Alan Shearer admits Newcastle will have to win their last three home matches to have any chance of avoiding relegation from the Premier League.
Shearer’s side slumped to a lackluster 1-0 defeat at Tottenham on Sunday which left the Magpies four points from safety with only five matches to play.
With tough trips to Liverpool and Aston Villa in Newcastle’s last two away matches, Shearer knows they must beat Portsmouth, Middlesbrough and Fulham at St James’ Park.
PHOTO: REUTERS
“We’ll be expected to win those and we have to win those starting with next Monday against Portsmouth. My attention is now on that must-win game,” he said.
Newcastle will have to improve dramatically to win any of those matches on the evidence of their woeful effort in north London.
Their only shot of the first half came in the 24th minute, seconds before Spurs raced to the other end of the pitch, with Darren Bent finishing at the second attempt after Steve Harper saved his initial effort.
PHOTO: AFP
Shearer went for broke in the second half, sending on Australia forward Mark Viduka and Obafemi Martins.
Nigeria striker Martins provided something of an attacking spark and twice went close, while also having his handball effort chalked off and a penalty shout turned down by referee Mark Halsey following a challenge by Jonathan Woodgate.
But Tottenham would have won by more but for wayward finishing and Shearer conceded his team have to start matches a lot better if they are to give him a first win since replacing Joe Kinnear.
“I’ve just said to them, very pleased with the second half but give me an explanation why there’s no urgency like that from minute one,” Shearer said.
“We have our own ideas, our own theory as to why but we have to start games in the first minute like we finish them in the last 30 minutes,” he said.
Spurs still have a chance of a top-seven finish and Europa League soccer next season, but boss Harry Redknapp is waiting to find out the results of a scan after Michael Dawson injured his ankle in the first half.
“I’m not sure if it’s ligaments or a fracture but it looks quite nasty,” Redknapp said.
“I’d like to get into Europe. It would be a good achievement, fantastic. It’s not as important as staying up, that’s all they were talking about,” he said.
“Mr Levy [chairman Daniel Levy] hadn’t slept for weeks because he thought we were going to get relegated. I bet he’s sleeping now,” Redknapp said.
Meanwhile, Mark Hughes wants Brazilian star Robinho to prove his worth by inspiring Manchester City’s bid for European soccer.
Robinho ended his goal drought stretching back to Dec. 28 in Sunday’s 4-2 victory against West Brom.
The former Real Madrid star has struggled during the second half of the season and was dropped by Hughes for City’s previous league game against Fulham.
But he remains City’s most talented player and Hughes hopes he can recapture his early-season form to lift the Blues to a top-seven finish.
Hughes said: “We are pleased Robby is back on the goal trail. It is his first in 2009 and important for him.”
“As he has not been scoring, people have been highlighting that fact. But hopefully he will now go on a run again,” Hughes said.
After Robinho’s goal, Nedum Onuoha extended City’s lead in the 20th minute. But West Brom rallied and drew level thanks to a brace from Northern Ireland winger Chris Brunt.
Their revival lasted only a minute with Elano putting City back in front from the penalty spot after he had been floored by Jonas Olsson. Substitute Daniel Sturridge then went on to complete the scoring in stoppage-time.
The result means City could yet clinch seventh place, which is almost certain to yield a European place.
Hughes added: “We needed a win to keep in touch and we have done that. We are in the mix.”
West Brom manager Tony Mowbray remained upbeat even though they are nine points adrift of safety with five games to go.
He said: “We will be positive and try to win all five games. We owe that to our supporters, who have had a tough season.”
TO THE TOP: After securing the international title on Saturday, Team Taiwan were to face Las Vegas to potentially win their 18th Little League World Series championship A team from Taipei’s Dong Yuan Elementary School won the Little League Baseball World Series’ international title on Saturday by defeating Aruba 1-0 in the annual baseball tournament held in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The Taiwan team, competing under the name Chinese Taipei, were after press time last night to face a team from Las Vegas, Nevada, which beat a team from Fairfield, Connecticut, in the US championship 8-2. Taiwan are seeking to win their first Little League Baseball World Series title since 1996. “Really haven’t taken a moment to data dump right now on Taiwan,” Nevada manager T.J. Fescher said. “They’re a
‘CATASTROPHE’: Despite losing several key forwards in the summer transfer window, Bayern were up 3-0 in the first half before Harry Kane scored a hat-trick in the second Harry Kane hit a hat-trick, Michael Olise a double and newcomer Luis Diaz also scored as Bayern Munich made a “statement” against RB Leipzig 6-0 at home in the Bundesliga season opener on Friday. Bayern’s big-money arrivals, all brought in from the Premier League across the past three seasons, were dominant as the Bavarians begun their title defense in style. Olise scored twice in the first half, either side of a Diaz strike. Not to be outdone, Kane scored three goals in the second half — with two assists coming from Diaz, to bring Bayern’s total to 6-0. Kane told the Bundesliga
Kevin de Bruyne is to lead SSC Napoli’s Serie A title defense today when he makes his full debut at promoted US Sassuolo, but the champions head into the new season rocked by a long-term injury to star striker Romelu Lukaku. De Bruyne was, alongside aging icon Luka Modric, the big new name to arrive in Italy this summer and fans were hoping his linkup with Belgium teammate Lukaku would push Napoli to success both at home and in their return to the UEFA Champions League. The 34-year-old has suffered from hamstring injuries which caused him to miss significant chunks of the
Marc Marquez continued his winning streak as he cruised to victory in the Hungarian GP sprint by two seconds on Saturday night to pad his championship lead. It was a seventh straight Sprint victory for the Spaniard, who has also won the last six longer Sunday grand prix races on his factory Ducati. Fabio Di Giannantonio, an Italian with the VR46 Ducati satellite team was a distant second at Balaton Park, followed by his team-mate and compatriot Franco Morbidelli third. Marquez, a six-time world champion, started the race from pole position. “I felt someone really close on the first corner, from there I
RSS