Chelsea - Newcastle preview
Posted by JamesB in Chelsea, Newcastle | 21 March 2006
After two straight defeats Glenn Roeder has the easy task of ending the run against Chelsea, at Stamford Bridge.
The odds of course are stacked firmly against us, possibly more so because Chelsea are now out of the Champions League and will be looking to the FA Cup more as a route to more silverware. It was the reverse fixture last season that saw Kluivert's header knock Chelsea out the cup, but that was not a full strength team that we entertained at St James'.
Newcastle fans will be wondering if Fulham can beat them, then why can't the Toon? However we all know there is more to it than that, and this is the worst possible tie we could have been given - but we have to live with that and do what we can.
Hopefully inspiring the players is knowing that this will be Shearer's last ever chance to win a trophy with his hometown club. Whether this inspiration will be enough for our weakened backline to deal with the Chelsea attack remains to be seen, and now ideas that Owen might have made this game are firmly out the window few people would dare to back a Newcastle win. Our record at the Bridge is nothing short of abysmal since the beginning of the Premier League, but if ever there was a time to rectify that, this is it.
Its a game I don't like to predict the outcome of. My heart tells me we can do it, like we did last year, but my head says that we will be beaten by the superior Chelsea team. I'll go for a compromise and back us to grab a 1-1 draw to earn a replay, a result I would definately take given the choice now.
Comments
So no chance of any silverware now.
Did you ever think our target would become getting in the top half of the table?