Chris Hughton will manage his very first game in the Premier league tonight as Newcastle’s permanent manager as he sends in the troops against the great Manchester United and Alex Ferguson.
Sir Alex Ferguson – tough test tonight for Newcastle United
This is the last game of round one of the Premier League with Liverpool and Arsenal having played a 1-1 draw yesterday at Anfield and rest of the clubs playing their games on Saturday.
The delay has given both clubs a little bit of extra time following Wednesday’s internationals, and surprisingly, manager Chris Hughton believes facing Sir Alex Ferguson’s team should, if anything relax his team.
This is what Chris told the Newcastle Journal today:
“It’s a game nobody really expects us to win and most people don’t expect us to get anything out of,” “We’ve got to give a good impression of ourselves.”
“If you go there with too much fear the result becomes inevitable, but you can’t be too expansive or they will pick us off. If we sit back too much they will have too much time on the ball.”
“Our season won’t be based on a result on Monday, it will be based on a tough 38-game season,” “It’s important nobody gets carried away either way with the result. We’re realistic at our end that it’s going to be a tough season with highs and lows.”
“You’ve just got to make sure you get through the lows. How we play in this match is not the be-all and end-all. Once you start getting five games in, it’s how many points you’ve picked up then.”
One of Chris Hughton’s great strengths as a manager is that he is realistic and down to earth, and is also a very good coach, which he has proved over the last 15 years or so, and he seems to just live and love the game of football.
He will have the lads ready for tonight’s game, no doubt about that, but how long we can maintain parity tonight with one of the best club teams in the world is anybody’s guess, but we are quietly confident the Newcastle club can have a decent season back with the big boys.
It all depends on the spirit the lads show tonight, and it will be a big lift for Newcastle fans, if they show the fight and determination that got the club so easily promoted last season out of the Championship.
Howay The Lads!!
Comments welcome.
14 comments so far
NUFC_Richyg01
Aug 16, 2010 at 10:24 AM
Comment #1Most definately, and if we did spring a suprise tonight then that sets us up well for the season.
I think Manure would be unhappy with anything less than a win and we would be extatic with anythin more than a loss.
HWTL!
Will Ben Arfa be in the stands?
Ericles
Aug 16, 2010 at 10:30 AM
Comment #2It is because we are not expected to win this game that we must go out and try. The pundits will do us down, many in the street will give us no chance, sports commentators (including Sky tonight) will decry us, and the mackems will scoff. It can be done with grit and perseverence.
It can be done with team work and determination. Man Utd are not gods they are just men, just like our own players. If we take the game to them and refused to be overawed we can upset them, and we can beat them. A draw will be good but somehow I do not think they will trash us. I want on Tuesday all those doubters to eat their vain and arrogant words. Howay the lads – what say you?
Teamstoof
Aug 16, 2010 at 10:30 AM
Comment #3Finally the day has come! Hoaway the lads!
henok ethiopian toon
Aug 16, 2010 at 10:42 AM
Comment #46 games …lol…here is my pridiction of ur next 6 games
Man Utd 2-0 Newcastle
Newcastle 0-1 Aston Villa
Accrington Stanley 0-1Newcastle
Wolverhampton 0-0Newcastle,
Newcastle 0-0 Blackpool
Everton 3-0 Newcastle
Newcastle 0-0 Stoke
so u will probably get 2 point
we should have hired Erickson when we got promoted
MacToon
Aug 16, 2010 at 10:44 AM
Comment #5Well the bookies certainly don’t expect us to win.
I hope it’s a good competitive game and we do ok. In a way you want Ashley to reaslise we need more players but at the same time we don’t want a lesson from the mancs!
jasonbourne
Aug 16, 2010 at 10:51 AM
Comment #6Man United ten last season opener.
8 home games and 2 away
7 wins; 2 draws and 1 defeat
19 goals scored and 5 conceded
The results:
2009 – home – Birmingham – 1-0
2008 – home – Newcastle – 1-1
2007 – home – Reading- 0-0
2006 – home – Fulham – 5-1
2005 – away – Everton – 2-0
2004 – away – Chelsea – 0-1
2003 – home – Bolton – 4-0
2002 – home – West Brom – 1-0
2001 – home – Fulham – 3-2
2000 – home – Newcastle – 2-0
In other words, it doesn’t look to good.
marshy
Aug 16, 2010 at 10:52 AM
Comment #7man u will want to do to us as chelsea did to WBA or better[or worse for us]so i’m afraid I can only see a hammering.
TheMightyOne
Aug 16, 2010 at 10:52 AM
Comment #8Henok you certainly are a optomistic one aren’t you?
btw that would get us 3 points and 3rd round carling game
I could see tonight MAYBE a draw
we can beat villa
wolves draw
Blackpool and stoke wins
and we will probs get beat off everton but have some hope man!
geordielad880
Aug 16, 2010 at 11:03 AM
Comment #9I would personally go for tonight:-
————————-harper
r.taylor—-collocini———-williamson—enrique
barton———guthrie———nolan——–jonas
—————–routledge
———————————carroll
But its pretty much certain hughton will go 4-5-1 with nolan off carroll, like he did in the rangers game, we created so little against them, cant see it improving against man utd, we played to many long balls from the back against rangers, especially second half, if your going to get the best from carroll we need to get down the wings and get crosses in, which is why i would play ryan taylor instead of perch, he is better at dead balls, and crossing, and i think set pieces etc will be our best chance of sneaking a goal
geordielad880
Aug 16, 2010 at 11:04 AM
Comment #10I would like to see newcastle be physical with man utd tonight, i think hughton might put jonas on the bench tonight, as he has been going on about his summer break and saying he is slightly behind the rest of the squad, i hope he doesnt play guthrie on the left wing 🙁
sweendog
Aug 16, 2010 at 11:23 AM
Comment #11henok ethiopian toon .. you’re very optimistic on that performance we’d be rock botton .. here my prediction
games …lol…here is my pridiction of ur next 6 games
Man Utd 2-0 Newcastle
Newcastle 2-0 Aston Villa
Accrington Stanley 0-1Newcastle
Wolverhampton 0-1 Newcastle,
Newcastle 2-0 Blackpool
Everton 1-1 Newcastle
Newcastle 1-0 Stoke
just to the bookies mate 🙂
geordielad880
Aug 16, 2010 at 11:26 AM
Comment #12I would go for:-
man utd 2-0 newcastle
newcastle 1-2 villa
accrington 0-3 newcastle
wolves 1-1 newcastle
newcastle 2-0 blackpool
everton 2-1 newcastle
newcastle 1-0 stoke
sweendog
Aug 16, 2010 at 11:26 AM
Comment #13meant to say.
henok ethiopian toon .. you’re very optimistic on that performance we’d be rock botton .. here my prediction
games …lol…here is my prediction for our next 6 games
Man Utd 2-0 Newcastle
Newcastle 2-0 Aston Villa – Arfa to score and Carrol
Accrington Stanley 0-1 Newcastle
Wolverhampton 0-1 Newcastle, -Mervut Erding to score 🙂
Newcastle 2-0 Blackpool — andy carrol to get 2 ..
Everton 1-1 Newcastle — Guthrie to score
Newcastle 1-0 Stoke – Arfa to score
get to the bookies mate 🙂
Born Again Geordie
Aug 16, 2010 at 12:52 PM
Comment #14I have a good feeling for a draw on this one, i know manure whooped chelski last week but its just a gut feeling !