A round-up of the latest Newcastle United headlines on Tuesday, 24 January.
Two changes Newcastle fans want to see for Southampton cup tie with Isak call and surprise omission
Newcastle United fans would like Eddie Howe to name two changes to his starting eleven for the Carabao Cup first-leg tie at Southampton. The Magpies head coach has been urged to select both Alexander Isak and Allan Saint-Maximin in a bid to address the team's recent goalscoring troubles.
Newcastle sit third in the Premier League table after Manchester United's defeat at league leaders Arsenal, but attention now turns to the Carabao Cup. Southampton stand in the way of a first major final for the Magpies in more than two decades, with Nottingham Forest squaring off with the Red Devils in the other semi-final contest.
Howe's side have scored just once in their last four top-flight outings, and were again frustrated by Crystal Palace in a goalless draw at Selhurst Park on Saturday evening. Newcastle fans would like the head coach to make changes to his team as a result, with only Miguel Almiron keeping his place in the frontline in the most popular eleven.
Shay Given poses Newcastle United transfer question and warns not to 'rock the boat'
Shay Given has warned Newcastle United they can't afford to rock the boat with January additions, but says their FA Cup defeat to Sheffield Wednesday has shown the squad depth isn't as strong as other clubs in the race for the top-four. The Magpies were five points clear of Tottenham Hotspur prior to Spurs' clash with Manchester City, having played the same amount of games.
Manchester United's draw with Crystal Palace means they're just a point ahead of Eddie Howe's side, level with Manchester City. Newcastle are more than happy to go under the radar and avoid any talk of a title race, with Arsenal nine points clear having played a game less.
Supporters are hopeful the Magpies will strengthen the squad in January and take advantage of the Champions League opportunity before them. Former Newcastle goalkeeper and favourite Given, says the FA Cup defeat to Sheffield Wednesday has shown how far the Magpies are away from their top-six rivals.
Southampton manager Nathan Jones tells Newcastle United key to Carabao Cup semi-final victory
Southampton manager Nathan Jones has bemoaned his side's inability to defend set-pieces after they lost 1-0 to Aston Villa in the Premier League at St Mary's on Saturday.
The Saints welcome Newcastle United to the south coast in the first of the two-legged semi-final on Tuesday, January 24. The return leg at St James' Park will take place on January 31, where the Toon Army will have the chance to roar their side on to victory as they look to end a 54-year wait for a major trophy.
Eddie Howe's side have been sensational this season and will be searching for any and every route to victory in their semi-final. Yet Jones may well have just highlighted his team's main weakness following their 1-0 defeat to Villa - set-pieces.
Southampton injury news as Nathan Jones recalls Jan Bednarek for Newcastle tie
Southampton have recalled Poland international Jan Bednarek ahead of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Newcastle United. The 26-year-old defender has spent the first-half of the season on loan with Aston Villa, but is eligible to play for the Saints having featured in their 3-0 win over Cambridge United earlier in the season.
“We felt we needed a bit more experience in there,” Nathan Jones said. “Little bit of a leader, a little bit more of a voice. With the greatest of respect, we’ve got some young centre-halves. Some are in their first season in the Premier League and it’s a tough league. We just felt we need a bit of experience, a little bit of aggression, a little bit of something in there.
“We could have gone out and signed someone new and left Jan but as someone who knows the players, someone who knows the billing, someone that has played in an aggressive team before, we felt it was a logical one.”
Southampton's 'subtle changes' after their 4-1 defeat to Newcastle earlier this season
Southampton will welcome Newcastle United to St. Mary's looking to avoid a repeat of their 4-1 thrashing earlier in the season. Eddie Howe's side turned in a near perfect away performance with Miggy Almiron, Chris Wood, Joe Willock and Bruno Guimaraes on hand to secure all three points.
The Saints - then under the stewardship of Ralph Hassenhuttl - were second best as the Magpies made it nine games unbeaten, seven of those being wins. Southampton were booed off the pitch back in November, with Hassenhuttl losing his job in the days that would follow.
Nathan Jones, the former Luton Town boss, has done well throughout his career building sides that thrive on hard work and application. However, it's been a tough introduction to life at St. Mary's, winning just once in the Premier League since his arrival.
Newcastle United injury list in full ahead of Southampton Carabao Cup semi-final clash
Newcastle United will travel down to St. Mary's Stadium to play Southampton in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final since 1976, and manager Eddie Howe will have almost a full squad.
The Magpies have been fortunate this season, with many of their top stars managing to avoid long-term injury issues and Howe will want to keep it that way as he looks to get Newcastle to a historic final.
Southampton will be a tough opponent though, as despite being bottom-of-the-league, they defeated Manchester City 2-0 in the quarter-finals to set up the meeting.
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