

Wednesday 12th February KO 7.45pm
Sports Direct Stadium, Newcastle
Match Officials: Referee: Neil Swarbrick. Assistants: L Betts, J Brooks. Fourth Official: M Dean.
Match Links: http://www.wiziwig.tv/broadcast.php?...44&part=sports
Newcastle and Tottenham are regularly labelled as two of the Prems most unpredictable sides, but for Alan Pardews men one constant has crept into their game since Boxing Day and it makes pretty grim reading..
The Magpies 3-0 defeat at Chelsea on Saturday means they have failed to find the net in six of their last seven league games, and with their only scorers during this woeful run (Yohan Cabaye and Loic Remy) either sold or suspended, the St James Park faithful are understandably scratching their heads as to where the hell the goals are going to come from against Spurs.
Luuk de Jong came closest to finding the target at Stamford Bridge, but the on-loan Dutchman played like a striker in desperate need of some support up front. Hes unlikely to get it from Papiss Cisse on Wednesday, so expect Pardew to persist with wingers Sammy Ameobi and Hatem Ben Arfa either side of De Jong as the manager takes to the Toon dugout for the 150th time with a seriously depleted squad.
Goals, points and a threadbare subs bench havent been a problem for Tim Sherwood since he first donned his gilet as Spurs boss in December the north Londoners have lost just once in the league since his appointment, winning six and drawing two but even a crucial victory over Everton last weekend couldnt silence his many doubters on the club forums.
Despite taking all three points against one of their top four rivals, Spurs lacked shape and were regularly overrun in the middle, with Emmanuel Adebayors goal handing Sherwoods side a win they scarcely deserved as even he was honest enough to admit. We played far too deep in the first half and Everton opened us up, he said. We were fortunate to come away with the three points.
Still, as his opposing manager pointed out in the post-match press conference: Sometimes in football its better to be lucky than good. Wise words, Roberto.
Team news
Newcastles injury list is even more depressing than their recent goals-for tally: Fabricio Coloccini (knee) and Mathieu Debuchy (calf) are out, along with Cisse (back) * I dont think hell be ready for Spurs, said Pardew on Saturday. Then theres Cheick Tiote (hamstring) Maybe Cheick wont make it either well have to wait and see" although Yoan Gouffran has a better chance of playing. Away from the overcrowded treatment room, top scorer Remy serves the third and final game of his suspension.
For Spurs, with only Erik Lamela (thigh) absent, Sherwoods biggest decision will be whether to continue with Christian Eriksen and Aaron Lennon either side of Adebayor, or recall Roberto Soldado to play in a 4-4-2.
Whatever question marks hang over the Spurs managers tactical acumen, he deserves much credit for getting Adebayor back to his barnstorming best. A first-team outcast under Andre Villas-Boas, the striker was even forced to train with the youth team just a few months ago If Im lower than this, it means Im dead, he declared but hes returned motivated and firing since Sherwoods appointment, scoring 7 in 11 games.
Isolated up front against Everton in a game of few chances, his work-rate was excellent in the second half * in the closing minutes he was chasing down every ball and his match-winning goal came courtesy of some quick thinking between him and Kyle Walker from a free-kick just inside the Toffees half.
On Wednesday Adebayor will be up against Taylor, who has been one busy boy in central defence since winning his place back in the first team last month. The 28-year-old was one of the few Newcastle players to emerge with any real credit at Chelsea, making a series of last-ditch tackles as well as comfortably providing the most clearances in the game (10). I thought we dealt with pretty much everything in the first half except for the two goals we gave away, he told press after the game, in typically positive fashion.
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
Spurs 0-1 N'castle (Prem, Nov 13)
Spurs 2-1 N'castle (Prem, Feb 13)
N'castle 2-1 Spurs (Prem, Aug 12)
Spurs 5-0 N'castle (Prem, Feb 12)
N'castle 2-2 Spurs (Prem, Oct 11)
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The managers
Not only has he enjoyed the best start of any manager in Tottenhams history but Sherwood is officially the most high-flying English manager in the country right now, with Pardew number two on that list. Enjoy it while you can, Tim if anyone knows how quickly the stats can turn against you, its your predecessor. Indeed, it was the meeting between the clubs at White Hart Lane in November when the wheels really started to fall off for AVB, Pardew overseeing a Tim Krul-inspired 1-0 win, which Spurs followed up with an embarrassing 6-0 mauling at the hands of Manchester City.
Pards and Sherwood have never met in the dugout, but the two were familiar foes on the pitch, the midfielders going head-to-head in the 90s as Pardews Palace/Charlton faced Sherwoods Norwich/Blackburn.
Facts and figures
Newcastle have scored just 1 goal in 5 games without Loic Remy this season.
Newcastle have failed to score in 6 of their last 7 matches.
Newcastle have lost half their 16 home games against top-half teams since the start of last season (W5 D3 L8).
Spurs have won 8 of their last 14 trips to middle-third teams and they won the second half in 9 of these matches.