ROEDER: WOUNDED BLUES ARE DANGEROUS
Newcastle United caretaker manager Glenn Roeder believes Jose
Mourinho and Chelsea will be fired up for the two sides' FA Cup
quarter-final clash after a second successive Champions League
failure.
The recent 3-2 aggregate loss to Barcelona in the last 16 of the
tournament and a shock 1-0 setback at relegation-threatened Fulham
on Sunday would suggest Newcastle are facing the Blues at just the
right time.
But Roeder said: It would be wrong of me to give an opinion of
Jose when I dont even know him but it goes without saying his
record as a coach is fantastic, he said.
But not winning the Champions League seems to have hit him hard,
and obviously, its the second year running now.
It seems to have really irritated him and the players.
Because of that Im sure they will double their concentration for
the FA Cup.
So as to whether this is a good time or not, I dont know and just
because they lost on Sunday it wont make one iota of a difference
to how they perform.
At least Fulham showed its not impossible to beat them. Obviously
they have not lost many and when they have theyve still had enough
chances and possession to have won.
But they are a formidable team, taking the likes of Barcelona to
knock them out of the Champions League.
The interim boss is aware his side are the outsiders but is
refusing to give up hope.
Its only people in Newcastle and our players who genuinely
believe we can get a result there, added Roeder on his
underdogs.
But I know what can happen because I went there as a young player
with Leyton Orient in a sixth-round replay. We were big underdogs
yet we won 2-1.
So this is a new game and the important thing is the players have
no fear.
Captain Alan Shearer will be desperate to end his Magpies career
with some silverware ahead of his retirement in the summer.
And, with a mid-table finish seemingly the best on offer in the
Barclays Premiership, Roeder added: In terms of getting a winners
medal, this looks like it for Alan if we are being honest.
Roeder faces defensive problems as Jean-Alain Boumsong serves a
suspension following his sending-off in Sunday's 3-1 St James' Park
defeat to Liverpool, while Titus Bramble is sidelined for another
couple of weeks with a hamstring problem.
Stephen Carr is available after more than two months out following
hernia surgery, while Craig Moore is in contention for what would
be his first game since signing on a free transfer from Borussia
Monchengladbach in the summer.
Michael Owen (foot) and Steven Taylor (shoulder) are still
out.
Chelsea are missing versatile France defender William Gallas for
the encounter.
Gallas was shown a straight red card for his tackle on Heidar
Helguson at Fulham and begins a three-match suspension. Spain
international Asier Del Horno could deputise.
Holland winger Arjen Robben also sits out the tie as he serves the
third game of his four-match ban for his dismissal at West Bromwich
Albion.
Otherwise, Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho will select from a full
squad.
Midfielder Michael Essien believes the Blues can absorb the loss of
Gallas and progress to the semi-finals.
We will miss William a lot. He is one of our key players. But we
have players who can replace him, said Essien.
Chelsea still lead the Barclays Premiership by 12 points but in
terms of results they are negotiating the toughest period of
Mourinho's reign.
But Essien insists confidence remains high.
Every game is difficult for us. Teams know what our qualities are
and we are given a very tough match, he said.
You can't win every game - you have to lose some. We are doing our
best.
The Fulham game is finished. Once it has happened you can't do
anything. You have to move forward. Our confidence hasn't been
knocked.
Football is full of surprises. You win some and lose some but we
still have confidence we can do something.
Chelsea have never won a league and FA Cup double and Essien, at
£24.4million the club's record signing, understands what the
achievement would mean to supporters.
It would be very special for the club to win this double. It's
very important for the fans if we can do it, he said.
We haven't done this double before and I hope we can do it this
year. It would be very good if we win both.
We are leading the league in the moment but we haven't won it
yet.
When we've finished with the Premiership we have to think about
the FA Cup. Wednesday is the FA Cup so we have to think about
that.
We lost last Sunday but we have to think about what's coming.
Newcastle won't be easy but I think we'll win.
Chelsea (from): Cech, Cudicini, Ferreira, Johnson, Terry, Huth,
Carvalho, Del Horno, Makelele, Lampard, Essien, Geremi, Maniche,
Gudjohnsen, J Cole, Duff, Wright-Phillips, Drogba, Crespo.
Newcastle United (from): Given, Harper, Ramage, Babayaro, Moore,
Elliott, Parker, Emre, Solano, N'Zogbia, Bowyer, Faye, Clark,
Brittain, O'Brien, Carr, Shearer, Ameobi, Chopra, Dyer.
