Match Preview Reading Home

Read it now the Match Preview Newcastle v Reading August 15th, 2009,

live on Sky Sports

Captain Alan Smith Notes

talking to The Chronicle

“We, as a team, have got to draw fans in. They pay their hard-earned money to come and watch us, and if we’re going to get a full stadium at Newcastle, we need to be pushing for honours. It’s as simple as that.

The thing for them the fans is that they’re in the same boat as us – they don’t know one day to the next who’s going to be here, and who’s going to be gone. All we can do as players is control what we can do when we cross the line. If we can make them proud, then that’s all we can do. We can take control of that – everything else is out of our control. We’ve got a good, honest set of lads in there, and we can let our football do the talking, and give 110 per cent every time we go out.

We’re in good spirits, Reading’s a good test for us and we are determined to get the win. We did OK at West Brom and it was a really enjoyable game to play in. Now we have to build on it.”

The Mag Repeats History?

Mag Jensen Editor of The Mag talking to Lee Ryder of The Chronicle

“I suppose there are similarities to then and now.

The Mag was born in 1988, just after we’d sold Gazza and the first game was when he actually came back with Spurs and he was pelted with Mars Bars!

That season we got relegated, so I suppose you can blame us for that! But looking back, there was a similar battle going on then when John Hall and his Magpies group were trying to wrestle power from Gordon McKeag and his board. People could see the potential and were encouraged by Hall’s vision. There was a lot of upheaval at that time. Now with the club still not being sold, I think people can see a different vision. This time, while many want the club to have a new owner, there is a call for a manager with time running out in the transfer market.

This time it is a manager in Alan Shearer and there is a choice that the current owners can still make.

I think many see Alan Shearer as the man to steady the ship. It would give the fans a credible manager even if the club isn’t sold.

And it would also put the focus back on the pitch.” And it is on the pitch that Jensen feels that focus should be for 90 minutes only against the Royals. He added: “The very fact that thousands of fans have renewed their season tickets shows how people still feel about the team.

And as unhappy as people feel at the moment, it’s about getting behind the 11 players who are pulling on the shirt against Reading. People also have their own pressures in life and going to the match is a release for them.

So Saturday they will probably be looking to do the same again.”

The first issue of the Mag this season is available from the usual vendors on Saturday.

Chris Hughton on Transfer Policy

talking to The Chronicle

Written before Simpson signed on loan from Man Utd

NEWCASTLE United have completed the loan signing of defender Danny Simpson from Manchester United. The 22-year-old joins the Magpies until January and will wear squad No.12.

“The position I’m in at the moment hasn’t changed so much since pre-season, The nearer we get to the window it will probably become more and more difficult. At this moment, my remit and all my thoughts and efforts have been going very much into training this group of lads and preparing them for games.

Some of the issues that might arise over the next few weeks haven’t arisen. But I appreciate that the nearer we get to the window, it will get more difficult. “We’ve lost three players (Martins, Bassong and Beye) since the start of pre-season, If I look at the squad we’ve got at the moment, providing we don’t have too many injuries, I’d think we need the additions of two or three to the squad. But that’s keeping all the players we’ve got. At this present moment, we’ve got a squad I think is a very capable squad. There’s no doubt if we were to lose players, it would certainly get more difficult and being where we are and what we want to achieve this season, replacements would have to be brought in. I’ve not had a conversation about that yet. All the efforts from the club have been into selling the club and taking it the next step forward. But I certainly do anticipate that possibly, maybe as soon as after this weekend, some talks will have to take place about if any players were to go, the situation that would leave us in.

You have to prepare yourself but at this moment (yesterday afternoon) I expect us to have the same squad tomorrow. If that was to change, of course the club has got to make decisions on what it would like to do about replacements.”

Les Feridnand "We Must Win Our Home Game"

talking to The Chronicle

"Famous is exactly what it would be when you consider that some of the sides in the division have never been to St James’s Park before or not been for a long time.

I think if you support a Championship club and you are going to go to just one away game, then it will undoubtedly be the Newcastle game.

That’s what Newcastle are up against this season.

So it’s vital that they can get off in winning manner.

Reading will be set up well. But when St James’s Park is in full flow, it really can be a cauldron of noise and teams will get blown away by it.

Everybody gets caught up in the atmosphere including the refs and including the away team. It’s how they respond to it, but if Newcastle respond to it like they should do, regardless of who is in charge or who is manager, it can be one of the most valuable assets in football.

The Championship is certainly an exciting league.

OK, it’s not where Newcastle want to be and everybody was devastated by relegation.

But this league is all about momentum and if you keep on picking up points during what is often a Tuesday-Saturday-Tuesday fixture list, as long as you are in swinging distances of those play-off places come the final seven or eight games, you are still in with a real shout of finishing the season covered in glory.

It’s certainly going to be intriguing but I think the home games will be the key to success for Newcastle this season.”

New Mag

The first Mag issue of the season - number 238 - goes on sale ahead of this Saturday's home game. Priced @ £2.50 it's available from local news vendors, street sellers on the approaches to SJP and The Back Page on St.Andrews St.