Time to help ourselves - it's now or never for the Toon
After another astonishing and nail biting weekend in the scrap for survival in the Premier League - Newcastle United - dead and buried in the eyes of some - can climb out of the bottom three with victory tonight.
It's a scenario that many believed wasn't on the cards but with Hull City continuing to sink like a stone and Sunderland dropping two points at Bolton, suddenly the situation is back in the hands of Newcastle and Alan Shearer.
But failure to beat Boro tonight will almost certainly spell the end for the top flight status of Newcastle United.
The question is, can Newcastle be as bad as they have been for the majority of 2009?
If they are to stay up, something has got to change tonight.
The first goal is key and then Newcastle must make sure that they kick the belief out of Boro and send them down.
A quick look at Hull and Sunderland's remaining games suggest they could fail to pick up another point.
And while Newcastle are in serious trouble themselves the fixture list is kinder in many ways with two home games left to play.
Newcastle have been handed an escape route and they just have take it.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
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Lee Ryder - Proudly born and bred on Tyneside, the Chronicle's chief sports writer has followed the fortunes of the club over the last three decades as a Toon fan and football writer.
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have to agree with ya there man , its there on a plate for us , the question is do the players have the heart and fight to save this club or are they gonna fill their pockets and disappear into the sunset of the carribean for their (cough) well earned vacation when the season comes to an end . i know i for one will be watching this game through my fingers , this is the one we have to win , fulham is gonna be just as hard a test , i feel if we fail to win against boro then we are gone.
To be honest all i can see is a draw on the cards, which will effectively relegate us both. The way we have played this season its all we deserve. It will be dream land if we even score!
Its down to us to get an early goal! Everyone is writing this off as a draw, I reckon it could be a great game if WE get an early goal?? We have to believe that we can do it, we have 3 players all capable of getting goals. The smogs will be there to frustrate and hope for a break, haway the Toon lets give them a send off!
The sun is shining, the air is sweet, anticipation is high, the rewards are fantastic. What could be better than being willed to win by 50,000 geordies on a Monday night in May? Only the playing, the scoring and the winning itself! Who wants it, United? Answers on the pitch at 7.45 until the final whistle blows please lads!
A draw is no good to either team. Boro HAVE to win too. That's why it could be an absolute thriller with goals galore,esp if someone scores early. A bit like the Championship play-off final, this could be viewed like a PL play-off final. I honestly dont see any point in being defensive or patient,both teams have to go for the jugular. Then .....its Fulham. That will be even tougher I think - they are a form team and pushing for Europa League next season. We can only hope Neither Hull or Sunlun pick up any more points, but its a trajedy that at least one and possibly two ( or even 3!) NE teams get relegated from the PL, and at the expense of each other. Still Im black n white thro and thro and will be supporting the Mags come what may....
Love you Geordies - ever optimistic in the face of dire dire circumstances. I'm hoping for a draw tonight (Rovers fan) and shall be up at 3:00 am to watch the game here in Australia. Good luck - your passion is unparalleled but the outlook real grim.
I think we will win this one but will it be enought to keep us up? I'm worried that the "Shearer factor" as reoprted widley in the press has so far not been seen & neds to be seen tonight tro give us any chance. I hope that if we do go then at least we go witha fight but have seen little this season to show that this bunch have any fight in them.
So here we are, D Day, make or break time for the team, i cannot help, but think of the saw films, "be cautious and draw, be attacking, take risks, and win", live or die, you decide"
One thing is clear, we need to play above what we have done so far this year, and its a must points is in the bag, come 10pm, then its in our own hands, and it may only take a win or a point out the last two games, for us to survive, but what will ferguson do on the last day at Hull, champions league final in few days, he is going to rest players, and that may give hull a big lift, ideal world, we will be 3 points ahead of them, and a massive goal difference by then, we can dream.
Like I said last week Lee, " I'll never set foot in St. James' ever again under this regime, and might not bother with last 2 home games unless the weather is nice." I've said that hundreds of times since 1961 and simply can't stop going to support my team. This must be a sickness without a cure cos I ain't improving after 48 years, I'm too weak to resist. I'll be there tonight in full voice with my hanky ready. When David Kelly scored that miracle goal to keep us from the third division, I burst into tears of emotional relief. I looked behind me embarrassed, only to see quite a few other grown men wiping away tears. I once bumped into Ned at the metro centre, on crutches after being crocked playing for the mackems, and I told him. He laughed and said he'd made a few girls cry in his time, but never blokes. Anyway I'm wearing rompers under my jeans tonight for this squeaky-bum game.
HOWAY THE LADS!!!
KEEP THE FAITH
It's all been said hasn't it?
3 more points in the bag by 10 pm tonight or we're shafted.
I've still got half a crate of Broon Ale left from my victory celebration stash of one per win that was bought in August. If we come out on top tonight, blow it, I'll drink the rest.
Haway the lads!!
Wey man wer comming to get the mags tonight. Three easy points. You lot in the stands have more fight than that lot that GET PAID TO PLAY for ye. UP THE BORO
Lets hope Shearer picks a formation tonight and sticks to it rather than chopping and changing like he's done every match so far.
I've got really mixed feelings about the game tonight. I suddenly seem to feel optimistic about the toon - I can't work out why.
Perhaps because, no matter what happens tonight and in the two games that follow, nothing will change for me.
I'll still love the toon, I'll still try and get to about 10 games a season (I live in Norwich, so relegation may actually make it easier for me!) and I'll still be in a grum when we lose and over the moon whem (if?!) we win. It would be nice to see some of the old, slow, injury prone, overpaid prima donna's leave the club and see some honest hardworking pros we can relate to come in.
Is it just me??
I only wish I could be there, I live here in the US but still managed 2 home games this season. Supported the Toon for 40 years and never seen a season of such a diabolical magnitude.
I will be down the pub here in Atlanta cheering them on and I have the faith that we will beat the Smoggies and Fulham. I watched Villa this weekend...if they play like that again we will win (remeber we beat them good at home)
When I come home again next season I pray it's to watch premeriership football not Peterboro frickin United.
Howay the Lad's
We are just 1/2 hour away from K.O. @ 3pm here in Canada.
Got the Beer (Grolsch) & My Danish dad-in-law ready for action.