Chris Bevan
BBC Sport

The Newcastle players have been doing plenty of practice of their crossing and finishing in their warm-up at St James' Park, and for good reason - they have had the fewest shots (50) and the fewest shots on target (24) in the top flight in 2015-16 and, along with Watford, have scored the fewest goals too - six.

Interesting to watch them go through the drill - 'teams' of three players took turns to attack the goal, with one player crossing from the right or left - usually low - with one player at the near post and one at the far. They scored nine out of 10 times I watched them try it, but will it work in the actual game, when they are up against a defence?

Image source, Getty Images

Ian Dennis
BBC Radio 5 live senior football reporter

"I don't subscribe to the theory peddled by one pundit - an ex-Newcastle player - that Steve McClaren has three games to save his job.

"From my understanding, McClaren still retains the support of the St James' Park hierarchy. Everybody connected with Newcastle will hope the international break brings a repeat change in fortune, especially after the unfortunate injury to Tim Krul.

"Last season, they didn't win any of their opening seven matches. By coincidence, on 18 October they ended that run and embarked on a five-match winning streak.

"McClaren still believes they can turn the corner against a Norwich side who have happy memories of the north-east after winning 3-1 at Sunderland in August."

Match of the Day

Match of the Day 2 is coming from St James' Park tonight at 22:30 BST on BBC One. (23:25 BST in Scotland)

Mark Chapman will be presenting, alongside guests Mark Lawrenson and Chris Sutton.

Martin Keown may just have popped in for a chat.

Chris Bevan
BBC Sport

Image source, .

It is decidedly chilly at St James' Park but good to see the only players from either team wearing gloves during their warm-ups are the goalkeepers - it is only mid-October after all.

Newcastle have gone with a retro theme for today's programme cover - no, not 1898 when they were in similar form, but instead much happier days in 1962, when they had lost just one of their first nine games in the old Division Two, and went in to beat the Canaries 2-1. The locals would no doubt take a repeat of that scoreline this afternoon.

As if things were not bad bad enough for Newcastle, goalkeeper Tim Krul has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a severe knee injury.

Krul ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the Netherlands' 2-1 Euro 2016 qualifying win in Kazakhstan on Saturday.

Rob Elliot will be between the posts today.

The atmosphere is building at St James'...

Image source, Getty Images

Today we are asking: Who are the characters at your club?

Declan Robert on Facebook:, external John Clark at Celtic. Won the European Cup in 1967 still works at the club as kit man.

Jason Daniels on Facebook:, external Neil 'Nello' Baldwin kit man under Lou Macari at Stoke City in the 1990s dressed as a clown and a chicken during games, and dressed as a comedy Scotsman when Macari was doing a TV interview. The BBC made a film about him.  

Let us know your suggestions on Twitter using #bbcfootball, external on the Match of the Day Facebook page, external or text in on 81111 (UK only). Remember to put names on texts.

One man hoping to progress with the Republic is Norwich winger Wes Hoolahan.

The Canaries' danger man? It would seem so...

Image source, .

Image source, Reuters

If you haven't heard, Republic of Ireland will face Bosnia-Herzegovina in a two-legged play-off to qualify for Euro 2016.

Martin O'Neill's side have been drawn to play the first leg away from home.

The Republic could have secured automatic qualification from Group D with a 2-2 draw in Poland earlier this month but lost 2-1.

In the other play-off matches for the tournament in France, Ukraine play Slovenia, Sweden face Denmark, while Norway take on Hungary.

The BBC Sport Predictor game pits fans of Premier League clubs against each other.

Help your club move up the league by predicting the result of this match - and the rest of the weekend's fixtures - right here.

Newcastle fans - at least you aren't bottom of this table..... You are second from bottom.

Today we are asking: Who are the characters at your club?

BBC Sport's Ben Dirs spoke to Norman last year. He started his job on £3 a week. Read the piece in full here.

Let us know your suggestions on Twitter using #bbcfootball, external on the Match of the Day Facebook page, external or text in on 81111 (UK only). Remember to put names on texts.  

Today we are asking: Who are the characters at your club?

Let us know your suggestions on Twitter using #bbcfootball, external on the Match of the Day Facebook page, external or text in on 81111 (UK only). Remember to put names on texts.  

Newcastle fans can have no complaints about the funds spent on boosting their squad this summer.

According to managing director Lee Charnley,, external the cost of their five siignings was £52.6m.

The arrival of their five signings – Georginio Wijnaldum, Florian Thauvin, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Chancel Mbemba and Ivan Toney – brought a more positive vibe around St James', for a while at least.

That positivity appears to have disappeared. 

Did Steve McClaren know what he was walking into when he was appointed head coach at Newcastle in the summer? You would have to think yes.

The Magpies only secured their top-flight status on the final day after winning just three of 20 matches under John Carver - and things don't look to be getting any easier.

McClaren, sacked by Derby in May, had turned down the Magpies job twice.  

He arrived stating the aim was to win trophies. Survival first Steve.

Image source, PA

We already have a result in the Championship where Steve McClaren's former team, Derby County, beat Wolves 4-2 to move into the play-off positions.

Full report here.

Image source, Opta

The good news for Newcastle is that today's visitors, Norwich, aren't exactly flying in their first season back in the Premier League.

The Canaries have only one away win this season - although that victory did come in the north east at Sunderland.

They haven't kept a clean sheet in any of their eight Premier League matches either.

Victory for Norwich though and they move nine points clear of Newcastle. 

Rob Elliot starts in goal for Newcastle after Tim Krul's season-ending knee injury while playing for the Netherlands. Cheick Tiote is given a start in the middle of the park alongside Jack Colback, while Vernon Anita and Yoan Gouffran miss out.

Norwich give a start to striker Dieumerci Mbokani after scoring off the bench against Leicester in their last game to replace Cameron Jerome.

Nathan Redmond also starts in place of Matt Jarvis in midfield.

Image source, Mark Cooper (pictured) was sacked by Swindon after an eighth game without victory

Here's an unusual one. 

Mark Cooper was sacked as manager of Swindon on Saturday night. His replacement? The club's chairman.

Lee Power has taken charge of the League One club, albeit on a temporary basis. Still, I can't think of too many times when the club's owner has put himself in charge.

Today we are asking: Who are the characters at your club?

Let us know your suggestions on Twitter using #bbcfootball, external on the Match of the Day Facebook page, external or text in on 81111 (UK only). Remember to put names on texts.