| Barclays Premiership - Match 32 |
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Season 2008-2009 |
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STOKE CITY |
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NEWCASTLE UNITED |
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| Date: | Sunday 12th April 2009 | ||
| Venue: | Britannia Stadium | ||
| Kick Off: | 12:00am (AEST), 11:30pm (SA), 10:00pm (WA) | ||
| Referee: | Chris Foy (St Helens, Merseyside) | ||
| Australian Live TV: | Foxsports 3 | ||
| Internet Live TV Coverage: | Check www.justin.tv to kick off | ||
| Weather Forecast: |
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12c | |
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| Yet to be announced. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Newcastle manager Alan Shearer
said: "It's imperative to get a result and we will be going to get three points. I'm not going to says draws are no good for us, because we would rather get a point than nothing. But we are going to try to win the game. We need three points. They are a tough nut to crack and most of their points have come at home. They are big, strong and physical. They are very dangerous from set-pieces and we know all about them. But knowing and stopping are two different things. We can try and tell the players until we're blue in the face what they're going to do. But they have to go out and battle, scrap and fight for everything as they would do every other week." Watch Alan Shearer at the pre-match press conference Shearer on Jose Enrique: "Unfortunately Jose won't be available. He caught a ball on his toe earlier in the week and it twisted his knee slightly. Hopefully though he won't be out for too long." Shearer on Sebastien Bassong: "Sebastien trained this week and has had no reaction. It's a major boost to have him back." Newcastle assistant Iain Dowie said: "All we want to do is make sure this town has a top-flight team. Nothing else matters, not one individual, it's just keeping the team up. He's (Al) not here as a figurehead, he's here to do it right and that should be credited. It was easy for him to stay where he was, but he has not done that. He has come here and he wants to make a change." Midfielder Kevin Nolan said: "I know we're three points below sunderland and four or five away from a few other teams. But I was in a similar situation with Bolton last year - four points behind with five games to go and we managed to do it. We're determined to get the win at Stoke and that's what we're going for, but we must remember there's still six games after that and you have to keep on going until the very end." And Nicky Butt said: "He's brought a spring in the step in and around the club everyone's buzzing. He's told us in no uncertain terms what we have to do. It's pressure on the media side of it because they keep pointing the finger at Newcastle all the time and letting the other clubs get on with it. That's what it's all about being at a big club, that's why we're here, we expect the good coverage when it's good, but we've got to take the bad things too." Stoke City manager Tony Pulis said: "The spotlight is on Newcastle with Shearer coming to town and all the hype that's come with that, so this is a great opportunity for us to show everybody that not only are we a decent team, but that we've got the best supporters in the land. Newcastle are famed for that, but we'll see on Saturday. The television cameras are her and with Alan in town I'm sure our supporters will be really up for this one. The terraces will be rocking, I'm absolutely convinced of that. It's absolutely vital that our players concentrate 100% on the match and are kept away from any outside influences. I'm determined to guard them from all the media hype and everything else that's quite understandably connected with Newcastle and Alan Shearer. It's a massive, massive game for both clubs and all the rigmarole that is bound to come with Alan and Newcastle could be a distraction. We're on a good run of results but that will count for nothing on Saturday and they'll have to be really on their game. And I still think there's a lot of work to be done, even if we win. Every one of our players has got to step up to the plate on Saturday because we can't be short in any position for this one. They have got fantastic players all through the team and there is no way they should be in the position they are in. I've not been at their football club so don't know what's been going on this season but I find it bizarre a team like Newcastle are fighting for their lives at this stage. Joe Kinnear appeared to steady the ship a little bit and of course it was very unfortunate when he was taken ill again. But Alan will galvanise the team and the supporters and they'll have 3,000 people really behind their team on Saturday. It will be a tough game and there's no way in a million years we'll under-estimate them. The good thing for Stoke City is Alan Shearer will not be putting his boots on and lining up against us. People have told me what Shearer has
said and that was nice of him, but I don't tend to take much notice of
what anyone on the outside says about me and our football club. |
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| Form - Last 5 games | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Match Preview: |
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Newcastle United travel down to the
Potteries this Saturday to take on Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium. It is now no wins in six games and only one win in thirteen for Newcastle, while in contrast Stoke are in good form having won three of the last four games and only lost one of the last six. Stoke have made the Britannia Stadium a fortress this season, a direct physical style of play backed by a partisan crowd has seen most teams come away with nothing. 28 of Stoke's 35 points gained this season have been at home, winning three of the last four home games, and seven of the last twelve, with a Boxing Day defeat to Manchester United their only loss in twelve home games. Newcastle have confirmed that Steven Taylor, Peter Lovenkrands and Jose Enrique will all be missing due to injury. However, Sebastien Bassong is available again, while despite missing training on Tuesday Habib Beye should be ok, as should Danny Guthrie and Xisco who were both subbed in Monday's reserve match. Still unavailable are Mark Viduka, Joey Barton & Ignoacio Gonzalez. Alan Shearer has a tough task ahead of him, Newcastle have been shipping goals quite easily in recent games, and the brittle Toon defence will need to be strong for 90 minutes against the constant aerial bombardment from Stoke. Personally I can't see the defence holding out for the whole game, meaning if Newcastle are to get anything out of the game they will need to score 1 or 2 goals. That means Michael Owen and Obefemi Martins will need to be on the top of their game, as chances will be at a premium and no doubt will be few and far between. With seven games left this season it certainly is show time for the under performing Newcastle players. Defeat to Stoke would by no means condemn the team to the Championship but depending on other results it could make the survival task almost mission impossible. This relegation dog fight has been coming for Newcastle, and now with the Arsenal and Chelsea game out of the way, the battle really does start here. It will be seat of your pants stuff, the usual rollercoaster Newcastle United ride, this time though the states are the highest they have been for 20 years. So 'All Together Now' lets get behind the lads and see if we can save our season... |
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HOWAY THE LADS!!! By Row 'S' Army |
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Did you know? - Stoke City is the oldest club, formed in 1863, in the Premier League and the second oldest professional football club in the world after Notts County. |
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