October
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Newcastle 2-1 CSKA Moscow (Europa League Group Stages) ![]()
Team: Krul (7.4), R. Taylor (7.1), Coloccini (7.2), S. Taylor (7.1), Santon (7.1), Cabaye (7.0), Tiote (7.0), Obertan (7.0), Ben Arfa (7.2), Konoplyanka (7.5), Cisse (6.8)
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Subs used: Anita (6.8) for Tiote 75
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Goals: Ben Arfa (29), Konoplyanka (60); Berezutskiy (84)
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MOTM: Afinkeev (CSKA)
A vital win in one of the toughest Europa League groups, and we are now in a very healthy position, six points ahead of CSKA and Atromitos, and level with Leverkusen. We were the better team throughout the match, although a silly late goal put us under pressure, but we held on for the win. The fact that the team was very fatigued and low on morale makes this win even sweeter.
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Newcastle 2-1 Reading![]()
Team: Krul (7.1), R. Taylor (7.0), Coloccini (7.0), S. Taylor (7.1), Santon (7.0), Cabaye (7.1), Tiote (7.0), Obertan (8.7), Ben Arfa (7.6), Konoplyanka (7.0), Cisse (6.2)
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Subs used: Okore (N/A) for S. Taylor 85, Anita (N/A) for Cabaye 85
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Goals: Cabaye (28), Obertan (45+1); Guthrie (62)
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MOTM: Obertan (Newcastle)
This should have been an easy win over a struggling Reading team. Okay, we got the win in the end, but we keep making it difficult for ourselves. We build up a comfortable lead, and then concede a silly goal, and suddenly we have to fight to stay in front, without looking like being able to score. Cisse is also struggling to find the net as well, frustratingly, as he is meant to be our star man. We need to start playing better if we want to challenge for the top four, because we won’t be able to handle the likes of van Persie with performances like this. But, a win’s a win, three more points in the bag.
Injury Update
Newcastle are being frustrated by injury, with first and second choice left wingers, Eugene Konoplayanka and Sylvain Marveaux both being struck down with injuries. Konoplyanka’s is especially serious, and he will be out for 6-7 weeks with a lower back stress fracture, whereas Marveaux should be fit within a couple of weeks, as he only suffered a chest injury. Florent Malouda will take up the left wing position for a few games.
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West Ham 1-2 Newcastle ![]()
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Team: Krul (6.9), R. Taylor (7.0), Coloccini (7.2), S. Taylor (7.6), Santon (7.2), Cabaye (6.9), Tiote (7.0), Obertan (7.0), Ben Arfa (7.0), Malouda (8.8), Cisse (7.4)
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Goals: Benayoun (44); Malouda (3), Cisse (12)
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MOTM: Malouda (Newcastle)
This was never going to be easy, as West Ham were only a place below me in the league, but we managed to pull off a respectable win, with Malouda impressing me a lot on his first start. He scored one and set up the other, and was just good in general. I’m getting annoyed at the pattern that’s appearing in scorelines in games, although we never really looked like conceding an equaliser, and in truth should have scored more. Cisse, Ben Arfa, Taylor, and Obertan all missed sitters, but it didn’t matter in the end. I’m thankful Cisse ended his 3 game goal drought, maybe which had something to do with the chat I had with him beforehand. So, another win secured, and we are looking comfortable in the league so far.
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Leverkusen 1-3 Newcastle ![]()
(Europa League Group Stages) ![]()
Team: Krul (6.9), Gonul (7.1), Coloccini (7.1), S. Taylor (7.7), Santon (7.2), Cabaye (7.0), Tiote (7.2), Obertan (7.0), Ben Arfa (8.2), Malouda (6.9), Cisse (9.3)
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Subs used: Sammy Ameobi (N/A) for Obertan 83, Simpson (N/A) for Gonul 88
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Goals: Rolfes (88); Ben Arfa (2), Cisse (16, 66)
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MOTM: Cisse (Newcastle)
A truly inspiring victory at Bayer Leverkusen, with a masterful performance from Papiss Cisse putting us top of our Europa League group. We were underdogs, and rightly so, but we somehow managed to pull off a great result, and in all honesty, absolutely dominated. Their goal was the only shot on target they had, whilst we scored three from 9 goal-bound shots. This has probably been the high-point of the month so far, but with the Tyne-Wear derby up next, we could pull off an even more brilliant result.
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Sunderland 1-0 Newcastle ![]()
Team: Krul (7.0), Gonul (7.0), Coloccini (6.9), S. Taylor (7.0), Santon (6.9), Cabaye (6.9), Tiote (6.8), Obertan (6.8), Ben Arfa (6.9), Malouda (6.9), Cisse (6.6)
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Subs used: R. Taylor (6.1) for Santon 45
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Goals: Johnson (71)
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MOTM: Johnson (Sunderland)
An absolutely awful result we got against a team that had picked up 5 points for 8 games before this. None of this team really deserve to wear a Newcastle shirt again after flopping to the worst performance I’ve ever seen from one of my teams on FM (and that includes when I lost 8-1 to Leyton Orient), but I am in a dilemma when I am forced to pick these players because the rest of the squad is even worse. After a two-game blip, Cisse has slipped back into not knowing what a shot on target is. He defence constantly let their players run though. The wingers produced nothing. In all it was essentially like watching England v San Marino.
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Newcastle 4-1 Birmingham ![]()
(Capital One Cup 4th Round)
Team: Krul (7.0), Gonul (7.4), Coloccini (7.8), S. Taylor (7.2), Santon (7.0), Cabaye (7.0), Gosling (6.6), Obertan (9.3), Ben Arfa (5.1), Malouda (8.1), Cisse (8.8)
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Subs used: Tiote (7.7) for Gosling 45, Anita (7.2) for Santon 68, Sammy Ameobi (7.0) for Ben Arfa 73
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Goals: Malouda (56), Obertan (98), Cisse (103, 107); Spector (17)
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MOTM: Obertan (Newcastle)
After the awful defeat against Sunderland, morale was rock bottom, so I played the team in an easy match against Birmingham here to get morale back up. It worked, and the result wasn’t too shabby either. We made it tough for ourselves going behind in the first half, but Malouda put in another good performance, and scored to take the game to extra time, where we completely outclassed the Brummies. We are into the quarter finals now, with a very good chance of winning it, considering big guns Manchester United and Chelsea are out, although City are on great form at the moment.
Monthly Review
We came so close to a perfect month, with that humiliating loss to Sunderland the only blot on the month. We still got 5 wins out of a possible 6, and on the whole I am pleased with the month.
League Table
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4th in the league, an improvement on last month, and where we want to be to challenge for the Champions League spots.
Newcastle 2-1 CSKA Moscow (Europa League Group Stages) 
Team: Krul (7.4), R. Taylor (7.1), Coloccini (7.2), S. Taylor (7.1), Santon (7.1), Cabaye (7.0), Tiote (7.0), Obertan (7.0), Ben Arfa (7.2), Konoplyanka (7.5), Cisse (6.8)
Subs used: Anita (6.8) for Tiote 75
Goals: Ben Arfa (29), Konoplyanka (60); Berezutskiy (84)
MOTM: Afinkeev (CSKA)A vital win in one of the toughest Europa League groups, and we are now in a very healthy position, six points ahead of CSKA and Atromitos, and level with Leverkusen. We were the better team throughout the match, although a silly late goal put us under pressure, but we held on for the win. The fact that the team was very fatigued and low on morale makes this win even sweeter.
Newcastle 2-1 Reading
Team: Krul (7.1), R. Taylor (7.0), Coloccini (7.0), S. Taylor (7.1), Santon (7.0), Cabaye (7.1), Tiote (7.0), Obertan (8.7), Ben Arfa (7.6), Konoplyanka (7.0), Cisse (6.2)
Subs used: Okore (N/A) for S. Taylor 85, Anita (N/A) for Cabaye 85Goals: Cabaye (28), Obertan (45+1); Guthrie (62)MOTM: Obertan (Newcastle)This should have been an easy win over a struggling Reading team. Okay, we got the win in the end, but we keep making it difficult for ourselves. We build up a comfortable lead, and then concede a silly goal, and suddenly we have to fight to stay in front, without looking like being able to score. Cisse is also struggling to find the net as well, frustratingly, as he is meant to be our star man. We need to start playing better if we want to challenge for the top four, because we won’t be able to handle the likes of van Persie with performances like this. But, a win’s a win, three more points in the bag.
Injury Update
Newcastle are being frustrated by injury, with first and second choice left wingers, Eugene Konoplayanka and Sylvain Marveaux both being struck down with injuries. Konoplyanka’s is especially serious, and he will be out for 6-7 weeks with a lower back stress fracture, whereas Marveaux should be fit within a couple of weeks, as he only suffered a chest injury. Florent Malouda will take up the left wing position for a few games.
West Ham 1-2 Newcastle Team: Krul (6.9), R. Taylor (7.0), Coloccini (7.2), S. Taylor (7.6), Santon (7.2), Cabaye (6.9), Tiote (7.0), Obertan (7.0), Ben Arfa (7.0), Malouda (8.8), Cisse (7.4)
Goals: Benayoun (44); Malouda (3), Cisse (12)MOTM: Malouda (Newcastle)This was never going to be easy, as West Ham were only a place below me in the league, but we managed to pull off a respectable win, with Malouda impressing me a lot on his first start. He scored one and set up the other, and was just good in general. I’m getting annoyed at the pattern that’s appearing in scorelines in games, although we never really looked like conceding an equaliser, and in truth should have scored more. Cisse, Ben Arfa, Taylor, and Obertan all missed sitters, but it didn’t matter in the end. I’m thankful Cisse ended his 3 game goal drought, maybe which had something to do with the chat I had with him beforehand. So, another win secured, and we are looking comfortable in the league so far.
Leverkusen 1-3 Newcastle (Europa League Group Stages) Team: Krul (6.9), Gonul (7.1), Coloccini (7.1), S. Taylor (7.7), Santon (7.2), Cabaye (7.0), Tiote (7.2), Obertan (7.0), Ben Arfa (8.2), Malouda (6.9), Cisse (9.3)
Subs used: Sammy Ameobi (N/A) for Obertan 83, Simpson (N/A) for Gonul 88Goals: Rolfes (88); Ben Arfa (2), Cisse (16, 66)MOTM: Cisse (Newcastle)A truly inspiring victory at Bayer Leverkusen, with a masterful performance from Papiss Cisse putting us top of our Europa League group. We were underdogs, and rightly so, but we somehow managed to pull off a great result, and in all honesty, absolutely dominated. Their goal was the only shot on target they had, whilst we scored three from 9 goal-bound shots. This has probably been the high-point of the month so far, but with the Tyne-Wear derby up next, we could pull off an even more brilliant result.
Sunderland 1-0 Newcastle Team: Krul (7.0), Gonul (7.0), Coloccini (6.9), S. Taylor (7.0), Santon (6.9), Cabaye (6.9), Tiote (6.8), Obertan (6.8), Ben Arfa (6.9), Malouda (6.9), Cisse (6.6)
Subs used: R. Taylor (6.1) for Santon 45Goals: Johnson (71)MOTM: Johnson (Sunderland)An absolutely awful result we got against a team that had picked up 5 points for 8 games before this. None of this team really deserve to wear a Newcastle shirt again after flopping to the worst performance I’ve ever seen from one of my teams on FM (and that includes when I lost 8-1 to Leyton Orient), but I am in a dilemma when I am forced to pick these players because the rest of the squad is even worse. After a two-game blip, Cisse has slipped back into not knowing what a shot on target is. He defence constantly let their players run though. The wingers produced nothing. In all it was essentially like watching England v San Marino.
Newcastle 4-1 Birmingham 
(Capital One Cup 4th Round)Team: Krul (7.0), Gonul (7.4), Coloccini (7.8), S. Taylor (7.2), Santon (7.0), Cabaye (7.0), Gosling (6.6), Obertan (9.3), Ben Arfa (5.1), Malouda (8.1), Cisse (8.8)
Subs used: Tiote (7.7) for Gosling 45, Anita (7.2) for Santon 68, Sammy Ameobi (7.0) for Ben Arfa 73Goals: Malouda (56), Obertan (98), Cisse (103, 107); Spector (17)MOTM: Obertan (Newcastle)After the awful defeat against Sunderland, morale was rock bottom, so I played the team in an easy match against Birmingham here to get morale back up. It worked, and the result wasn’t too shabby either. We made it tough for ourselves going behind in the first half, but Malouda put in another good performance, and scored to take the game to extra time, where we completely outclassed the Brummies. We are into the quarter finals now, with a very good chance of winning it, considering big guns Manchester United and Chelsea are out, although City are on great form at the moment.
Monthly Review
We came so close to a perfect month, with that humiliating loss to Sunderland the only blot on the month. We still got 5 wins out of a possible 6, and on the whole I am pleased with the month.
League Table
4th in the league, an improvement on last month, and where we want to be to challenge for the Champions League spots.
