Newcastle v Rotherham - Match Preview

Rotherham travel to Newcastle on Saturday afternoon for a traditional 3pm bout. On the back of a 3-1 win over Birmingham in the FA Cup, the Magpies will be looking to regain top spot in the division after 10-man Brighton overcame Sheffield Wednesday on Friday night. In the reverse fixture, the Toon secured a 0-1 victory thanks to a stunning finish from Christian Atsu.

Atsu, along with Mo Diame and Chancel Mbemba, continue on African Cup of Nations duty. Vurnon Anita is a long-term absentee, and Newcastle will continue without striking duo Aleksandr Mitrovic and Dwight Gayle. This accounts for the logic of resting Daryl Murphy, who Newcastle will have to rely on for offensive output. Elsewhere, Benitez confirmed in his press conference that Sammy Ameobi and Jamie Sterry (both cup-tied on Wednesday) will make the squad. And with that news, I think we’re all hoping those Andros Townsend rumours have substance…

It was great to see Jonjo Shelvey return to the team. He remains a cut above most in this league, and we are, arguably, only title challenges because of his passing and Gayle’s finishing. Such is the ease with which he picks passes – be they across the field or in behind defences – one wonders how it is that other midfielders can’t do the same. But if you watch Shelvey closely, you’ll notice that it’s the positions he occupies that enable him to make the passes he does. The devil is in the movement. Some players – the better players – can instinctively position themselves in advantageous places to make hard passes look easy. Want to see the opposite of this? Watch Jack Colback.

An intriguing development from Wednesday was the performance of Yoan Gouffran. I’m not an avid viewer of French football, but I believe that when we acquired him from Bordeaux it was with the understanding that he could play up front and on the wing interchangeably. Lacking the blistering pace you need from an out-and-out winger, it became evident that he wasn’t quite up to the demands of the Premier League despite his high work rate. But as a striker, you can make up for a lack of pure speed with nous, movement and, obviously, the ability to hit the back of the net. I am wondering if Gouffran can be effective up front, given he arguably has enough pace to get a yard or two on a defender. He’s proven his ability to find the net. And who knows, perhaps he can do it in the PL?

To this game – and an early Newcastle goal against the relegation threatened Millers should be enough. One imagines that Rotherham won’t have enough to trouble us, and a mistake-free game should bring home the three points.