There was a little good news for Newcastle last night in that WBA, Portsmouth and Sunderland all lost in the Premier league.
Jose Enrique – need the points tonight
Newcastle play the big boys, Manchester United tonight, and with 5 of our central midfield players missing, it’s hard to see how we can much out of the game, but stranger things have happened, and Newcastle need to pick up every point they can from now until the end of the season, if they are to survive.
Jose Enrique talked to the Newcastle Journal this morning about the game tonight:
“I don’t like being in this position, it makes you nervous in training and in games because when you’re in a big team and you lose people keep reminding you of that and it makes it more difficult,”
“I tell my god all the time we want to climb the Premier League. But I think we can win on Wednesday, we need to. The table doesn’t look good”
“We know how difficult this game is because United are maybe the best in Europe – but we need the points.”
Newcastle got a 1-1 draw at Manchester, in the first league game of the season, and remain the only team to have survived defeat in the league at Old Trafford this season.
However, the team and fans then were full of ambition with Keegan managing the side, whereas right now the best we can do is to cling onto our place in the Premier League this season, if we are lucky.
Of course the Red Devils have won two trophies already this season and are in contention for three more. Newcastle have won nothing for 40 years, and it’s 54 years since we won a local trophy.
Jose continued:
“When we started with that draw at Old Trafford, the hopes were high,” “I was thinking we could finish sixth, seventh, eighth – although not the Champions League because it’s so difficult. But it’s so different.”
“I didn’t play but I remember we played a good game. The first game of the season is totally different to one five or six into the season and now United are the best in the league.”
“After their Carling Cup win they’ll be happy so hopefully they’ve been drinking to celebrate for a couple of days! It’ll be difficult to beat them but we have to believe we can. We went to Stamford Bridge this season and got a draw.”
The 23-year-old was also in the team that was beaten 6-0 in January of last year, just after Sam Allardyce was sacked, and Nigel Pearson was in charge, and in the same game last year we were again well beaten 5-1 at St. James’ Park, with Keegan in charge.
In the 6-0 defeat it was 0-0 at half time and Newcastle had played well in the first 45 minutes, so we have no idea how we’ll do tonight, with another weakened side out yet again, due to injuries.
Jose continued:
“We got to the break at 0-0 and the manager (Nigel Pearson) said, ‘Come on, we can do this’,” “Then in the second half they score six.”
“I’d never seen anything like it. I wanted to get away from it, to go back to my hotel room.”
“In the first half we ran ourselves into the ground. That made it a lot easier in the second half for Manchester.”
Newcastle have been linked with left backs for a while now, and yet we never seem to sign one to give Jose some competition, although he has again started to play well, and is even becoming something of a favorite on Tyneside, with his never say die attitude, and 100% commitment.
Jose continued:
“I want to stay here,” “I think I’m playing better now I have more experience. In my last year in Spain I played much better, and I think I can do the same here.”
“I have three-and-a-half years left on my contract and I want to stay. Too many times the reports say I’m leaving – but my aim is to stay and play.”
“I don’t really go to Spain much. When I have two or three spare days I prefer my family to come here. I did the same in Spain, you tend to do a lot of traveling with the football and it can make you tired.”
Anything at all out of the game tonight would be welcome, and we’ll just have to hope the other teams in the relegation zone do poorly, as they did last night.
But at some time, we have to save ourselves by putting in some good and committed performances, and not have to rely on other teams.
Whatever happens tonight, the next game at Hull City will be the most important game of the season, and if we can win that game, we’ll give ourselves a chance to survive.
It’s also been announced that local lad and new number one goalkeeper Steve Harper will captain the side tonight, and that’s good because Steve deserves the honor, after spending 16 years at the club.
Comments welcome.
46 comments so far
SpartanChris
Mar 4, 2009 at 9:52 AM
Comment #1Give the lad time and he’ll be a star. Hopefully in the Premiership.
I reckon we could sneak an upset tonight.
SpartanChris
Mar 4, 2009 at 9:54 AM
Comment #2Aye Chris you’re right and hoefully he’ll be a star for the Toon too.
bennytoon
Mar 4, 2009 at 9:54 AM
Comment #3I agree the table doesnt look good but i think it will look great by 10 oclock tonight.
SpartanChris
Mar 4, 2009 at 9:55 AM
Comment #4What do you reckon the score will be Chris?
SpartanChris
Mar 4, 2009 at 9:55 AM
Comment #5I reckon it will be a 1.1 draw.
SpartanChris
Mar 4, 2009 at 9:58 AM
Comment #6If we’re lucky we may even scrape a 1.0 win.
Kash
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:03 AM
Comment #7“You don’t know what you’re doing, you don’t know what you’re doing!”
Is the chants that will be heard tonight when Hughton puts Shola up top and Ryan Taylor in CM!
bennytoon
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:04 AM
Comment #8kash- surely the best fans in the world realise it would be counter productive to get on hughtons back at this stage of the season.
Kash
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:05 AM
Comment #9I hope we go for a 4-3-3 tonight, as there’s nothing in our midifield to suggest we’ll cause Manure problems.
So play this
Harper
R. Taylor Colo Bassong Enrique
Geremi Smith Jonas
Viduka Martins Carrol
richyg01
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:06 AM
Comment #10Hughton, PLEASE pick a decent team tonight,
ie.
Start Smith and Duke and Martins
Kash
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:06 AM
Comment #11Benny – You are one person who cannot disagree with me that Hughton is turd! I don’t rate him as a coach at all!
Johno Toon
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:07 AM
Comment #12Im afraid we are going to get beat and beat bad tonight, i dont think man utd do hang overs , think it has to be damge limitations from the start tonight as we need to win the weekend. Im so ashamed in myself for not keeping the faith
richyg01
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:08 AM
Comment #13——————Harps
S. Taylor—Colo-Bassong—Enrique
——R.Taylor— Smith— Jonas——
—–Viduka—-Martins—-Carrol—–
Subs
Krul, Geremi, Ameobi, LuaLua, Doninger, Edgar
richyg01
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:10 AM
Comment #14Johno Toon
I cant see any other result but a very heavy defeat, If we play like we did against Bolton, ManU will run Rings around us and pick us to pieces.
One thing for certain, Harps wont be busy tonight, apart from playing ball-boy from the back of the net.
Kash
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:12 AM
Comment #15I wouldn’t mind seeing Donninger get a game either. He’s been in good form for the reserves!
At least results went in our favour last night.
Benny – Will you be back on the blog tomorrow, regardless of how the results go?
Stuart79
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:12 AM
Comment #16The spanish really don’t do understatement do they?
I like him though, think given time he’ll be a good left back for us.
Pity he’ll be sold in the summer
born in shields
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:14 AM
Comment #17Ferguson”I remember when they cuffed us 5-0.They are still selling the video. It was an exciting time for Newcastle then.They had some exciting players-Les Ferdinand,Faustino Asprilla,David Ginola.It is a fantastic football club.Everyone has got that black and white strip on and there is a real football passion. I walked through the town with archie knox once and a news vendorwas shouting “Mickey Quinn has an ankle injury”. The world could havebeen intermoil,with disasters and financial institutions collapsing.They were talking about Mickey Quinn s ankle. that sums up the city.
Whumpie
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:21 AM
Comment #18First up: if anyone heckles the management or the team they deserve to get hoofed out of the ground. I don’t care what these armchair experts think – the team needs support, and that includes the management.
Second: if we play 3 across the middle, the rout will go into double figures. Likewise if we play children – with the added impact of ruining their confidence for the rest of their careers.
It’s time for experience and protecting the defence. I’d go with:
————Harps
S. Taylor – Colo – Bassong – Enrique
R.Taylor – Smith – Geremi – Jonas
——-Viduka – Martins
If we do this, with Caroll ready to come on when Duke’s legs go, we may stand a chance of not getting utterly dry-bummed off the park.
bennytoon
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:22 AM
Comment #19kash- of course. i turned up when you lot be spurs even though i was giving it loads all week.
I expect you to get stuffed and i have a feeling boro will ger a draw with us. hull is your big game and i dont think it would do any harm to rest your better players tonight.
Whumpie
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:22 AM
Comment #20Enrique will not be sold in the summer or any time soon. He’s our only left-back, he’s playing well and improving, and best of all he’s got the attitude we could do with throughout the team right now.
Nobody of any note has ever even hinted that he could be going; it’s all been tabloid speculation and (once) incorrect spin on a typically vague JFK quote.
Macedonia toon
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:26 AM
Comment #21Kash and richyg01 4-3-3 formation it will be suicides for us. I think this formation will be better for us.Strong midfield to keep the ball more, and to block the attack in the midfield.
————————-Harper————————-
—S.Taylor—–Bass—-Colo——–Enrique——-
R.Taylor—Geremi–Smith–Loven—Spiderman
———————-Martin—————————–
Subs:Krul, Lua Lua, Edgar,Ameobi, Viduka, Doninger,Cacapa
Whumpie
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:30 AM
Comment #22Benny – good point about resting players, but I think goal difference may be what decides who gets the drop this year. Better to play a flat back 10 and try to minimise the damage.
Perhaps we could have a whip-round of the other teams to pay Steven Taylor to hobble Ronaldiver? Could pay for a new left-back.
Stuart79
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:30 AM
Comment #23Whumpie
Looks clear that Kinnear deosn’t really rate hit I think.
The team and club get my unswerving support during matches.
I have my opinion on here and I’m entitled to it.
I despise fans who boo individual players ect… It does nothing for the morale!
My opinions never reach the players so we can’t be blamed for their p1ss poor performances!
richyg01
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:30 AM
Comment #24Macedonia Toon,
What is the point of lining up with 5 accross the middle?
In order to get domething tonight we will need to score, and we wont manage that with 1 upfront.
Martins and Duke Upfront
Taylor, Smith, Jonas and Geremi accross Middle
Taylor, Bass, Collo and Enrique at the Back
Harps between the sticks
Krul, LuaLua, Loven, Doninger, Carroll, Edgar on the bench
shearerbliss
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:31 AM
Comment #25The table does not look good fellows but keep the faith we will be a prem team next year. THERE are worst teams then us in this leauge and we will pull it off at the end.
And when we do the board need a serious think of where they are taking this club and fans.
If MA stays he MUST scrap the Dof role and change to youth development dealing ONLY with youth team purchases. Get rid of JK and bring in Steve Bruce. (if he could make Bramble a defender he MUST be a miricle worker)
The manager must have control of all things first team (backroom staff also) and be given a set budget to buy x amount of players and stabilise us over the next few years. At the moment my only wish is to get a manager that 1) can take the pressure of the hotseat and not get to emotional when the fans turn on them
2)Someone the fans respect and give time to (if it is Shearer so be it)
I like many others am tired of the merrygo round of managers and fans turning on the teams after a few defeats. Sometimes I wonder if any fan has accually played the game! Like they have gone seasons with being tired or heaven forbid make a MISTAKE!
Whumpie
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:32 AM
Comment #26Macedonia toon – good thought, but I can’t see any goals out of it. Moot point tonight, perhaps? The problem with my idea is that Viduka is in there and he hasn’t got the legs for tracking back – unlike Loverboy. On the other hand, he’s our best chance of actually keeping the ball for more than three seconds.
richyg01
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:34 AM
Comment #27ShearerBliss…
You are on the right lines, I dont agree with Bruce for manager though.
Yes there are teams worse than us and 3 of them lost last night!
Get tonight over and crack on from there, think our only hope tonight will be to limit the number of goals they score.
bennytoon
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:37 AM
Comment #28I dont know wether i would continue coming on here if you were relegated. I would probably join a boro or sunderland blog. So the team are playing for my future participation on this blog. come on the toon.
Macedonia toon
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:37 AM
Comment #29richyg01 ,
4-4-2 formation maybe will be better, its between mine opinion and your first, but I will put Loven instead of Viduka
Geordiedoonsooth
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:41 AM
Comment #30I think some of you lot have been smoking dope. We’ll be lucky to keep the score under 6 tonight.
We should forget this game & the Chelsea games & concentrate on getting 12 points out of the rest
Whumpie
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:41 AM
Comment #31shearerbliss – you left out one bit in the grand plan: re-instate the entire player conditioning staff and regime that Allerdyce put in. Did nobody else notice the amazing impact that had on our injury list?
Stuart79
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:41 AM
Comment #32richyg01 // Mar 4, 2009 at 10:34 AM
Get tonight over and crack on from there, think our only hope tonight will be to limit the number of goals they score.
Yeah then we only have Arsenal and Chelsea in our next two home games!
hitman
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:42 AM
Comment #33if haughton and jfk play shola the neet we will have no chance.
Spitfire
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:42 AM
Comment #34I ‘m fed up reading these “ We can do it against Man U” statements. Where are people – players and fans- getting this notion from ? There is no evidence to base this on. Only random hope.We can’t score goals, we have no midfield and we are at best patchy in defence. The only way we will possibly get a point is if we get a goaless draw. The only way we will do that is if we hoof the ball into touch at every given opportunity for the full 90 minutes, do not give away any free kicks within 30 yards of the box do not give away any or corners, and break up Man U’s play by a series of small niggling fouls in the centre of the pitch on a rotational basis ( different players different fouls) ( you know the way Arsenal and Manu and Liverpool have done for years and got away with it). Unfortunately we do not have the players bright enough – or a management team come to think of it – to implement these sort of tactics. So we will get spanked. Our only hope is that Man U players keep falling down clutching their stomachs in pain because they are pi$$ing themselves laughing at us so much.
Johno Toon
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:42 AM
Comment #35Just to keep bennytoon on this blog we need to stay up! never mind to finicial impact or anything else we need to keep bennytoon here 🙂
Stuart79
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:45 AM
Comment #36Hitman
Agreed, it will show the management up for what they really are if Shola plays tonight!
Spitfire
Slightly negative blog.
99 times out 100 Man U would win so there is a chance for us at least. Small one mind!
Waldo P. Barnstormer
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:46 AM
Comment #37Martins can not play up front on his own Mace. that would have to be Viduka and use McLovin’s pace to be able to link up with him. But I think 4-4-2 is the only formation these guys know as at first when I saw the team I thought they had the kahuna’s to try 4-3-3 against a team we needed to at least try to beat and not just in the last 10 mins when we went and actually tried to salvage something.
Tonight the performance is more important than th result SHOW ME SOME FIGHT LADS.
Hull needs to be 4-4-3
Harper
STaylor
Coloccini
Bassong
Enrique
Geremi
Guthrie/RTaylor right side if selected
Gutierrez
McLovin
Mark Viduka
Martins
Krul Xisco Edgar Carrol Smith Cacapa Guthrie/RTaylor
And as for Enrique being sold not gonna happen as he is developing into a good LB and will be one of the best in the league hopefully by the end of next season.
shearerbliss
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:48 AM
Comment #38I am not the greatest SB fan but I feel he is the man MA would need under the boards spending polciy. He would buy physical players, and flare players to complement the big front man. It has worked for SB in years. When you think about SB biggest purchase being Charles says alot and would work well in this financial crisis.
There are a few managers out there that can produce a TEAM with such small budgets! I feel that SB if given a chance at a big club would get them into the top 4 within 3 seasons given a CHANCE by the fans!
If there is a remit to bring thro youngsters I would go the Dutch route.
I wish they had given Big Sam a chance I feel as fans we will eventually pay for hounding out good managers. Remember WE should not that aggrogant when it comes to NUFC thinking we (fans) know better than the manager, and if things go against us demanding for a change.
There is a canny fact that the teams which have stuck by there managers during the hard times have proven that they will be stronger in this postion then us.
We have had some fantastic managers in the past 10 years that could make a sucsess in many clubs until they come over the watchful eye of our fans, that know so much about football but have not won ANYTHING major in 40 years!
Sometimes I wonder how long would the likes of Martin Onell and David Moyes would have lasted, either thro us hounding them out or just tired of the complaints of fans that havent known winning in 4 decades!
LAUGHING STOCKS!
Kash
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:49 AM
Comment #39So i’m being griefed for suggesting that 4-3-3 is our best formation?!
Playing with 4 across the midfield showed that were incapable of keeping the football away from Everton and Bolton, so how the hell do you think it will be against Manure? Think about it Whumpie and Macedonia.
Something which is common in all walks of like, “PLAY TO YOUR STRENGTHS!”
Our strength lies in attack, our midfield is weak! The midfield can’t string more that 4 passes together, so go top heavy and try and play for a win! That way, we may nick a draw!
Johno Toon
Mar 4, 2009 at 10:51 AM
Comment #40Agree with shearer bliss my top 2 choices for new manager would be bruce or jol