UEFA Cup Round of 16 - 1st Leg

Season 2006-2007

NEWCASTLE UNITED

v

AZ ALKMAAR

Date:	Friday 9th March 2007
Venue:	St James' Park
Kick Off:	6:30am (AEST)
Australian Live TV:	None (Please Note: For all you boys back home in blighty, Channel 5 will provide live TV coverage)
Internet Live TV Coverage:	TBC, check http://www.football4less.com closer to kick off
Weather Forecast:		3c

Squad:
Given, Harper, Carr, Solano, Edgar, Taylor, Bramble, Huntington, Butt, Parker, Milner, Duff, Emre, Pattison, Troisi, Martins, Dyer, Sibierski, Luque, Carroll, LuaLua
Team News:
Brought to you in association with
- Michael Owen (knee) is in the final stage of his rehabilitation and is back in training. - Shola Ameobi (hip) is probably out for the season after his hip operation. - Olivier Bernard (hip) did make his comeback for the reserves but has since fallen off the radar. - Tim Krul (knee) is expected back in training a week or two. - Craig Moore (hamstring) is back in training but is a week or so away from full fitness. - Peter Ramage (hamstring) is out for another week. - Celestine Babayaro (hamstring) was expected back in training but is out. - Oguchi Onyewu is ineligible for our UEFA Cup games. - Stephen Carr (thigh) is back in the squad and has a chance of playing. - Emre (groin) is back in training and has a chance of returning.
Glenn Roeder’s Pre-match comments:
"I'm delighted to have Stephen Carr and Emre back in the squad, whether they start the game or not. Emre is a big player. He's played in the Champions League and for Turkey too - that will count for a lot. It's the same with Stephen. He's played a lot of European football and it's nice to start getting the senior players back."
My thoughts:
We now enter the business end of the UEFA Cup, so it’s time for the talking to stop, as our season rides on this game. A poor performance would see our season fizzle out into yet more trophyless gloom. For this correspondent all the talk about Glasgow in May and having to enter ticket ballots for the final has without doubt, put a jinx on any cup glory. After years of being a pessimistic bastard when it comes to the Toon, I feel silly for letting myself dream this year. For god’s sake, after travelling to Holland & France for the UEFA Cup quarter and semi-finals back in 2004, I hadn’t even mentioned or planned any trip to the final that year. Why do I think this year will be any different? So what team will Glenn Roeder start with then? Well one thing is for certain there will have to be a reshuffle at the back as Oguchi Onyewu is ineligible. You would have to presume Steven Taylor will move to centre-back and that Nobby Solano stays at right back, so that leaves Roeder with the choice of Paul Huntington or Stephen Carr at left back. Carr did make a come back earlier in the year at left back and was awful, so that must be taking into considering. Damien Duff returns from the virus that kept him out at the weekend but the big question is whether Roeder chooses to start Emre in the midfield. He is without doubt our most talented midfielder but he has also been out for a long time and will naturally be very rusty. With this being such a big game, is it a risk worth taking? Only time will tell on that one. AZ is a quality side, who may not be filled with many household names, but manager Louis van Gaal has his side very well organised and they play some good football. This certainly marks a step up in class for us in the competition. How we respond to this challenge will be a big test of character for our side and Roeder himself. As far as our team is concerned, a second clean sheet in row at home would be a moral victory, in the context of the tie and gives us a boast but a return to goal scoring form of our strike force (Martins in particular) is imperative. We can’t afford to waste opportunities or will be punished a lot more than we were by Middlesbrough. One thing is for sure, you just never know with Newcastle United. Keep the faith everyone.
HOWAY THE LADS!!!
Did you know? - In all comps this season, AZ Alkmaar has only lost three matches, away to FC Twente and Feynoord and at home to PSV Eindhoven.