Morning all.

Many of this mornings newspapers are running the story onΒ Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata and his loan move to us in a few days time. The 21 year old Β is not being used much byΒ Carlo Ancelotti and suggestion is both club and player would be happy to see this move take place. Whether Arsene Wenger feels the same remains to be seen but Olivier Giroud needs help up front, the whole side needs more up front so this story makes absolute sense.

Other stories in the news suggest Tomas Rosicky is seriously thinking about moving on and Serge Gnabry could be set to leave on loan next month with Wigan being suggested as the club. I’d rather see him remain in the PL if he is to go at all.

Both Manchester sides away done, so just Liverpool, Chelsea and the neighbours left then?

Wrong, very wrong as facing Newcastle today at St James Park is going to be one of the most difficult tasks we have had, or will have this season. In fact there are many sides left to face away and at home who will cause us problems.

Newcastle are flying high, they had a fantastic 5-1 victory over Stoke City just a few days ago and they will be ready for this afternoons challenge.Β Ah, but that 5-1 came about after the opposition were reduced to NINE men and up until that point, they were struggling….

On the same day, we battered West Ham away, on paper that is and until Arsene Wenger was forced to make changes, we too were struggling to find the back of the net.

Surely Santi Cazorla has to play central, Podolski and Walcott have to start and as we are away from home, playing Arteta and Flamini from the off might be wise, very wise.

Newcastle have a glut of players who can cause us problems, just as we have many who can do the same to them. Today is all about who is allowed the space, time and freedom to perform.

Aaron Ramsey misses out today, the first match of a few I fear but as said earlier, when he went off against West Ham, Arsene Wenger was forced into changes, and they worked. In comes Jack Wilshere after serving his one match ban and bothΒ Laurent Koscielny and Tomas Rosicky could return.

This time last year, we played Newcastle at home and what a fantastic game it was, one in which ten goals were scored, the highlight being Walcott’s. Well, it was for me anyway.

Not sure we’ll see as many goals today but in football you never know, especially when that game involves us. If every player can hit form and play with style, pace and precision, we can score many.

But if we allow Newcastle play in that same way, they could do that to us…

It should be a cracker of a game and it’s our last ofΒ 2013 so let’s go out with a bang, a bloody big one….

That’s it for another day….