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Season 2009/20010 - Match 5

NEWCASTLE UNITED

1 v 0

LEICESTER CITY

Post Match Comments:
Newcastle caretaker manger Chris Hughton said:
"It speaks volumes for the 11 players that were on the park, it speaks volumes for a very young bench that we were able to give them some of them an experience of first-team football. Nile Ranger will get better as each game goes by. When you look at the bench that was the youngest bench that I've had since I have been here and the result is a testament to all of them.

What I did believe was that this group of lads could show a real desire to want to do well, and I never felt it would be through lack of effort. What we didn't know was the division and what we would be up against on a game-by-game basis. I never felt they would show any less than they have shown; whether that would be enough to get us the amount of points we have got, I didn't know.

At times we had to dig in, at times it wasn’t so pretty and at times we weren’t able to play the way we wanted to against a very good Championship side that can mix up their game. I think, for as much as we would have liked to have scored more goals, keeping a clean sheet was certainly as important. 

We’ll take a few more. You always want to win the game, and you want to win the game well, and in a certain style, but that’s not always possible. The most important thing is winning games, and if we’re keeping clean sheets, it gives us a chance.

We know of Steven Taylor’s quality and we’re absolutely delighted with Danny Simpson. He’s a lad that came in as a right-back. I asked him the question before the Huddersfield game about playing centre-half. “He’s a lad who has played there, but certainly not very often. 

I thought he was excellent that night, and again against Leicester. He’s not a big lad, but he’s got a good leap on him. You’re either a big, physical strong one like Howard, who wins perhaps the majority of high balls, because that’s his strength, or you’re somebody like Danny, who is about spring and elevation.

We're still assessing Shola, but it's not going to be a two or three-week job – it's certainly going to be longer than that. It's a big blow for us because of how he started the season, and what a big player he is for us. We're certainly very disappointed to lose him at this stage.

Jonas will certainly not be involved in the national team. As far as a timescale, you're always a bit reluctant to have one, because you'd like to think you can bring them back before, but at the time he did it, we were looking at three weeks."

Leicester City boss Nigel Pearson:
"We could have got something from the game if we had taken our chances. Apart from the fact that we didn’t take our chances, it wasn’t bad in the first half. It was a match that we looked forward to and expected to get something out of. We thought it was a game we could come and win.

I don’t think there was a lot in the game but the goal we conceded wasn’t good from our point of view. It wasn’t a brilliant game and both sides turned the ball over too many times, but I don’t think the conditions contributed to that.

We have had a relatively decent start. Last night was disappointing, but you have to put it into perspective. We will debrief on the game and then get on with the task of preparing for the next one."

Danny Guthrie makes it two goals in two games.

AUSSIE MAGS By Row 'S' Army