Newsletter

Get your daily update and weekly newsletter by signing up today!

News

Newcastle Coach ‘We’re quite sure we can give Stoke a hell of a game’

8 years ago
Share

Paul Simpson says that Newcastle will be ‘coming up against a very good group of players’ when they face Stoke City on Saturday.

The United first team coach believes that Stoke’s front six are very strong and after watching them win at Swansea recently, describes this weekend’s visitors as ‘outstanding’.

Victory over Chelsea in the League Cup this week means that the Potters have won four of their last five matches, Simpson though says that if Newcastle are on their game and keep 11 on the pitch, they can ‘give Stoke a hell of a game’.

With this supposedly being one of Newcastle’s most winnable matches, anybody who thought that it would be easy bouncing back after the early season tough fixture schedule, might be having a few worries considering how Paul Simpson is building Saturday’s visitors up.

With the money in the Premier League now though, just as Newcastle have brought in players such as Wijnaldum and Mitrovic, Stoke have managed to attract quality such as Bojan and Shaqiri.

Simpson refers to Stoke then having other players in reserve such as Crouch and Walters, the latter scoring their goal against Chelsea. Sadly, a failure to allow proper investment in recent years by Mike Ashley, means that the likes of Stoke have much more strength in depth than Newcastle.

As for the Newcastle fans after Sunday’s depressing outcome at Sunderland, the Newcastle Coach says that it is up to the players to lift the supporters this weekend, not the other way round.

Paul Simpson talking to the club’s official tv channel:

“Stoke are a good side with really good players. I saw them against Swansea and thought they were outstanding. Two midfielder Whelan and Charlie Adam were excellent, then the front four of Arnautovic, Bojan, Shaqiri and Joselu – they have got good players. Then also the likes of Walters and Crouch, who can come in and influence games.

“We know we have to be on our game, coming up against a very good group of players.

“We know we have to be on our game and if we are, like we were for that first 45 minutes at Sunderland and keep our 11 on the pitch, we are quite sure we can give Stoke a hell of a game.

“We can’t expect the supporters to lift us, we have to lift them.”

Share

If you would like to feature on The Mag, submit your article to contribute@themag.co.uk

Have your say

© 2024 The Mag. All Rights Reserved. Design & Build by Mediaworks