Newcastle travel to Arsenal on Saturday afternoon in the fourth round of the FA Cup. The Magpies are looking to win at the Emirates for the first time since it was built while Arsenal are looking to bounce back from mid-week defeat at Spurs. We got the views of a slightly depleted Panel on the tie…

Rich

“Kevin Keegan leads us into the FA Cup 4th Round tomorrow, promising that we’re going to “have a go” at Arsenal – this is music to my ears. If Sam Allardyce was still here I think it would be fair to expect one man up front, a tightly-packed midfield five and no invention whatsoever permitted. There are 5,000 of our lads and lasses going into the Emirates tomorrow to shout us on and they, more than any, deserve to see us adopt an approach like this away from St. James’.

What of our chances in the game itself, then? Well, Arsenal are fresh off a humiliating 5-1 defeat at White Hart Lane in the Carling Cup and I think it’s fair to say that a result of that nature has thrown a bit more unpredictability into the mix here. Usually we’d come down to North London expecting the Gunners to play us off the park and marvel as everything clicks for them while we splutter and stumble, but surely it can’t be easy to come out and give your best after such a massive loss?

I’m trying to keep my positive cap on here and I hope that Arsenal’s confidence will have been knocked, I hope that they’re passing and movement stutters and isn’t as fluid as normal, I hope that Adebayor and Bendtner are still wound-up after their altercation midweek and I hope the usually quiet Arsenal fans will be on their players’ backs a lot more than they would usually be. Remember, this lot hadn’t lost to Spurs for 8 years or so, that 5-1 defeat HAS to have taken a toll on them.

Of course it could go the way of the pessimist and we could see an almighty backlash from them, but I prefer to stake my prediction on an entertaining game with goals for both sides, as Arsenal come out on top, just, with no damage done to our pride and with a lot of hopeful signs for the future. As long as we rattle them and make a game of it, I’ll be happy, but a draw would delight me – because they would not fancy coming back up to Gallowgate after last time out.

Prediction: Arsenal 3-2 Newcastle United”

Jonny

“Must Win Game.

I know I sound absolutely insane but this could be one of the biggest games of our season. Our chances of winning a trophy are by no means over and it is very possible to beat Arsenal, as they say; in the FA Cup, anything is possible.

Arsenal are coming into this on the back of 5-1 defeat and while there is talk of a ‘backlash’, it’s very possible that confidence will be low and the fans will be on edge, and we can take advantage of that.

The best thing we can do is play. All we can do is go there and give it our all, and it’s pleasing to hear that KK is ready to do just that. Who cares if it’s Arsenal Away? If we play decent football, we have a chance of being able to nick it, or even take it back to St James Park where we could try again.

One thing is for sure, the players will be up for this. And who knows? We might just play better than we expect and produce a shocking result.

Prediction: Arsenal 1-2 Newcastle United.”