Hello and welcome to the Newcastle United live blog for Sunday, December 24.
Newcastle United beat West Ham yesterday ending a damaging run of eight defeats from nine as they enter the crucial Christmas period. While Rafa Benitez is battling problems on the pitch there is also a measure of uncertainty off it, with the takeover still apparently up in the air.
United have been linked with a crop of new names - Islam Slimani, Danny Ings and Charly Musonda were among the names linked on Wednesday.
We'll have the latest on the takeover and also January transfer rumours that are starting to stack up.
As ever we want to hear from you, so please send us your thoughts over Facebook at www.facebook.com/chroniclenufc/ or on Twitter at @ChronicleNUFC.
Signing off
That’s all from us today folks. Thanks for joining us and may we sign off tonight by wishing you all a very merry Christmas!
Here’s the top stories on the site right now:
- Was Mark Hughes’ dig aimed at Rafa Benitez after he claimed some managers appear ‘untouchable’?
- Newcastle United not prepared to sell Aleksandar Mitrovic on the cheap as WBA express interest
- Rafa Benitez reminds people he has never questioned the effort levels of current Newcastle players
- Henri Saivet watch: How midfielder went from Newcastle first-team outcast to the talk of Tyneside
Latest on Mitrovic's future
An update from Lee Ryder. He writes:
Newcastle United will not sell Aleksandar Mitrovic on the cheap in the January transfer window - and the Serbian striker will be told to stay and fight for his place if the price isn’t right for his services.
Both Partizan Belgrade and Anderlecht were told last month to forget any chance of signing the striker on loan and return with cash bids if they were keen to re-sign their former player.
West Bromwich Albion have been credited with an interest in Mitrovic after Alan Pardew tried to sign the World Cup-bound striker during his Crystal Palace days.
Benitez knows that his own chances of bringing in a striker could depend on Mitrovic being sold in January.
Full story: http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/newcastle-united-not-prepared-sell-14079672
Lee Bowyer doing well as a coach
The ex-Newcastle player is assistant manager at Charlton and Joe Aribo has praised his impact there.
Recently, Bow [Lee Bowyer] has had us doing more finishing in in training. I’ve been putting a lot of my finishes in the corner and Saturday showed that that repetition has worked.
“It’s always good to have someone of that calibre around you. To see him there, knowing he’s done it, I feel like I can be that kind of player as well.
“After training, we are doing extra work; finishing and timing runs into the box. Lee and Johnnie Jackson have been a big help with that. I used to just watch the play and try to back it up, but now I’m trying to be a threat in behind.
“I need to score more goals and that is what I am trying to do.”
Saivet on the help of team-mates
Great team spirit in the squad and it paid off yesterday
Newcastle favourite to land Danny Ings next month
BetVictor have the Magpies priced at 5/1 to land Ings, 25, by the end of January.
West Ham are second favourites at 6/1.
Shearer on the two strikers Rafa wanted
How good would either of these been?
Shearer: Atsu was brilliant
Shearer told Match of the Day:
Atsu gets the goal that he deserved because he was excellent today.
Gerrard's prediction on Rafa's future
Asked on BT Sports what he thought would happen if Benitez’s transfer wishes had not been complied with by January 20, Gerrard said:
It wouldn’t surprise me if he walked at that moment.
Geordie gifts
Last chance today. All proceeds going to the NUFC Food Bank!
Paul Merson's Man City prediction
Merry Christmas to you too Paul...
Man City played in second gear and still beat Bournemouth 4-0 on Saturday! They won 4-0 in second gear, so I am going to go for another 4-0 win. I think City will just rip them apart and Newcastle have had their result (beating West Ham). The problem is that Newcastle will sit 10 men behind the ball, but you are going to get broken down though before the end of the game. And City are just relentless, relentless, but it is no disrespect to Newcastle, who had a massive football result at West Ham on Saturday, but City will beat better teams than Newcastle by more than 4-0.
PAUL PREDICTS: 0-4
Shearer confident Kane will beat his PL record
Not THAT record.
Yesterday, Harry Kane equalled Shearer’s record of 36 PL goals in a calendar year after his hat-trick against Burnley. Shearer achieved that in 1995 while at Blackburn.
Kane now has one game on Boxing Day against Southampton to beat the record and Shearer is confident he will. He told Match of the Day:
He’ll do it, he’ll do it. He is obsessed with scoring goals.
The hunger to get on the ball and put the ball in the back of the net, he’s full of confidence and everything about him is class. He is brilliant.
I remember saying a few years ago, we were covering an FA Cup tie, then he was worth £90 million. Now, it’s more than double that.
Moments you might have missed
Spot all of these during yesterday’s game?
Extended highlights
Watch extended highlights of yesterday’s win at NUFC.co.uk
Joselu
A merry Christmas from Joselu...
Goal of the day
What a better goal of the day than yesterday’s cracker from Saivet...
Shearer says Rafa tried to sign two PL strikers in the summer
He told Match of the Day last night:
I think he’s definitely got the vast majority of the backing from the Newcastle fans.
“Newcastle, with the current owner, is a very, very difficult club to manage and we’ve witnessed that in the past.
“He wanted to bring players in - I know he had Javier Hernandez and Tammy Abraham ready to come in, those deals were pulled at the last minute, which is why he had to spend £5m on Joselu to bring another body in.
“But if you have a look at the money that he has made Newcastle in the 12 months he has been there, he has made them £12m nearly in profit and transfers.
“So he’s doing a very, very good job - it was always going to be a struggle, and if new owners are to take over then there is no doubt they want him also, which is great news. “
Enjoy the three points
No need for too much analysis on yesterday, let’s just enjoy the three points!
Shef Wed sack Carvalhol
How’s that for a Merry Christmas!?
Rafa's take on yesterday's game
It was a great win. Rafa was delighted...
West Ham 2-3 Newcastle
Lee Ryder reviews the game.
Five things we learned. .
Agree?
Morning podcast: strikers
It was the midfielder who netted the goals yesterdays and the striker force have lacked goals all season - here’s Supermac’s take.
Benitez on Diame and Saivet
It’s fair to say, there were a few reservations when the team were announced but Rafa, he had no worries.
Saivet understands the game, technically he is good and he can take free-kicks. Both he and Diame are from Senegal so it was important they understood each other and they did really well.
Good morning!
Happy Christmas Eve! What a day it was yesterday! Let’s recap!
- West Ham 2-3 Newcastle report - Magpies end two months of misery in fine style
- ‘We fought for every ball’ - Rafa Benitez hails Newcastle United’s win at West Ham
- West Ham 2-3 Newcastle player ratings - How Lee Ryder rated the Magpies
- West Ham 2-3 Newcastle: Saivet, pace and justice combine to deliver Xmas win - 5 things we learned
- West Ham 2-3 Newcastle as it happened: Magpies secure vital win with goals from Saivet, Atsu and Diame