No fear of Manchester United.

Posted on August 10th, 2010 | 96 Comments |

Joey Barton looking forward to Old Trafford.
Joey Barton looking forward to Old Trafford.
The season draws ever closer, which means Manchester United away also draws ever closer. It’ll be a tough ask to try and get any result there, but the players believe they can do it.

Particularly Joey Barton and Jonas Gutierrez who both reckon that this Newcastle squad are capable of getting a result at Old Trafford. Confidence – I like that!

I can see it from their angle, what is the point in playing football if you fear getting beat? It’s going to happen at some point, and lets be honest, our record at Manchester United was never exactly sparkling, even with our “superstar” players of the past, in fact we have been on the end of some proper thumpings at the hands of the Red Devils before!

The way I see it is that Manchester United should be a bonus game. By that we should probably expect to get beat, but it doesn’t mean we can’t try and get a result there does it? It may be a big ask, but it looks like the players believe they can pull off an upset on Monday evening.

“If you aren’t up for going to Old Trafford to play Man U, you shouldn’t be in the job. It’s what we get up for in the morning,” Barton told The Chronicle.

“Any lad should go to bed dreaming of pitting his wits against Man United – it’s as simple as that. Everyone else out there and any of us would give our right arm for it.”

The players have earned the right to be at Old Trafford on Monday night. An entire season full of hard work and graft gas enabled them the opportunity to test themselves against the best. If they come off second best then so what? They won’t be the only ones that come off second best at Manchester United season.

Do you remember the last time we played there? We were expected to get beat back then, but we didn’t and we returned home with a rather creditable 1-1 draw in the bag. If we can manage that again it would be an equally fanstastic result, but that is what the players are aiming for.

“I have good memories of that game, but all the games are different and this is going to be another game in which we can emerge from with a result,” Jonas Gutierrez said.

“I want to do the same now and play well, and if we can take a point it would be good. We have a very good team, and we have to believe in ourselves. We have to be prepared, because it is going to be a hard game.”

You would have to say that getting a result at Old Trafford would be an achievement, and a bit of a shock aswell to be honest. That isn’t me being negative, it’s being realistic. I’m pretty sure the case is the same for other teams that visit Manchester United season.

Can we get a result? Why not? Anything can happen, can’t it?

NUFCBlog Author: toonsy toonsy has written 643 articles on this blog.

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96 Responses

  1. No team can shut up shop against Manure at the theatre of glory supporters; any sort of point would be a great result but I think we will get not walloped but beat 2-0 something like that. Villa at home on the other hand is a different kettle of fish. We have to take advantage of their recent misfortunes and possible loss of Milner and Young to go for the win. We owe it to them aswell after they sent us down on what was an irrelevent game for them.

  2. 3 nowt the Toon,top 6 finish and fa cup semi final minimum…..that ones for the press……….

    I’d love it just love it if we could scrape a draw but like you say it’s a bonus game and with a bit of luck we might catch them cold.

  3. well of course barton’s going to be confident,but lets be honest the blokes all mouth in reality,he’s not as good as he claims to be,the future england international,whaaaaat!!!!!!!!!.he talks a good fight,if there was a sport for mouthing off,he’d be top in his field.i suppose others in the squad will have the same bravado,but what else would you expect them to say,when a large following of fans will make their way to the theatre of dreams.hughton will go there and pack the midfield and try not to get beat,and i think that’s all we can expect from this encounter.my worry is we go there and get our customary hammering,and after watching man utd at the weekend,it’s on the cards if they have the same level of performance.will rooney do his usual,put newcastle to the sword routine?,he always has his best games against newcastle.

  4. Trojan……tbh I’d be happy just to avoid a hammering,just want to get the season underway and the first game out of the way.

  5. As crazy as it sounds im sticking a tenner on us , i really dont have anything to base it on but i have feelin we r going to sneak it 1-0.

  6. richietoon,what is it with players at newcastle,why do they always have to mouth off,or come out with ridiculous statements.when asked about the forth coming utd game,why couldn’t they just keep their mouths shut.
    now if we were to get a hammering,barton and enrique et al,are going to look like right plums after giving it large.why do we always set ourselves up for a fall?.

  7. Trojan,I know what you mean.I’ve nothing against them being confident but keep it amongst themselves.It just motivates the other team if you mouth of too much.

  8. We will be the first of many to give you a thump on the way back down. Enjoy your holiday from the championship!

  9. Trojan & richietoon – I cringe when our players start this stuff, nowt wrong with being confident but show the mancs your not scared of them on the pitch.

    Is’nt it about time for somemore ben afra news….it seems ages since his name was mentioned.

  10. Joey Barton ain’t as good as he thinks he is. One-paced aswell like all our other CM’s. That guy at Rangers left him completely for dead.

    manure dont have the stars they used to and are starting to get a few pensioners but they are still well organised and show the difference between a team built on the long term and a team thrown together. Ie City & Chelski.

  11. ‘Paul is obviously one of those Manchester fans from Cardiff or some such place’ :lol:

    Probly from Essex or somewhere. Enjoy getting 6 points taken off you from the blues down the road Paul.

  12. Nee fear o’ the red devils like. 5-1 the Toon, Barton to score a hat trick and Best a brace :lol:

  13. Wonder if you can bet on how long it takes for scholes to hack someone down & andy grey to giggle & say he can’t tackle?

  14. Not looking foward to sitting down and watching this match as a mag. Dont think weve strenthend the squad enough. think we ill really struggle this season unless CH can save us in january when he relises more new faces are needed.

  15. No from Manchester, season ticket holder North Stand my whole life. But hey if it makes you feel better you can carry on believing we all live in cardiff? Usually London but hey we are everywhere cause our club attracts people. I’m only messing anyway, just read article to see what crap barton was spouting, or if he had thumped anyone recently! Good luck to your team I hope you stay up, cause we have a great record against you and cause rather you than Pompey or southern team. Nothing against geordies, just Barton x city and nutter.

  16. noir9

    Scholes will need someone to give him a hand back up and a puff on his inhalor if he does. :)

  17. anyone been to old trafford?
    I love how the joke about no Man U fans not being from Manchester is so true, I went there the last match, the 1-1, and you know how outside there are coaches usually parked up to take away fans back home? Well out side of old trafford there are coaches to take all the home fans back home! hahaha no joke as well, me and my dad were cracked up walking past them

  18. Noir-

    Good query, mate!! Let’s take a pool on what the ratio of ManU uncalled fouls will be to Newcastle’s called fouls (that probably weren’t even fouls in the first place).

    I’m guessing 4-1.

  19. Paul, what was the score last time we visited and you ‘thumped us’. I remember a certain mr. Jonas Guttierez on his debut that day scared the s### out of your defense.

  20. Yeah were so good all the people who should be supporting your clubs support us instead, makes me laugh too, I mean how crap does your local team have to be for your local populus to up sticks and go to Old trafford! Thanks for the compliments though, this IS a lovely site. You know as you were laughing walking passed them I bet they were sat on their coaches saying “hey those two should support the reds, then they wouldnt have to travel as loosers all the time!

    Hey guys I tried to be nice!

  21. What the hell did Joey say that was inflamatory? That he’s up for the match and every other player would be as well? Go get’em Joey!!!

  22. I think we may have a few suprises in store for teams that think they are gonna walk all over us. The team that went down was full of people who couldn’t care. The team that Hughton has moulded together since then has developed some backbone and thats why we won the champ at a canter. A few quality additions in the final third and I think we might suprise a few people.

  23. DJG, point taken, how did we do that year? Didnt we win the league? Again. Seriously I wish you boys all the best I like Newcastle, and like Barton and co we need to watch what we say with the Glaziers in charge, we could be taking the kind of crap we dish out if things dont change soon.

    But not yet…

  24. Paul-

    Keep havin’ a laugh while the sun shines down on Old Trafford because your days are numbered, mate. Wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see ya wallowing in the Fizzy within a decade. Possibly even into administration with the insane amounts of unsustainable debt you owe.

    Now, piss off you c*nt.

  25. it’s just banter Paul don’t take it to heart
    That’s why the championship was enjoyable,proper fans supporting their local team.Some cracking away days but the prem is the place to be.

  26. OHurley – I very much doubt Man Utd will go into admin mate. Their debt is bad, but I severley doubt anyone would sit by and watch a team that can earn as much as Man Utd to slip into admin.

  27. Anything above a reet good seeing too is a corking result, The football kind, Not a fat lass with a strap on…

  28. Paul – Best of luck for the season mate. Needless to say, if we could swap league places with you then we would lol.

    Can you ask your lads to nut give us a thumping and if they can limit it to 2-0, maybe 3-1?

  29. Good luck gents, I’m off before OHurley says something intelligent so may be around for a bit. First game of the season doubt there will be many thumpings out there.

    Good luck gents enjoy the season, not you Ohurley, naughty!

  30. Paul,

    good luck, enjoy watching 10 men behind the ball and Andy Carroll, coz thats about as far as our attractive attacking football streches these days away from home.

  31. Ha, it seems I misjudged our pal Paul’s character. He seems to be a nice gent indeed…

    In the interests of courtesy and good will- good luck with your season, and like Toonsy said, I’d love to trade league positions.

    Fair play, mate. Just don’t come here talkin’ shite about our team nee more..

  32. Toonsy-

    I never was a good liar, was I? Always wearin’ me heart on me shirtsleeve like :D (how do you make the devil face, btw??)

    Stu-

    I’m loyal to your city and I’ve never even been there :D I will be though. One day soon. And y’all will have to educate me (which includes, naturally, getting sloppy pissed on Broon ale at the boozer)

  33. O’Hurley – if you get across you have to have the FULL cultural experience – that includes either a Chicken Tikka Massala or Prawn Vindaloo, preferably both – plus all that Brown Ale – and a walk round the clubs of Newcastle in temperatures of minus 20 with just shorts and a toon top on (no coat).
    The complete tour leaves you waking up in a Bigg Market doorway at 10 a.m. on Sunday morning clutching a stuffed gorilla and a policeman’s helmet, with a tattoo saying” I love Elsie and the Toon” on your forehead and with no recollection of how you acquired any of them.

  34. JT had all sorts of shite all day,gets where i take no notice its a suck it and see time till owt happens,just have to wait,as always

  35. there’s a new one up ice……put on his homepage says he’s on hol from 14th july for 4 weeks so will write when poss………see when Toonsy’s on hol he writes more,ED writes less ;-)

  36. Honestly i fear Manchester will crush us as usual, they have many world class title winning stars, having watched the shield i cant see us really mustering any real effort on vdsar goal but im sure we try and its only the 1st game of the yr so not end of world, im sure we get europa lge place minimum. I get physically ill when hear own fans sink pathetically to call them manure, if you dont respect Manchester for all they done for the game, you clearly not a real football fan, rival or not.

  37. ime with batty on ed,richietoon it was only i didnt see on it news now page it normally fills it,batty thought you were on hols with roy ;)

  38. @55
    That’s so f-ing true. The only time I’ve been fortunate enough to get to Newcastle, was a few years back over New Year’s Eve. We stayed in town the night of New Year’s Eve and the lasses (gorgeous they were) were walking to clubs and standing in line wearing their skirts and short dresses along with tight-fitting and stringy-strapy things on top. My wife and I were walking around in jeans, and parkas…we felt a wee bit out of place like. :)

    We were both in amazement over that, but the next day we went to SJP for a 2-1 win to the Toon amidst a cold, windy, wet day. My wife said, “We are not moving here. And the next time you go to a game, you go by yourself.” Some day soon I’ll get back, and without the wife, it could be a bit more fun for me.

    Small chance I might make the Tottenham game away…if we end up back in London for NYE this time around. Time will tell.

  39. Jay, i remember when I got howay 5-0 on VHS. The opening line of the video was “Manchester united, are the team Newcastle united love to hate”..that has stuck with me forever. You’ll always get fans mocking rivals/teams they dislike. It’s part of the game, you think their fans don’t call us the barcodes and worse?

  40. It’s officialyl from France that Ben Arfa is not leaving OM!!u read it 1st at here! I’m a french and a die hard Newcastle fan. Not happy to see that though..

  41. Ross i understand that, im not fond of Manchester but ive never insulted another team except Sunderland and Middlesborough and thats never been on a personal level, just score-lines and fact we better. I respect them and Liverpool for all their history and achievements.

  42. @67,
    seriously…there were some pretty cute ladies walking around. But hey, maybe it’s just me…and the many pints I had in me belly.

    I did see that a study done in 2008 showed that people found others 25% more attractive after just 2 pints…I had more than 2…

  43. Just heard an interview with bellers on talk sport. He is under the impression from his agent that he won’t be in man citys 25 man squad and they’re apparently saying if he doesn’t go o Wolfsburg that apparently have cash, then tough. Claimed he may just have to give up football altogether or he’ll be sitting around doing nothing until at least January. Shocking on citys behalf if so. Would love him back at us but it’d never happen.

  44. Jay it’s more just down to the fact it’s harmless banter to build a game mate. Football fans will insult each other constantly but it’s not like they’re going to come to blows if they’re left in the same room together. I’d poke fun at any team, doesn’t mean I don’t respect their footballing ability/history. I personally am with you regarding the fact we might take a pasting at man u. Will I compliment or congratulate them? Not a chance.

  45. magpie6699

    I’m completely ok with that cultural experience. The Bigg Market is something I’ve always wanted to see. Especially if it’s at 10am. As for the tattooes, what makes you think I don’t already have them, lad??

    :lol:

  46. Ross

    Well put, mate. Though I will always poke fun at every other club, I always give credit where it’s due. And ManUre is a damn good football club. LOTS of history and I completely respect that. But they’re still a bunch of manc b@stards, and their fans are a bunch of glory huntin’ tossers :D

    I’m American. I should know. Every yank in the world loves Man U, it makes me sick.

  47. eh?
    OHurley, who is saying you should go to the bigg market? If they were on the tourist board they would be sacked! The bigg market is one of the biggest shit holes you could ever set your eyes on, and the people who drink there match it! Ive lived in the middle east, so I know shit holes when I see them, so trust me when I say the bigg market is one!!!

  48. Ross, City wont let him go to one of their rivals at the top so why not pitch for him, he is one of the few players with electric pace and finishing ability but he carries a 737 load of baggage.
    Having said that, wouldnt it be wonderful to get him back.

  49. Ohurley-that’s the worst point mate, you give a manc fan abuse and you get grief about Newcastle in return, from an accent that most definitly does not resemble a Manchester native, lol. All my Irish Mates used to give me dogs abuse about Newcastle and I couldn’t return the favour. Not because I couldn’t slag their club, but because they wouldn’t take it to heart like I did due to the fact they didn’t have the same love or compassion for “their” club. Don’t think I’ve ever met a man u fan from Manchester. They exist yes, but there’s gloryhunters everywhere

  50. Bbb-they’ll demand a ridiculous price tag. They don’t need to sell and paid over the odds for him so they’ll want to recoup a large chunk of that. They’ll ruin his career eventually if they don’t let him leave, it’s canny pathetic. Baggage or not I’d love to have him back.

  51. ice,I only went to have a look cos ya said he hadnt wrote for 7 hours…..I’m a bit nebby like that ;-)

  52. think you have had eds arms tied behind his back for 7 hrs

    Funny Ed never struck me as a submissive type, But what goes on behind closed doors and all that… ;)

  53. we must go all out to get bellers back asap!!! imagine a fired up bellamy coming back to sjp with a point to prove? it would be amazing

  54. On Jaaarman text, Bellamy has knocked Wolfsburg back…but we expected that anyway…no chance he’ll reappear at the Toon imo..

  55. Johno @ 8. Xisco with the winner and become an instant legend it couldn’t happen could it?????