Newcastle 0-0 Fulham
Sky Sports' Oliver Yew:
"The plan for Newcastle is simple now: get Anthony Gordon the ball at every opportunity so he can go at Kenny Tete."
Newcastle 0-0 Fulham
Sky Sports' Tim Sherwood on Soccer Saturday:
"Should have scored. A chance in the six-yard box!
"Thiaw heads it back and Woltemade's only four yards out and the big man should have scored."
Newcastle 0-0 Fulham
Newcastle 0-0 Fulham
Sky Sports' Tim Sherwood on Soccer Saturday:
"Newcastle on the front foot. They've got the ball out to Gordon twice and Tete's fouled him twice.
"Now he's in the book, how's your brains?
"If I were Newcastle, I'd get the ball to Gordon and try and force a red card."
Newcastle 0-0 Fulham
Newcastle 0-0 Fulham
Let's play.
Sherwood: Newcastle have great depth
Sky Sports' Tim Sherwood on Soccer Saturday:
"When you go to St James' you play in front of the fans expecting to win. Especially when Fulham can't win a game at the moment.
"The way I look at the game - I look at the substitutes. They have Schar, Tonali, Barnes, Ramsey - that's a quality squad. That's strength in depth.
"Woltemade has come in and started well. I expect them to have too much for Fulham, though Marco Silva's side are competitive."
Team news - reminder...
Newcastle: Pope, Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Burn, Guimaraes, Joelinton, Miley Murphy, Woltemade, Gordon
Subs: Ramsdale, Schar, Tonali, Barnes, Krafth, Osula, Elanga, Willock, Ramsey.
Fulham: Leno, Tete, Diop, Bassey, Sessegnon, Berge, Lukic, Adama, Smith Rowe, Iwobi, Raul
Subs: Lecomte, Castagne, Amissah, Cuenca, Reed, Cairney, King, Kevin, Kusi-Asare.
'Diplomatic' Howe refuses to be drawn into 'small club' comments
Sky Sports' News' Keith Downie at Eddie Howe's pre-match press conference:
Eddie Howe was asked five different times what he thought about Arne Slot’s “smaller club” comment towards Newcastle in midweek (referencing Alexander Isak’s summer training plan) and managed to navigate past them all with a smile.
Howe was a diplomatic as ever, and a few Premier League managers could learn a thing or two from the 47-year-old. He even added towards the end that he thought “smaller club” was not exactly what the Liverpool manager said or meant.
In bigger news, Howe slipped in that Yoane Wissa will need a six-week pre-season when he returns from his knee injury in two weeks' time. The Newcastle head coach is hoping a summer of solo training for the 29-year-old does not mirror what has happened to Isak in his battle for fitness at Liverpool.
That would take Wissa up until mid-January, coincidentally when the UK-based Premier League players are set to head off to join up with their respective national teams for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Perhaps it was an early warning to DR Congo that Wissa might not be in a position to join up with them for the tournament at the return of the turn of the year.
In more pressing matters, Howe just needs a win on Saturday. He is desperate for his players to take their Champions League form (their last two games have seen them win by an aggregate of 7-0) into the Premier League.
He is scratching his head as to how this is happening, but a home win over Fulham would complete a positive week and perhaps allow him believe that his players have turned a corner.
Injury woes and Silva's uncertain future - How are Fulham looking ahead of Newcastle?
'Newcastle need to kick-start their Premier League season'
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe on balancing domestic and European football:
"That's the challenge we face this year and it's a unique one.
"To be the club that we want to be be we need to try and do it consistently.
"So, it isn't a big mental high and come down, it's trying to keep the players consistent, getting them to execute their their jobs in the best way possible.
"We need to kick-start our Premier League League season. We know that."
'Smaller club' - Howe responds to Slot's Newcastle dig after backlash
Last time out in Premier League: Newcastle...
Last time out: Fulham...
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Fulham's sticky patch...
Fulham have lost each of their last three Premier League games, last losing more consecutively in March/April 2023 (4).
The Cottagers have also kept just one clean sheet in their last 17 Premier League games (1-0 vs Leeds last month).
Silva impressed by Woltemade impact
Fulham boss Marco Silva praised the impact of Newcastle striker Nick Woltemade.
The German forward joined the Magpies over the summer and has so far scored four goals in five Premier League games, including a backheel flick against Brighton last weekend.
Woltemade will be looking to lead the line when Fulham and Newcastle meet on Saturday and Silva admitted he has been impressed by the striker’s start in the Premier League.
Silva told a press conference: “Very good striker. Of course, they had, last three seasons, an unbelievable striker, too. It’s not something new for them. It is a good sign, for them as a football club.
“They went for a slightly different style, but to spend the money they spent on him and the impact that he has had straightaway, I think is very good.
“One is slightly different, probably not so aggressive in the space like (Alexander) Isak was, much more a player that is very good leading the play. And, of course, inside the box he can score.
“He showed already that inside the box he can score in many different ways. The game against Brighton is a good example, the way he was able to finish in that way and score in that way.”
Can Fulham continue winning run against Newcastle?
After an eight-game winless run against Newcastle in the Premier League between 2018 and 2024, Fulham completed the league double over the Magpies last season.
They'll be hoping for some more joy at St James' park this afternoon.
'He has a bit of everything' | Howe full of praise for Tonali after contract extension
Sandro Tonali came in for praise from Eddie Howe ahead of this match but the Italy midfielder is only fit enough for the bench this afternoon.