STEW'S PREVIEWS
NEWCASTLE UNITED v MIDDLESBROUGH
Stewart Flaherty, 18 Dec 2009
BORO EYE VIEW
Boro find themselves heading to hostile territory in less than ideal conditions.
The players and staff will need a good week of preparation for what may be a harsh
and revealing test of their promotion chasing credentials.
A magnificent win at QPR
was closely followed by a crash-back-down-to-earth battering at the hands of
Blackpool, then a hard fought loss to a quality Cardiff side.
Column Continues Below...
It appears that without
Gary O'Neil, Boro are not a top notch team in this division, and his presence and
level of play have seemed to coincide with the best performances of the season.
Boro will look to exhibit some steel and come away from St James' Park with at least
a point. This is a task that will be far from easy.
Flashback fans will enjoy this clip of the match on
Boxing Day 1991. Just where were those Geordie centre-backs when Paul Wilkinson
races clear from the halfway line (yes you read that right!)?
NEWCASTLE EYE VIEW
Newcastle will be quietly pleased with themselves.
During pre-season, they were written off as a club
in disarray. A shambles of a first team, with players heading for the exit door in their numbers,
an incompetent owner and a financial disaster waiting to happen, a Leeds United type
freefall from grace was predicted by some.
However, the truth has been far from the case.
Newcastle have bounced back from the
disappointment of relegation with a strong showing and a positive team spirit that
has lead to manager Chris Hughton receiving a lot of praise.
Amid all the media
hoopla and furore, he has quietly hit the training field every day, meshed a team
together, and produced a strong set of results.
The Geordies will look forward to extending their unbeaten home record in a clash
with their local rivals.
HEAD TO HEAD
Goalkeepers
Boro - Brad Jones has had his doubters and the Cardiff game certainly gives them
more ammunition.
The goal from Cardiff was schoolboy stuff and the rule of
coaching is that all communication at the back starts with the keeper. A goalkeeper
who tells clearly, loudly and early whether he is coming to claim a ball enables his
defenders to make better decisions.
The goal showed hesitance, doubt and a lack of
communication, none of which reflect well on Jones.
He is an athletic shot stopper,
but it seems that he is a way off being a top level goalkeeper and leader right now. This is something that is not helped by the relative youth of the Boro centre-back pairing.
Newcastle - Having signed for Newcastle way back in 1998, Harper has spent a long
time on the bench but still managed to rack up over 100 games for the club.
He was
rewarded for his loyalty and given the starting job when the outstanding Shay Given
left for Manchester City.
Harper played in an FA Cup final against Manchester
United in 1999.
Edge: Newcastle. Harper has earned the number one jersey the hard way and is staking
a claim to keep it going, possibly in the Premier League.
Boro Defence v Newcastle Attack
Boro - A terrible performance against Blackpool was followed up by conceding a true
horror goal to decide the Cardiff game.
Many teams talk about having the ability to
play badly and win, and to grind out results over 90 minutes of attrition. This
Middlesbrough side is not showing that ability, and the back line is playing a part
in that.
Republic of Ireland international Sean St Ledger is forced to sit out the
next three games due to his loan deal rules, and it will be very interesting to see the
effect this has. His partnership with Wheater has certainly been inconsistent.
Even more interesting will be what happens should the defence perform well in his
absence. Pogatetz is very capable of moving to centre-back, which is his best
position, and he would lend more experience in the heart of the back line.
Newcastle - Shola Ameobi is another long time club servant who has spent his share of
time on the bench.
Since making his Newcastle debut in 2000, Ameobi has worked away
at gaining a starting spot. This spell has included a loan move to Stoke City.
This season has been Ameobi's best for the Geordies with a total of six goals scored, including a
hat-trick against Reading. This will no doubt thrill Dave of Setanta Sports phone-in fame.
Local lad and Academy product Andrew Carroll has four goals and adds a physical
presence up front.
Also having scored four goals is Marlon Harewood, who is on loan from
Premiership Aston Villa. Harewood is a real physical presence who is a handful for
defenders. He could be dominant at Championship level.
England international Alan Smith is the experienced head in the Newcastle attack,
with 19 England caps and a wealth of Premier League and Champions League experience
with Leeds United and Manchester United. Smith has excelled at the game's highest
levels.
During his Manchester United spell, Smith also showed the ability to play
in central midfield, making him an excellent player to have in the squad.
Edge: Newcastle. Boro are lacking consistency at the back and Newcastle have pace and
power in abundance.
Midfield
Boro - Boro have a fairly long injury list but the two names on
it that send chills up the spines of fans are Gary O'Neil and Adam Johnson.
These two have, without doubt, been Boro's best performers this season and the thought of
lining up without them at St James' Park is a worrying one.
O'Neil produced the
performance of the season at QPR and his all-action style gives him the ability to
really impose his will on the opposition.
Johnson is a truly dynamic attacker and
has at times terrorised the opposition and created goals single handedly.
The only more
worrying prospect is to lose either or both in January as what would that leave us?
Digard and Bates also have long term injuries so options in centre midfield are looking
worryingly thin.
Julio Arca has a lot of ability on the ball, but his lack of
athleticism could be cruelly punished by Newcastle. Meanwhile, Rhys Williams lends talent but he has little experience.
Strachan may choose to field a midfield five with the
options available, at risk of losing the game in this area. Only the return of
O'Neil would lift the spirits or even the odds.
Out wide, Mark Yeates has been performing well of late and speedy yet fragile Marvin Emnes
could be given a run. This would give Middlesbrough the ability to take on the full-backs and get in behind the Geordies.
Newcastle - Newcastle are very good in midfield. They are energetic and intelligent in
the centre, and have pace and flair out wide.
Seeing Boro pack in a defensive midfielder
would not at all be a surprise.
Shorn of O'Neil, Boro could struggle against the
gritty pairing of Kevin Nolan and Nicky Butt.
Nolan is an England Under-21 international, having made his name as a tough tackling
and goal scoring midfielder with the successful Bolton sides of Sam Allardyce.
Nolan was club captain when Bolton embarked on their 2006 UEFA Cup campaign. He has
netted 10 goals so far this season and the BBC website this week contains a feature arguing that he may be the best player in the entire league.
Nicky Butt has won just about every honour in the English game. He began his career
with Manchester United as a part of the 'Fergie's Fledglings' generation that
included David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.
Butt's glittering Manchester
United career ended in 2004 when he signed for Newcastle.
Nicky played in 269 games
for Manchester United, winning five Premier League winners medals, three FA Cup winners
medals, as well as a Champions League winners medal.
Butt also played in the 2002
World Cup for England and was "the best player in the tournament" in the opinion of
the great Pele. If Boro lack experience, Butt may brutally expose it.
Another option in midfield is Danny Guthrie, a Liverpool Academy product and England
Youth international. While not lacking in ability, Guthrie has less experience and
has shown a streak of petulance in the past. This could be a chink in the armour of the
Newcastle midfield.
Out wide, Newcastle have a range of attacking options that include Jonas Gutierrez,
Fabrice Pancrate, and one time Boro loan target, Peter Lovenkrands.
Gutierrez has 11 Argentina caps and won a 2005 Primera Division title in Argentina
before moving to Spain. Signed by Kevin Keegan in 2008, Gutierrez is full of tricks.
Frenchman Pancrate is a pacey winger who began his career with Paris St Germain. A
recent addition to the squad, he signed on loan last month and scored his first goal
in a 2-0 home win over Watford.
Danish international Lovenkrands is capable of playing either on the wing or as a
forward. Lovenkrands was once targeted as a loan signing by former Boro manager
Steve McClaren and will be a familiar name to many.
Edge: Newcastle. An injury hit Boro unit has a real challenge on its hands. The
Newcastle midfield is full of top division and international experience.
Boro Attack v Newcastle Defence
Boro - Dave Kitson has been a real boost and a welcome addition to the Boro front line. He will look to use his physical presence as an outlet for Boro, as well as a
scoring threat. The ability to hold up the ball and allow Boro to keep possession
in the Newcastle half will be important in such a hostile atmosphere.
Kitson will be joined up front by either the pace of Leroy Lita or the physical
presence of Marcus Bent, who started the last game against Cardiff.
The Boro
strikers will need to finish what chances they do get, both to give Boro a foothold
in the game and to take the air out of a hostile home crowd.
Newcastle - Newcastle's preferred centre-back pairing is Fabricio Coloccini and
Steven Taylor.
Coloccini has 30 caps for Argentina and is the winner of an Olympic Gold Medal after
featuring in a team that included Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano. Coloccini is
a real physical battler and is willing to get into a dog fight if necessary. Kitson
will have a real battle on his hands all afternoon.
Taylor is a quality defender as well as a threat at set pieces when attacking. He
was called up to the full England squad in 2007 but did not play. A true leader,
Steven has captained England at Under 16, Under 17 and Under 21 level.
Sanchez Jose Enrique is a Spanish Under-21 left-back, who was signed for £6.3million
in 2007. A solid defender, he has pace and is capable of overlapping and providing
dangerous crosses from the left. This is something that Boro must be aware of.
Ryan Taylor is an England Under-21 international who is a real danger from direct
free kicks, having scored two goals already this season.
Other defensive options include Premier League loan signings Danny Simpson
(Manchester United) and commentator's nightmare Zurab Khizanishvili (all the best
pronouncing that) from Blackburn Rovers.
Edge: Newcastle. An experienced back line has leaked only four home goals so far this
season.
Fans
Boro - The doubters are emerging already, and a fan base that is struggling to cope
with the reality of relegation not being a cruise back to the Premier League is
starting to fracture. A vocal
following will make the short trip north hoping to see an against-the-odds Boro win.
Newcastle - Known for their passion and noise, the Toon Army will pack the stadium
and attempt to roar their team on to a derby win.
Edge: Newcastle. A large, vocal and partisan crowd will welcome Boro into a
hostile atmosphere.
Prediction
Newcastle win. Boro desperately need a win, but it will likely not come here as
Newcastle look to stay top of the league.
