Newcastle United Vs Norwich City |
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Date:
Wednesday 25th August 2004
Kick Off: 8.00pm UK
Venue: St. James' Park
Ref: Mark Halsey
Comp: Premiership |
| Match Preview
In Association With Toon
Ale |
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Toon Back To Business
Thankfully the off-field charade of the past few days can be put on
the back burner for a few hours as we turn our attentions to securing
our first win of the Season over newly promoted Norwich City at St.
James' Park tonight. With transfer speculation and the after taste
of the Spurs defeat fresh in the memory it remains to be seen what
frame of mind the lads are in and indeed the Toon Army. Saturday gone
was hardly inspiring stuff. One thing is certain however - we must
win. More dropped points, especially against a side who are fancied
to go straight back down, could well lead to further calls for Bobby's
head.
I say further calls because following the Spurs defeat certain quarters
were banging that very drum. Another frustrating performance could
tip those scales of discontent.
Hopefully all will be rosy in Geordie's garden come tomorrow and the
critics can put their knives back in the draw...for a few days.
The big talking point this week centred around whether Bobby should
rest Alan Shearer for Patrick Kluivert after
the Skipper's less than impressive display against Spurs. I'm all
for giving Kluivert his chance and I believe if Shearer isn't performing,
which he clearly isn't, then he should be replaced
in the team (no room for sentiments folks) but if Norwich are
going to be frightened of one man, that one man will be Alan Shearer.
I say start with Big Al, Bellamy AND Kluivert - all 3. Why not? We
are at home and Norwich's Captain has already alluded that the Canaries
will come to St. James' to sit deep and to hit us on the break using
former Magpie, Darren Huckerby's pace.
And what of Huckerby? Surely as a former Toon player he will score?
It's a certainty, they always do. Hopefully that coin will also be
spun in our favour too with Bellamy facing his former club as well.
The last time we faced Norwich we beat them 3-0, more of the same
would do me. In fact a scrappy 1-0 win would do. At this early stage
of the Season points are all that counts and we only have 1. Lets
hope it's 4 by 10.00pm tonight.
Probable team (unchanged again):
| Given |
| Carr
Hughes O'Brien Bernard |
| Milner
Butt Jenas Robert |
| Shearer
Bellamy |
If I Was Bobby I'd Go With:
| Given |
| *Carr
Hughes O'Brien Bernard |
| Jenas
Butt Milner |
| *Bellamy |
| Shearer
Kluivert |
*Obviously with no natural width we could struggle but Carr could
act as a wing-back by getting forward a lot to make the midfield a
bank of 4 when in possession where as Bellamy could do the same down
the left flank or indeed down the right as well. I feel we need to
ditch our 'cross it in' tactics and start to use the pace and power
in our team by playing the ball on the deck and through the middle.
Kluivert could well be the link man to feed Shearer with Bellamy the
man to get behind the Norwich back four. All in vain as Bobby wouldn't
go with it I know but it's worth pondering so...
Darren Huckerby (ST)
The former Toon striker, signed by Kevin Keegan for £500,000
from Lincoln City at the tail end of 1995, didn't quite get the chance
to make it at St. James' Park despite his undoubted potential. He
has since become a bit of a journeyman with spells at Coventry City,
Leeds United, Manchester City, Nottingham Forest on loan and now Norwich
City, with the Canaries signing him on a permanent deal after a loan
period at Carrow Road. Huckerby become a bit of a talisman for Coventry
after his 1m move from Newcastle and established himself as a Premiership
player but since then whenever he's appeared in the top flight he's
struggled for consistency leaving many to wonder whether he was cut
out for the big League.
Bags of pace, strong, tricky and a powerful shot mark him out as a
talent but for one reason or another it just hasn't worked out for
him. Back in the big League with Norwich however he has a chance to
once again prove his ability on the big stage. Having scored a cracking
goal on the opening day in a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace he'll be
looking to score a goal against his former club. We will have to watch
him and whoever marks him will have to be on their toes. He's a live
wire and unpredictable.
Robert Green (GK)
The 24 year-old keeper has been picking up rave reviews as Norwich
charged their way to the 1st Division Championship last Season and
has since been called up for an England squad. He looks a fine shot
stopper and a commanding figure in his box. Green had a storming game
at Old Trafford as the Canaries went down 2-1 against the Red Devils,
with the keeper making some fine saves. If he is to become a top-class
Premiership keeper there is no better striker to keep out than Alan
Shearer, a scalp for any up and coming goalie.
| NUFC Squad News &
Pre-Match Reaction |
Bobby Robson on the match:
"It isn't a life or death game, but it is what I'd call a must
win match.
"We could have six points on the board after two games, but could
is a big word and as it happens we have one point from a possible
six.
"We were unlucky at Middlesbrough when a decision went against
us, then against Spurs were the better side with the better chances
but we slipped up.
"Norwich are new to this league, but they won't be an easy pushover
for us. They have a high work ethic, and while people say we may have
more quality on paper, we don't play on paper. We play on grass.
"If we create our chances and take our chances then we should
win, but it certainly won't be a formality."
United squad:
Given, Harper, Carr, Bernard, Hughes, O’Brien, Elliott, Ramage, Butt,
Dyer, Jenas, Milner, Robert, Bowyer, Brittain, Shearer, Bellamy, Kluivert,
Ameobi, Chopra.
| Norwich Squad News
& Pre-Match Reaction |
Norwich squad:
Green, Helveg, Fleming, Charlton, Drury, Bentley, Francis, Holt, Jonson,
Huckerby, Svensson, McKenzie, Edworthy, McVeigh, Ward, Doherty, Makay,
Safri.
Nigel Worthington on the match:
"Big games like this are what the Premiership is all about. We have
got to concentrate on our own job and keep them quiet.
"We've worked so hard to be here and I just look forward to them -
that's where we want to be - in front of the big crowds, in amongst
the noise.
"It's a great education for me working against managers of his (Bobby
Robson's) calibre."
Mark Halsey: Last officiated a Toon game in our fixture at
the City of Manchester Stadium last Season against Man City. A game
in which we lost 1-0. And the last time Halsey officiated at St. James'
Park he failed to spot how Paul Gallagher punched the ball into the
back of the net in a 1-0 loss to Blackburn Rovers. Remember that game
when Chopra scored an off-side goal? He was fussy then and expect
more of the same.
| Last Meeting (at the St.
James' Park) |
NUFC 3-0 Norwich (Premiership: 8th of April 1995)
The Toon sent Norwich City down to the 1st Division with a 3-0 win
on sunny Tyneside. A brace from Beardsley, one a 35-yard cracker into
the top corner from the wing (ala Robert at home to Spurs last Season),
the other a penalty and a Paul Kitson strike ensued all 3 points and
relegation for the Canaries. United finished 6th that Season having
sold Andy Cole halfway through to Man Utd. The following Season we
were to lead the Premiership by 12 points where we eventually finished
up in 2nd place.
The teams that day:
United: Srnicek, Hottiger, Elliott, Howey, Peacock,
Venison, Lee, Bracewell, Kitson, Beardsley, Fox.
Norwich: Marshall, Prior, Newsome, Polston (Cureton),
Bradshaw, Crook, Bowen, Milligan, Eadie, Ward, Ullathorne (Sutch).
Attendance: 35,518
| Last 5 Meetings (at St. James'
Park - all competitions) |
| Date |
Score |
Comp |
Toon Scorers |
| 18/4/1995 |
Won 3-0 |
Premiership |
Beardsley (2, 1 pen), Kitson |
| 29/3/1994 |
Won 3-0 |
Premiership |
Beardsley, Cole, Lee |
| 17/9/1988 |
Lost 2-0 |
Old Div 1 |
None |
| 13/2/1988 |
Lost 3-1 |
Old Div 1 |
Gascoigne |
| 8/3/1997 |
Won 4-1 |
Old Div 1 |
Goddard, Gascoigne, McDonald (pen), D. Jackson |
| |
Newcastle United wins |
Draws |
Norwich
City Wins |
| League |
18 |
12 |
12 |
| FA Cup |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Total |
18 |
12 |
13 |
| Form Guide (League &
Cups) |
| Newcastle |
Norwich |
| Opposition |
V |
Result |
Opposition |
V |
Result |
| Tottenham Hotspur |
H |
L 1-0 |
Manchester United |
A |
L 2-1 |
| Middlesbrough |
A |
D 2-2 |
Crystal Palace |
H |
D 1-1 |
| Liverpool |
A |
D 1-1 |
Crewe |
A |
W 3-1 |
| Southampton |
A |
D 3-3 |
Sunderland |
A |
L 1-0 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers |
H |
D 1-1 |
Preston |
H |
W 3-2 |
| Marseille |
A |
L 2-0 |
Watford |
A |
W 2-1 |
| Manchester City |
A |
L 1-0 |
Walsall |
H |
W 5-0 |
| Chelsea |
H |
W 2-1 |
Reading |
A |
W 1-0 |
| Marseille |
H |
D 0-0 |
Wigan |
H |
W 2-0 |
| Aston Villa |
A |
D 0-0 |
Burnley |
A |
W 5-3 |
| *Last
10 matches in all competitions. Keys: V
= Venue L = Loss W
= Win D = Draw |
I've gave up predicting Toon results. My heart says a big scoreline
which is a possibility, my head say's anything can happen - which
again, is a possibility. It won't be a 0-0. Huckerby will obviously
score. We'll not lose... |
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