WEST BROMWICH ALBION v NEWCASTLE UNITED
Barclays Premier League
Saturday 7th February 2009, 3:00pm
The Hawthorns

Few would have predicted at the start of the season that this weekend’s fixture at the Hawthorns would have “six pointer” written all over it with both sides scrapping for a much needed win in their respective battles against relegation.

As it stands though, the Baggies are down at the bottom along with England’s’ perpetual ‘Crisis Club’, and while Newcastle’s turmoil is reflected in the bookies making Albion favourites for the game, our fourth home league win in five games is by no means a shoe-in.

Jay Simpson’s name has been added to the long injury list currently blighting the club and it has to be said, if he’s missing, and despite his inexperience, his will be an absence far more worrying than that of several of the others currently out injured.

Simpson has been linking up well with fellow loanee and recent acquisition Marc-Antoine Fortune and the pair would be certain to cause problems to a shaky Newcastle defence whose plight has not been aided by the departure of the excellent Shay Given.

Despite their current woes on and off the pitch the Geordies still have quality in abundance and backed by their large and ridiculously faithful following are sure to pose the Baggies problems, especially up against our own patched up side.

A drab 0-0 looks unlikely with both sides likely to go for the jugular, attempting to exploit their opponent’s defensive frailties in an attempt to get the all important win.

Moving above Newcastle and possibly out of the relegation places would give Mowbray’s boys a massive psychological boost going into two tricky away ties, and with a fortnight’s break coming up, giving Mowbray a chance to get the injured back in action, a win to set us up for the tricky trip to Fulham is imperative.

Prediction: Home win.

Julian Safe

Saturday's game against Newcastle is a massive six pointer that could take the Baggies off the bottom and see them leapfrog their opponents in the table.

Boss Tony Mowbray outlined the importance of the match against the Toon by resting key players for the midweek fixture against Burnley, with the ever growing injury list becoming a massive headache. The players rested included stand-in captain Paul Robinson, James Morrision, Abdoulaye Meite and Robert Koren, who Mowbray hopes will all play a part in the United game.

The rested didn’t include Jay Simpson, the on-loan striker from Arsenal, who limped off with a hamstring problem causing him to be a major doubt for the game against Joe Kinnear's men. The striker played just 36 minutes in a game that gave the traveling Baggies fans a glimpse of the squad’s ‘underbelly’. Albion held possession in good areas and created chances; however, as so many times this season, the actions in both boxes cost Albion dearly on the night.

The two week break for the Baggies after the Newcastle game, including a break abroad to an unknown sunny location, may persuade the Baggies’ boss to risk a few players who are not fully fit, especially due to the importance of the game.

After a battling performance against Hull, last weekend, to steal a point from a game where Albion never really got going until the last 20 minutes; the Baggies need to put in a better performance against a Newcastle side, who have not won in the last eight league games. With the Geordies traveling to the Hawthorns with injury problems themselves, together with the movement of players out of the club and problems behind the scenes, could it be the best time to play the Toon?

With only one win on the road so far this season and crucial away games coming up, its vital Albion keep up their form at home, which has seen them win three out of the last four home games. With a win, Albion will feel far more confident about their chances of staying up and once again the sound of “We’ve done it before and we’ll do it again” will be heard around the Hawthorns at 4:45pm.

Sam Bradley

TEAM NEWS

Albion

In goal Scott Carson will retain his place with Dean Kiely providing back-up on the bench.

Baggies’ boss Mowbray still has major selection problems in defence with three central defenders still ruled out through injury. Jonas Olsson (knee), Leon Barnett (hamstring) and Neil Clement (knee) are all definitely out whilst Abdoulaye Meite, Pele, Ryan Donk and Shelton Martis are all less than fully match fit. Donk and Meite are the likely partnership with Pele and Martis on the bench. Gianni Zuiverloon misses the game due to suspension so Carl Hoefkens will start at right-back with Paul Robinson likely to return to the side after being rested against Burnley last Tuesday.

In midfield Albion are without influential captain Jonathan Greening who is recovering from a knee injury whilst Borja Valero (hamstring) and Robert Koren (calf), who both picked up knocks against Hull last Saturday, face late fitness tests. James Morrison has given the Baggies a boost by declaring his fitness and looks set to start but new signings Juan Carlos Menseguez and Youssouf Mulumbu will have to settle for a place on the bench.

Jay Simpson is a doubt after picking up a hamstring strain at Burnley so Roman Bednar and Marc-Antoine Fortune look the probable starters up front. Luke Moore and Craig Beattie are unlikely to figure whilst long-term injury victim Ishmael Miller is still missing.

Albion (from): Carson, Kiely, Hoefkens, Pele, Donk, Meite, Robinson, Cech, Morrison, Koren, Brunt, Do-Heon, Bednar, Simpson, Fortune, Valero, Beattie, Moore, Menseguez, Hodgkiss, Teixeira, Mulumbu.

Newcastle United

Newcastle could welcome back Obafemi Martins, Mark Viduka and Alan Smith after all three strikers returned to full training this week.

New signing Ryan Taylor should start after completing his move from Wigan on transfer deadline day but  United could be without Fabricio Coloccini and Andy Carroll who both are struggling with injury while the dangerous  Jonas Gutierrez is suspended.

Michael Owen, Joey Barton, Danny Guthrie, Habib Beye, Claudio Cacapa and Tamas Kadar are all still out injured.

Newcastle United (from): Harper, Forster, Krul, Enrique, Bassong, Coloccini, S Taylor, R Taylor, Edgar, Duff, Nolan, Lovenkrands, Geremi, Smith, Martins, Viduka, Ameobi, Carroll, Xisco, LuaLua, Ranger.

MATCH ODDS

Result

Albion Win: 13/10, Newcastle United Win: 11/5, Draw: 11/5.

First Goalscorer

Fortune 6/1, Simpson 6/1, Bednar 6/1, Dorrans 7/1, Moore 7/1, Beattie 7/1, Ameobi 8/1, Carroll 8/1, Viduka 8/1, Martins 8/1, Smith 8/1, Xisco 9/1, LuaLua 10/1, Menseguez 10/1, Lovenkrands 11/1, Duff 11/1, Nolan 12/1, Koren 12/1, Morrison 12/1, Brunt 12/1, No Goalscorer 8/1.

TICKET INFORMATION

A very limited number of Smethwick End  tickets are still available to Albion fans.

Mostly sunny but cold.

FIXTURE HISTORY

LAST MEETING AT THE HAWTHORNS

Albion 0-3 Newcastle United
Barclays Premiership
Sunday 30 October 2005, 4:00pm

Albion: Kuszczak, Scimeca, Davies, Moore, Clement, Greening (Horsfield 78), Watson, Inamoto, Carter, Kanu (Ellington 75), Earnshaw. Subs not used: Hoult, Gaardsoe, Chaplow

Newcastle United: Given, Ramage, Boumsong (Bramble 79), Taylor, Babayaro, Solano, Parker, Emre, N'Zogbia (Dyer 71), Owen, Ameobi (Shearer 66). Subs not used: Harper, Faye

Goalscorers: Owen 46 & 78, Shearer 80

Booked: Ameobi 59 (unsporting behaviour)

Attendance: 26,216

Referee: Howard Webb (South Yorkshire)

Michael Owen again showed his liking for The Hawthorns with a two-goal salvo as Newcastle continued their revival by climbing into the Premiership top-10. Owen scored four goals on his last appearance on the ground in a Liverpool shirt in April 2003 in a 6-0 win. The England striker had a similar number of opportunities on this occasion, twice being denied by Baggies keeper Tomasz Kuszczak and having a header cleared off the line by Junichi Inamoto. But this was a lot closer affair until the closing stages than that mauling of Albion two and a half years ago and the home side also had several good opportunities in a game which opened up after a scrappy first 45 minutes. Scott Parker was impressive in the centre of midfield for the Magpies, who further reduced the pressure on manager Graeme Souness after the wins over Sunderland and Grimsby in the Carling Cup. But it was Owen who again showed why Souness was persuaded to splash out £17 million for his services and if he continues this form Newcastle will soon be challenging for a European spot. Newcastle were probably flattered by the final scoreline but it was a lesson in deadly finishing for Albion to digest and learn from with a defeat which keeps them too close to the relegation zone for comfort.

Inamoto was given a rapturous round of applause when his name was announced before kick-off in what was his first home Premiership start for West Brom. Newcastle had the first opportunity after three minutes with Shola Ameobi bursting into the box but his left-footed effort was blocked by Albion central defender Darren Moore at the expense of a corner. Owen had his first attempt at goal after 14 minutes after midfielder Parker had cut the ball back from the byline but Moore was able to block his first-time attempt. Newcastle, their confidence lifted by those two successive wins, started to come into the game more. Riccardo Scimeca brought down Charles N'Zogbia just outside the Albion box and Nolberto Solano's floated free-kick was glanced wide by Peter Ramage. Solano almost played in Owen with a chip over the top of the Baggies defence but it ran away from the England striker and, when the ball came back into the danger area a shot from Emre was deflected through to Kuszczak. It was 37 minutes before either keeper made a worthwhile save and it Kuszczak who did well to deny Owen and keep his side on level terms. N'Zogbia played in the former Real Madrid star but Kuszczak came out to smother his shot. Owen was quick to react to the rebound but no-one was able to apply a touch to his ball back across goal. Jean-Alain Boumsong had a good opportunity for the Magpies as he moved into the Albion area to meet a cross from Parker but he directed his header wide when he should have at least tested Kuszczak. West Brom's best chance of the half fell to central defender Curtis Davies four minutes before the interval but although the former Luton player timed his run well to meet an inswinging centre from Earnshaw he powered his header just past the post.

The second half got off to an explosive start with Owen scoring his third goal in five matches for Newcastle in superb fashion after just 20 seconds. Emre supplied the cross from left flank and Owen reacted first at the near post to send an unstoppable volley past Kuszczak from eight yards. Albion were stung into life and Earnshaw failed to make any contact with a low cross from Greening at the near post. Given then produced an excellent save to deny Earnshaw at point-blank range after Inamoto's pile-driver had been blocked and deflected into his path. But Newcastle nearly doubled their lead when a header from Owen at the back post was headed off the line by Inamoto. Ameobi became the first player to be yellow-carded after 59 minutes for persistent fouling with his latest offence against Davies. Albion were now looking a lot more dangerous and Earnshaw sent a low swerving drive just past the post after good play by Darren Carter and Kanu. The game was a much more livelier affair and Kuszczak came out of his area to block an Owen shot with his chest and at the other end Given finger-tipped Earnshaw's curling effort around the post. Ameobi was replaced after 66 minutes by Alan Shearer and he had a hand in the goal which wrapped up the points with 13 minutes left. Shearer found fellow substitute Kieron Dyer on the right flank and his low cross was converted by the alert Owen. It was a similar move which led to Newcastle striking again three minutes later. Owen fed the overlapping Ramage and this time Shearer slid in at the near post to make no mistake.

Sporting Life

CURRENT CONNECTIONS

United goalkeeping coach Paul Barron played over 70 times for the Baggies after moving to The Hawthorns from Crystal Palace in December 1982. Barron's Albion career ended in March 1985 with a move to Queens Park Rangers.

PAST CONNECTIONS

Former United boss Sir Bobby Robson spent six years at The Hawthorns as a player (1956-62); Ossie Ardiles managed both clubs during the 1990's; Gary Megson, who played for United in the mid-1980's, took over as Albion boss in 2000 and led the club to two promotions into the Premier League; Ex-Albion manager Keith Burkinshaw spent time on the St James' Park coaching staff; Jesse Carver played for United before becoming Albion manager in the 1950's; Maurice Setters played for Albion and was later chief scout for United.