The good run of games  has certainly been a shock to fans so far. Including myself, I was looking at a bit of a struggle to grind out results with the loss of key players who performed well last season. Losing Carroll had been a body blow but some astute transfer market buying brought in Ba and a handful of players who would turn out just fine for the club. Admittedly, Ba eventually found some form and thankfully he’s been fantastic.

Ba’s eye-catching performance is fantastic for us at a crucial time for Newcastle trying to push through it’s second year in the Prem since relegation. However, I seriously hope that the unpredictably of Mike Ashley and board don’t see this as an opportunity to cash in much like the situation of Andy Carroll. What Ashley should look at is expanding our team in the New Year. Newcastle is a big club with a small team in comparison and so far Alan Pardew has made some great additions to the team through players like Ba and Cabaye. Let’s hope that Ashley does the right thing and provides funds for Newcastle to endure this most gruelling of football campaigns.

November represents a bigger test for us. Everton on Saturday and queuing up behind them are Man City, Man Utd. and Chelsea.  I’m not expecting miracles against these big spending clubs but certainly I expect Newcastle to play with same determination and spirit that has brought the team to position 3 in the table.

Carroll is however saying that he was forced out of the club and to me that sounds about right. In the Evening Chronicle he said:

“I didn’t want to leave. Make sure the fans know I didn’t want to leave.

“[Managing director] Derek [Llambias] asked me to hand in a transfer request, so I was pushed into a corner and had no choice.

“I wasn’t wanted by them and they made it clear they wanted the money.

“Then I flew down in [owner Mike Ashley's] helicopter. I didn’t want to leave.

“I’m gutted that I wasn’t wanted at my home team after everything I have done and the progress I have made.”

In other words, the Newcastle board cashed in on the player.

Ashley has stated that he wants Newcastle to reach great heights in the Premiership. Was that not the reason why Hughton was told to go? But on the hand, he sells our top scorer for a quick buck. Double standards.  Pardew has insisted that £35m should be re-invested in players but where were the players coming in last night!! Ashley has no obligation to Pardew or perhaps the fans for that matter to re-invest the £35m. And now what with the rest of the team. Kevin Nolan is showing some excellent scoring form – will he perhaps be sold off sometime soon when the right price comes along. It shows that the Board won’t hold their nerve when the money goes up.

With Xisco also gone, that leaves Ameobi, Ranger, Best and Lovernkrands. They’ve done well but they’ll have to do much better from now and May. I wouldn’t like to slight them in any way but Ameobi has the occasional injury problem and the rest aren’t exactly prolific strikers who would worry the defence in most teams. Pardew has his work cut out to capture a striker with a good record.

We’ll have to see how the team reacts in the match tomorrow night against Fulham. Hopefully, the team can show that perhaps there is life after Andy Carroll.

This will essentially leave a big hole for Pardew to fix and I hope he has someone in mind and quickly. This may partially explain the cancelled pre-match press conference with this week’s match with Fulham looming.

UPDATE: Andy Carroll has indeed become a Red. This also means that Torres has managed to secure his eye watering £50m transfer deal to Chelsea. Pardew had better move quickly to fill a rather sizeable gap left by Carroll tonight or he, and indeed the club will face some serious questions tomorrow.

Leon Best’s inclusion in the squad came off the back of news that Shola Ameobi was injured. But Best made the most of his call up in spectacular style and dare-I-say-it will he be the one on the team sheet ahead of Ameobi and Lovenkrands to partner with Carroll once he’s fit?

Speaking of Carroll, he’s aiming to be fit for the derby in two weeks. My feeling is he’ll make it. On the transfer side, Alan Pardew has already dismissed any talk of Carroll leaving in this transfer window. The media have been banding around deals worth up to £30m mainly connected with Spurs. Right now the chances of Carroll leaving would be similar to Ronaldinho going to Blackburn.

Next up its FA Cup this Saturday against Stevenage.

Potentially names to exit include Steven Taylor who is still going through difficult contract negations which seem to end up going nowhere. Lovernkrands and Leon Best may also end up on the way out. One player heading out  with probable certainty would be Sol Campbell. His staunch defence of Hughton did not go down too well with the board and at 36, Pardew perhaps maybe looking at young blood to fill his defence tactics.

Unsurprisingly, Pardew has singled out some of our talented players in particular, Carroll, Nolan and Barton. We’ll have to only wait to see how Pardew would develop these players but the work that Hughton did n the past would certainly assist in making these players hot property in the Premiership.

Speaking about Carroll, Pardew said:

‘I just think he is a sound character, and that bodes well. If I am honest, on the training ground, I haven’t seen that much because of the conditions. But in his performances, he has set himself his own standards, and I will continue that and improve on that if I can.

‘I have done well with strikers in the past – Bobby Zamora, Marlon Harewood, Carlos Tevez, Darren Bent, Teddy Sheringham – so I would like to think some of the things I have pulled from them, I can dip into those which suit his style.’

The new manager is also looking to reinforce his own backroom staff.  Leicester City’s Chris Powell snubbed a chance to join up with Pardew as number 2 but Ray Lewington, currently at Fulham, is now a possible candidate.

Tomorrow’s match with Birmingham would be Pardew’s second test to prove that Liverpool win wasn’t a fluke. Obviously, I’m hoping for a resounding win but playing away at St Andrews has its pitfalls. It’s not a match to be taken lightly given the tightness of the table and the upcoming tough Christmas fixtures around the corner.

As expected all of the venom was directed at Mike Ashley and his absurd decision to relieve Hughton of his managerial role so suddenly in a crucial period. The club yearns for stability and Ashley’s logic confounded the fans, players and media alike. Bringing Pardew so early wasn’t exactly what the fans had in mind either. My opinion this week was to go with it as what’s done was done. However, Pardew has still much to prove despite the win today. The result may silence some of the hardcore protesters in part for now but it’s really a question of wait-n-see. I’ve been patient with Hughton when he was announced as the manager to get us promotion last season so I think it would be common sense to give Pardew at least a chance to prove that he’s got what it takes.

Today’s match I hope will be typical of Pardew’s tenure. Joey Barton did a lot of work today and was rewarded with possibly the winning goal of the match. A scramble for the ball wasn’t the prettiest but Barton made sure the ball made it to the back of the net. Carroll on the tail end of the match could possibly take goal of the month. A superb finish beat the keeper with speed and precision. A perfect finish fit for a Number 9.

I think this display proves that the players are still together and that is certainly key for the rest of the season. Certainly upcoming matches will test Pardew’s methods and tactics but at least he knows that the team he inherited has quality.

With all the speculation, Carroll has been much touted to perform international duties having been in form pretty much throughout the season. Cappello finally named him in the squad on Saturday despite him being subbed late on in the match against Fulham at St James’ Park.

England goalkeeper, Joe Hart, has already pulled out of the sqaud with a back injury. However, I’m not sure Carroll can be removed having passed a fitness test.

The incident happened around the beginning of the second half and was not seen by the referee, Mike Jones, at the time. It would now mean that Barton will most likely miss the next three matches involving Fulham, Bolton and Chelsea.

The game last night was another example of how Newcastle are now vulnerable at home having lost to Stoke, Arsenal and Blackpool before this match. Worryingly, our defence was sadly lacking which allowed sub Jason Roberts to blast in the winning goal in the 87th minute. Full bragging rights went back to ol’ Sam Allardyce who made a return to St James’ Park for the first time since his sacking in 2008.

Coincidently, it was Allardyce who had controversially signed up Joey Barton when he was manager at the time. No doubt that this incident will remind many that Barton hasn’t really changed as much as what fans would liked to have wished.

Andy Carroll picked up the only goal for us early in the second half but it was not enough at the end of the match to allow us to pick up a point. Truth be told, the team made much more chances in the second half which was one of the only positives Hughton could really pick out from this match. No doubt our form at home would worry many and with Fulham coming up we’ll need to count on every man on Saturday.

UPDATED:

Joey Barton released a statement today:-

“I fully accept that I was in the wrong on this occasion and accept the charge that the FA have brought against me. I would like to apologise to Chris Hughton, my team‑mates, our supporters and of course to Morten Gamst Pedersen and Blackburn Rovers.

“This season, I have really been enjoying my football and although I have been on the receiving end of a few robust challenges, I have, up until now, remained calm in the face of provocation and just carried on with the game. But I hold my hands up, I reacted badly to the situation on Wednesday night and I deeply regret it. I have been working very hard to keep that side of my game under control and I think it has showed in the way I have been able to get on and enjoy my football this season. I look forward to trying to get back into the team once my suspension is over and helping the club maintain its good start to the season.”

Nice one, Joey, you’ve just ruined any chance of being in the England squad anytime soon.

Chris Hughton has been under some unnecessary pressure due to some recent poor home results. Thanks to the Southern press, the media began to speculate about his future given the club’s past. I reckon it seemed to them like a good story to them.  This was all followed by the club board announcing that contract negotiations will take place in the New Year. This is a tougher league and as a newly promoted club there are bound to be some results that disappoint. Hughton has demonstrated that he can think clearly under pressure over the last fortnight – It’s a difficult call to say whether or not Hughton will deliver Newcastle trophies in the next few years. What we’ve got in a manager in Hughton is clearly a person who the players want to play for but there is an unknown factor in Hughton. He’s a much better manager than Joe Kinnear and Roeder for sure but he’s very much on a learning curve in the Premiership.

The next match would be much tougher prospect with Arsenal. We all know the Carling cup result was a minor disaster and we’ll be certainly watching Theo Walcott much more closely. But hopefully with our highest profile players on the pitch we’ll be able to give them a much better game.

“He makes sure he has his supper at the right time and makes sure he gets to bed on time!”

Those were the hilarious words from Hughton in a press conference ahead of Wednesday nights FA Cup clash with Arsenal.

Today, Carroll was £1000 lighter in his wallet for a club scuffle which happened last year which left a person with a cut eye. The court found that the wound was actually a result of an accident which was caused when Carroll threw a drink over the man. A lesser verdict was given instead of full GBH.

Hughton also spoke about the victory over West Ham on Saturday:

“I probably couldn’t be more delighted. We went behind early on, and it looked like it was going to be a tough evening.

“They’re a very strong side. The three up front for West Ham have a lot of pace and power.

“They caused us problems early on, and the best thing was the character we showed after conceding.”

Joey Barton has also been getting some praise for the expert ball delivery skills he had shown over the course of the match.

We await with some anticipation over how Hughton can organise his team against the Gunners on Wednesday. Sol Campbell will not be fit to play against his former club unfortunately.

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