Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Good afternoon everybody. This is today's Newcastle World Update. This is a little thing we're going to be doing, you know, once a day, giving you all the ins and outs of the goings on in Newcastle United.
00:11Now obviously the rest of the country could be forgiven for feeling a little bit down in the dumps. You know, the weather's naff, as you can see, the snow's starting to subside.
00:20A lot of people are going back to work for the first time after the festive period. But on Newcastle, there's plenty of reason to be optimistic.
00:27You know, there'll be a lot of smiles on people's nails this morning. Obviously on Saturday, down at Tottenham there, we had six wins on the bounce on that anyhow, as it continues in resurgence.
00:37And to be fair, for all the goals and all the clean sheets of recent weeks, Newcastle showed a little bit something different down there, I thought, in North London.
00:47You know, there was a real, especially in the second half, there could have been three or four won up by half-time, but in the second half they really had to dig in.
00:54And we saw some of that, that housery there, that we haven't really seen for a long time. And that midfield threes pairing, you know, with Tonali, Bruno and Joe Linton, supplying the bullets to Alexander, he sat up front.
01:08You saw a real doggedness, it was a pop-out away victory.
01:11But the return to North London, again, a couple of days later, and after that win against Tottenham, against sterner opposition, Arsenal, the Carabao Cup semi-final.
01:21Now this is a massive game, everybody's aware, it's well documented. Newcastle's trophy wars over the past, but domestic trophy wars over the past 70 years or so.
01:31Now, it's an odd one because, when you think back to a couple of years ago, when they played Southampton, that was, it felt almost like they'd been starved of a big occasion like that for so long.
01:44It almost felt like a one-off where there was an added pressure on the game. It was a similar sort of vibe when they played Brentford in a week, in the quarter-final.
01:55Now, the Leicester quarter-final two years ago, again, it felt like a one-off occasion, but Newcastle against Brentford in a week, they just rocked up, got the job done, and blow them away really now.
02:07I don't think that's going to be the case against Arsenal, a slightly stern opposition.
02:12But, you know, Arsenal have got injury problems, they've got Pacquiao's sackers out.
02:17I can't even have words for Martin, oh my God, we'll miss the game the other day, for real.
02:22The big dilemma for Newcastle is who comes in for Bruno Guimaraes and his centre-back.
02:28Bruno, that midfield, as I've just mentioned before, with Tonali at the base of the midfield, Joel Linton and Bruno ahead of him.
02:35That really has been the key to Newcastle's success, I think, in recent weeks.
02:40Now, who comes in for Bruno? You're not just losing one of your best players on the team, you're losing the man who's had the all-band this season.
02:47He's someone who, if you're down there looking to get a dogged result and take the back of St James', you can jay the fans up.
02:54Now, it's probably a straight shootout between Longstaff and Willock.
02:59Longstaff's the one who, anyhow, is tended to prefer on the right side of that three.
03:06Personally, I think Joel Willock would be a better option, I think, for all of Longstaff's graft and effort.
03:12Everybody speaks about the engine he's got on him, I think Willock can see that added a little bit more.
03:16Obviously, you never know what could be written in the stars as he's going down to face his boyhood club.
03:20Anyhow, I was asked about that this morning, my colleague, feel free to check out Newcastle World's website.
03:25My colleague, Jordan Corden, was down at the press conference earlier today and that was one of the big talk of the point.
03:31Who's going to come in for Bruno Guimaraes?
03:34The other big talk of the point was obviously Martin Dabravka, a lot's been said about his future lately.
03:39I feel like if this were to be his last game, as a lot of Middle Eastern reports have been saying,
03:46I feel like he would leave with his head held high.
03:48I think he's going to leave after that loan spell at Man United or even after last season, people were talking about the decline.
03:54I think if he was to leave now after he came in, kept several clean sheets, only conceded two goals,
03:59I think that would be a fair play of Martin Dabravka because you've got to think going back to the Rafa Benitez days and certainly the Steve Bruce days,
04:08he was probably one of the better players on the team and Newcastle got a lot of points because of Martin Dabravka.
04:13Now obviously he's been displaced in recent times, so if he was to put a good performance in tomorrow night
04:19and then be sent on his merry way with Newcastle's blessing, I think that would be a good way to go.
04:24It would probably insinuate that Nick Pope might be back sooner than expected.
04:55Hopefully it's going to be a memorable night for the 6,000 fans that are travelling.
05:01Touch wood, hopefully there's no train cancellations and the weather stays relatively OK.
05:06I think the goal has to be, if I'm speaking with my head here, stay in the tie.
05:11That has to be the key there.
05:13If Newcastle go down there tomorrow and get beat 3 or 4-0, like there has been some hidings over the years, I think that would be a real sickness for everybody.
05:22If they go there, get a draw, amazing, if they win, absolutely brilliant.
05:26But just stay in the tie, even if it was a narrow 2-1 loss or a 1-0 loss.
05:30Eddie Howe always plays to win, but if I'm speaking with my head and Newcastle can just stay in the tie,
05:35get them back to St James' Park, they've been Arsenal's nemesis down St James' Park in recent times,
05:40I think that would be a small win with the look to early February, with the Wembley final on the horizon,
05:50with that big challenge, that big prize to play for, you never know.
05:55But yeah, that's it from me today.
05:58Sorry, this is going to be a little bit of a trial and error, I think.
06:02I mean, I went on a couple of off today doing this video.
06:06It's blowing the hoolie and it's been snowing outside.
06:10I'll bear that one in mind for future videos.
06:13If it's like this, I'll probably just stay at the house.
06:15But yeah, take care everybody and enjoy the game tomorrow night.