Newcastle United v Fulham half-time update

Alan Pardew has begun life after Andy Carroll by naming an unchanged side from their last game, meaning Shola Ameobi and Leon Best lead the line, but they have not sprung into life during the first-half at Craven Cottage.

Newcastle could do with a morale-boosting win and Pardew, the seventh different Magpies manager in the last seven games against Fulham, needs points to win over fans disillusioned by the same of the former number nine – with one crowd member unfurling a flag saying 'Judas Carroll' before kick-off.

For Fulham, Mark Schwarzer is back from Asian Cup duty and in the starting XI, while Chris Baird is back in the first team. New loan signing Gael Kakuta is named on the bench but fellow transfer deadline day addition Eidur Gudjohnsen does not make it into the matchday squad.

On 11 minutes Andrew Johnson fizzed a dangerous ball across the six-yard box and the dangerous Clint Dempsey, who is operating in a free role behind the forwards, was only inches away from connecting. The trio of Johnson, Moussa Dembele and Dempsey are likely to be Fulham's main goalscoring threats in this game.

Things in the striking department went from bad to worse for Newcastle as Ameobi was caught with an accidental elbow from Steve Sidwell. The big forward always looked in trouble and had to be replaced by Nile Ranger, who almost got straight into the action trying to follow-up a long-range effort from full-back Danny Simpson.

On 20 minutes Ranger almost got on the end of a dangerous free-kick put into the box by the influential Kevin Nolan – it has to be noted that Newcastle's height is causing problems for Fulham from free-kicks and corners whereas the hosts seem to have the pace advantage over the black-and-white stripes when they go forward.

Fulham could feel unlucky not to have a penalty on 32 minutes as Mike Williamson was seen grabbing a lot of Brede Hangeland's shirt when the Norwegian was going for a header. The Newcastle defender will need to be careful as Mark Hughes is sure to insist the referee pays closer attention to such goings on during corners and free-kicks later in the game and Williamson has been caught holding onto Hangeland on a few occasions so far.

Newcastle's defence have struggled at times and Dempsey had a half-chance after a free-kick dropped in the box, but the fact it took 35 minutes for the first real opportunity says a lot about the game as a whole.

The entire midfield area has been congested and the game is incredibly tight as a result. Newcastle need to make a statement they can do a job without Carroll, but what could worry fans is how short they have looked up front at times throughout the first half.

Fulham: Schwarzer, Pantsil, Hughes, Hangeland, Baird, Dempsey, Sidwell, Murphy, Duff, Andrew Johnson, Dembele

Subs: Stockdale, Salcido, Gera, Kamara, Kakuta, Greening, Davies

Newcastle: Harper, Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Barton, Nolan, Guthrie, Gutierrez, Best, Ameobi

Subs: Krul, Campbell, Lovenkrands, Perch, Ranger, Ferguson, Richardson