Name a team to beat our Sunderland/Newcastle eleven

Choose this book or the mug if you win

Pete Sixsmith briefly describes the high point of a radio show that resembles, for those old enough to remember, the Brains Trust. I may offer a prize mug (as well as being one), but only if the replies include a team Pete thinks would beat his. And since summer is a-coming, even UTD111 is invited to participate (the mug would be modified for a Newcastle winner provided he or she didn’t dream aloud that repeating a snippet from the wireless amounted to evidence of obsession; it’s just a spot of end-of-season fun for non-neanderthals) …

Salut Sunderland was represented on BBC Newcastle’s TotalSport on Wednesday night. Yours truly was in the studio alongside the presenter Matthew Raisbeck, the former Newcastle player John Anderson, a token Mag, Darren, and our own splendid Marco (he of the ball under Fat Burridge) down the line, as we broadcasters say, from his home in York,

They call Wednesday the Fans Forum night and there is always one of us and one of them sat round the table. We are invited to chip in whenever and we are asked specific questions about our individual clubs.

It works reasonably well, but the time allocated to the fans was squeezed between taped interviews (Cattermole and Pardew), cricket reports from a freezing Chester-le-Street, a piece on Dunston UTS and something on basketball. Add to that the news, weather and traffic there wasn’t a lot of time for me and Darren.

The programme set a task for us and for callers to pick aside from us and them to include at least three players from the other club. Of course, some Mags texted in a team made up of 11 of theirs, showing that the old arrogance is returning. Darren managed to squeeze in three between such stars as Williamson and Santon.

This was my XI

Krol

Bardsley, O’ Shea, Coloccini, Colback

Cabaye; Tiote; McClean

Sessegnon

Ba, Cisse

Pick a side to beat Pete's and this could be yours

Subs;

Mignolet; Turner; Larsson; Ben Arfa; Richardson; Taylor(S);Bendtner

But what do others think?


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And since the question is raised, here is Ben Arfa (terrific player) …

… and here is Sessegnon (terrific player) …

34 thoughts on “Name a team to beat our Sunderland/Newcastle eleven”

  1. Krul
    Simpson,Collocini,O Shea,Santon

    Larsson,Cabaye,Tiote,Maclean

    Sessignon,Cisse

    Newcastles back 4 were the best in Premiership early on so I d give them the run of defense (dont know enough between R Taylor and Santon though),

    Even though Ba is top scorer he went off the boil somewhat later on and is a therefore bit suspect in temperament for me.Larrson in for his deadly free kicks and corners Cabaye and Tiote have been excellent all season and Maclean gives great value on the flanks as an out and out winger.Sess is a pleasure to watch and Cisse is a natural goalscorer.

    Id give a special mention to Ben Arfur who is a very talented footballer and the type I am happy to pay good money to watch….except when he plays us.

  2. I think I am going to be very disloyal, disagree with my great friend and star writer Pete Sixsmith and clear Mr UTD111 of arrogance and condescension. I accept his explanation for omitting Sessegnon as being genuine. Of course it is annoying for us to hear Newcastle fans say they “struggle” to find room for three of ours but the point is that he did, even if he left out someone most readers of this site believe would walk into such a hybdrid. Think back: when we were indisputably top dogs, would we seriously have included Shearer in a team that had to have Superkev and Quinn as automatic choices?

    I am not sure why I am doing this. After all, UTD111 regards this as a strange little site – which may be true for all I know – that is obsessed with his team, which is demonstrably untrue and absurd. In the end, just a matter of natural justice and what my neighbours would call le fairplay Britannique: he deserves the benefit of the doubt.

  3. Krul
    Bardsley O’Shea Collocini Richardson
    Ben Arfa Tiote Cabaye McClean
    Cisse Sessegnon

    Full backs may be controversial. Say what you like about Bardsley and his let’s say, ‘average’ talent, he is better than Simpson who leaves that much space behind him you could build a camp site. Think that’s plagiarised from somewhere, I’m not sure. Richardson is better then people give him credit for. How often has a winger tore him to shreds? Think about it. Colback hasn’t played enough there to be included for me.

  4. Totally agree. It’s not conceited or arrogant, it is simply a fact that this season nufc have been better in all departments. If you reversed the positions how many safc fans would pick their first team?

  5. Pete, mate….

    I can’t be held accountable for other United fans, Both clubs have supporters with varying degrees of intellect and downright bigotry.

    I forgot about Sessegnon – I accept. But yes, I too was struggling to put 3 Sunderland players in. I had McClean in midfield because he’s a winger. Would I drop Cabaye or Tiote for Sess? no. Would I like to see Sess in the United squad – yep!

    Mate – we’re trying to blend two teams. One got 4 points off the other this season, is 20 points ahead in the league, 5th in the league and in Europe. The other is going through transition but with the top class manager they have – will come good. You can’t expect folk to dismiss the United players who have achieved so much – in favour of the Sunderland players, quite a few of whom MON seems to want to offload?

  6. How are they imaginary? Two texted in to Total Sport and picked the entire NUFC team; Raisbeck read it out, which I thought was wrong. The Newcastle fan in the studio said that he was struggling to fit three Sunderland players in.You “forgot” about Sessegnon and then put him on the bench instead of C(l)attermole.
    If that’s not arrogant, conceited and condescending I’ll eat hay with a donkey.

  7. OK, lets try and get a comment out of you another way Pete….

    Where exactly have I been arrogant, conceited and condescending in my comments?

    Your statement – you justiify it.

  8. You’re not the Judge Pete?

    Now I’m confused…..

    Quote from the intro:

    “…but only if the replies include a team Pete thinks would beat his…..”

    I’ve ignored your rant about “Newcastle fans; arrogant, conceited and condescending”

    That’s just a rant…….and makes you just as bad as the imaginary people you criticise

  9. I don’t judge it UTD 111. I tried to be balanced and sensible. Your patronising and demeaning comments about our players, many of who are as good as yours, just reinforces my view about many Newcastle fans; arrogant, conceited and condescending.

    • Hey! I’m a non-neanderthal, and I’m having a bit of end-of-season fun! Mission accomplished! Mwah!

  10. Haven’t seen enough of the skun….er I mean our-monochrome-friends to pick a combined team but Colback, McClean and Sess are surely certs, and from the dark side Ba and Cisse and Krul would also be pretty sure of a place. After that you can fight it out amongst yourselves. We’ll never be mastered by black and white basta….. ;oD

  11. Sessegnon has played a full season. Ben Arfa spent a fair bit of time on the bench as the manager didn’t trust him to perform. Were Sessegnon French (remember, he comes from one of the weaker African countries – Benin) he would walk into their squad.
    It was a tough choice between Krol and Mignolet. It is interesting that Krol has played better than Simon – which shows that the Sunderland back four has been more effective than Newcastle’s. Had Wes Brown been fit all year, he would have pushed Coloccini hard in my book.
    There is a school of thought, as Big Ron used to say, that Ba has been relatively ineffective since Cisse arrived. So, leave him out, play Sess up front and then Ben Arfa can come in.
    Or, replace Tiote with Cattermole. Not a huge difference between them.
    John Anderson had Larsson at right back.
    It’s all about opinions, as the man with the wooden leg said.

  12. Krul…Simpson/Coloccini/Williamson/Colback,,,Larsson/Tiote/Cabaye/McClean…Ba/Cisse. This team recognises the fantastic season Newcastle have had with only 3 of our favourites gaining places and no place for Sess. I think Colback deserves his place as he is without doubt our most improved player albeit out of position. Williamson has been an unsung hero for Newcastle all season. I think our 2 wide men have been outstanding virtually all season and with the artistry of Cabaye and “the enforcer” Tiote in the middle of the park would give any team problems. Ba on his first half of the season and Cisse are no brainers. Subs: Mignolet/Bardsley/R Taylor/O’Shea/Sessegnon/Ben Arfa/Gutierrez.

  13. OK gang – I’ll go for:

    Krul

    Simpson, O’Shea, Coloccini (C), Colback

    Ben Arfa, Tiote, Cabaye, McClean

    Ba Cisse

    Subs: Forster, Larsson, Gutierrez, Santon, Richardson, Perch, Clattermole

  14. What are the rules? The only one stated above is that the team must include at least 3 players from the other team.

    Do they have to be current players or can they be from the past?

    • Hi Utd111. Read your article wot u wrote some time ago. Top class. I think it must be a team made up from respective current squads. I just decided to pick a team that maybe no-one could argue with. All have played for/managed/coached both clubs, which I presumed you picked up on.

    • As clear as could possibly be from Pete’s selection. Current. That helps to explain certain absences and inclusions

  15. Erm, yeh this is just stupid. Apart from the possibility Sessegnon slotting in somewhere its just the NUFC first team.

    Krul
    Santon Coloccini S.Taylor R.Taylor
    Cabaye Tiote Ben Arfa
    Cisse Ba Sessegnon

    • Kevin
      Yes yes yes
      You’ve had a great season and that has been recognised here. But this is not tribal dancing. Please re-read, take account of the rule set not by us but the BBC and then offer a sensible response.

  16. I’ll help you out M Salut. I told Pete he was wasting his time as the knobhead obviously didn’t understand the rules.

  17. Do you people genuinely believe Sessegnon is a better player than Ben Arfa? Like seriously? This guy is one of French football’s most highly rated talents…That seems like a partisan choice in my opinion.

    Rest of the team ain’t bad though. Colback wouldn’t be starting ahead of Santon in my team. Santon started slowly but has now adapted and has been one of or best players over the last 8 games or so.

    • im sorry but your maths is appauling. A season is not 8 games or 3 games in ben arfa’s case.
      The problem with newcastle fans is that as always you are wrapped up in everything that happens in the big sports direct arena bubble (half price until sunday at all sports direct shops) and dont see the good work colback has done, he has been fantastic in over 20 games for us, yes double figures wow. And yes sessegnon is better than ben arfa and has been all season.

  18. Do not ask me to explain this but two NUFC comments appeared and attracted a sharp retort from Eric … all three have now disappeared.

    All manner of probs with the site of late but I will try to restore the lost comments

  19. Thanks for the invitation chums!

    I’ll give it some thought and respond in due course.

    In the meantime, in my defence, can I just point out that whilst I do wonder why so many Sunderland fans and some of your chants do seem to dwell on United even when you’re not playing us – I am and will always be a supporter of North East football over all others….

    For proof – read this rubbish “wot I wrote” a while ago:

    http://www.nufcblog.org/2012/01/martin-oneill-at-sunderland-a-geordies-view/#.T66uTuim-8A

    Cheers

    UTD111

  20. Went to the Job Centre yesterday. Advisor asked my occupation and I told her I was the trophy polisher at Sports Direct. She said “I’ll put you down as unemployed then”. I’ve got my coat.

  21. Shay Given/Barry Venison/Jeff Clarke/Titus Bramble/Ron Guthrie…Stan Anderson/Paul Bracewell/Chris Waddle…Andrew Cole/Mick Harford/Pop Robson. Subs Lionel Perez/David Young/Ray Ellison/Tommy Gibb/Colin Suggett/Michael Bridges/Alan Brown. Manager Bob Stokoe. Coach Arthur Cox. Team Colours Red and Black stripes.

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