by DOWN AND OUT IN PARIS?
While Newcastle’s Gulf States derby against PSG is not strictly a match the Premier League team must win, they certainly must not lose to maintain hopes of advancing to the knockout stages of the Big Cup. crush their French hosts 4-1 in the corresponding match at St James’ Park, Newcastle fans would have every right to feel confident in Paris if their team were not so decimated by injuries and suspensions. The list of absentees is so long that famous Toon fans Ant and Dec would almost certainly get a game if they weren’t making an even bigger show in Australia, helping to rehabilitate the reputation of a despicable, boat-obsessed demagogue..
Although Newcastle have a whopping 12 senior players unavailable, Howe may not have to resort to calling up Sting, Sam Fender and Jimmy Nail, as only three of that dozen (Sandro Tonali, Dan Burn and Sean Longstaff) are available. among their current group of weak players. , stoppage or sanction that started in the team that hit PSG the last time. Just like when they humiliated Chelsea, Newcastle’s starting eleven will be more than strong enough, but it is on the bench where they will be noticeably short on experience, but not, if the weekend is anything to go by, Cherub academy graduates and gloved substitute goalkeepers. .
This is where a shortage of experienced personnel could cost Newcastle, considering the effort Howe’s side were forced to put in against Chelsea just three days ago. “If you’ve seen the last game Newcastle played, yes, physically, it’s really incredible,” gasped PSG coach Luis Enrique. “They are very strong, they can press hard and very high, there is a lot of intensity. “Six players are putting so much pressure that they can press like eight players at the same time and this intensity and pressure in their game is something we have to be prepared for.” When asked if this was a defining moment in Newcastle’s campaign and whether they were going to give it their all or not, Howe was unequivocal. “This is a decisive moment in our campaign and we are going to give it our all,” he said in his pre-match press conference. “We’re going to need to be as good as we know we can be. The motivation could not be greater. It is imperative that we do not lose. Fear of failure is an important motivation in my career. Losing doesn’t feel comfortable to me and that applies to this game.”
In Paris, to mark the latest mini-vacation destination on their Grand Cup bingo cards, some traveling Newcastle fans were subjected to an unprovoked attack by a gang of PSG ultras while drinking in a bar in Boulogne. Billancourt, although the outbreak is reported to have been brief and no serious injuries were reported. “A group of about 30 PSG fans appeared, stayed outside, threw flares, chairs, etc. at the windows and doors,” reported a spokesperson for the Newcastle United Supporters’ Club. “No one was seriously hurt and then they left. The advice is for everyone to stick together and look out for each other.” Faced with a possible attack from Kolo Muani, Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, it is advice that Newcastle’s makeshift back four should also heed.
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Join Barry Glendenning at 8pm GMT for Big Cup updates on PSG 3-1 Newcastle, while Beau Dure keeps an eye on the clock for all the other matches.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Sending him to the screen for one and not the other, not warning him that there is a header or that Tim Ream should get a red card. What sense does VAR have? I’ve had a real adult conversation there with [the referee], I’m trying to stay calm. I’m not angry with anyone. I’m not out there abusing people. It’s literally a conversation around: ‘Come on guys, it’s six, seven points that have gone against us, I’m managing a big football club here and the difference that you are making to my reputation, to the progression of the club. . moving up the league and contributing to people’s livelihoods is huge.” Maybe tonight I’ve finally turned against VAR” – in a series called Gary O’Neil v VAR (part XXXVI), we find out that only now The Wolves boss, whose side suffered a last-gasp 3-2 defeat with the help of VAR against Fulham, has turned against the technology. He will no doubt be delighted to know that Ifab is now considering involving curtain-raisers in corner kicks and free kicks as well.
LETTERS FROM THE FOOTBALL DIARY
Hey. Hey. Hey. Let’s take it easy with one of my all-time favorites, the Gladiator Glider, Dimitar Berbatov (Yesterday’s Department of Fun and Games in South America, full edition by email). To my memory Berba never I had some responsibility to track him down, God forbid. His responsibility was to score goals and I think he did it with admirable style” – Guy Robert.
In general, I am strongly in favor of the use of AI and, frankly, in my office I would settle for any type of intelligence, artificial or natural. However, it was extremely disappointing to see the once-great Sports Illustrator accused of using artificial intelligence to generate articles and generate fake profiles for authors while also being too lazy to even check if they made any sense afterwards. Fortunately, the quality of the articles, with classics like “volleyball can be a bit tricky to understand, especially without a real ball to practice on”, is so poor that not even Football Daily would stoop to using it. My office, on the other hand” – Noble Francis [you say that … – Football Daily Ed].
Petr Cech posing for a photo in ‘a cemetery in Surrey’, you say (yesterday’s Memory Lane, full email edit)? Or is it a cemetery next to Baron’s Court tube station? – Russell Packford (and 1,056 other West Londoners).
Sergio Ramos has been unfairly accused of receiving his 29th red card. It is number 30 if you count the one not awarded for his judo tackle on Mohamed Salah in the Grand Cup final” – Krishna Moorthy (and no other readers who fight for moving forward from 2018).
In this era of Premier League-focused generosity, let’s think about the rest of a pyramid that is the envy of the world. I present to you Wealdstone’s 98th minute winning goal against our despised rivals Barnet on Saturday, which caused chaotic scenes among the 2,000 home fans, emptied the technical area and inflicted a fourth successive defeat on the club that [Snip – Football Daily Lawyers] our land. Wealdstone works part-time and Barnet full-time. “Delicious doesn’t begin to describe the ecstasy after the final whistle” – Neale Harvey.
Send any letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s Card of the Day winner is… Neale Harvey, who gets a copy of Woman Up by Carrie Dunn. We have more to give away, so she starts writing.
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