Newcastle United Vs Sporting Lisbon |
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Date:
Thursday 7th April 2005
Kick Off: 7.45pm (BST)
Venue: St. James' Park
Ref: Iouri Baskakov (Moscow)
Comp: UEFA Cup Quarter-Final 1st Leg |
| Pre-Season
Match Preview In Association With Toon
Ale |
|
By
Ally
Last Friday our season offered so much hope. Shearer had decided to
stay on for another year, we had an FA Cup Semi-Final coming up, as
well as this UEFA Cup Quarter-Final, and optimism was strong on Tyneside.
How much things can change!
Everyone knows what happened on Saturday, there is little need for
me to go in to the rights and wrongs of the fight and the punishments
subsequently dished out. The incident however has overshadowed a pathetic
performance which saw us hammered 3-0 at home by a team level on points
with us. Optimism has been replaced with pessimism all of a sudden,
and the future doesn't look quite so rosy.
Andy O'Brien was terrible on Saturday. I really feel for the lad as
he seems a nice guy he's just out of his depth and as soon as the
fans get on his back he gets the jitters even more than usual! Souness
rightly subbed him for Taylor, but unfortunately for him he was snipered
by a member of the crowd and sent off!
This brings us to a bit of a dilemma for the Lisbon game. Boumsong
is cup-tied and Bramble and Babayaro are injured. We're not so much
short on numbers at the back, just short on quality. Chelsea have
4 centre backs, we have 4 centre backs, its just that if Carvalho
misses a game for them they know Gallas can fit in perfectly. For
us, Boumsong misses a game and we're left with the equally poor (in
my view anyway) Hughes and O'Brien. Elliott has returned early from
a knee problem and I expect him to start this game. Carr, Taylor,
Elliott and Hughes will make up the back for this one I imagine. If
O'Brien is short on confidence its not worth risking him for such
an important game. That defence isn't perfect but we're going to have
to hope Taylor produces a big performance on the big stage despite
his tender age.
Moving on to the midfield, Souness has included both Dyer and Bowyer
in his squad for this match. Personally I didn't expect to see Bowyer
in a black and white shirt again but Souness seems to have put his
trust in him to deliver. Nicky Butt was another one whose performance
at the weekend was nothing short of pathetic, as was Jermaine Jenas'.
I'm not quite sure what Souness is going to do here. The Chronicle
suggests Bowyer will be on the bench, and if he is I'd expect Butt
and Faye to be in the middle with Robert and Dyer on the wings. The
way I read Souness' quotes on the match was that he is 'going to pick
a team that is capable of winning this game' and that he'd play a
full strength side, which as far as I see is Faye & Bowyer. We'll
have to wait and see!
Shearer picks himself as usual but Kluivert is yet again injured.
I'm a big admirer of his footballing talents but these injuries are
very frustrating. I think we'll keep him next season to avoid having
to buy a new striker with the hope that a full pre-season can get
him fit for next year. Ameobi's fitness is dodgy as well, but he's
in the squad and I imagine he'll play alongside Shearer. He might
not though, Souness might keep faith with either Butt or Jenas and
play Dyer up front again. There are a few options available, but given
the form of some of the players they aren't appealing options.
Sporting Clube de Portugal
Lisbon won 4-0 at the weekend against Boavista, a sharp contrast to
our result so they'll be feeling confident coming into this one. Our
very own Hugo Viana misses out through loan regulations which is a
relief, if he'd played he'd have played a blinder and that's the last
thing we want.
They're a talented team and going forward they destroyed Boro in the
previous round, but even two weak Boro sides showed their defensive
frailties. Their keeper Ricardo is one of those stereotypical continental
'flappers' so a few teasing Robert crosses will go down nicely! We've
just got to go at them, which is what Boro did and if they had a couple
of good finishers they'd have won comfortably.
I've seen Liedson play a few times and he's looked very nifty. He's
scored 23 goals in 26 games this season so is a clear threat that
our makeshift defence will have to deal with. Other key players include
Douala who is injured, and Fabio Rochemback who impressed me in the
earlier game at St. James' Park. Midfielder Custódio and defender
Hugo are also injured.
Given |
Carr |
Taylor |
Hughes |
Elliott |
Dyer |
Faye |
Bowyer |
Robert |
| |
Shearer |
Ameobi |
|
Steven Taylor vs Liedson
The man with 23 goals in 26 goals will prove a real handful tonight
and presuming Taylor players, it is he I feel who will be asked to
mark him. The Brazilian striker has bags of pace, good quick feet,
great movement and an eye for goal. Taylor will have to bully him,
if he does that Liedson could well disappear as he's not the strongest
and although a hard working team-player, he doesn't like a physical
game. This will be a key battle and I back Taylor to come out on top.
Laurent Robert vs Ricardo
The eccentric Ricardo is one of those keepers that could have a great
game, or a shocking one. Robert must test his inability to deal with
crosses well from the off and pamper the keeper with long range efforts,
and top notch quality crossing because he will flap and cause his
defense moments of uncertainty. This is also a key battle as I see
it. Will Robert turn up?
Amdy Faye vs João Moutinho
The Sporting youngster is slight and frail in appearance but he pulls
the strings and has a wide variety of passing skills which could hurt
Newcastle. He'll look to switch play, pick up loose balls and try
to force the forward play. Faye must get on top of him and use his
power to squash him, to snuff him out.
| NUFC Squad, Team News
& Pre-Match Reaction |
Manager Graeme Souness on the game:
"It has been another nice, normal, quiet week in the life of Newcastle
United.
"I don't want to talk too much about what happened on Saturday. But
what I will say is that the feeling is a mixture of anger and disappointment.
"Everything in the garden was rosy and we have shot ourselves in the
foot. It is self-inflicted, and we have caused ourselves enormous
problems.
"But I have spoken to the players, and told them that, if anything,
this is a reminder to them just how predictable football is. They
should never be surprised by the surprises in football.
"I now need to look at my squad and see where the men are, and who
wants to stand up and be counted.
"It is a big game for us. They are going well on the domestic front,
and they will want to come here and give a good show of themselves
to give themselves a good chance of progressing from the second leg.
"We've had Sporting watched a few times, as recently as at the weekend
when they had a good result against Boavista.
"We've played them in the group stages of the competition already
this season, but that will have no bearing whatsoever on this game.
it is a completely different game, different circumstances.
"They are very good at keeping the ball and we have to be prepared
for that. They will have a lot of the play on our pitch, but we have
to be patient and concentrate on playing our own game.
"At this stage of the UEFA Cup you won't get an easy game. In the
group stages there were a few sides there who were a bit indifferent
and maybe shouldn't have been in the competition, but that's not the
case now.
"I am going to pick a team that is capable of winning this game."
United squad:
Given, Harper, Carr, Hughes, Elliott, O'Brien, Taylor, Ramage, Dyer,
Bowyer, Robert, Butt, Faye, Jenas, Milner, N'Zogbia, Ambrose, Shearer,
Ameobi.
| Sporting Lisbon Squad, Team
News & Pre-Match Reaction |
Manager José Peseiro on the game:
"We are stronger than ever and Newcastle are in their best form too,
except the last Premiership match at home.
"Before their last match, Newcastle had won nine games. I don't believe
they are a weaker team because they have lost one match. People should
not forget that Newcastle beat Chelsea, and obviously they are a very
strong team.
"Newcastle's attacking football is more of a worry to us than Middlesbrough.
They have a really good side with good quality players. They are stronger
offensively."
"We will face a great team that we know very well. Maybe we are
not as dangerous going forward but our team has a lot of balance like
we proved in the last three games.
"We have ambition
and I believe these are the two best teams at this stage in the competition.
We intend to win - or at least draw with away goals."
Hugo Viana on the game:
"People in Portugal seem to think Newcastle will suffer because of
the fight.
"My opinion? I think they'll be stronger.
"Incidents like that bring people together and it has made the match
even more exciting as far as I'm concerned.
"On the one hand you have Sporting full of confidence and on the other
United looking to put things right. It will be a great game.
"Liedson and Alan Shearer are two of the finest strikers in Europe.
It's no wonder they're fighting for the competition's golden boot.
"Liedson is a brilliant forward. He works hard for the team from the
front and his finishing is clinical.
"He's good with his head - not as good as Alan - and his goals to
game ratio is very impressive.
"Give Leidson five chances and he'll score four of them. It will be
interesting to see who comes out on top over the next two legs.
"Newcastle fans must be happy that Alan is staying on.
"It's the right thing for him to do. He's a great striker but he's
also a good captain and they need him more than ever right now."
Sporting Lisbon squad:
Ricardo, Rogerio, Beto, Anderson Polga, Rui Jorge, Rochemback, Carlos
Martins, Mota, Pedro Barbosa, Tello 82), Joao Moutinho, Liedson, Sa
Pinto, Tiago, Niculae, Miguel Garcia, Mario Sergio, Paito.
We need to put the event of Saturday behind us and get back to playing
football and progressing in this tournament. Lisbon, as I mentioned
are weak at the back and we need to go at them from the opening. A
clean sheet is a must, to go to Lisbon knowing they have an away goal
advantage would make the game so much more difficult. I'm going for
a 2-0 win for Newcastle. Come on lads! |
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