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Match Preview: Liverpool Vs NUFC
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 Friday
23 December 2005
By Howaythetoon
(helped by his 13 year-old nephew)
Two successive back-to-back wins takes us into a Boxing Day clash
with Liverpool whose own recent run of Premiership results reads;
played 7, won 7, zero goals conceded. Along with Chelsea, the form
side in the League.
Of course, this games also carries extra significance for former Reds
Michael Owen and Graeme Souness. Owen will be returning to Anfield
for the first time as an opposing player while Souness will be looking
for his first win on his old stamping ground as a manger.
A win that would give Newcastle only our 2nd win in the red half of
Merseyside no less since we won promotion. Our only other Premiership
victory a 2-0 success back in 1994 with Rob Lee and Andy Cole the
scorers that day, the 5th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.
Injuries & Suspension |
Moore and Dyer are both out injured while Parker is suspended. But
N'Zogbia, Taylor, Carr, Babayaro and Emre make a return, giving Souness
a pretty much full-strength squad to select from. No excuses now Graeme...
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United Squad |
Given, Harper, Carr, Ramage, Babayaro, Elliott, Boumsong, Bramble,
Taylor, Faye, Emre, Solano, Luque, Ameobi, Bowyer, N'Zogbia, Clark,
Brittain, Shearer, Owen, Chopra.
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Liverpool Squad |
Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Riise, Warnock, Traore, Luis Garcia,
Xabi Alonso, Gerrard, Hamann, Kewell, Cisse, Morientes, Crouch, Josemi,
Sinama-Pongolle, Carson.
Former Magpie Hamann could miss this one and faces a late fitness
test while Sisosko is suspended. Other than that, Liverpool have a
clean bill of health.
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How Do We Approach The Game? |
We have to go there in belief that we can pick up a point or three.
With 2 very good wins of our own in recent weeks, we should be full
of confidence and with returning players, we go there with strong
squad. Liverpool are a good strong team but so are we. We must match
them and stay together as a team.
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Key Player: Newcastle |
Following a hat-trick in his last outing for United, Owen needs no
incentive in this match. Facing his old team, he'll be out to put
one over on Liverpool and being the big game player he is, you fancy
him to have big say in this crucial 90 minutes. Since signing for
Newcastle, the England man has 7 goals to his name and along with
Given and Parker, he is without a doubt our most important player.
It will be interesting to see how Carragher and Hyypia fare against
their one-time colleague.
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Key Player: Liverpool |
It's hard to look beyond Liverpool Captain Steven Gerrard who has
had a fabulous season to date, often playing on the right. We all
know his strengths and weaknesses, but since committing himself to
the Anfield cause in the Summer when it looked like he was going to
move to Chelsea, he has just grown in stature even more. It's as if
he's making up for a rather forgettable period of his Liverpool career.
We will have to stop his forward runs and curtail his defence splitting
passes, among other things.
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Verdict? |
With our poor record at Anfield, and their red-hot form, Liverpool
are clear favourites in this match and even the most optimistic of
us will recognise how difficult a task it will be for United to even
pick up a point. However, hopefully jet-lagged, the spectre of Owen
returning to haunt them, the Souness factor as well as our own recent
form, 2 unexpected wins, I don't know, I think we can win this. I'll
leave it up to the bairn to predict a score...
2-1 to Newcastle, Shearer and Owen. If we win by that scoreline, the
bairn gets extra pocket money.
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Likely Lineup |
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Pre-Match Reaction: Michael Owen |
"I can already sense a hubbub around my return although, knowing Alan
Shearer as I do, he will probably overshadow it by breaking Jackie
Milburn's goalscoring record.
"It's bound to be a strange day because of my long association
with Liverpool but I am sure that they will understand that I will
be 100% committed to the other team.
"I remember a conversation with Jamie Carragher a while back when
we saw a player looking downcast after scoring against his old club.
"I don't think either of us could understand that and, if I score,
I will celebrate as joyfully as I did at West Ham.
"I won't shy away or feel guilty or embarrassed, but nor will I be
running over to the Liverpool bench and sticking two fingers up.
"Why should I? Rafael Benitez was very decent and straightforward
when I left and, in August, he attempted to buy me back.
"I have no regrets about joining Newcastle. I love being back in the
Premiership and, while we are still striving for consistency at United,
the potential is enormous, once we have everyone back from injury.
"Obviously I am on a personal high after my Upton Park hat-trick.
I have been pleased with my strike-rate but, as I say, I have never
doubted my ability to score goals.
"I knew from my visits to St James' Park and from Mr Shearer that
scoring goals for Newcastle would be a fantastic way of making a living
and it is."
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Pre-Match Reaction: Xabi Alonso |
"We have to put the disappointment of losing the world club championship
final behind us and concentrate on the Premiership now.
"The final is in the past and we must look forward. Instead
of thinking about the fact we lost, we can be positive and say we
showed we could have been the world champions.
"We were better than the team which won."
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