My Newcastle United Player Ratings vs Man Utd (H)

Player Ratings

Tim Krul (8) - For someone coming into the side for such a big game and after three months out of the team he did particularly well. Made two top draw saves in the first half and came off his line well most times. His kicking from goal kicks was poor but overall he showed why he should be our number one in years to come.

Danny Simpson (6.5) - Had a fairly quiet game but did his job. Almost gave away a penalty late on but the right decision was made so he can go home having done what was required of him.

Mike Williamson (8) - I thought he defended very well tonight. Won a lot in the air and put in some crucial challenges just when it was required.

Fabricio Coloccini (8) - I thought he read the game superbly and made some good interceptions. Also showed his experience when Krul came late out to collect a through pass. He prevented the attacker from getting near the ball and the danger passed. One of our players of the season.

Jose Enrique (7.5) - Had a very good first half although his second half wasn't as good. Thought he was certainly up for it after some fans questioned his performance in the last game. Made to defend more in the second half and he was up to it.

Joey Barton (7.5) - He put in a really good shift and led from the front tonight. Took the ball from Rooney a few times which showed how much defensive work he did during the game.

Cheik Tiote (7.5) - Back for this one and it showed. Good on the ball, passed it well and allowed us to have a go at them. Did give one or two unnecessary challenges away but we got the clean sheet so I can't complain.

Danny Guthrie (7) - Played his part tonight. Worked hard and distributed the ball nicely. Linked up well with his fellow midfielders whilst he wasn't afraid to do his defensive duties as well.

Jonas Gutierrez (8) - I thought he was sensational in the first twenty minutes. Really ran at them and had the beating of O'Shea a few times. Got tired as the game wore on but still did his defensive work. Did not get as much opportunity in the second half as he did in the first but showed that when on his game, he can trouble the top teams.

Peter Lovenkrands (6.5) - Not as involved as I'd like him to be but he worked hard and could and probably should have won us a penalty. It wasn't to be and he was substituted just after the hour mark.
Shola Ameobi (7.5) - Another player who had a very good first half and really looked up for it. Caused Man Utd many problems but then got tired and was eventually taken off after seventy minutes.

Substitutes
Stephen Ireland (6.5) - Looked decent when coming on and it was a pity we did not have more of the ball at that stage to utilise him properly.

Nile Ranger (5) - Made very little impact which was very disappointing despite only getting twenty minutes.

Man of the Match - Tim Krul

My Newcastle United Player Ratings vs Aston Villa (A)

Player Ratings

Steve Harper (7) - Had a fairly good game. Made no mistakes and could do nothing for their goal.

Danny Simpson (6) - Had a difficult afternoon but managed to give a decent enough showing.

Steven Taylor (5.5) - I thought he struggled today. Got away with a clumsy challenge in the box while he also gave the ball away in some potentially dangerous positions. Was rightfully substituted.

Mike Williamson (7.5) - I thought he was excellent today. Won a lot in the air and did not allow the Villa attackers to get the better of him too often. Apart from a body check once he can be pleased with his showing.

Jose Enrique (7.5) - Although he gave the ball away a few times, he was solid in defence and showed his worth to the team yet again. Did look at times as though he was not 100% fit but still had a good game.

Joey Barton (5) - A thoroughly disappointing performance from the "best Engish midfielder" in the league. Hardly got on the ball and gave the ball away several times when he did. The fact that he was constantly complaining did not seem to help us at all either.

Fabricio Coloccini (7) - For someone who seldom plays in midfield I thought he did a good job. Went about his business quietly although it will be great to have Tiote back for the next game as the team will be stronger with Coloccini in defence and Tiote in midfield.

Danny Guthrie (6) - Not a particularly bad game from Danny although his passing let him down on several occasions. Seems to go for "the pass" to many times and gives the ball away instead of building things patiently.

Jonas Gutierrez (6) - Had a decent first half and did his fair share of defensive work but failed to do the same in the second half. Yet again his link up play with Enrique was our strongest weapon going forward during the game though.

Peter Lovenkrands (6.5) - Had two decent chances in the final minutes of the game but could not put one away. He at least made the keeper work which was the least he could do I suppose. Other than that he worked hard but lacked any real service to help get himself on the score sheet.

Nile Ranger (6.5) - Showed glimpses of why so many people have been calling for him to start a game whilst funny enough he also showed why he was kept on the bench so much. He started the game well, had one or two chances and then just faded. His decision making at crucial times let him down but as a striker I suppose he needs to be greedy too.

Substitutes

Ryan Taylor (6) - Had a slight impact but not enough in the end.

Shefki Kuqi (N/A) - Not on long enough.

Newcastle United Man of the Match - Mike Williamson

My Newcastle United Player Ratings vs Stoke City (A)

Player Ratings

Steve Harper (4) - What was he doing for their second goal? I'm afraid for all his loyalty, he should be replaced by one of the two youngsters next season. Just does not fill me with confidence and I'd be disappointed if we sold one of the youngsters in the summer.

Danny Simpson (6) - Put some good balls into the box particularly in the first half but needs to be playing in his natural position.

Mike Williamson (6.5) - I thought he did fairly well defensively. Could not be blamed for any of their goals and won a fair bit in the air.

Fabrcio Coloccini (5) - A disappointing performance from the usually reliable centre back. Made a few errors and seemed to lose concentration at crucial times.

Sol Campbell (4.5) - At fault for their first goal, perhaps the second too and was rightfully taken off in the second half. Why he was given a start is beyond me.

Jose Enrique (7) - Looked good until he went off injured. One always got the feeling it was going to be hard to get something from today after he went off.

Cheik Tiote (5.5) - He did not have a bad game but made some unnecessary challenges and played into Stoke's hands. Also got a yellow card which means he misses the next two games.

Joey Barton (6) - In terms of commitment and effort one can't fault him but he did look rusty and his balls into the box were nowhere near what he is capable of.

Kevin Nolan (6) - Put in a good shift but was one of only a few who could come away from today with any credit be it only a little.

Peter Lovenkrands (4) - He seems to do nothing for most of the game but still manages to start the next game. Can't say I remember him doing anything worth mentioning today.

Shola Ameobi (7) - Really put himself about and deserved more support especially in terms of supply to him.

Substitutes
Shane Ferguson (8) - What a superb performance from one so inexperienced. Took players on, showed great skill and got the ball into the box a few times. Looks a real prospect and deserves a run in the team now, with Enrique's injury.

Nile Ranger (5) - Hardly did anything since coming off the bench.

Jonas Gutierrez (6) - Earned a few free kicks but was brought on when the game was over as a contest unfortunately.

Newcastle United Man of the Match - Shane Ferguson

My Player Ratings vs Everton (H)

Player Ratings

Steve Harper (8) - Made some really good saves and was not really helped by his defence at times. We'd have conceded more had it not been for him today.

Steven Taylor (6) - Did fairly well in the right back role, although his positioning was poor at times. Went forward nicely but lacked a good cross that could lead to something. Along with Simpson, should take some blame for giving Arteta far too much space during the game.

Mike Williamson (6) - Made some solid tackles but cannot be happy about the space Osman and Jagielka had for their goals.

Fabricio Coloccini (6) - Thought he did certain things well but again, Osman and Jagielka were virtually not marked which cannot happen in the penalty area. Especially as he was just ball watching for their first goal.

Jose Enrique (5) - Unable to have any real impact on the game and was unfortunately withdrawn due to injury late in the first half.

Danny Simpson (6) - He defended well but was not able to adapt to playing right midfield. It came as no surprise when he ended the game in his familiar position. Arteta was allowed too much space during the game and as stated some of the blame should go to him.

Cheik Tiote (7.5) - I thought he was once again very good today. Controlled the ball well, won challenges and tried to get us on the front foot. His set pieces weren't bad too.

Kevin Nolan (7) - Lots of effort from the captain as always and he looked dangerous in the first half. It came as no surprise that he took the shot which led to our goal for Everton were unable to mark him properly in that half. Put in a good shift for the team despite the result although he was less effective in the second half.

Jonas Gutierrez (7.5) - Looked good today and played some really good through balls, one of which opened their defence up for the goal. Has been on good form as of the last month or so in my opinion.

Peter Lovenkrands (4.5) - I thought he was really poor today. Hardly had a shot on goal and never looked like creating an opening. The fact that he got to finish the game shows how few options we have at the moment.

Leon Best (7.5) - Really put himself about, took his goal easily and could have had more. 6 goals in about 9 starts is excellent and well done to the lad. Never expected him to do as well but long may it continue.

Substitutes
Shola Ameobi (6.5) - Had some good moments and troubled Everton's defence without being able to put the ball in the net though.

Shane Ferguson (6) - Showed glimpses of why he is highly thought of at the club but should have been given more time.

Shefki Kuqi (4) - Made no impact in the few minutes he was on for.

Man of the Match - Steve Harper

My Newcastle United Player Ratings vs Arsenal (H)

Player Ratings

Steve Harper (5) - Hardly had many saves to make but conceded four and can't be happy with that.

Danny Simpson (6) - I thought he struggled in the first half but was our best defender in the second half. Made at least two important last ditch tackles in the second half and was good going forward throughout the match.

Mike Williamson (4.5) - Really struggled to deal with Van Persie and had a poor first half but he was always dangerous on set pieces and earned us the second penalty.

Fabricio Coloccini (4) - It was a poor showing from usually our best centre back. He simply could not handle Walcott's pace but got better as the game went on though.

Jose Enrique (5.5) - Could not handle Walcott in the first half but he started to have a bigger influence on the game in the second half and picked up an assist for our second goal. Went forward a lot in the second half.

Joey Barton (7.5) - After a horrible first half he scored two superb penalties and controlled things for us in the second half with his ability to deliver quality set pieces and to get our attacks going.

Cheik Tiote (8) - I thought he was our stand out player today. Won several challenges, passed the ball well and scored an absolute stunner to level things at 4-4. Took a while to get going but by the end of the game he wrote his name into Newcastle United folklore.

Kevin Nolan (5) - Unable to add to his goals tally today but he led from the front and along with Barton, he managed to lift the team with his in your face style.

Jonas Gutierrez (6) - Put in a good shift and linked up very nicely with Enrique in the second half. I think he sometimes gets unfair criticism as he does do some good things for us down the left.

Peter Lovenkrands (4) - A really disappointing performance from the Dane. Think he'll be dropped for the next game as he was unable to do anything of note.

Leon Best (7) - Does look poor at times but few could argue against his work rate. Scored the crucial second goal and won the all important first penalty which means that he can be effective at this level if given the chance.

Substitutes
Nile Ranger (6.5)- Did very well when coming on and certainly made an impact.

Danny Guthrie (N/A) - Came on in injury time.

Man of the Match - Cheik Tiote

My Newcastle United Player Ratings vs Tottenham (H)

Player Ratings

Steve Harper (7.5) - Made some important saves today. Probably deserved a clean sheet with his performance.

Danny Simpson (6.5) - Allowed Lennon to cut in onto his right foot which was poor on his side and it ultimately led to their goal. Did not have a bad game though overall.

Mike Williamson (7) - He was very solid in the air, even beating Peter Crouch at times. Formed a good partnership with Coloccini but should have done better for their goal.

Fabricio Coloccini (8.5) - Another classy performance by the Argentine centre half on his 29th Birthday. Took his goal very well as he took it down on his chest before hammering it home. Did not give Defoe too many chances too.
Jose Enrique (6.5) - A rather uncharacteristically quiet game from Enrique. Only made a few runs going forward although he was relatively solid in defence. Got beat by Lennon once in the first half which almost led to a goal. He still had some of his usual good moments though.

Joey Barton (8) - Another good display from Joey. Played some very good through balls and worked hard for the team. Could see he was running on empty towards the end but it was a sign of all his commitment during the match.

Kevin Nolan (7) - Put in a good shift considering he had a throat infection. Made one superb interception when Spurs looked like scoring and led from the front with his off the ball pressing.

Danny Guthrie (7.5) - I thought he had a very good game. Did some defensive work while majority of his passes were spot on including a superb assist. 24 of his 30 passes were successful and considering the amount of long passes he played that was very impressive. Its a pity he had to go off injured towards the end.

Jonas Gutierrez (8.5) - I think this was one of his best games in a toon shirt. He gave Spurs all sorts of problems and not only that he put in some excellent crosses which deserved to lead to a goal. Did some good defensive work too to top off his impressive display.

Leon Best (6.5) - Worked hard for the team and was unlucky too hit the crossbar but the introduction of Ranger showed that Best needs to do better to keep hold of his place.

Shola Ameobi (7) - Guilty of again missing some great chances. Should have been on the score sheet today. Did win quite a bit in the air though and held the ball up nicely which helped us in the second half in particular.

Substitutes

Peter Lovenkrands (6.5) - Looked lively when coming on but should have done better when through on goal.

Nile Ranger (7) - Made quite an impact despite only being on for a few minutes. Deserves more minutes if today was anything to go by.

James Perch (6.5) - Put in some tackles whilst filling in for Guthrie in midfield.

Man of the Match - Fabricio Coloccini

My Newcastle United Player Ratings vs Sunderland (A)

Player Ratings

Steve Harper (6.5) - Made some very good saves but can possibly be at fault for their goal too.

Danny Simpson (6.5) - Defended well and was part of a solid back four. Was unable to attack too much though and was guilty of giving the ball away a few times too many.

Mike Williamson (7.5) - Looked very shaky early on but got better as the game progressed and won quite a bit in the air. Should be happy with his performance.

Fabricio Coloccini (9) - The man was incredible today. Defended superbly with some fine cover tackles as well as being good in the air and being a calming influence at the back. Read the game well and showed what a classy centre back he is.

Jose Enrique (8) - Another typical Enrique performance. Solid at the back and excellent going forward. Made some brilliant runs and put in some good balls into the box.

Joey Barton (7.5) - Continued his good form today. Played some intelligent balls over the top for the strikers to run onto and provided the corner from which we scored from.

Alan Smith (6) - Went off with an injury but didn't do as bad as I thought he would do.

Kevin Nolan (7.5) - Scored yet another goal against our rivals and took it well with an intelligent flick. Also did some defensive work and yet again showed his worth to the team.

Jonas Gutierrez (7.5) - It was a good display from Jonas in that he continuously ran at the Sunderland defence and never made it easy for their right back. Worked hard for the team and it was another energetic performance from him.

Leon Best (7) - Proved to be a decent outlet up front and showed some neat touches. I liked his back heel and the way he kept working hard up front. Certainly did not let the team down.

Shola Ameobi (7) - Missed two really good opportunities but did win a lot in the air and allowed the other players to run onto those flick ons. Played his part in the goal and had a pretty good game overall.

Substitutes
Danny Guthrie (6.5) - Got better after a poor first half of about 15 minutes. Seemed to gain more confidence as the game went on which was good to see.

Dan Gosling (6.5) - Looked impressive in the few minutes he was on for.

Peter Lovenkrands (N/A) - Barely got involved in the few minutes he was on.

Man of the Match - Fabricio Coloccini