Newcastle United v Manchester City: Preview
Last 3 matches
Everton vs. Newcastle United (D- 2:2) Man City vs. Liverpool (L- 2:3)
Newcastle United vs. Blackburn Rovers (L- 1:2) Man City vs. Omonia Nicosia (W- 2:1)
Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur (L- 1:2) Wigan vs. Manchester City (L- 2:1)
History: Win (Newcastle United 6x, Man City 3x), Draw (1x)
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Newcastle will be without Michael Owen for Monday night’s Barclays Premier League home match against Manchester City at St James’ Park. The 28-year-old striker could be out for up to 10 days with a groin strain, although a scan has at least shown there is no tear.
Habib Beye (Achilles) and Jonas Gutierrez (fractured collarbone) could return from their injuries, while Obafemi Martins (groin) is rated at 50-50. Midfielder Joey Barton will complete his six-game FA ban, while Mark Viduka (Achilles) and Alan Smith (stress fracture) remain on the long-term casualty list. Forgotten man Shola Ameobi is desperate for a chance to prove he can be Newcastle’s saviour. The 27-year-old has enjoyed the one-to-one attentions of interim manager Joe Kinnear at times in the last week after he vowed to turn him into a modern-day John Fashanu.
Ameobi, who might have left the club during the summer as a succession of Championship suitors tested the water, is ready to remind people of the player he believes he can be.
He said: “Football is a funny game at times. A week is a long time in football and I just take every week as it comes. “The game is about moving on and certainly, I thought that was the case for me, but it wasn’t to be. “I have just got to make the most of where I am, I have always said that, and hopefully I can help this team climb up that table. “We have got a couple of important games coming up and I want to be as fit as possible to help us achieve maximum points in those two games.”
Ameobi has not scored a league goal for his home-town club – he arrived on Tyneside from Nigeria as a child – since his penalty in a 2-1 home defeat by Bolton on October 15, 2006, and his last from open play came against Everton three weeks earlier.
However, with Australian Mark Viduka sidelined indefinitely, his physical prowess could be an asset, and that has been the focus for Kinnear.
Ameobi said: “It’s playing my position, it’s getting me into the old habits again, the old routines I used to have and playing as a centre-forward, which is obviously where I want to play.
“It’s getting me playing up top and staying there and being a target man for the team. “I certainly enjoy playing that role and hopefully I will get a chance to play there a bit more.”
Manchester City will be without winger Martin Petrov after the Bulgarian sustained knee ligament damage on international duty. City will also be without defender Pablo Zabaleta as he begins a three-match suspension after being sent off in the defeat by Liverpool.
Manager Mark Hughes expects Robinho to be available despite the Brazilian being substituted after taking a knock in his country’s international against Colombia.
Hughes is looking for his side to build up a head of steam and climb the table. He said: “We are not there yet. On our day we can give anyone a game because of the attacking and technical ability we have in the side.
“But if we are to challenge the top four, we have to win on a consistent basis. That’s what the top four teams do.
“We do not have that capacity yet. We are working on that and trying to get better. We could do with winning five or six games on the trot as that would help our cause.”
Former Manchester United and Chelsea striker Hughes came up against Kinnear in the 1990s when he was manager of Wimbledon. He believes the 61-year-old has a different kind of job to perform now on Tyneside.
Hughes said: “Joe’s teams had a certain style of play you had to combat. You had to stand up to the fight.
“I think what he is trying to do now is instil a little bit more confidence into a very good group of players.
“What Newcastle lack is that confidence of winning games, week-in, week out.
“There is a lot of pressure on them from lots of outside influences and from themselves as well.
“They are good players who maybe have not performed as people would expect them to. It is a case of building their confidence.”
