Newcastle United Vs Glasgow Rangers |
|
Date:
Saturday 31st July 2004
Kick Off: 3.00pm (GMT)
Venue: St. James' Park
Ref: Mark Halsey
Comp: Pre-Season Friendly (Newcastle Gateshead
Cup) |
| Pre-Season
Match Preview In Association With Toon
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coming...
Today Newcastle will play on the now playable St. James' Park turf
since that infamous day against Wolves back in May when 40,000 plus
supporters left before the ashamedly titled "lap of honour"
shambles in a match that saw Laurent Robert booed off and his replacement
Hugo Viana booed on.
Not much has changed since then where as some things just haven't
changed at all.
Such as our poor away form - in fact it's gotten worse with 4 draws
and one defeat on the road (albeit with 3 of those results coming
in Pre-Season games) and like back then we still have our injury concerns.
Concerns that are growing daily as our players drop like flies it
seems.
We have signed 3 new players of course (the most significant changes
since that dark, gloomy day), but even the excitement of seeing all
three in the same team at the same time has been squashed.
However the changes I'd most like to see are not changes in the playing
staff or changes tactically, I do want to see them, but of more importance
is the need to see a change in attitude, application, commitment and
determination from a team that will be playing in front of unsure
supporters who are still very sore from last Season's uninspiring
performances.
The Newcastle Gateshead Cup may be just a fancy named Pre-Season run
of games but I hope to see some of those players who under performed
last Season, who trooped off the pitch with heads bowed in out last
home match, come out fighting. A friendly game aimed to build up match
fitness it is, but 2 games away from the real deal at the Riverside
on the 14th of August I want to see players running themselves into
the ground to make damn sure they are in that starting 11 to face
the Smoggies. I don't want to see a casual, slow, going through the
motions performance but a real hard work out.
Although a win and a few goals would be good for confidence the result
doesn't really matter. What does is that the team shows the right
attitude, that the team shows us supporters who have doubts and grave
concerns ahead of the new Season that everyone is determined to make
last Season a mere blip.
Lets hope so.
Bobby has named a 18-man squad to take on Rangers
Jonathan Woodgate, Jermaine Jenas, Robbie Elliott, Steven Taylor &
Shay Given are all out injured and will miss both matches. Jenas could
be fit for Sunday's game although it's unlikely. Patrick Kluivert
will not play against Rangers but will play some part of the Sunday
match. James Milner also misses the Rangers match with blistered feet
but is likely to feature on Sunday. Nicky Butt will make his debut
against Rangers probably from the bench.
Darren Ambrose has made the squad but is still recovering from a bout
of flue that should have ruled him out of Wednesday's match at Portman
Road (if he had of let on...). Academy players Gate and Ramage have
been drafted in also.
United squad:
Harper, Caig, Hughes, O'Brien, Bramble, Bernard, Brittain, Dyer, Ambrose,
Bowyer, Butt, Ramage, Shearer, Bellamy, Chopra, Gate, Robert, Ameobi.
| Rangers Squad &
Team News |
Dragan Mladenovic and Hamed Namouch are injured for the 'Gers and
have not traveled to Tyneside. In their place Alec McLeish has drafted
in youngsters Ross McCormack, Charlie Adam and Tom Brighton.
18-man Rangers squad to take on Newcastle:
Klos, Ricksen, Vignal, Vanoli, Boumsong, Andrews, Khizanishvili, Rae,
Burke, Malcolm, Arveladze, Prso, Novo, Lovenkrands, Hughes, Hutton,
Ross, Smith.
Alex
Rae
The Rangers man is not only a sneaky, thuggish player but also an
ex-SMB which makes him the perfect target for some good old...hold
on a minute, as if I need to tell you this! Just give him some jip
- the dirty Mackem...
Peter
Lovenkrands
Rangers answer to Craig Bellamy. A few years back the pacy forward
was in discussions with both Rangers and Newcastle and just as it
appeared that we had won his signature he signed for 'Gers instead
- thankfully as it's turned out. But that's besides the point, definitely
worthy of some jip.
| Last Meeting At St. James'
Park |
NUFC 2-0 Rangers Fairs Cup Semi-Final Second Leg (May 21st
1969)
Having drew 0-0 in the first leg of our Fairs Cup Semi-Final in front
of 75,580 Scots' at Ibrox Stadium Newcastle clinched a place in the
final with a 2-0 victory over Rangers in the second leg match at St.
James' Park in what was a memorable game. The Toon raced into a 2-0
lead with goals from Scott and Sinclair (two Scotsman ironically)
before thousands of Rangers fans invaded the pitch, hurling bottles
in an attempt to get the match cancelled. The game was halted for
17 minutes as the Police fought to gain control of the events and
when the game eventually restarted Rangers found United's defence
just as mean as it was in the first leg where Willie McFaul saved
a spot-kick. Newcastle of course won the Final over two legs against
Ujpesti Dosza to lift the Fairs Cup - the last time we lifted a major
trophy. 35 years and still waiting...
| Last 6 Meetings (home & away - all competitions) |
| Date |
V |
Score |
Comp |
Scorers |
| 5/13/1969 |
A |
Drew 0-0 |
Fairs Cup SF L1 |
None |
| 5/21/2001 |
A |
Won 2-0 |
Fairs Cup SF L2 |
Scott, Sinclair |
| |
Newcastle United wins |
Draws |
Glasgow
Rangers wins |
| Fairs Cup |
1 |
1 |
0 |
| Total |
1 |
1 |
0 |
| Newcastle |
Rangers |
| Opposition |
V |
Result |
Opposition |
V |
Result |
| Ipswich Town |
A |
L 2-1 |
Tottenham Hotspur |
H |
W 2-0 |
| Kitchee (won 7-6
on pens) |
A |
D 1-1 |
Fulham |
A |
W 1-0 |
| Thailand (lost 4-2 on pens) |
A |
D 1-1 |
AS Roma |
A |
W 4-1 |
| Liverpool |
A |
D 1-1 |
SC Furstenfeld |
A |
W 4-0 |
| Southampton |
A |
D 3-3 |
Dunfermline |
A |
W 3-2 |
| Wolverhampton
Wanderers |
H |
D 1-1 |
Hearts |
H |
L 1-0 |
| Marseille |
A |
L 2-0 |
Celtic |
A |
L 1-0 |
| Manchester City |
A |
L 1-0 |
Motherwell |
H |
W 4-0 |
| Chelsea |
H |
W 2-1 |
Dundee United |
A |
D 3-3 |
| Marseille |
H |
D 0-0 |
Partick |
H |
W 2-0 |
| *Last
10 matches in all competitions. Keys: V
= Venue L = Loss W
= Win D = Draw |
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