WBA v Newcastle United

WBA Away

The Hawthorns

Saturday 8th August Kick-off 5:30pm

First Championship Game of the season, Live on BBC TV

Squad:

Newcastle Squad:

Steve Harper, Tim Krul, Habib Beye, Jose Enrique, Steven Taylor, Fabricio Coloccini, Joey Barton, Damien Duff, Kevin Nolan, Jonas Gutierrez, Alan Smith (c), Xisco, Geremi, Andy Carroll, Kazenga LuaLua, Tamas Kadar, Nile Ranger, Ben Tozer, Ryan Donaldson, Darren Lough, Wesley Ngo Baheng

Injuries:

Nicky Butt (Hand), Danny Guthrie (Hamstring)

Those recently transferred:

Habib Beye (Aston Villa) and Sebastien Bassong (Spurs)

Referee:

Mike Dean from the Wirral

Chris Hughton Managers Comments

Fresh start Chris talking to nufcTV

"We have to look at it as a fresh start, we want to start the season very well and put our intentions down on the table. Our preparations for this first, very tough game, have gone very well. The games have gone well and the training has gone very well and we just hope it shows on Saturday. I've worked with a group of lads and they have been excellent in this pre-season period and they deserve more credit than they've been given. They've applied themselves very, very well and I hope we can take it into Saturday's game and get the result we want. We know it's a challenge, but you have to welcome that challenge."

Chris Hughton names Alan Smith as Captain on nufcTV he said:

"Alan has had a good pre-season and will captain the side at West Brom, He's a strong character and is a player you know will give you nothing less than 100%. People sometimes forget that he only returned from a very serious injury towards the end of last season. So for him to get a full pre-season under his belt was very important."

Winning Last Time Out Chris talking to nufcTV

"I think the memory of a win will always give you something. There will be a confidence among the lads that we've been there fairly recently and got three points. But the other side is that they will want to put right that result. We know it will be extremely difficult away from home against a good side. But they will be thinking the same about ourselves. We have got a lot of quality players here who want to be playing Premier League football, and the only way to make sure of that is by winning games and getting back up at the first time of asking."

Chris Hughton said on nufcTV about Chris Guthrie:

"Danny has a slight hamstring problem and I must stress that it is only a minor problem. He will miss West Brom but we're very hopeful he'll be back for Reading a week on Saturday. It was touch and go and we maybe could have pushed him but decided it best not to risk him."

Team Decisions Chris talking to The Chronicle

“I would like to think I have a few decisions to make. Kevin Nolan has played in a more advanced position before. We have Andy Carroll, and we are delighted he has just been called up to the England Under-21s. They are the decisions that have to be made, and we certainly welcome them.

Kevin’s had a good, full pre-season, and I don’t think he’s missed one day. He certainly does have an eye for goal, and he’s a versatile midfield player. I only see him play generally in a central position, but he can perform a number of roles there."

£71,000 Reasons Per Week Fabricio Coloccini Should Play

Chris Hughton talking to The Chronicle

“Colo has trained with us and is fit for West Brom. We were fortunate to be able to play him in the Leeds game although he did have a slight problem. It was a game when he had a slight problem but he could also play on. It was only because of circumstances that he played that night and that’s why he was left out at Dundee. We needed to give him that little bit of time to recover fully. He’s fine now.

Our work with the back four was never likely to change that much because Seb would have been suspended, we have been planning without him. All I can do is speak up until the present moment. We have been fortunate to have the large majority of players available for the majority of the time. That’s always a plus. On top of that we have seen the emergence of Kazenga LuaLua, Tamas Kadar and Ryan Donaldson, who has trained with the first team most days. He’s made great strides, so that is a benefit to me.”

Skipper Alan Smith "No Holds Barred"

talking to The Chronicle

“I am just glad to be part of that dressing room, as it is as tight as it ever been since I have been here. Hopefully, we can make a good start against West Brom tomorrow. The players in there have a hunger and a desire to get us back to where we feel, as a team, we should be. You don’t get anywhere on reputations. There are going to be hard games this season, like going to Barnsley on a damp Saturday afternoon and Scunthorpe on a wet Tuesday night, and over Christmas it will be difficult. They are the games I call muck and nettles – they are the games which win you league titles. We know the fans will stick by us through thick and thin if we show passion every week. There is no doubt the ability’s there in the squad. We just have to focus on our jobs, knowing it is going to be very difficult. We have to make sure we have the right attitude and right frame of mind every time we go out on that pitch.

You know, as a football player, they will support you through thick and thin. There were 17,000 people there for the friendly against Leeds, which was a great crowd after what happened on the previous Saturday against Leyton Orient. We are not silly. We understand what our responsibilities are to the team as individuals. If we can show commitment, passion and good football, we will be all right. The clash with Orient is still a sore point among fans, especially the 1,500 who travelled to East London two weeks ago. Smith says: I don’t really know what happened – everyone was left scratching their heads. We put it to the back of our minds, and we should have won by four or five. It was one of those things. Sometimes, in the face of adversity, people stand up to be counted, and sometimes it helps in the long run. I am sure that result against Leyton Orient will help us long-term.

It is going to be an interesting season. I am sure there will be plenty of ups and downs, and it is one I can sincerely say the lads in that dressing room are looking forward to. Any player will tell you pre-season is pre-season. You want to win games, but come tomorrow we need to be ready for the real action.”

Head to Head

Toon @ The Albion - last 10:

2008/09 Won 3-2 Duff, Lovenkrands, S.Taylor
2005/06 Won 3-0 Owen 2, Shearer
2004/05 Drew 0-0 
2002/03 Drew 2-2 Jenas, Viana
1990/01 Drew 1-1 Quinn
1989/90 Won 5-1 OG, Brazil, Brock, McGhee, O'Brien
1985/86 Drew 1-1 Wharton 
1984/85 Lost 1-2 Baird
1977/78 Lost 0-2
1976/77 Drew 1-1 Barrowclough  

Ryan Taylor Reflecting On Debut Against WBA Away

talking to nufcTV

"Obviously that was a great start for me and at the time it was a massive result. We all know what happened after that, however, and it was devastating not to stay in the Premier League. But that has gone, we can only affect what is in front of us and that is a season in the Championship where we have the chance to get back in the top division. That starts with West Brom on Saturday. It'll be tough because they're a good side with a lot of players who have been in this division. But we beat them at their place in February with a lot of the lads who will be playing this weekend and we'd love a repeat."

Steve Harper No 1

talking to nufcTV

"I've waited a long time for my opportunity and I intend to stay there for a long time. The younger lads keep me on my toes and I'll help them all I can - but one thing I won't be doing is rolling over, I'm feeling fit and strong and want to play a major part in getting us back into the Premier League.

They are both very good young goalkeepers and there's good competition between them.. There's not a lot in it, I think Tim's maybe got about 30 more games than Fraser. They keep me working hard and we all get on very well and have got an excellent coach in Paul Barron. Personally, I've enjoyed a good pre-season and can't wait for the season to start now.

We've got to try to get back up at the first time of asking, It still hurts thinking about the relegation and it will do for a long time. It was devastating and it was something I'd wished I'd never experience. But it's happened, we can't dwell on it. We have a new season coming up and the chance to get back where we belong as soon as possible."

Shola Ameobi "SRB Not Forgotten"

talking to The Chronicle

“That’s the aim. We have to fight in the way he would have wanted us to. He always did, right up until the end. He was a great character, and a truly great man. Sir Bobby had a massive impact on my life. He’s the one that brought me through the ranks. Even after he had left the club, I was in contact with him. He’s always been a great mentor to me, and a great friend. He’s sorely missed, and our thoughts are obviously with his family and those he was closest to. He’s gone, but not forgotten.”

Shola Ameobi "Hopefully"

talking to The Chronicle

“In recent seasons West Brom has been quite a good ground for us, and let’s hope it continues. We’ve been working for six weeks now in the run-up to this game, and we’re just excited and ready for it. Hopefully, we can produce a great performance, and a great win. We’re all up for it. “There have been players going in the last few weeks, and that’s their prerogative, but we know we’ve got a task and we’re up for the fight, and we have to start on Saturday. We’ve prepared now for five or six weeks in preparation for the big start, and we’re excited as a group of players, and we’re looking forward to it. Last weekend I was suffering from flu, so I’ve been trying to get over that all week. Hopefully, by Saturday, I’ll be all right.

It’s pretty detrimental to your confidence when you go down, but we have to bounce back very quickly if we’re going to achieve what we’re planning on doing. We have to recover as players, and the quicker we recover, the quicker we can move forward. I think we’ve done that in pre-season. We’ve come together, worked hard and we want to send a message out. The only way we can do that is by winning games on a consistent basis and playing good football. We want to bring a winning mentality back, which has been lacking in the last 18 months. If we can do that, the confidence will come.”

New WBA Boss Roberto Di Matteo

talking to The Chronicle

“There is a saying ‘a wounded beast is a dangerous beast’ so we’ve got to be careful. There’s enough quality in their team and we have to put in a very good performance on Saturday. They have got a lot of Premier League players obviously, proven ones as well, so you can’t underestimate Newcastle but also you can’t underestimate anybody else.”

Scott Carson WBA Keeper Said

talking to The Chronicle

“We need a good start.“Beating Newcastle would set us up with a good stride for the new season. The better start we can make, the better it is for us as a team in terms of confidence. To be honest the team and I have not been taking much notice of the fixtures, because we know that every fixture is going to be difficult.“But we have a real desire to get back into the Premier League. We feel we’re ready for the new season. And we’re looking forward to the campaign getting under way.”

Oba Martins Watch

Wolfsburg - VfL. Wolfsburg made a positive start to the new season with a 2-0 (0-0) win over VfB Stuttgart. Oba didn't get a game