Steve McManaman: "Newcastle just have to look at themselves, the players have to get themselves out of this mire. Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood look quite quiet. They clearly aren't shouters.
McManaman Tells Hughton To Show Some Passion!
"You see Gary Megson roaring at some of his players. You wonder whether they have got the mentality to give the players a kick up the backside when they need one.
"Joe Kinnear certainly has but unfortunately he is on his sickbed. Joe is a big personality and that's why I think he will be missed. I think the players need to be torn into at times. I think they are missing that.
"Joe Kinnear certainly has but unfortunately he is on his sickbed. Joe is a big personality and that's why I think he will be missed. I think the players need to be torn into at times. I think they are missing that.
"I'd be very worried if I was a Newcastle fan. When you see the fixtures they have coming up, with Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea and some tricky ties at home, I just worry for them.
"I worry whether they can out-battle teams like Hull. You certainly won't think that they will out-battle Manchester United. Whether they will be able to go to Hull and get a result, because they couldn't on Sunday and it was there for them, they just didn't take any chances.
"I think they are just lacking that bit of class at the moment.
"They have good individuals, on paper I always expect more from Newcastle because of the players they have in the team, international players, yet they always leave you frustrated, leave you wanting. It's very worrying, the fans were not happy at the end of the game were they?
"They are very loyal fans but they are not stupid, they know what they are watching and they know that they are struggling at the moment. It is going to be hard times.
"I thought it was hard times last season but this year looks like it is going to be worse. You just don't know if they are up for the fight.
Tuesday 03rd March 2009
Portsmouth v Chelsea 19.45
West Brom v Arsenal 19.45
Wednesday 04th March 2009
Blackburn v Everton 20.00
Fulham v Hull City 20.00
Man City v Aston Villa 19.45
Newcastle v Man Utd 19.45
Stoke City v Bolton 19.45
Tottenham v Middlesbrough 20.00
Wigan Athletic v West Ham 19.45
Saturday 07th March 2009
Sunderland v Tottenham 15.00
Wednesday 11th March 2009
Fulham v Blackburn 20.00
Saturday 14th March 2009
Arsenal v Blackburn 15.00
Bolton v Fulham 15.00
Everton v Stoke City 15.00
Hull City v Newcastle 15.00
Man Utd v Liverpool 12.45
Middlesbrough v Portsmouth 15.00
Sunderland v Wigan Athletic 15.00
Sunday 15th March 2009
Aston Villa v Tottenham 16.00
Chelsea v Man City 13.30
Monday 16th March 2009
West Ham v West Brom 20.00
Saturday 21st March 2009
Blackburn v West Ham 15.00
Fulham v Man Utd 15.00
Man City v Sunderland 15.00
Newcastle v Arsenal 17.30
Portsmouth v Everton 12.45
Stoke City v Middlesbrough 15.00
Tottenham v Chelsea 15.00
West Brom v Bolton 15.00
Sunday 22nd March 2009
Liverpool v Aston Villa 16.00
Wigan Athletic v Hull City 13.30