| Barclays Premiership - Match 28 |
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Season 2008-2009 |
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NEWCASTLE UNITED |
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MANCHESTER UNITED |
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| Date: | Thursday 5th March 2009 | ||
| Venue: | St James' Park | ||
| Kick Off: | 6:45am (AEST), 6:15 (SA), 5:45 (OLD), 4:45am (WA) | ||
| Referee: | Steve Bennett (Orpington, Kent) | ||
| Australian Live TV: | Foxsports 2 | ||
| Internet Live TV Coverage: | Check on-line closer to kick off | ||
| Weather Forecast: |
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5c | |
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| Squad: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Yet to be announced. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Newcastle's Chris Hughton
"The club have made the decision to keep consistency - that hasn’t changed. We (himself and Calderwood) are looking after the team. We’re on the back of a disappointing result and we’ve been picking the players up, going through what we are need to and preparing for the game. The fact that the game is at St James’s gives us more of an opportunity. They’ve got the best squad I’ve seen so far. Looking at the ones they left out (on Sunday) shows what options they have. There is no team that's too good to go down. What we have got to make sure we do is have enough character and enough strength, that we can get the better players on the park at the right times and show enough to get us away from that group down at the bottom. It just so happens that our next fixture is a very difficult fixture, but it is not just about Manchester United, it's the series of games we have after that and making sure we get enough points from those games to stay in this division." About confirming Steve Harper's as Captain "This is a game when you need men on the football pitch and when the call is for that you need a leader and Steve Harper is certainly that. Nicky Butt has served us well in that position, as has Michael Owen before that. I think everybody here will be delighted for Steve Harper and certainly he's the right man for the job." Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson "We'll not be falling into any traps. March and April are the key months that will decide the league. I keep saying it, but no one listens. We have lost leads because of bad form in March and April; we have won them by going on fantastic runs. How can we possibly take anything lightly?" |
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| Form - Last 5 games | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Match Preview: |
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Manchester United travel across the Pennines to face Newcastle United in a televised midweek match at St James’ Park. The second placed Red Devils, who have been trailing the top of the table Magpies for most of the season, are desperate to close the big gap that has opened up between the two sides and this game will have a massive bearing on the outcome of the Premiership title. Newcastle United is unbeaten at home this season, winning all but one game at their North East fortress, and that have been reflected by the bookies, which have installed the home side as favourites. Newcastle will hand a debut to English international David Batty, who they recently signed from Blackburn Rovers for £3.7m. Manager Kevin Keegan has expressed his delight at signing defensive midfielder Batty, who he hopes will be the final piece in the jigsaw of his attacking ‘Entertainers’ side. Former Magpie Andy Cole is expected to make his first appearance back at St James’ Park following his controversial transfer to Man United last season, meaning manager Alex Ferguson will keep faith with his £8m flop by again partnering him upfront with Frenchman Eric Cantona. Well that is what I would have been writing this week if Aussie Mags existed 13 years ago, sadly however it is not 1996, and since then one team has maintained its dominance of the Premiership, while the other team has fallen by the wayside, and is in extreme danger of oblivion. For the record, here are the details of that match on the 4th March 1996. Newcastle United 0-1 Manchester United Goals: Eric Cantona Attendance: 36,584 Teams: NUFC - Pavel Srnicek, Warren Barton, John Beresford, Steve Howey, Philippe Albert, Robert Lee, David Batty, Tino Asprilla, Peter Beardsley, Les Ferdinand MUFC - Peter Schmeichel, Dennis Irwin, Phil Neville, Steve Bruce, Gary Neville, Lee Sharpe, Nicky Butt, Roy Keane, Eric Cantona, Andy Cole, Ryan Giggs Fast forward to 2009 then, and Newcastle United are far from favourites, and it is Manchester United who have opened up a gap at the top of the Premiership table. In last season’s corresponding game it was the Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo show that blew away Newcastle in a 1-5 mauling, and everything points to a similar fate for the home side this year. The Geordies are desperate for some form, defeat away to Bolton last weekend meant they have now only won one of their last eleven league and cup games, therefore a match against this season’s FA Community Shield, World Club Cup and Carling Cup winners, and current league leaders is hardly what they need. In stark contract, Manchester United has won all but one of the last 13 in all competitions, and has not conceded a league goal on the road in 672 minutes (11 hours 12 minutes) of Premier League football since Samir Nasri scored Arsenal's second in the Gunners' home victory on 8th November. Therefore, what can Newcastle do to stop Manchester United? In all honestly, not a lot! As the midfield is decimated with injuries (missing are Nicky Butt, Joey Barton, Danny Guthrie, Kevin Nolan and Damien Duff) the Magpies are left paper thin in the middle of park and that fact will no doubt be exposed by Man United's great passing game. In addition, strikers Michael Owen and Xisco, full back Habib Beye, and forgotten man Nacho Gonzalez will all be unavailable for caretaker interim boss Chris Hughton. So with pessimism and fear at all time high among the Toon Army, the advice is simple. Watch the game through your fingers from behind the sofa, holding your lucky rabbit’s foot, and if things get too painful, put on your copy of ‘Howay 5-0’ and relax. |
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HOWAY THE LADS!!! By Row 'S' Army |
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Did you know? - Newcastle United have conceded more goals (64) and dropped more points (74) against Manchester United, than against any other club in the Premier League. |
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