‘It’s KEEPING me AWAKE’ – Fears for Newcastle United as they face in-form Arsenal

Hello & welcome to The Everything is Black and White Podcast.

It’s time for the Match Preview as Newcastle head to Arsenal on Saturday night.

It’s fair to say that neither Andrew nor John are feeling optimistic about this one.

Hello and welcome to everything is black and white podcast it’s time for the match preview Newcastle head down to take on Arsenal in the capital on Saturday evening I’m man mus go joined as usual by John Gibson we’re coming to you on YouTube give this video a thumbs

Up hit subscribe and of course on our podcast Channel as well leave us a written review if you get the chance um I’m going to first start by saying John anyone that is expecting this episode to be of optimism positivity I’m not going to sit here and

Lie to you guys that we’re going to be full of joy because I am dreading Saturday against Arsenal I am absolutely dreading it Dan burn up against sacka he kept me awake the next the last few nights but it’ll awake the last few nights more on that in a moment we’re

Going to start with Dan Ashworth and his exit from Newcastle United he’s on Garden the leave he’s going to eventually join Manchester United we don’t want to dwell on it too much because to be truthful John I’m getting bored of it I’m sick of the the constant

Dialogue and the constant uh back and forth on it hopefully gets resolved sooner rather than later but I couldn’t you know go on with this episode without asking your view on it is it a big blow for Newcastle that Dan Ashworth is heading to the Northwest it’s a it’s a blow

Unquestionably but it’s not terminal I don’t see it as you know that’s the end of Newcastle Brighton have done have hardly missed his heartbeat since he left and uh the same thing will happen with us and our two great signings in my opinion tripier and Bruno both came

Before he took up the job on our behalf and we’ve also must always remember he doesn’t all these great signings we’ve talked about he doesn’t select the signings he gets the deals done once they selection has been made so we haven’t lost the ability to unearth gems

We’ve just lost the ability to get the best possible deal but quite frankly um if he feels the way he goes the way he obviously does then get out of town and sooner the better and I’ve got to say I’m delighted that Newcastle have acted so decisively and so quickly once Dan

Ashworth admit the situation on Sunday I found it infuriating seeing him sitting there in a seat of power at the game on Saturday when we all knew what the outcome was going to be but until it formally took place I guess nothing could be done about it from Newcastle United’s point

Of view and there seems to be a real sense of entitlements from certain sections of the Manchester United fan base who believe that Newcastle nighted are being unfair in a demanding such a big fee for Dan Ashworth and B having this long process uh drawn out guarden leave where you can’t work for

Manchester United and it turns out Newcastle will actually have to pay him through that period and Manchester United fans can’t get the head around that either but Newcastle are well um within their right to hold onto Dan Ashworth to stop him moving to a direct rival and you know those Manchester

United fans who are complaining who are saying let them go let him start now let them come on the cheap utterly utterly bizarre and just a a real lack of how lack of understanding of how things work well I mean the whole thing is left to bad taste first and foremost that

Newcastle United here on Sunday from Dan Ashworth himself that he wants to leave and and that an approach has been made so an approach was made which in a in players terms would be illegal it would be a tapping up process we all know it happens with players we’re not naive we

Know what happens throughout football but nonetheless to hear from Dan Ashworth of Manu being in touch before Manu walked through the front door was was bound to inflame passions within St James’s Park um and you know quite frankly uh what favors of man you done

Us look at the the the the deal they wanted for Jesse lingard to come here un loan when they wanted us to pay a fortune to have for a py 6 months and knock that deal on the head and all of a sudden we should be playing ball when

It’s up to us what the deal is no thank you we’re not going to and they I’m all for Newcastle digging their heels in here let him go and have the best Garden outside of the Chelsea flower show it doesn’t matter to me and it doesn’t matter Newcastle or it it’s not just

Been stubbornness they’ve got to pay the huge wage during the whole of the garden and leave so they having to bite the bullet it is costing them but as a matter of Pride why should they make it easy for Manchester United and for danash um who you know is obviously a

Man of great loyalty when you look at the jobs he’s had in football and how long he’s lasted in each one of them nice bit of sarcasm there from you John um but yes and I guess the cost it will keep it will take to keep Dan Ashworth

From Manchester United until say 2026 there will be a greater cost especially in the short ter newcast night if indeed they just allowed him to start his new Ro because he knows the players and the positions they’re going to Target in the summer and where Newcastle United or

Where Manchester United are there’s not too much difference okay in terms of spending power potentially yes and in terms of maybe being able to attract the bigger name maybe but you know they’ll probably be in the same kind of area in terms of players and position so

Newcastle quite rightly want to at least keep um the Summa transfer plans a little bit secret and especially from the eyes and knowledge of a direct rival which is the other point John actually I’m going to finish on on a positive because it is quite nice to see uh the

National press and media referring to Manchester United as direct Rivals of Newcastle United and that in itself shows you just how far Newcastle have come in a short space of time sure there there’s no question it’s it’s a matter of damage limitation from newcastle’s point of view and it’s a matter of

Dignity and pride that you don’t make it easy for the one walk for the guy walking out I mean let us not be naive and I don’t think any of us saw I mean Dan Ashworth knows that his future now is Manchester United and not Newcastle

That’s a bridge well burnt now while I’m not suggesting for one moment because legally I would be at risk that Dan Ashwood is going to spill all the um secrets to Manchester United uh about what Newcastle are going to do but there’s nothing we can do about that he

Knows the secrets and just because he’s on garden and leave he’s got to come in the house to have a cup of tea after to doing his loan and who’s to say he doesn’t make a phone call then I mean have you in that he caught you know

We’re going to legally I’m not no we it may be so but we have also got to face facts that that situation is available and can happen in the way that Newcastle could find out what was happening from somebody coming into the job it’s life it’s a possibility it’s a possibility

But we have to say Dan Ashworth played it by the book when he left Brighton to come in Newcastle he wasn’t picking up the phone he he stuck to the rules no he stuck to the rules he was he was very good in in that sense and I’ve got full

Belief that whatever G and leave he serves he’ll stick by it because it’s essentially like signing an NDA isn’t it you know okay you can’t probably prove that someone’s leaked something but you are betting on their bet nature and by all accounts Dan Ashwi seems to be

Someone who will stick by the rules stick by the law and um I and I’d like to think he will do as well I get what you’re saying John but um from the people you talked to and and in his past Behavior you know he seems to be a

Person who will stick to the rules and and hopefully won’t leak anything from um newcastle’s Book of Secrets um we’re going to move on to the game against Arsenal it comes on the back of John another draw in James Park against Bournemouth probably the worst first half I’ve seen especially this season

But it’s up there with one of the worst first halfs ever I think in my view um then to go behind to get back in it you know it the performance wasn’t there from Newcastle United they’ve got all their injuries but the draw against Bournemouth at home not a good look is

It no not at all I mean um you know forget temporarily that we’ve got injuries and we most certainly have but the the side that you’re able to put out on the field to start with or to be able to take care of teams like Bournemouth

And gluton at home and in both cases Newcastle late on have had it come from behind to salvage just a point not to win the game there were 4-2 down against luten and 21 down against more Bourn mou and injury time and had to come from

Behind just to get a point against two teams that are in the bottom eight as as indeed we Forest who W up here and um we managed to beat them down there it is not a good sign of a club that played Champions League football this season and has aspirations to qualify for

Europe again this season if you’re going to do that you take care of B Mountain looting at home and we didn’t so the L Bells have got to ring there and the excuses got to be parked to one side about the injuries because it while that is true the players you’re left with

Should in theory be able to manage a bottom Air Club you know they they shouldn’t be able to manage perhaps a top four Club but they should be able to H manage a bottom eight club and they haven’t been able to do that and what is frightening is the defense because we

Have in our last four home games let in two four three and three that’s 12 goals in four games and three of those games were against very average opposition in Bournemouth Luton and Forest we accept Man City but not those three and and we have been as bad as that now I’m not

Naive enough to think that it’s just down to the back four it’s the keepers involved and the midfielders are involved as the and the Wingers tracking back are involved it’s a whole parcel of things but the backf is awful and it is getting exposed and it is getting more

So by the game and I know Eddie has this great feeling and I understand it totally that he doesn’t like tinkering with a backf even when he can because he likes understanding amongst his backf etc etc and so he tries to stick with the same final line but we can’t at the

Moment is there’s a chronic lack of pace in it we haven’t got anybody that we can put in with real pace so we’re not going to solve that problem but for example and I don’t want to dwell on the thing because it seems like you always having

The go War man but for example the problem with Dan burn as a left back which was all was there to see again against Bournemouth when their decisive second goal he stood off because he was afraid of getting done on PA that for me is beginning to affect botman botman is

Not looking anything like the player we knew at Newcastle and hasn’t since he come back Mindy whether he’s been pushed back too quickly from injury and hasn’t been able to pick everything up in the quickness of the game whether he’s worried about the man that’s playing outside him who’s getting exposed game

After game but between the pair of them we are getting targeted down our left hand side now by ruthless clubs that that know what they’re doing and by the way as we’re on that subject on Saturday sacka do you not think that arteta will be saying get the ball to sacka and get

Him isolated against burn we cannot afford to let that happen and the way we can stop that happening is by not picking the big man the St we’ve kept bringing livero on but we’ve always brought them on when when the damage has been done start with him I don’t think

He will do I think he’ll stick with with Dan Bur I think the only reason he might switch it is if he goes to a back five or Fabian sh isn’t available to play but even then I think Jamal Sal would probably come in for Fabian CH and Dan B

Remains out on the left I’m like you I’d be starting te meno we’ve said it for the past few weeks but I think the fact he’s stuck with Dan bur despite game after game Dan bur being targeted and some games he’s got away with it because

You know they when did he when did he last get away with it he didn’t get away with it against Bournemouth when they when they scored that second he didn’t get away with it it it Forest but luckily the manager acted very very quickly put lco at the left back and put

Burn in an nrow three and he didn’t get away with it against Luton and against Luton and against Bournemouth he was hooked after mistakes it ended up in goals so you know what I’m loyalty I can thoroughly understand where you’re com from Andrew and I think you could well

Be right that Eddie will do but I’m not talking about for once I’m not talking about what Eddie will do I’m talking about what Eddie should do loyalty is getting to the stage of stubbornness and by the way it is costing us and can you

Think of a worst guy to go up against big Dan on on Saturday than sacka no a man with um 15 goals this season 12 assists and he’s a Winger yeah he frightens me like I say like I said at the start of the show it’s that battle

That’s coming up that’s really keeping me awake I mean we’re talking about Newcastle conceding goals Arsenal have scored 21 goals in five straight wins in the Premier League you know Palace 5- nil Forest 2-1 Liverpool 3-1 West Ham 6 nil and Burnley 5- nil they are those

Last two were away those last two were away Andrew yeah and they’ve hit their form the goals are coming from all over the shop they’re not just coming from one man they’re coming from several different Outlets you know they are the informed team at the moment you would argue

And I am dreading Saturday I’m I I would like to sit here and create a bit of positivity and say I think they can sneak away they can sneak a draw but I’ll be honest the way their defense is at the moment it’d be interesting to see if

Martin deka’s confidence is has taken hit after the mistake against Bournemouth it shouldn’t do because actually he played very well I thought he kept n castle in the game with three or four great saves so hopefully his mind’s in the right place but just as a cohesive unit is not working like you

Say John a lack of pace to getting caught out time and time again you’re throwing an injury to faban share potentially that disrupts it even further then Arsenal’s form front of goal I might not even watch the game to be fair I’m not scared of it I’m that

Scared of it give me some positivity can you find anything only yeah yes yes yes and it’s futile because I can feel the way you feel but the only positivity I can I can give you Andrew is that we’ve played Manchester United we’ve beaten Manchester United twice this season

We’ve beaten Asen Villa twice this season we’ve beaten Arsenal 1 nil we’ve beaten Manchester City in the League Cup we’ve beaten Paris s Germain in in the Champions League when we play good sides we’ve got the ability it to lift ourselves when we play Bad sides we get

Beat by Bournemouth we get beat by Luton we get beat by Forest we get beat by ever it’s ludicrous that it’s the wrong way around but we actually do better against the good sides than we do against the bad sides so if that’s the case you can understand what happened

With Paul Mountain Luton and you can hope about Arsenal they are that’s only bit of good news I can give you yeah I’ll take it I’ll take it I mean they boost potentially is that Joe willick and Alexander isak could be involved in some aspect on on Saturday which is much

Needed because as people are well aware in the Monday show I reference the point that I actually felt Newcastle were at the most creative against Bournemouth that they’ve been in weeks you know we’ve been complaining many many games that Wilson and isak were not getting

The service and I did think it was there on Saturday the ironic thing was they just didn’t have an instinctive Striker to put the ball on the back of the net with some wonderful chances that were created if Isaak John is as we believe he’s been training would you start him

Or would you not risk it because we we always seem to come back to this scenario where a players back and you Castle really need him to be available to start but you put him in the starting 11 and isak’s in a prime example actually he then breaks down two or

Three four games later because you know maybe they’ve come back one one or two games uh too quickly there’s no option to change it so he ends up playing 90 minutes for me Newcastle need him but I’m not sure I would star him I just think the

Risk long term is is not worth the reward that you could potentially get on Saturday against an Arsenal side who actually know how to defend as well because what the conceded two goals on the last five games so I mean from my point of view Andrew and this might

Surprise you cuz I go the other way sometimes I wouldn’t involve him at all I would keep him and start him at Blackburn because Blackburn is more winnable than Arsenal I mean if if isach starts and plays for 90 minutes and doesn’t aggravate anything we can still lose because AR

That sort of game isak’s not going to turn a hammering a potential hammering into three points on his own by his selection but he can turn the Blackburn game and put us in the quarterfinals and if this season reason is going to be saved in any way shape or form it it’s

Probably not going to be through Europe it’s going to be through winning the FA Cup getting to wble win the FA Cup so I wouldn’t involve him if he is not 100% on blob like and how can he be he hasn’t had any short appear Cameo appearances

As a sub I would leave mounted it a because I don’t think it would make that significant a difference it could at Blackburn I would keep him out and start him at Blackburn I can see that logic 100% I think I would I would put both

Willick and isak on the bench and then look to introduce them with 20 minutes so if Newcastle would still win a chance of of getting something out of the game I’m not sure I would yeah put them on the pitch just to get the minutes up with Newcastle or two or three down

Because I’m not sure that’ll do the mentally any good either and starting he’s act a difficult one as well because you imagine your Castle not going to have much to the ball they’re probably going to be camped in a little bit and it’s going to be about off the ball

Movement and you know that’ll probably frustrate him so I’m not really sure needing him to to to run more than he’s going to have the ball is the right way to reintroduce him you know into the way the way we are going to play Andrew is

The way we’ll be forced to play which is we will be getting uh two lines of forward to back they’ll be coming at us coming at us and we’ll have to break with with Pace using Gordon alaron if he starts their Pace to get us up the pitch

From a defensive situation it is not going to be the normal type of game well you talk about the the the pace they’ve got they have got Pace even if it is isak and willick on the bench you know they’ve got Gordon they’ve got bonds

Aliro can get on his bike as well but how do you see the Ford three working because on Saturday like I mentioned I felt the the service was there but the instinctive nature put the ball on the back of the net wasn’t now we’re saying

Isak is either going to be on the bench or he’s not going to start so that’s one solution totally gone he’s just going to have to stick with it but would you like to see maybe one of them told stay there because what we saw against Bournemouth

Was we saw a bit of a rotation you saw Barnes Murphy and an orthodox Center forward we played three Center forwards against Bournemouth we started off with Gordon we played Harvey and then we played Murphy we played three Center forwards and by the way none of them are

Center forwards and none of them had a a punch at all and they’re good players I’m not having a good go with them they’re good players but they’re good Wingers they’re not good Center forwards but we’ve got to have somebody that stays in the center of the pitch I mean

Arsenal are playing with Jesu injured they’re playing without the center forward as well but they’re playing it with inter flowing movement they’ve got clever players you know what it reminds me a bit of Andrew reminds me a bit of because nothing’s new in football back in the day when Newcastle United played

Without the center forward voluntarily the whole time when they had Keegan W and Bley and they just intermixed and interchanged and and pulled Defenders around and that were clever Arsenal are clever and you know the secret the players have got to be as good individually as the Arsenal ones are and

As W Beardsley and Keegan were they three out look at their England caps cut up the England caps between W Beardsley and Keegan that’s tells you how good they are they could interlock they could change they could make things happen our three when we haven’t got Wilson or we

Haven’t got isak haven’t got the quality of that and so they don’t do it as well and we don’t do it as well as Arsenal but we somehow find a way to score goals and but sometimes you know the two goals were got against B mouth were were scruffy they weren’t well

Worked goals one was a penalty nobody was sure whether it was a penalty or not and the other was dear old Matt Richie from three and 3/4 inches yeah and I mean I could po pop that in the back of the net but I I do think it’s it’s fine margins because you

Know if Gordon had decided to chip Netto on Saturday Newcastle probably win that game if Murphy sticks his head or hits the ball first time that wonderful lofted ball over the top from Bruno there’s another um goal that goes in the back of the net you had two or three

Four crosses across the face of the Box you just needed someone to gamble what was lacking wasn’t the chances it was someone putting the ball on the back of the net and if Nast are going to win on Saturday it’s it’s it’s simple as that they need to take take their chances and

For me because they’ll get about two in an hour and a half so they’ve got to take them and I guess I I guess I guess the approach will be slightly different to what what what you found against Bournemouth where they were able to have

A bit of time on the ball and they were creating chances and maybe it plays better in in newcastle’s hands in a sense where hitting them hitting Arsenal on the counter suits the likes of Gordon bonds Al me one better and maybe you don’t actually have to have that rigid

Center forward to make it work and you can just press from all over the sh that’s that’s true mate but if you’re going to score goals you need that rid Center forward that makes it work because he sticks the ball in the net because that is his everyday job and he

Knows how to do it it is not if you look at the three we play up front like against B mouth and the subs when they come on the first job of all those Lads under normal circumstances is not to score goals it’s to create goals it’s to

Open defense it’s up it’s to get space down the wing it’s to get the ball in the channel scoring comes about third on the list of each one of those players whereas with the in Orthodox Center forward with a Shiva or his Supermac or Ferdinand or can we say it Wilson before

His injury thinks and eak who can play they can finish they know how to finish and they want to finish we haven’t got a player like that at the moment and by the way it’s only our own fault because we’ve played we’ve played with two Center forwards in our injury prone for

A couple of Seasons now I mean we’re only we we can’t complain we I mean Newcastle United fans can’t complain because they can say water boat but Newcastle are just suffering what the you know what your SCE us shall reap yeah and wean we both said in the

Summer you know third strike was was necessary and it we don’t like the city andc were right because you know we rather been proved wrong but um so let’s go back to the the defense because I was asked how on Monday I was asked by apal who’s an

Arsenal fan how do do you see your Castle approach in the game and I said but like you John what I would do is very different to what Eddie how will do I wouldn’t be again seeing five at the back I don’t think he’ll do it but I

Wouldn’t be against it because I think it’s you can put down burning is one of those Defenders and he looks so much more comfortable Tina lento out on the left try and stop sacka and actually the Arsenal fan I was speaking to said when livero came on the last

Time against Arsenal the time before it must have been the last time actually he had saaka he stopped him and he was fearing liment up against saaka which tells you all he need to know potentially about what Arsenal don’t want to happen but would you go five at

The back I can see a reason for doing that and I wouldn’t be shortly against it and the first thing I’ve got to say is I think burn has a greater right to play the left-sided Center off and left back and and as if he was to stay in the

Team he should be in the team in play either in place of bman or in a three and I’m not suggesting he should replace bman what I mean is he’s got more credentials to play in that situation then he has to play wide against Saka I

Mean Saka have the when they get back from the champion League match that I have the prayer M out wanting to say leave burn in the side what a good player burn is etc etc live or would would give sacka a game it’ll be tough whoever plays and of course there’s the

Other tactical side of it which is fascinating H you know we’ll play three Center halfs or we’ll play two Center halfs there has been suggestions we we just need a single Center off because uh and we could put a shield in front of that sent off because they don’t play

With the North Orthodox through the middle Center forward with jizu out the the play toss out in there who is the equivalent of Gordon I mean a white player that is now playing in the center he’s got the feet to be able to do it and to get the PO through from Midfield

The white player if we think we are well off and a lot of our success has been built on our white players Gordon and Al when he was on his pump early in the season Etc being quick and work what have they got with h sacka and and

Martin Elli they’ve got the ultimate quick wonderful attacking Wingers you certainly have and it’s going to take something to stop them I mean if it was five at the back I mean obviously you’d won five in Sharing BN botman but if shar’s out injur and it looked a pretty

Nasty uh injury that he was cting at the end of the game against Bournemouth then lels comes in doesn’t really help with it with the pace but um you know that that is what it is it it would then be a question of if who drops out to bring in

That third Center back and it would be one of Bruno Miley long staff and for me it would be no question it’ be long stuff that drops out because I thought Miley on Saturday against Bournemouth was absolutely excellent he was disrupt in play would nearly every challenge

Possible and to be slaughtered into that defensive role is a tough task but he seems to be handling it quite well um so if it if they did go five at the back for me it would be Bruno and Miley sitting just in front yeah I think that’s fair comment um it’s obviously

Not going to be Bruno and um Miley’s performance against bour mod certainly doesn’t warrant being dropped um far from it he he was star man um but I believe in it was super mar mentioning it I can’t remember I remember earlyer in the season Leo being a top top

Performance and he was dropped the next game I’m not certain if you played right back or left back it would probably be left back I don’t know how many times I think I think it was right back against Man City in the trippier played left

Back and he had he had a top performance anyway and was left out the next game but yes you you would think if you’re going to go five at the back the the man it would go out because Sean hasn’t looked himself for a while either has he

In fairness Shan long staff’s dipped and I mean in all fairness it’s a bit of a IR relevant ation because we go back to the old saying that it’s not about what we would do it’s about what Eddie how will will do and He will play in my

Opinion the same formation that that he’s that he’s comfortable with and that’s the four the back three across the middle the two Wingers and then you know the one man up top and and to be quite honest other than Fabi and Sh if he is indeed injured I can’t see him

Changing the the lineup at all I think it’ll be the same starting 11 that’s played um um you know I played against Bournemouth yeah well that’s something to look forward to um you’re right and if he has to change the back for sure that’ll make him doubly not want to

Change burn for Lenco because he wouldn’t want to change two with the back four when he doesn’t like changing the back four yeah yeah and I mean again the ironic thing is is actually you could move Dan burn into the middle to PIR botman he would he would probably

Look a lot more comfortable you know he did against F when he went five at the back he does look more comfortable in that Center back role that’s because he is a center back yeah and with not an out andout number nine to face up against he probably have an easier well

He definitely have an easier time of it because he’s not going up against sacka but if sher’s missing John I think he can bet your bottom dollar it’ll be Jamal Sals coming in will he won’t he won’t want to play two left Footers in a four in botman and burn he wouldn’t want

To play two left Footers in the four I mean when you’ve got shy can play right side when Shaw’s fit he can play right side or when leles come in he can play left side Shaw which is what he did when bmann was out it was lels and and Shaw

No if if Shaw doesn’t play it will be lels before it’ll be bman and burn and burn would burn would be a forgetting what the composition of the four would be burn would do better it sent a half than it left back at the much and again I apologize to our

Listeners and viewers because this is a very down in the dumbest podcast like you say I’m just not feeling comfortable or optimistic about it at all and there’s a stack doing the rounds John which makes me feel even more uh pessimistic about Saturday I haven’t checked it admittedly I’m going to take

It a face value but Newcastle United haven’t scored a goal at the Emirates for young4 for young Youngs yes wow yeah you know what though records and history there to be broken history is there to be Rewritten they’re going to get two or three on Saturday right

No they’re not uh but I tell you what if you want something optimistic on this podcast we are going to go to Blackburn and win I’ll take that I’ll take that I mean I was Blackburn and wi I was speaking to um Forest podcast ahead of the The

Forest game a few few weeks back and he was talking about how against Arsenal they lost 2-1 but it was the kind of the aggressive nature of their performance which really kind of rattled Arsenal and we know Newcastle have got that about them obviously it’d be a lot easier if

Joel Linson was available because he’s the tank but we know that Gordon likes a tusser we know Bruno uh can get stuck in obviously the yellow card kind of restricts him to to the the degree that he can get his get stuck in but we know they can’t handle the physical battle

Can Newcastle bring that physicality to the Emirates on Saturday they’ve got you it’s their only hope they they’ve got to go out and get in Arsenal’s faces make it tough for them make it niggly for it slow it down sit on your backside when you get a free kick take your time over

The situation disrupt them annoy the crowd annoy their team you’ve got to play it that way H you’ve got to have a physicality if you don’t have a physicality the Red Sea absolutely engulf you and and you’ll be drowned in the first quarter of an hour you’ve got

To have that to be able to survive and yes it can be done and yes on the low of averages the other bit of optimism apart from what I give you Andrew which is we are better against the good teams than we are against the poor sides the other

Bit of optimism and what I’m catching all the straws that are flying past in the wind is that on the low of averages Arsenal can’t keep playing every game and scoring five and six and and murdering sides and doing this and doing that and showboating and killing sides without an orthodox Center forward

And and sake and Martinelli flying down the the can’t there’s got to be a hiccup and when a hiccup comes it’s unexpected that’s why it’s a hiccup and they refer back to doing what to do automatically the next game maybe just maybe this will be the hiccup you don’t know what might

Newcastle might get a fluk goal in the first 10 minutes some Arsenal player might get a red card an Arsenal guy might score an O we might suddenly come out and do what we did when we went to Aston Villa look at when we went to

Aston Villa how well we did there that result was as surprising Aston Villa were flying Aston Villa hadn’t lost at home since Adrian’s wall was built and and yet we took them undeservedly saw in that game that might happen again p pig might fly past my window as well of

Course but it could happen again nothing in this world is impossible yeah and look Newcastle seems to be one of those clubs that getting the skin of Mel Etta as well you know we’ve seen him probably wound up against Newcastle so one the one nil up here he nearly

Done his nuts in didn’t he I mean he was he was really really um belly aching about the goal about everything and he will be using to wind them up before the game of course remember what they did to you unjustifiably and James’s b i don’t

Agree by the way I think he was a crybaby but there you go they will be using that and and going out and saying give them what to deserve this time but we’ve got to use that and say listen they come up here with all the big names

And and and didn’t get a result let’s do it again to them yeah exactly and C could rise and surprise uh pretty much every one including myself and get a result but again it’s probably a nod on to how far they’ve come that this is the

First time in a way while where I’m I’m really not looking forward to the game you know we faced some big sides this season and I’ve G you know what Newcastle can give these guys um a right go and can pick up a result here this I

Can’t see for the life for me where at all they get get a goal let alone a point let alone three you take The Optimist the optimism um from that point and it is kind of a nod to how far they’ve come because it’s very rare we see that yeah yeah yeah I

Think that’s absolutely true this season has been a tapering from what we had last season if you know the funny thing is that what we were expecting we as fans but when they take over happen was we’re expecting last season to be like this season and this season to be like last season

In other words if if last season we been around seven and eight and it got to the quarterfinal of The League Cup and to the sixth round of the FA Cup which we’ll do if we beat Blackburn if we had that last season would have said that’s good and then finished fourth this

Season and got the wemble Cup Final and would have said P that’s progress this is all fan double doy but it’s happened the other way around and so the there’s that feeling of slight disappointment this season we accept that we’ve come an awful long way since to takeover since

Eddie how come since we saying tripier and Bruno since tripier was playing against Cambridge up here in the FA Cup and getting beaten it home with Eddie how manager and trip years when you signing haven’t we come a long way since then but we can’t live on say or it’s

All down to injuries and hav become a long way because that begins to to we a bit thin it’s a shame if if these seasons have been flipped the whole place would be bubbling if this had been last season and we were now on the way to a League

Cup Final and fourth in the league would say bye this is absolutely terrific that is why Tuesday night is so important that can take a slightly disappointing season and make it into something wow not if we get beaten the six round but to get the sixth round keeps a hope

Alive that we can do something in the FA Cup and if we do that would change everything it’s an as understandable while why you’re kind of maybe focusing on on on Tuesday but it’s important isn’t it fa hard when the players that their main focus is Saturday and the

Don’t have Tuesday become a distraction oh yes yes of course and I don’t think it does become a a distraction because hey you can’t get distracted when you’re playing Arsenal for an hour and a half I do I think that concentrates mind straight away and I don’t think burn or

Or botman on the current form will be concerned about Blackburn I think they’ll be thinking about sacka and Martinelli and aard and every in tashard and everybody else Arsenal will concentrate the minds nobody will let the Mind drift to Blackburn there’ll be absolutely terrified that if we don’t

Get this right we can be in trouble if we get it right well maybe maybe produces shock but if we get it wrong we could be humiliated and we do not intend to get it wrong that’s the way they’ve got to think well as you always here John you’ve always got a

Chance in a two horse race uh before I get your score prediction just a quick word on the fact it’s another 8m kickoff on a Saturday which means there’s no hope of of fans getting public transport back they’re going to have to stop over in the capital they weren’t giv too much

Notice about the the the change as well it’s not on is it at all we’ve seen it as well um coming up next month with a Chelsea game it’s it’s an absolute disgrace it’s not just a Newcastle United thing it’s a it’s across the board yeah you know fair play of those

Going down the commitments never in doubt but you I feel so sorry for those who who who are doing it because you know massive expense massive inconvenience the Premier League the TV companies they need to change their ways they need to start putting fans first

Don’t they yeah and and the only way the Premier League can do it is by telling the the the television companies that they can’t decide we’re going to play 12 midnight on the moon on a Sunday and they and that’s the way it is they’ve got to be given more restriction of

Course less money comes in from the television clubs in so the Premier League don’t want to do it so what happens is that a game that was devised as a spectator sport and has become the greatest spect Ator sport in the world is no longer about

Spectators it it it is the last people that are considered of the fans it is now just about how much money can we squeeze out of this lemon and um they do that this game is the great game it is not only because kids dream of playing

It but because adults of my age are still in love and want to go to every game they can possibly go to because it it is such a huge part of their life they aren’t even considered now it doesn’t matter and it’s not just a Newcastle United is to every fan in the

Country that cares enough to travel to Lenton but this country to support their team they’re asking newcast with the potential of being hammered by the way I potential I said I didn’t say it would happen but the potential of it to travel all the way down to to Arsenal at that

Time of night on a Saturday have to book into some Hotel or sleep on a park bench or something before they come home on a Sunday and then get up and go to Blackburn for the cup I mean you know there is no consideration but yet that’s

The way it is and nobody’s going to change it you know why because pounds matter more than punters pounds inste of punters and yet Newcastle United fans continue to sell out every away allocation fantastic support and safe travel to anyone heading down there on Tuesday come on then John how is

Saturday going to go oh dear oh dear oh dear oh dear I said couple of years back when we first start doing these things Andrew that uh let’s be real couple years back Johnny most it seems like a lifetime ago well it probably is a lifetime ago but um I don’t like talking

About that at the moment at my age how uh but there we are but uh yeah I mean we used we used to say let’s just say win lose a draw because if if you try to do a score it’s like confetti in the wind isn’t it the score can be

Absolutely anything um and quite frankly the score can be absolutely anything this weekend in particular uh I think sadly but uh I think we’ll lose um and and so do you and so do an awful lot of Newcastle United fans um it’s just I would like to think and I can see

It happening that we lose with dignity and lose by a goal 2-1 1 nil it might be 3-1 but let it not be more than that can you lose by by a big amount and still show dignity because I I have no doubt that the players will put their all in they’ll be

Committed they’ll put their effort in they’ll try and N how will try and win this game but I can also see Arsenal scoring four five I’m being brutally honest maybe I’ve just Walken up on the wrong side of bed this morning I don’t know no no I mean hey listen if if Luton

Can score four against Newcastle at Newcastle if nutam Forest can score three against Newcastle at Newcastle then Arsenal who are twice as side there can run up a cricket score in theory um yes it is not a game like you that I’m looking forward to at all H what I would

Like to see happen if we’re going to be faced by the defeat I think we are going to be faced by is it it’s something like 2-1 and then we go down to Blackburn very quickly afterwards and win because that’s a winnable game that’s got to be

One on the night there’s no replay and it can keep our Dream alive while some more players may come back etc etc so I’m taking the defeat I’m hoping it’s going to be 3-1 maximum 2-1 if it if it happens and it’s not inevitable but I expect it but

I also expect to to win at Blackburn now how whether it’s penalties Almost Doesn’t Matter at Blackburn but I’m expecting us to win and that I think the greater danger in the greater disappointment would come at Blackburn if we get beat at Blackburn that’s a bigger disappointment Andrew than if we

Get beat at Arsenal well I and know I agree I agree um and sadly I agree with your prediction for Saturday as well Newcastle I just they’re just going to get beat I’m sorry that’s the only result I can see happening hopefully we’re both proved wrong John and hope

Newcast can rise to the occasion and surprise at least us two might be he has a bit of here has a bit of fun and do just before you go I would like to say one because you do it to me often I would like to do it to you I’ll give you

A choice you can win it Arsenal or you can win at Blackburn but you can’t win it both which do you take oh I don’t like doing that because I don’t like writing off a a game but yeah well we written off Arsenal already but which would you take but they’re still going

To try no it’s black bur isn’t it of course black and I’m actually asking that to give us hope because if we lose at Arsenal it’s not all doom and gloom because we can win at Blackburn yeah yeah but fingers crossed to go into the game against Blackbeard on a the back of

It a surprising but wonderful victory against Arsenal this has been the everything’s black and white podcast the match preview with me Andrew Musgrove and John Gibson please hit like subscribe follow leave us a rate and review from wherever you’re getting your podcast from head over to chronical

Live. for all the latest new cast night news and for myself and John we’ll see you guys very soon