Newcastle United vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers Preview

Newcastle United will be looking to bounce straight back into the race for Champions League qualification when they host relegation candidates Wolves at St James’ Park on Saturday February 25.

The F.A Cup fifth round weekend will offer a welcome break to Alan Pardew’s men after they were thumped 5-0 by high flying Tottenham Hotspur on their last Premier League outing, however they will be chomping at the bit to get back on track considering that they are only a point behind Arsenal who currently sit in fourth place.

Prior to that unexpected embarrassment, the Toon Army received a heap of credit for a superb 2-1 victory over Aston Villa which saw new star signing Papisse Cisse make his mark after hitting the crucial winner.

The Senegalese’s partnership with compatriot and already established hero Demba Ba will be vital towards Newcastle’s potential success for the rest of the campaign and their combined quality should ensure that the Magpies finish the season as they started.

The visit of struggling Wolves will provide Pardew with an excellent opportunity to immediately mastermind a return to form and the hosts look a fairly solid proposition at around 4/6.

Although it is often hard to find reasons to back a team on the back of a heavy loss, there is much to like about Newcastle’s attitude this year as well as their tremendous record on Tyneside.

Out of their twelve games at St James’ Park, Newcastle have recorded seven victories and three draws – a set of results which included a 3-0 hammering of rivals Manchester United at the turn of the year.

The fans have been akin to a twelfth man for the team and the squad’s resilience is unlikely to have been affected despite the fact that they were hopelessly outclassed by a Spurs side in devastating touch.

Remarkably, Wolves actually succeeded where Newcastle failed at White Hart Lane and recorded an impressive draw against Harry Redknapp’s title contenders at the end of January.

Their overall away form has, however, left much to be desired and on the main has been a catalyst towards their disappointing league position.

Wolves have failed to build by and large this season after preserving their Premier League status in 2010/2011.

Their recent 3-0 defeat away at Liverpool signalled that they are a team very much in the thick of trouble and once again they will have their work cut out to garner anything on their travels.

Just two wins have been picked up on the road by Mick McCarthy’s side and their pre-match odds of 5/1 just don’t look anywhere near tempting enough when weighing up their credentials.

Man for man, Newcastle easily hold an advantage in each department of the pitch and the aforementioned Cisse and Ba can spearhead a comfortable eighth home success.

This is a match which probably won’t pay to bet too adventurously as the pattern of play will largely depend on how much of a fight the visitors put up.

But at 4/6, Newcastle represent a solid bet which should be a mainstay of most serious doubles and trebles over the course of the weekend.

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12/02/2012     © Frixo 2024