trinkets and making crass comments to that effect, or dubiously claiming his family and friends are in danger.

Biffa


Page last updated 03 July, 2015