Barclays Premiership - Match 29

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Season 2008-2009

HULL CITY

 v

NEWCASTLE UNITED
  Date: Sunday 15th March 2009
  Venue: KC Stadium
  Kick Off: 2:00am (AEST), 1:30am (SA), 1:00am (OLD), 12:00am (WA)
  Referee: Howard Webb (Yorkshire)
  Australian Live TV: Foxsports 2 viewers choice
  Internet Live TV Coverage: Check on-line closer to kick off
  Weather Forecast: 11c
 

 
  Betting:
  Brought to you in association with
 
Hull win Draw Newcastle win
$2.63 $3.13 $2.70
   
  Squads:
  Hull - Duke, Ricketts, Gardner, Turner, Dawson, Mendy, Zayatte, Ashbee, Kilbane, Geovanni, Fagan, Cousin, Garcia, Barmby, Halmosi, Folan, Doyle, Hughes, France, Manucho, Myhill

Newcastle - Harper, Forster, Krul, S. Taylor, Bassong, Coloccini, Enrique, Edgar, Cacapa, Butt, Duff, R. Taylor, Gutierrez, Lovenkrands, Geremi, Donaldson, Ameobi, Smith, Martins, Owen, Carroll
   
  Pre-game comments:
  Hull City boss Phil Brown:
"There is a lot of fighting talk coming out of Newcastle and it is interesting to hear that. If they had that fighting talk all season they wouldn't be in the position they are in.

As far as I am concerned, bring your fighting talk to the table at three o'clock and we'll get it on."

Newcastle caretaker manager Chris Hughton:
"Michael (Owen), Nicky (Butt) and Damien (Duff) are all in the squad but we haven't decided what part they play."

Of 10-goal top marksmen Owen, Hughton added: "It's a massive bonus to have him back.

He's had a good week-and-a-half training and has trained very well.  We will wait until nearer the game before deciding if he starts or not.  But it's important that he stays fit because he will be a huge player for us this season.

Not only is he the club captain, he's a terrific character and is very popular around the place - it's a big lift to have him back."

Newcastle Argentinean winger Jonas Gutierrez said:
"I have been in relegation battles before with Real Mallorca in my first two seasons, we stayed up in both of those years before finishing seventh in my last season.

But now, with Newcastle, I don't mind where we finish as long as we stay in the Premier League.

I believe we have the quality to do that and I am confident we will avoid relegation. It is simple - we need to win games and get as many points as possible.

Hull is very, very important. A win would take us up the table and would be very good for confidence."
 
  Match Stats:
 
 @ KC Stadium & Boothferry Park
 All Time: Hull 1 wins Newcastle 2 wins Draws 1
 Premier League Only: Hull 0 wins Newcastle 0 wins Draws 0
   
  Form - Last 5 games
 
 Newcastle United
PREM L 1-2 Manchester United
PREM L 0-2 Bolton Wanderers
PREM D 0-0 Everton
PREM W 3-2 West Brom
PREM D 1-1 sunderland
 
 Hull City
PREM L 0-1 Fulham
PREM L 1-2 Blackburn Rovers
FAC5R W 2-1 Sheffield United
PREM L 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur
FAC5 D 1-1 Sheffield United
   
 

Match Preview:
  Newcastle United take on Hull City this Saturday, as the Magpies travel down to Humberside for a vital relegation six-pointer at the KC Stadium.

The Geordie's have dropped down to 17th place, level on points with third bottom Portsmouth, after Blackburn won at Fulham in midweek and Hull sit in 14th place four points ahead.

Hull and Newcastle have met each other three times already this season, and Newcastle are yet to register a victory after the Tigers knocked them out of the FA Cup after a replay and won the reserve fixtures in the league.

A 10 day break because of the FA Cup has meant Newcastle are able to welcome back Nicky Butt, Damien Duff and Michael Owen to the match day squad.  Their participation in the match has not yet been guaranteed by interim caretaker manager Chris Hughton, however, if 100% fit both Butt and Owen should start.

Despite his injuries Owen is still Newcastle's top goalscorer this season with 10 goals, and his goals could make the difference in the run in to the end of the season.  If Owen is to leave Newcastle at the end of the season, which one would have to assume he is, then his performances from now till May could go some way in finally repaying the faith the Toon Army has shown in him.

Back in September when Newcastle last played Hull in the league, the match at St James' Park was played to a back drop of anger and protest following the departure of Kevin Keegan.  In that match report I said the rift between fans and board now seeded so deep that it would appear to be irreparable.

In my opinion nothing has happened since then to change that.  The level of fans anger may have turned to frustration with fans still not trusting the board or fully understand their plans for the club. Also the fans don't have much faith in the playing squad and we still do not have a permanent manager.

So Newcastle United in a relegation battle, where did it all go wrong?

Not for one second do I think we are too big or too good (not if you've watched us anytime this season!) to go down, but how have we so quickly gone from a European side to possibly a Championship side?

Questions have to be asked about every single person at the club, whether that is the owner, the chairmen, the manager or the players.  Not one of them has been good enough so far this season, and they have 10 games to put that right.

Therefore, starting with this game at Hull, Newcastle United need to step up and put in the kind of performances that will get us enough points to stay in the Premiership.

The performance against Man United showed some heart and promise, but it did raise the question about where that level of performance has been all season.

We now need points not performances and defeat against Hull City will not relegate us, but it will make our task even harder.  Something we could do without...
 
HOWAY THE LADS!!!

 By Row 'S' Army
 
  Did you know?
- Hull City now have the weakest home record in the highest league, while Newcastle United have managed just one goal a game on their top-flight travels.