McCarthy: Newcastle Trip Totally Different to Tuesday Friday, 21st Oct 2016 06:00 Town boss Mick McCarthy expects Saturday's game against Championship leaders Newcastle United at St James' Park to be completely different from Tuesday's 2-0 home victory over Burton Albion which saw the Blues end their five-match goalless and winless run. “The best squad, arguably the best squad, I think Norwich might argue they’re the best team,” the Town boss said of Saturday's opponents. “Almost certainly the best stadium. “It’s a high profile game. It’s a fabulous game. Different to Burton coming to us when we’re on a bit of a downer and we’re facing this team who have promoted a couple of times and we’re expected to beat them and it’s all a bit dull and not such a glamour game, this is the polar opposite to that. “This is completely different and it’s a great game for us. We’re going up there as the underdog, but I don’t think they’ll be treating us as such somehow.” Tuesday’s match was a notably open affair, unusually for the Championship, but McCarthy isn’t anticipating a repeat of that at St James’ Park. “If you thought that we were going to go there and be 4-4-2 and wide open [you’re mistaken],” he added. “But wherever we’ve played, whether it’s been 4-4-2 or 4-3-3, we’ve pressed the opposition. We’re not just going to go up there and have our bellies tickled, that’s for sure. We’re going to go there to try and win the game.”
The Blues manager, whose team are 12th, says he was impressed with the way Newcastle, relegated from the Premier League in May, went about rebuilding over the summer and was in no doubt which he saw as the best signing. “Matt Ritchie was the one for me,” he continued. “I was amazed that Bournemouth let him go because I think he’s a terrific player. “Dwight Gayle, they paid a helluva lot of money, they were double figures both of them. But I thought they were standout signings. “There were a few of them. They'd played in the Championship, they know what it’s about, British players, they’ve played there. Grant Hanley, who they took from Blackburn was another. “I don’t know whether [manager] Rafa [Benitez] has been watching the Championship and knows all the best players in there but I think that’s what he did and that was a sensible move from whoever was doing that and was orchestrating that. “They came and bought Daryl Murphy and he’s had one game in the EFL Cup. I know he’s been injured but he’s got other players that can play there. “They went out and got players who know the Championship, don’t mind playing in the Championship, but all want to be out of the Championship again and probably think they can be. “I thought whoever dealt with it, it was a good scouting and good signings for them in the summer.” Managing to hold onto Benitez, who came in in March, despite the drop into the Championship was important McCarthy believes - “I guess the £5 million a year was an added bonus!” - and he says he knows the former Liverpool and Real Madrid boss reasonably well. “I’ve managed against him,” he added. “I sat with him at the League Managers Association meeting at Huddersfield. Rafa’s OK, he’s fine.” Regarding Murphy, who joined the Magpies for £3 million shortly before the transfer window closed, McCarthy wished him well but hopes he’s not involved on Saturday. “He’s had a calf injury which he’s had when he was here. He’s come back from international duty on a number of occasions and he’s had a calf problem,” he said. “And sadly for him he’s moved but he can’t play. But I think he’s back training, whether he’s going to be available for Saturday or not I don’t know. “I sincerely hope not because it is Sod’s Law. I don’t wish any ill on Murph at all, but I wish us all the good fortune not him on Saturday. “I don’t want him to play against us and score, I don’t want anybody to score, but I don’t want Murph. Like I said, Sod’s Law, I’ve had so many ex-players haunt me and I could do without another one.” Like last season’s trip to Old Trafford in what's now the EFL Cup, visiting another famous stadium like St James’ Park is an occasion for players - as well as fans, more than 2,500 will be making the trip - to enjoy but McCarthy says his team have to be on their mettle from the off. “It’s one where you can buckle under as well if you’re not careful,” he warned. “We’ve watched them already, Will [Stephenson], our analyst, has watched a couple of games and [you can’t] allow them a good start and to get on top of you. “I think he said they’d had the ball in the net three times against Brentford in the first 15 minutes. One was disallowed. “But they got off to a really fast start and if that happens you can be in trouble and it can be a long old afternoon.” While some of his players will be playing in front of the biggest crowd of their careers - St James' Park has a capacity of 52,405 - he dismissed the suggestion it would be a cup final atmosphere. “No, it will just be a wonderful Football League atmosphere, it’ll be a great experience for them,” he said. Is there an additional excitement among the players ahead of the game given the bigger than usual stage? “I haven’t noticed it yet. Well, there is because already I think the [players’] allocation of tickets has gone, so there seem to be a whole load of people going. “I don’t know whether that’s to watch us or have a good weekend on the riverboat in Newcastle or what,” he joked. “I think the game’s just an unnecessary distraction from going on the piss, to be quite honest with you! But they’ve got to go because that’s apparently the reason they are going. But there obviously is an excitement to it, of course.” Returning to his old club is striker Leon Best, whose performances for Town have pleased his manager, although he still has to add one important element to his game. “He’s got to score yet. I want him to stick the ball in the net as well,” McCarthy continued. “He’s getting sharper. I think he’s played well in the games and it’s the first time I reckon he’s played four games on the bounce for a long time. I might be wrong, but I don’t think he’s played week in, week out for a long time.” As a former Sunderland boss, does McCarthy get stick from the home support when he’s at St James’ Park? “Oh yes, of course I do being an ex-Sunderland manager. "But that doesn’t bother me. I generally get a bit of grief from somebody at every stadium wherever we go.” He added: “I always love it when I’m getting grief when I’m coming off, that’s particularly nice.” McCarthy seems unlikely to make any changes to his defence, which has kept seven clean sheets in 11 and five in the last seven, in front of keeper Bartosz Bialkowski. Skipper Luke Chambers will be at right-back with Jonas Knudsen at left-back and Adam Webster and Christophe Berra at the centre of the defence. In midfield, the Blues boss is hoping that Cole Skuse will be fine to occupy his usual central role with Jonathan Douglas set to return having been left out against Burton for tactical reasons, although he also had some fluid on his knee. If Skuse is OK to play McCarthy will have to decide whether to drop Kevin Bru or Teddy Bishop from the three. Up front, Best is set to continue down the middle with Freddie Sears - back among the goals against Burton after 38 games - on the left and Tom Lawrence on the right with Grant Ward again set to be among the subs. Also on the bench will be David McGoldrick - who was interesting the Magpies before he suffered the ankle injury which has kept him out of action since August - and Jonny Williams. Newcastle, who have won their last four games, have no new injury problems. Former Town striker Daryl Murphy has been ruled out with his calf injury, but defender defender Chancel Mbemba is back having recovered from a nasty burn to his leg he suffered in training.
Keeper Rob Elliot is closing in on a return to action after a knee ligament injury but won’t be ready to face Town, while Massadio Haidara (knee) and Rolando Aarons (foot) are also on the way back but won’t be involved against the Blues. The teams are well balanced historically, the Blues winning 16 times (14 in the league), drawing on 15 (13) occasions and running out losers in 16 (15) meetings between the sides. Last time the teams met was also at St James’ Park in the penultimate game of the 2009/10 season when Newcastle received the Championship trophy having secured the title earlier that week. The game was played in a party atmosphere with then-Blues skipper Jon Walters grabbing a late equaliser to secure a deserved point. In the first half, Andy Carroll had put the home side in front before Connor Wickham netted his sixth goal of the season. After the break, Shola Ameobi’s penalty looked to have won it until Walters’s late goal made it 2-2, coincidentally the same scoreline as the Blues’ previous visit to Newcastle back in the 2001/02 Premier League campaign. Earlier in 2009/10, a Kevin Nolan hat-trick and a freekick from Ryan Taylor condemned Town to a 4-0 home defeat on the day the North Stand was rechristened the Sir Bobby Robson Stand in honour of both clubs’ former manager, who had died earlier in the year. In addition to Daryl Murphy, who joined the Magpies from Town in August, Jack Colback was on loan with the Blues from Sunderland for the whole of the 2009/10 season - and played for Town last time they played Newcastle - and also for a spell in the first half of the following season, making a total of 36 starts and eight sub appearances, scoring five goals. Town striker Leon Best was with Newcastle from February 2010 until July 2012, scoring 10 goals in 35 starts and 11 sub appearances. The 30-year-old was an unused Magpies sub when the teams last met at St James’ Park. Saturday’s referee is James Adcock from Nottinghamshire, who has shown 32 yellow cards and one red in 12 games so far this season. Adcock’s last Town match was the 1-0 win at Leeds United in September last year in which he booked Jonny Parr and three home players. Prior to that he was in charge of the 1-1 home draw with Blackburn in October 2014 in which Matt Kilgallon was red-carded for a second bookable offence and Cole Skuse and former Blue Ryan Tunnicliffe were both also cautioned. Before that he took control of the 2-0 loss at Wigan in September 2013 in which he booked Tommy Smith and Christophe Berra. Adcock’s first Town game was the 3-0 home victory over Leeds in which defender Tom Lees was red-carded for a wild challenge on Jay Tabb midway through the first half. Three other Whites, Luke Chambers and Aaron Cresswell were also yellow-carded during that match. Squad from: Bialkowski, Gerken, Chambers (c), Emmanuel, Knudsen, Kenlock, Berra, Webster, Digby, Skuse, Douglas, Bru, Williams, Bishop, Grant, Dozzell, Ward, Lawrence, Sears, Best, McGoldrick.
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