Time to deliver, says Shepherd
Freddy Shepherd has issued a rallying call to Newcastle United, although the chairman’s refusal to mention Graeme Souness by name and his reluctance to accept a swath of injuries as an excuse for poor results can be interpreted as a coded warning to his pressurised manager. “This is a time for everyone associated with Newcastle United — from the boardroom, to the coaching and playing staff and all our loyal fans — to be positive and go for it,” Shepherd said. “Sometimes people can look at the negatives too much. Yes, we have injuries, but people shouldn’t forget we still have a lot of quality players.”
Michael Owen, Scott Parker, Steven Taylor, Emre Belözoglu and Kieron Dyer are among the club’s long-term absentees and while Newcastle are thirteenth in the Barclays Premiership — they have won only one of their past five league games — Shepherd insisted that European football remains a valid target. “We still have ten home matches to play in the Premiership and that’s 30 points,” Shepherd said . “You have to be positive when there are still so many games left.”
McCarthy still thinking positive
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The manager’s position has become as much a source of speculation as the club’s future ownership in recent weeks, but when Mick McCarthy met the Sunderland board of directors in London on Tuesday, his role was not discussed. McCarthy regards it as a positive development, just as he did a radio interview with Bob Murray, the chairman, last weekend, in which support was not forthcoming.
“Whenever Bob is asked about me, all he has to do is say one positive thing and it becomes a vote of confidence, which is the worst thing possible,” McCarthy said. “I don’t want one. He can keep saying what he has been, because there’s no suggestion that I’m going anywhere.”
Redknapp denies being tapped up
Harry Redknapp, the Portsmouth manager, has denied that he was “tapped up” for the job while still the manager of Southampton. It was reported yesterday that the FA Premier League was considering charging Portsmouth with an illegal approach over a meeting between Redknapp and Milan Mandaric, the chairman, on November 28, which preceded a sudden wave of betting on the next Portsmouth manager, a matter that is also under investigation.
“It’s not true,” he said. “Not a chance. What a load of old tosh. We had never spoken about me coming back. If they’ve got nothing better to do, great — see if there was an illegal approach. They’ll waste their time as usual.”
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Neville defends United’s record
Gary Neville believes that Manchester United should be criticised for not winning trophies and has defended the club’s attitude towards the FA Cup. “We have to win a trophy,” the United captain said. “It is not intense pressure. It is what is expected of us every year, by the supporters, the manager (Sir Alex Ferguson) and ourselves (the players). For too long this club did not win trophies. If we don’t, we will be criticised and rightly so.”
Out of Europe and trailing Chelsea by 16 points in the title race, United’s only chances of silverware this season are in the Carling Cup — they play Blackburn Rovers in the second leg of their semi-final at Old Trafford on Wednesday with the score level at 1-1 — and the FA Cup, a competition that Neville maintains the club take seriously, despite fielding understrength teams against Burton Albion in the third round.
“Manchester United are the most successful club in FA Cup history,” the England defender said. “People who say we do not take the FA Cup seriously do not have the facts to back it up.”
Carragher targets crucial month
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Jamie Carragher believes that Liverpool’s hopes of winning the Barclays Premiership will depend on results over the next month. The European champions face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday before playing Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on February 5 and Arsenal at home nine days later. Liverpool are 17 points adrift of Chelsea, albeit with two games in hand.
“It’s a make-or-break month with regards to the title,” the defender said. “By the time we’ve played United, Arsenal and Chelsea, we’ll know if we’ve a realistic chance of winning it or not. We’re relying on Chelsea to have a major fall, but we know if we have a good few weeks we’ve still got hope.”