Portsmouth Vs Newcastle United |
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Date:
Saturday 19th March 2005
Kick Off: 3.00pm BST
Venue: Fratton Park
Ref: Matt Messias (North Yorkshire)
Comp: Premiership |
| Match Preview
In Association With Toon
Ale |
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Toon Ganning For A Record
Portsmouth have lost 8 of their last 10 games and will be looking
to end a 4 game losing streak tomorrow afternoon at Fratton Park where
as United will be looking to make it 9 straight wins in a row to set
a new club record. Something has to give in this game and this is
without a doubt a banana skin fixture for Graeme Souness' men which
they mustn't take lightly.
Pompey, leaderless off the pitch and low in confidence on it, are
struggling badly and since Harry Redknapp and former United manager
Jim Smith exited a few miles down the road to bitter neighbours Southampton,
their form has been as awful as our's has been great.
Following Wednesday's excellent trouncing of the Greek's the confidence
in camp United couldn't be any higher and Souness will have Jean-Alain
Boumsong back and possibly Patrick Kluivert and while the French defender
will walk straight back into the side, the same can't be said of the
Dutchman. He has another rival for his shirt - Kieron Dyer - who capped
a fine performance playing off Alan Shearer at St. James's the other
night with a wonder goal.
Given his manager a decision to make. Will he drop Dyer back to wide
right for Kluivert or will he stick with the No.8? I'd personally
like to see him stick with Dyer as he's the ideal away day outlet.
His pace and energy could play a huge part in this game as Pompey
will have to come out and attack us. Recently we have shown we can
soak up the pressure so we can play a patient, counter attacking game.
We have the players.
This isn't the type of game in which Kluivert would get much joy from
however as it could be frantic and ugly. I don't expect this to be
a great game of football where creative minds can flourish so I'd
leave Paddy on the bench.
In midfield I would drop Nicky Butt for Amdy Faye. Going back to his
former club for the first time since moving from Fratton Park to Tyneside
could be to our advantage. Faye will know the strengths and weaknesses
of our opponents individually and as a team and with an extra incentive
to get one over his old pals, he could be a big player for us.
Alongside him Lee Bowyer needs to start as he's looking very dangerous
of late and has a look of goals about him. He could be a potential
match winner with his late bursts into the box.
On the right I'd stick with Jermaine Jenas, to stop the forward runs
of Pompey's Matt Taylor who has a cracking left-foot and likes to
bomb on - a source of many goals for the home side.
Either way this is a tough fixture and following United you just know
a slip up is around the corner somewhere and somehow and it wouldn't
surprise me at all if we were to come away with a defeat and a poor
performance but I don't know... there is something different about
Newcastle of late. We are a lot tougher, more resolute, hungrier and
dare I say it stubborn.
If Pompey want to end their dreadful run and with it our excellent
run they will have to play out of their skins to get it - they'll
have to give us a mighty kicking. If Newcastle want to clinch that
9th successive win record, they just have to work hard, play to their
strengths and don't give it up.
Fingers crossed. Good luck Graeme and the lads.
More...
Behind
Enemy Lines: The View From A Portsmouth Fan
Given |
Carr |
Boumsong |
O'Brien |
Hughes |
Jenas |
Bowyer |
Faye |
Robert |
| |
Shearer
|
Dyer
|
|
Boumsong vs Yakubu
This will be a key battle and a fascinating contest. Both are quick,
physically strong and good in the air, and the Frenchman will have
to be on his guard to keep the dangerous alleged Ton target at bay.
Yakubu is one of those strikers that can easily disappear in a game
if he's being bullied however and should Boumsong get at him from
the off I fancy our new defender to come out on top.
Stefanovic vs Dyer
The Portsmouth man is a solid defender on his day but up against a
resurgent, in form Dyer looking for goals, he could well have his
hands full and won't be able to keep pace with the United No.8. Dyer
needs to get at him and use his pace and trickery to get beyond him.
Chalkias Vs Robert
Portsmouth's Greek 'keeper looks to be in the wrong profession, he
should be a clown. Flaps at the wind never mind crosses, so if Robert
can tease a few in, we could have lots of joy. Robert needs to pepper
their box with crosses, shots and through-balls because this is one
keeper who panics and doesn't seem capable of making decisive decisions.
| NUFC Squad News &
Pre-Match Reaction |
Manager Graeme Souness on the match:
"We know we'll get beat again sooner or later, but if we can just
get through tomorrow's match then we have a two-week break to recharge
the batteries.
"Portsmouth are a team fighting for their lives and they haven't been
playing midweek matches like we have, but we must be ready for the
challenge.
"I think I'm as happy as I've been in six months after the win over
Olympiakos on Wednesday night.
"Take, for example, the way Laurent Robert played. I'm not talking
about his spectacular crosses or shooting, but the way he held his
position, his tackling and his willingness to work tirelessly for
the cause really impressed me.
"We have got good players at this football club, but it's no good
just being a technically-gifted footballer you have to combine it
with hard work.
"I played in a Liverpool team that used to win everything. But whenever
we went out to play, we didn't go out just to be a better football
team than the opposition, we went out determined to work harder than
them too.
"With the quality we have, then with the right attitude we can win
games and do well. It's when you start thinking that you don't have
to work hard that the problems come."
United squad:
Given, Harper, Carr, Hughes, Taylor, Boumsong, O'Brien, Dyer, Robert,
Butt, Bowyer, Faye, Jenas, Milner, N'Zogbia, Ambrose, Shearer, Kluivert.
| Portsmouth Squad News
& Pre-Match Reaction |
Coach Joe Jordan on the match:
"Every one of our remaining games is a big one and we have to be picking
up some points.
"Newcastle are doing as well as anyone at the moment. It was not so
long ago things did not look rosy.
"This game is all about picking up wins which lifts everyone and everything.
Newcastle are proof of that."
Portsmouth squad:
Ashdown, Cisse, De Zeeuw, Stefanovic, Taylor, O'Neil, Stone, Skopelitis,
Berger, Yakubu, LuaLua, Chalkias, Primus, Hughes, Kamara, Fuller,
Mezague, Hislop.
 Matt
Messias
Matt Messias is yet to send a player off this season in the Premiership
but he has dished out 32 yellow cards. The North Yorkshire born official
has awarded just 2 penalties as well. He last refereed a Toon match
when we drew 2-2 with Blackburn Rovers earlier on in the season at
Ewood Park.
| Last Season (at Fratton Park) |
Portsmouth 1-1 NUFC (Premiership: 29/2/2004)
Having played in Norway on the Thursday, United traveled to the South
Coast for a Sunday fixture looking for their first away win in the
League in 8 matches and after taking a first half lead from Craig
Bellamy's goal, that elusive win looked like it was in the bag. In
injury time however Lomano Lua Lua scored to level the match and that's
how it stayed. A remarkable and hurtful goal considering Lua Lua was
still a Toon player at the time, on loan to Portsmouth after a fall
out with Sir Bobby Robson. Some idiot at the club thought it would
be wise to let him play...
The teams that day:
Pompey: Hislop, Pasanen, Primus, De Zeeuw, Taylor,
Quashie, Faye (Mornar 71), Smertin, Berkovic (Harper 89), Lua Lua,
Yakubu. Subs not used: Wapenaar, Curtis, Hughes.
NUFC: Given, Hughes, O'Brien, Bramble, Bernard,
Dyer (Jenas 40), Speed, Bowyer (Bridges 82), Robert (Viana 78), Shearer,
Bellamy. Subs not used: Harper, Woodgate.
Pompey scorers: Lua Lua
Toon scorers: Bellamy
Attendance: 20,140
| Previous 5 Meetings (at Fratton
Park - all competitions) |
| Date |
Score |
Comp |
Toon Scorers |
| 29/2/2004 |
Drew 1-1 |
Premiership |
Bellamy |
| 9/2/1993 |
Lost 2-1 |
Div 2 (old) |
None |
| 5/10/1991 |
Lost 3-1 |
Div 2 (old) |
Quinn |
| 23/3/1991 |
Won 3-2 |
Div 2 (new) |
Brock |
| 10/2/1990 |
Drew 1-1 |
Div 2 (old) |
Quinn |
| |
Portsmouth
Wins |
Draws |
Newcastle
Wins |
| League |
19 |
14 |
24 |
| FA Cup |
0 |
0 |
2 |
| Total |
19 |
14 |
36 |
| Form Guide (League &
Cups) |
| Newcastle |
Portsmouth |
| Opposition |
V |
Result |
Opposition |
V |
Result |
| Olympiakos |
H |
W 4-0 |
Arsenal |
A |
L 3-0 |
| Tottenham Hotspur |
H |
W 1-0 |
Manchester United |
A |
L 2-1 |
| Olympiakos |
A |
W 3-1 |
Aston Villa |
H |
L 2-1 |
| Liverpool |
H |
W 1-0 |
Tottenham Hotspur |
A |
L 3-1 |
| Bolton |
H |
W 2-1 |
Middlesbrough |
H |
W 2-1 |
| Heerenveen |
H |
W 2-1 |
Southampton |
A |
L 2-1 |
| Chelsea |
H |
W 1-0 |
Chelsea |
A |
L 3-0 |
| Heerenveen |
A |
W 2-1 |
Blackburn Rovers |
H |
L 1-0 |
| Charlton Athletic |
H |
D 1-1 |
Gillingham |
H |
W 1-0 |
| Manchester City |
A |
D 1-1 |
Everton |
A |
L 2-1 |
| *Last
10 matches in all competitions. Keys: V
= Venue L = Loss W
= Win D = Draw |
With United in super confident mood and made of sterner stuff now,
I can't see us getting beat. The game could end in a draw but providing
Souness picks the right players I can see us having too much in the
final 3rd for the struggling Pompey. I'm going for a 2-0 win.
Howay the Toon! |
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