Olympiakos CFP Vs Newcastle United |
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Date:
Thursday March 10 2005
Kick Off: 5.00pm BST
Venue: Georgios Karaiskaki
Ref: Arturo Dauden Ibañez (Spain)
Comp: UEFA Cup 4th Round 1st Leg |
| Match Preview
In Association With Toon
Ale |
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By
Ally Campbell
The run continues, that's five games in a row that we've won now and
although the southern media are trying to dumb it down and find excuses
its a good achievement and our form since the new year has been excellent.
The win against Liverpool wasn't pretty, but the simple fact that
we beat the Scouse side and kept a clean sheet was brilliant. Attention
yet again has to be focused away from the league for a week and focus
on the Cups. It's going to be a tough week playing Olympiakos on Thursday
and then Spurs on Sunday but we've got a big-ish squad and should
be able to deal with the demands.
A few weeks ago after we beat Heerenveen to progress in the UEFA Cup
there were only a few teams that on paper I felt would present us
with a tough challenge. Valencia were one of them but they've been
knocked out now, the other were Olympiakos. A Champions League knockout,
pipped to the last 16 by Liverpool, they aren't the ideal team to
be playing. But it's not the end of the world, last season in the
UEFA Cup I felt we performed much better against the likes of PSV
in what were perceived as harder games than against the likes of NAC
Breda (no disrespect meant there!).
Its going to be tough though, especially at the Georgios Karaiskaki
Stadium where an intimidating atmosphere is a guarantee. They've got
some excellent players who we'll discuss later, but its sure to be
the toughest European game we've faced so far.
Back to NUFC, Boumsong is Cup-tied which is a blow to the team. We
look a completely different defence with his presence there. Souness
has faith in O'Brien but I'm certainly not on my own in disagreeing
with him there! OB seems to have a bad influence on Bramble's play
especially, so if we see a dodgy performance from Titus on Thursday
I won't be surprised. O' Brien isn't as bad as some make out, but
he's unreliable and has a nervous presence in the defence which can't
be a good thing. Babayaro is also still out with his knee injury which
is another blow but Hughes can deputise there to an extent without
ever really excelling.
Patrick Kluivert returned at the weekend as a substitute and I think
we need him up front rather than Shola tomorrow. He's got vast experience
of European games and I feel that will be valuable. Think of the games
that he's played in the past compared to Ameobi - Champions League
final, 'El Derbi' to name but two. I woke up today to read more quotes
from Souness saying that Kluivert needs to start delivering, and that
means getting fit, staying fit and scoring goals. I really hope he
stays in the Summer but he picks up so many niggles it could push
Souness' patience a bit too much.
Souness played with Faye and Bowyer against Liverpool in the middle,
but I've got a feeling he might use Butt and the former Portsmouth
man to solidify the middle of the park and then play Dyer and Robert
to create a goal. Dyer and Robert need to work really hard though,
we need all 11 players to be tracking back and defending as a team.
Whether Souness will actually play Robert in this game is debatable
to be honest. If he wants to play for a 0-0 or a 1-0 I've got a feeling
he won't use him and play Jenas or Bowyer on the left instead. I hope
he doesn't, but he might. I think the Butt & Faye pairing can work
well in tough away games, and Olympiakos is a perfect example of this.
More...
NUFC's European Opposition Guide: Olympiakos
Behind
Enemy Lines: The View From An Olympiakos Fan
Given |
Carr |
O'Brien |
Bramble |
Hughes |
Dyer |
Butt |
Faye |
Robert |
| |
Shearer
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Kluivert
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Olympiakos - Rivaldo stands out as the key dangerman
for me solely on reputation. He's been a world-class player but at
32 he's lost a yard or two of pace, but we can vouch in the case of
Shearer that you can still perform to a high standard every week at
that age. Djordjevic is another veteran who needs to be watched closely.
They're no walkover, that's for sure.
Newcastle - Kluivert, I think this is the kind of game in
which he will excel in. He has something to prove, and as he's shown
so far he tends to save his best performances for Europe, in a similar
way to Tino Asprilla. Its going to be a tight game, and I think his
vision will be valuable in the search for a vital away goal.
| NUFC Squad News &
Pre-Match Reaction |
Manager Graeme Souness on the match:
"We're expecting a tough game in Athens, there's
no doubt about that.
"It will be hostile, but that doesn't faze me or the players as we've
all experienced that sort of stuff before.
"We're on a good run of form at the moment and hopefully that will
continue in Athens."
"That's the way things go in football.
"One minute you are under pressure, the next everything is rosy. Look
at the Olympaikos manager. He's top of the league, but after a few
bad results the fans are wanting him out.
"That's the price on the ticket, it's what you expect when you're
managing a big club."
United squad:
Ameobi, Bowyer, Bramble, Butt, Caig, Carr, Dyer, Faye, Given, Harper,
Hughes, Jenas, Kluivert, Milner, N'Zogbia, O'Brien, Ramage, Robert,
Shearer, Taylor.
| Arsenal Squad News &
Pre-Match Reaction |
Former Toon player Georgios Georgiadis on the match:
 "If
Rivaldo fails to make it Newcastle should not think it is going to
be any easier for them.
"If he does play, then he will be part of a very good Olympiakos team.
We are very much a team, we are not just about one player.
"We have already beaten Monaco, Liverpoool and Deportivo at home in
the Champions League this season, so why can't we beat my old team
Newcastle United in the UEFA Cup?
"United will be favourites to win in Newcastle, but Olympiakos should
come out on top in Athens.
"Really I think it is 50/50, and the tie could go either way."
Olympiakos squad:
Nikopolidis, Mavrogenidis, Schurrer, Kostoulas, Anatolakis, Maric,
Stoltidis, Djordjevic, Kafes, Georgatos, Rivaldo, Giovanni, Okkas,
Pantos, Giannou, Castillo, Vallas, Filipakos.
 Arturo
Dauden Ibañez
The 40-year old Spaniard hasn't refereed a Toon game before but he
has officiated an England match - the 2-2 draw with Marcedonia in
the 2006 World Cup Qualifiers. He recently refereed the Republic of
Ireland's game with France, in which Given, Carr and O'Brien all featured
in also and was the man in the middle when Liverpool got dumped out
of last season's UEFA Cup by Marseille.
A tight and intimidating game where I think we'll spend large proportions
of the game up against it. An away goal would be brilliant, but I'm
not confident of a clean sheet. 1-1 draw, with a
goal from Shearer. Howay the lads! |
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