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Season 2014-15
Burnley (h) Premier League

 

In association 
with NUFC.com

 

Date: Thursday 1st January 2015, 3.00pm.

Venue:
St. James' Park

Conditions: comedic/unfunny



 

Newcastle United

 

Burnley

3 - 3

.
 

Teams

Goals

15 mins Jack Colback's flag kick from "firebomb corner" was headed home by Steven Taylor at the Leazes End 1-0


Paul Dummett - the only Tynesider who didn't know where Alnwick was....

19 mins Taylor misjudged his clearance and it ballooned high into the air off his head. Jak Alnwick hesitatingly came to claim it but didn't appear to shout and the unsuspecting Paul Dummett looped his header over the stranded custodian and into the unguarded Gallowgate goal. 1-1

26 mins
Jack Colback netted his second goal in as many games, catching a low left-footed effort perfectly from a central point outside the after Daryl Janmaat had set him up. 2-1

Half time: Magpies 2 Clarets 1

66 mins Ben Mee crossed from the left and Danny Ings flicked a header beyond the diving Alnwick and inside the far post to level the match for the second time. 2-2

78 mins Ayoze Perez jinked down the left before pulling the ball back from the byline. Although substitute Adam Armstrong mis-hit his shot from the edge of the six yard box, the ball fell nicely for Moussa Sissoko who arrived to side-foot home.

He set off on a celebratory run down the touchline towards the United dugout but although he exchanged a hand slap with John Carver as he sped past, seemed en route to share his celebration with someone else on the bench
3-2

86 mins George Boyd was able to collect a forward ball and leave a trio of home players for dead before bursting into the box and firing a low shot past Alnwick that should have been saved. Eight years to the day, Boyd was finding the net for Stevenage in the Conference 3-3

Full  time: Magpies 3 Clarets 3

We Said



I thought the Lindisfarne reunion was at the City Hall?

 

John Carver commented:

"We’ve got away with a point - we didn’t deserve that. I said that to Sean (Dyche) after the game and I think he thought I was saying we should have won the game, but no, by no means.

"Burnley should have won the game. I’ve got two positives: the 45 minutes from the first half and the fact we haven’t lost the game. But overall I’m disappointed, and the disappointment is nothing to do with me as an individual or my future – I’m disappointed because I’m also a fan.

"If I was sitting in the stand, I’d have been going to the pub after the game for a pint, and I’d have been feeling disappointed. It’s hard to enjoy something with that disappointment inside you.

"I’ve never been involved in a game where that cliché of two halves was so apparent. In the first 45 minutes, we actually played some really good football, probably the best football we’ve played.

"We knew they would come at us in the second half and the pattern of the game was exactly the same as their match against Man City. I think our guys came up against a different style and a different type of football.

"That’s not to say they were a long ball team, but they were quite direct and we didn’t know how to deal with that. Once they got the ball from back to front, their front players came alive and were outstanding. They caused us lots of problems."

About injury victim Steven Taylor:

"Unfortunately, we have lost Steven Taylor. It looks like he has ruptured his Achilles tendon - and it's not the one he did previously, so I think that's the end of him now for the season.

"I have known Steven since he was in the Centre of Excellence and he is a great lad. It was great for him to get the goal at a set-play, it was set up for him.

"But when he landed, you could tell the way he landed it was something to do with the calf or Achilles and unfortunately it's not looking good."

They Said


Sean Dyche:


"There is a mentality here that is very, very strong, and it's been there all season. People have said to me, 'You must be pleased with the belief now' - I was pleased with it at the beginning of the season.

"The performances over this Christmas period have been absolutely outstanding. How we didn't get anything against Liverpool is a head-scratcher in itself; we were excellent at Manchester City and I thought we were excellent today.

"We have just played five out of the top 10 and taken five points over that Christmas period with a lot of games - very good signs about what we think we can do this season.

"I don't do excuses, I haven't got time for excuses at any level of football, and certainly not at this level of football."

 

Stats


The arrival of Burnley at SJP completes a Premier League set of sorts for Newcastle, as they've now faced all of the other 45 clubs to have played in the competition at home and away. The Clarets spent one previous season in the PL before this (2009/10 - the one that we "sat out"). 

United scored three goals in successive Premier League matches for the first time since December 2013 (3-0 Crystal Palace away followed by 5-1 Stoke home). In terms of successive home games, one has to go back to February 2013 for a similar Magpie goal glut (3-2 Chelsea followed by 4-2 Southampton). 

Paul Dummett's OG was the first scored by a Toon player since Mathieu Debuchy beat Tim Krul for Swansea's second at the Liberty Stadium in December 2013.

Jak Alnwick has now conceded 18 goals in his six and a half first team games for the club in all competitions.

Steven Taylor's
15th minute goal was the earliest United have scored in the Premier League this season (we were the only side not to have netted in the opening half hour of a game before today). Taylor netted for the fifteenth time in all competitions as a Magpie, the twelfth in the PL:

15. Burnley (h) Jan 2015 PL
14. Cardiff City (h) May 2014 PL
13. West Bromwich Albion (h) May 2011 PL
12. Chelsea (a) May 2011 PL
11. Birmingham City (h) May 2011 PL
10. Plymouth Argyle (h) Sep 2009 CH
9. Boro (h) May 2009 PL
8. Hull City (a) Mar 2009 PL
7. West Bromwich Albion (a) Feb 2009 PL
6. Everton (a) Oct 2008 PL
5. Arsenal (h) Dec 2007 PL
4. Sheffield United (a) Apr 2007 PL
3. Birmingham City (a) Jan 2007 FA
2. Blackburn Rovers (a) Dec 2006 PL
1. Celta Vigo (h) Nov 2006 UE

NUFC Premier League goalscorers 2014/15:

Papiss Cisse 9
Ayoze Perez 5
Jack Colback 2
Moussa Sissoko 2
Rolando Aarons 1
Sammy Ameobi 1
Fabricio Coloccini 1
Daryl Janmaat 1
Gabriel Obertan 1
Steven Taylor 1
Mike Williamson 1

Late scorer:
We conceded in the final minutes of a home PL game for the sixth time this season (from ten games played):

Manchester City
Aguero 90+2
Crystal Palace Zaha 90+5
Chelsea Drogba 83
mackems Johnson 90
Everton Mirallas 84
Burnley Boyd 86

Six goal thrillers:

This was the ninth time in our 788 Premier League games that we've played a 3-3 draw:

1994/95 Spurs (h) Gillespie, Peacock, Beardsley
1995/96 Wimbledon (a) Ferdinand 2, Gillespie
1995/96 Manchester City (a) Albert 2, Asprilla
1997/98 Leicester City (h) Barnes, Tomasson, Beresford  
1999/00 Wimbledon (h) Speed, Domi, Solano
2003/04 Southampton (a) Ameobi, Bowyer, Ambrose
2010/11 West Bromwich Albion (h) S.Taylor, Lovenkrands, OG
2014/15 Crystal Palace (h) Janmaat, Aarons, Williamson
2014/15 Burnley (h) S.Taylor, Colback, Sissoko 

Clarets @ SJP - post-WW2: 

2014/15 drew 3-3 S.Taylor, Colback, Sissoko
1982/83 won 3-0 Waddle, Varadi, Keegan
1979/80 drew 1-1 Davies
1978/79 won 3-1 Withe, Shoulder, Cassidy
1975/76 lost 0-1 
1974/75 won 3-0 Maconald 2, Barrowclough
1973/74 lost 1-2 Macdonald
1973/74 won 2-1 Macdonald, Moncur (TC)
1970/71
won 3-1 Ford, Robson, Moncur
1969/70 lost 0-1 
1968/69 won 1-0 Horsfield
1967/68 won 1-0 Sinclair
1966/67 drew 1-1 McGarry
1965/66 won 3-2 Hilley, Bennett, Anderson
1960/61 lost 0-1 
1959/60 lost 1-3 Tait
1958/59 won 5-2 Allchurch 2, White, Eastham, Bell
1957/58 lost 1-3 Bottom
1956/57 drew 1-1 Keeble
1955/56 won 3-1 Davies, Mitchell, Scoular
1954/55 won 2-1 Milburn, Mitchell
1953/54 won 3-1 Broadis 2, Milburn
1953/54 won 1-0 Mitchell (FAC)
1952/53 drew 0-0
1951/52 won 7-1 Robledo 4, Hannah 2, Mitchell
1950/51 won 2-1 Milburn 2
1949/50 drew 0-0
1948/49 drew 1-1 Houghton
1946/47 lost 1-2 Wayman

Full record v Burnley:
 
  P W D L F A
SJP 48 23 11 14 86 63
TM 48 14 7 27 61 78
League 96 37 18 41 147 141
SJP(FA) 2 2 0 0 3 1
TM/H 2 1 1 0 3 1
SJP(LC) 0 0 0 0 0 0
TM 0 0 0 0 0 0
Cup 4 3 1 0 6 2
Tot 100 40 19 41 153 143

First footing: NUFC New Years Day post-war record:

1946 Sheffield Wednesday (a) won 2-0 Hair, Wayman
1947 Forest (h) won 3-0 Bentley, Wayman, Woodburn
1948 West Brom (h) won 3-1 Dodgin, Milburn 2
1949 Preston North End (a) lost 1-2 Taylor
1953 West Brom (h) lost 3-5 Davies, Milburn, Mitchell
1954 Blackpool (h) won 2-1 Milburn 2
1955 Sheffield United (a) lost 2-6 Keeble, Mitchell
1957 Birmingham City (h) won 3-2 Tait, Casey 2(1pen)
1966 Aston Villa (a) lost 2-4 Bennett 2
1969 Real Zaragoza (a) 2-3 Davies, Robson
1972 Wolves (a) lost 0-2
1973 Leicester City (h) drew 2-2 Tudor, Smith
1974 Arsenal (a) won 1-0 Hibbitt
1980 mackems (h) won 3-1 C'wright, Shoulder, Cassidy
1983 Carlisle United (h) 2-2 (1-1) Keegan(2,67)
1985 mackems (h) 3-1 won Beardsley 3
1986 Everton (h) drew 2-2 drew Beardsley, Gascoigne
1987 Manchester United (a) lost 1-4 D.Jackson
1988 Forest (a) won 2-0 Gascoigne, Mirandinha
1990 Wolves (h) lost 1-4 Brock
1991 Oldham Athletic (a) drew 1-1 Quinn
1992 Southend United (a) lost 0-4
1994 Manchester City (h) won 2-0 Cole 2
1997 Leeds United (h) won 3-0 Shearer 2, Ferdinand
2003 Liverpool (h) won 1-0 Robert
2005 Birmingham City (h) won 2-1 Ameobi, Bowyer
2007 Manchester United (h) drew 2-2 Milner, Edgar
2014 West Brom (a) lost 0-1
2015
Burnley (h) drew 3-3
 

Waffle

 

This should have been a doddle - the match report I mean, not the actual game.

Pen a few lines on the anticipated home win, add some guff about genial Geordie John Carver and exit for the alehouse via brief musings on the first Newcastle boss since Gordon Lee in January 1977 to decide that the grass was greener somewhere else.   

This being Newcastle United though, the best-laid plans routinely lie in tatters by full time and the first day of 2015 proved to be no exception. Six goals yes, thriller no. Much to digest, none of it easy to swallow. 

The first sign something was in the wind came after the Everton win, when the always-welcome sight of their manager in twisty-faced mode (answers on a postcard what Dave Whelan used to call him at Wigan by the way) was replaced by talk of Alan Pardew's hasty departure back Darn Sarf. 

That brought the man known as JC to the microphone, unprepared for this unexpected public speaking engagement and with little to add save for a line about eating pies - and certainly not of the humble variety after a morale-boosting home win to eclipse a quartet of losses.

Of course that situation was soon rectified and once the news that Alan Pardew had eloped to be with his childhood sweetheart (and a large bag of swag) was confirmed, our interim manager held court at his press conference, although one could be forgiven for wondering if it was a talk-in.

Summoning up the ghosts of colleagues past though quite literally put needless extra weight on Carver's shoulders - and sadly invited comparisons of the unfavourable variety. Invoking round ball giants did fleetingly seem like a bold but feasible plan when United struck early and looked like they were in the mood to demolish a Burnley side who were dropping like flies.

Of course reality intervened. The limited but committed visitors rallied and it became evident that Carver was in temporary charge of the same footballing pygmies that had provided disappointment in abundance throughout 2014. Which of course was always going to be the case. 

By the end this
looked as comfortable as an old shoe: quickly losing its shine and liable to take in water at the slightest hint of a downpour. Our theory has been that a change in coaching would make these players a better team, but if that change is merely getting rid of the figurehead, then the message doesn't change, just gets delivered in a more palatable style. 

To square the circle, is there really any difference between Carver and Chris Hughton in football management terms? To dump one four years ago and then appoint the other now would look like a lack of imagination bordering on laziness - unless preserving the miserable status quo really is the name of the game (no, not the band, try and keep up with this random rambling).     

To the game then, and accompanied by Steve Stone and Peter Beardsley,
JC looked on as three of his fellow Geordies net inside the opening 26 minutes but one of those, Paul Dummett, unfortunately headed an OG for the Clarets.

Burnley had already hit the woodwork
before Steven Taylor headed United in front. Dummett's moment to forget then followed, but Colback looked to have spared the left-back's embarrassment when he fired United back into the lead. 

That marked the end of the first half scoring but the visitors had to use all of their substitutes with just 37 minutes gone, Jason Shackell, Dean Marney and substitute Kevin Long all replaced.

Emmanuel Riviere missed a golden chance to extend the lead before half time when Moussa Sissoko pulled the ball back for his compatriot who seemed to get the ball stuck under his feet six yards out.

Handed a first league start since September, Riviere had some success in attempting to work the channels and hold the ball up. Heading narrowly over, he demonstrated one delicious bit of skill to backheel his way towards goal but was again unable to get anything on target.

That failure to exploit the disjointed nature of Burnley's first half performance by scoring the goals that their dominance warranted would come back to hurt United - as would not having a certain Senegalese goalscorer on the bench when Riviere inevitably tired after the break.  

Ayoze Perez had a penalty claim turned down and soon after both Ings and Barnes struck the woodwork as United looked increasingly jittery and flat-footed.

Adam Armstrong replaced Riviere and the injury jinx started to affect the home side when Taylor ruptured his achilles tendon, Mike Williamson appearing as Burnley went firmly on the front foot.


The Clarets levelled when
alleged toon target Danny Ings collected his fifth Premier League goal with a flicked header. Massadio Haidara replaced Yoan Gouffran with 20 minutes remaining as United looked to flirt with a 3-5-2 formation and from a rare piece of cohesive play in the opposition half, they regained the lead through Sissoko.

Once again excellent, Perez
claimed the assist via
Armstrong and although Sissoko blasted in his side's third, the chants of the home fans acknowledged another piece of Spanish magic - this lad just gets better and better, a genuine worry with the spending season just about to restart.

That should have been the clincher but with Newcastle's main attacking strategy a brainless route one strategy to the diminutive Armstrong and Cheick Tiote a danger to his own team, Sean Dyche's side saw plenty of the ball and had every encouragement to attempt a third equaliser.

It
duly arrived with four minutes remaining, when Boyd netted for the second time against us this season. And having managed just seven goals in nine away league games all season, Burnley visitors looked for a fourth of the afternoon in added time, forcing free-kicks and corners that were thankfully dealt with before referee Mike Dean blew the final whistle amid mild booing.

So with players soon leavi
ng for the African Nations
Cup
, Taylor out for the rest of the season and a number of existing injuries, this team will have their squad tested to the full. But with rumours of big-name departures persisting, this may be another eventful January transfer window, if Mike Ashley possibly thinking we're safe for another season and looking to recoup cash as a consequence.

Certainly recruitment is urgently required, not least in the goalkeeping position where Alnwick needs to be put out of his misery and replaced very quickly unless either Tim Krul or Rob Elliot are in line for the speediest of returns.
T
he loss of Taylor meanwhile leaves a question mark over the composition of the back four, the flaws in the Coloccini / Williamson combination apparent to anyone watching the games or number-crunching the stats.

With no realistic prospect of a recall from AS Roma for Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, the only option
left
to Carver is fielding Dummett at centre half and leaving Haidara and Santon to fight over the left back role, or blooding one of the unproven pair of Remi Streete and Lubo Satka.
 
27 points collected from 20 games leave United
tenth, ten points clear of the relegation zone and five away from the poisoned chalice of a Europa Cup place. It seems like a high water mark.

Defeat in the FA Cup on Saturday would surely end our season in terms of any positive outcome
though, unless the appointment of a credible manager follows - and he receives support, both in terms of transfer activity and in a positive response from the players. 

We're not holding our breath
on either of those
, but if nothing else we're pleased to see the back of the self-congratulatory, grubby round the edges bloke we've tolerated since 2010. It's got nothing to do about where he comes from, rather where he's been and where he's been allowed to take us.

That he walked rather than being pushed tells you everything about this club's ambition levels. 

Quite simply if Pardew's unpalatable recipe was to the owner's taste, then there's no need to alter anything. Just stay on the same course, with the same crew. Now that's depressing.   


Biffa


Page last updated 05 January, 2016