FA Cup Sixth Round Draw Numbers
1 Bolton Wanderers
2 Tottenham Hotspur or Nottingham Forest
3 Manchester United
4 Leicester City
5 Burnley or Blackburn Rovers
6 Southampton or Brentford
7 Newcastle United
8 Arsenal or Sheffield United
The draw is to take place tomorrow afternoon at 1.30pm. It will be
live on BBC2 and Radio 5 Live as well as Sky Sports News.
FA Cup Match Preview: NUFC Vs Chelsea
Don't Let Jose Mourinho Fool You
Souness
If Sir Bobby Robson's former translator is to be believed, he doesn't
quite care about the FA Cup nor does he see it as a priority - both
may be the case, but the king of mind games will be desperate to add
the world's oldest and grandest of Cup competitions to Chelsea's trophy
cabinet this season. He's a winner and hates losing. He wants to win
it and badly.
He may field a 'weakened' team at St. James' later today true, but
that team, irrespective of who is playing and more importantly who
isn't - Jon Terry, Didier Drogba, Arjen Robben and Frank Lampard for
starters, will still represent a tough nut to crack for any side never
mind a struggling, and to be quite frank, average Toon side who could
well be without our No.9 if reports that he has underwent a fitness
test this afternoon are anything to go by. Just his and our luck it
seems...
Fingers crossed on that one!
Nonetheless the FA Cup is perhaps our best chance of lifting silverware
this season and for Big Al, his too. It's been half a century since
an engraver had to scribe the name 'Newcastle United' on the Cup,
the very last domestic trophy we won.
Oh what we'd give for a trip to Cardiff and a proceeding procession
through the Toon to celebrate returning heroes. The Cup has took quite
a beating over the years, becoming an inconvenience to those competing
in the Champions League and with one eye on their trip to Barcelona
in mid-week, there are many Chelsea fans who wouldn't be too upset
should their side get dumped out come quarter to 6 tonight. The last
thing Chelsea need is more injuries/suspensions and a fixture pile
up as they chase a Champions League and Premiership double with the
small matter of a League Cup Final to contend with a week today as
well.
Newcastle fans on the other hand would be shattered to go out. The
myth that Geordies would rather see their team lift the FA Cup than
the League couldn't be further from the truth, but it is true, we
do love the Cup and we, more than any, would cherish any kind of win
in this competition. The whole of Tyneside, her neighbouring boundaries
and all those corners of the world populated with Black & White hearts
deserve something to reward our loyal, unconditional and patient support.
The Cup would be a fitting reward.
Can this be our year? Don't put your money on it, Newcastle don't
win trophies. But that won't stop us dreaming, believing and hoping
that we can finally end the chase. A chase that is beginning to weigh
this club down. It's become a burden for managers, players and fans
alike and with every passing year that we fail, the desperation becomes
all too transparent.
Winning the FA Cup would change the fortunes of our beleaguered and
under-fire manager. The Cup represents a chance for him to play the
hero and not the villain. For Freddy Shepherd who is also, and quite
rightly, facing flack, it would be tangible reward for all his efforts.
For the team it would put an end to the underachievers tag and give
the future Toon class something to look up to, to emulate. The majority
of the '55 Cup winning side have passed away and it's been 36 years
since the class of '69 returned with the Fairs Cup under their arms
- hardly a generation to relate to is it?
And what of us? What would a trophy do for us the supporters? Bitterness,
cynicism, frustration and a total lack of belief in our beloved club
has swept through our veins, clotting our emotions and draining our
immune system. We are weak and lack the fight - as evidenced by our
shocking inability to raise the roof at St. James' Park... unless
to boo, jeer or to vent our anger at (insert your name here).
We've seen the likes of Wimbledon, Coventry, Spurs, Leicester, Oxford,
the unwashed and even the smoggies lift the one thing we all crave
- silverware.
At 4.00pm this fine, if somewhat cold and white afternoon, we go into
battle against a side who will end up with at least one trophy this
season - lets make sure it's not the FA Cup.
Come on United, do it for us, for your manager and you Captain.
[Click
To View Full Match Preview +]
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Shearer Late Fitness Test?
Sky Sports News are reporting that
the No.9 is having a fitness test ahead of today's game with Chelsea
at St. James' Park. There didn't seem to be any concerns over the
Skipper when he was withdrawn with a minute to go over in Heerenveen.
Lets hope he is fit to start.
Robert Baffled By Souness' Tactics
Forgotten man Laurent Robert has been left baffled by Graeme Souness'
tactics (he isn't the only one). Robert said:
''I
spoke to Souness after Thursday's 2-1 win in Heerenveen and told him
I didn't understand his tactical decisions.
''Why use three forwards on that pitch? There was no width.
''We have three great forwards but for them to be able to fully express
themselves they need the right service.
''The goals have dried up but I'm not in the team to help because
Souness says I don't get back to defend.
''We were losing in Holland but when I came on as a sub I made a real
difference.
''But I'm being left out of the team and things are getting too hot
for me.''
Freddy Shepherd: "It Hurts Like Hell"
Toon Chairman Freddy Shepherd claims United's current League position
hurts like hell while defending his and the board's management of
the club and also defending manager Graeme Souness, insisting the
Scot is a "born winner".
Shepherd said:
"There is no set of supporters in the
country who deserve success more than those of Newcastle.
"I Know what they are feeling after half a century without a trophy.
"I am first and foremost a Newcastle fan and our present League position
hurts like hell.
"I've gone my entire adult life never having seen Newcastle win a
trophy and I'm passionate about changing that.
"It is the number one objective in my life and I will move heaven
and earth to achieve it.
"If I could put a bit of silverware in the St. James' Park trophy
room I would leave here a happy man.
"We expected to be up there challenging for the Champions League but
unfortunately, it hasn't happened.
"Our fans have every right to be angry because after years of spectacular
progress we appear to have gone backwards.
"As Chairman I accept my share of the responsibility but I believe
it is just a blip.
"We remain one of the biggest clubs in the land and as a business
we have never been stronger.
"We are still rated the 11th biggest club in the world despite having
no Champions League revenue.
"I know fans are only interested in winning matches and trophies but
I believe the infrastructure is in place for us to challenge the best
in the Premiership.
"Since myself and Douglas Hall came to Newcastle around 300m has been
invested in the club - so we can't ever be accused of not backing
our managers.
"Over the past 13 years probably only the richest club in the world,
Manchester United and the Roman Ambramovic bankrolled Chelsea could
compete with that sort of spending.
"We've turned St. James' Park into a state-of-the-art stadium and
we have facilities regarded as the best in Europe.
"We smashed a world transfer record when we signed Alan Shearer and
in Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish, Ruud Gullit, Sir Bobby Robson and
Graeme Souness have employed some of the biggest names in world football.
"Graeme is a born winner and will get every backing by the board in
his bid to end our trophy drought."
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Shut Your Trap Douglas Hall
Disgraced Newcastle United Director
Douglas Hall has reared his ugly head again, speaking in today's
News of the World the Vice-Chairman has launched an attack
on Sir Bobby Robson, claiming United would have been relegated
had he been allowed to stay.
Hall said:
"We had to get rid of Sir Bobby because we would have been
relegated. There was nothing more certain than that.
"It was a big decision and one that we did not take lightly
because it was one of the biggest we have ever had.
"We had taken 2 points out of 12 and could not stand back and
watch Newcastle slide out of the Premiership.
"We were going down make no mistake about it.
"Graeme Souness clearly wasn't a universally popular choice.
"But Freddy Shepherd and I knew he would sort the dressing room
out and make sure we weren't relegated.
"A lot of criticism he has had is unfair. Graeme was always
going to need time to get the side playing to the system he
wants."
Who would have guessed the parasite was clairvoyant too...
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Latest Update: S'now Problem
All the signs coming out of St. James's
regarding the pitch inspection are positive at the moment, with
Mark Halsey having this to say:
"The proviso at this moment is that the game goes ahead,
If it continues to snow heavily then I will be back out again.
"At the moment there is no second pitch inspection planned,
unless there is a heavy snow fall."
Pitch Inspection At 10.30am
Official conformation that there will
be a pitch inspection by the referee and safety officials. We'll
keep you updated as soon as we find out the findings.
Update: The pitch inspection was passed fit
enough to play football and the match should go ahead, unless
it snows again. |
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