Kevin Nolan has come out today in the Evening Chronicle and said that whoever plays tomorrow in the 4th round of the FA Cup at The Hawthorns we’ll have a team fielded that can win the tie.
This is the real Kevin Nolan 😀
Kevin told the Evening Chronicle today:
“The lads want to play – it doesn’t matter if it’s the cup or the league. All the lads want to be playing on a Saturday.”
“It’s definitely up to Chris Hughton who does and who doesn’t. He’s been fantastic with me over the last week.”
“The only reason I didn’t travel to Plymouth was because the wife was due, and we’ve now had a baby son.”
“I think he’ll be taking the strongest side down, and maybe put a few lads in who haven’t played much this season, but who knows?”
“He’s the gaffer, and we’ll listen to what he wants to do.”
Certainly the game last Monday night at St. James’ Park was just an excellent advertisement for the Championship with two of the top teams in the league attacking each other at every single opportunity.
We really thought that on the night if any team should have won, then WBA were probably that team, although both sides played so aggressively and with such courage, it would have been a pity if either team had lost – unless that team was WBA, of course. 😀
Kevin is expecting a similar kind of game tomorrow afternoon at the Hawthorns, as he continued:
“It’ll be a great tie, and fantastic for the FA Cup.”
“Monday’s game was fantastic for the Championship, though the result was probably better for everyone else.”
“It was a good game – the two sides were going for it – and it wasn’t a chess game. It could have been 5-5.”
With Manchester United and Liverpool already out of this year’s competition, maybe there is a chance that Newcastle can do well this year, for a change, but we’ll see what happens tomorrow, and not get too far ahead of ourselves.
And Nolan believes there will be even more shocks tomorrow, as the FA Cup always seems to dish up the surprises every single year, which is why it such a great and very famous competition.
Kevin continued:
“It’s a big game, and a big ask.” “We’ve got a lot of games coming up.”
“Obviously, Chris will decide what he wants to do, and whether he wants to go for the cup.”
“He and Colin have run it perfectly this year, and they’ll do what’s right for the football club.”
A win tomorrow would be great, a defeat wouldn’t be a killer, since we should be concentrating on getting promoted, but a draw is maybe the last result we want.
Captain Smith having a word with manager Hughton today
The Newcastle side already have 7 games to play in February, without any FA Cup games.
But success has its own problems, and we hope we can pot up a great show tomorrow afternoon and win the game, but then be extra ready to beat Crystal Palace on Wednesday night.
Its 3 draws on the trot in the league, and that’s not going to be good enough this season – wins are what we need to take us up at our first attempt.
Howay The Lads!!
Comments welcome.
19 comments so far
Whumpie
Jan 22, 2010 at 3:20 PM
Comment #1I know the league is more important… but it’s the CUP! Can’t help but want to do well.
Here’s a killer question, just for a laugh: if you were offered winning the FA Cup but staying down for another year, would you take it?
I think I would. I’m middle-aged, and I’ve never seen serious silverware with black and white on it.
And last year, 3 of the 4 teams in the final were fizzy-league ones, so it’s far from impossible.
I know – bit of a dream, and a huge risk to do anything but play a 2nd string, but it’s the FA Cup….
Whumpie
Jan 22, 2010 at 3:27 PM
Comment #2C’maaan – it’s Friday afternoon, and I’m doing a 50-point risk register. Surely someone’s up for a bit of footie-banter on this??
Thump
Jan 22, 2010 at 3:30 PM
Comment #3@Whumpie: That’s a sod of a question, but yes I would. It’d be a victory for football to see a team not only out of the big four but not even in the same league to win such a huge trophy.
…even better to win both the cup AND the league, though! 😀
Edd Case
Jan 22, 2010 at 3:37 PM
Comment #4Nobby Solano has signed for Leicester…!
That’s a strange one…wish him well though.
King Bob the first
Jan 22, 2010 at 3:37 PM
Comment #5with Liverpool and Man U out I think we should be going for it
Thump
Jan 22, 2010 at 3:42 PM
Comment #6Shame about Nobby, like. Would have loved to have seen him back in Toon in some way, but all the luck to him. Let’s just hope he doesn’t do too good of a job when they come around to our neck of the woods!
seb
Jan 22, 2010 at 3:42 PM
Comment #7good to have you back Ed 🙂
Thump
Jan 22, 2010 at 4:01 PM
Comment #8…or rather when we go to their neck of the woods.
stevep
Jan 22, 2010 at 4:30 PM
Comment #9We aren’t going to win the F.A cup, Villa, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs are still in it for a start, however we should be able to beat West Brom tomorrow and get through to next round
West Brom are concentrating on promotion as well and are expecting to rest some players for ttomorrows game
tdt
Jan 22, 2010 at 4:44 PM
Comment #10Has williamson finslised his deal yet? I heard he had agreed terms and was coming 4 a medical 2day. Now, if we get him, what a shroud piece of business that will b by the toon, cud have got him for £2-3million 5 months ago but will b gettin him now for £1million! It would be nice to see us finally showing some business acumen.
She about nobby, would have been useful, however he would have restricted the younger players from getting any playing time.
I still believe the league is the priority, although the cup win would be special! Hypothetically, I suppose, I would take a cup win in may, as long as we had reassurances that we would retain the squad for the subsequent season! Anyway I think we will win the league, but I am not sure how far we will go in the cup, depends on the draw. So long as we can avoid arsenal, chelsea, man c, villa and eberton we can go all the way. Only time will tell, but the key will be 2 take every game as it comes, stay focused on the next fixture and beat the next opponent, that’s the best mentality and will build momentum in the long-run.
2-0 to the toon Tomorrow I think, or hope?
giimps
Jan 22, 2010 at 4:53 PM
Comment #11Personally, I would rather win the league than the cup, as much as I agree about the possibility of silverware being there, I would have to say promotion is the absolute minimum this season.
If we came second in the league, and got to the final……….that would be good.
Already promoted and a trip to the Smoke for a final, almost worth getting relegated for (Kidding)……..
Thump
Jan 22, 2010 at 5:06 PM
Comment #12Nobody is saying were going to win the cup, Steve, we’re just speculating.
G
Jan 22, 2010 at 5:46 PM
Comment #13As much as I would like to see us win a cup, if it’s a straight choice between silver or promotion, then its a no brainer for me. Agreed that it would be nice, but not at the expense of a fixture pile up.
Toonmania
Jan 22, 2010 at 7:09 PM
Comment #14would rather we got promoted, if we ended up staying in this league for another season ashley would probably end up staying, he would cut the wage bill by half again so we would lose most of our valuable players like smith, nolan and taylor then we wouldn’t get back up for years 🙁
Mac
Jan 22, 2010 at 7:19 PM
Comment #15Looks like the Williamson deal has hit a snag. Some one at Pompey didn’t read the small print.
tdt
Jan 22, 2010 at 7:44 PM
Comment #16Probably HMRC saying the want the money directly from us and Pompey saying no thanks to that! I also thought Pompey had a transfer embargo??
Toonmania
Jan 22, 2010 at 8:08 PM
Comment #17looks like because pompey would still owe money outstanding to watford the deal has been put on hold.
Big Dave
Jan 22, 2010 at 10:48 PM
Comment #18tdt I thought there was an embargo too, so presumably its lifted or maybe that is the hold up
Ericles
Jan 23, 2010 at 7:56 AM
Comment #19I would accept another year in the championship just to see black and white ribbons on the FA cup in May. Promotion is important – we need the strongest side each match to ensure promotion. The same goes for the cup. We need the strongest possible team today – sending out a weaker or experimental eleven should not be on the agenda. We are in both competitions, we should respect both competitions, and we must try and win both. What clown let Nobby slip through our fingers? Who did their homework on Kilgallon, Beckford (did not want either) and now Williamson. Pleased about Simpson though.
Howay the lads – we can beat West Brom and they know it. It showed the way they had to go at us last Monday.