Source: Eurosport
Players to blame for mess - Guthrie
Newcastle midfielder Danny Guthrie admits he and his team-mates must shoulder the responsibility for the club's fight against relegation.The 21-year-old midfielder, who could make his return from a hamstring injury against Chelsea on April 4, insists it is the players who have got the Magpies into the mess they are currently in, and only they who can rescue themselves.It has been yet another season of turmoil of the pitch at St James' Park with Kevin Keegan quitting as manager, owner Mike Ashley announcing then abandoning plans to sell the club and new boss Joe Kinnear undergoing heart surgery.With eight games remaining, Newcastle find themselves two points adrift of safety and in genuine peril, and there have been calls for Ashley - who has strongly resisted them - to draft in an experienced stop-gap manager, such as Terry Venables.However, Guthrie believes the club's fate lies in the hands of the players alone.He said: "It's the players who go out there on a match day, whatever anyone says."For me, what was going on behind the scenes didn't affect me. We went out there as fit and as well prepared as if nothing had happened, so I think it is up to the players to take responsibility for results on the pitch."There are eight games left and a lot of points to play for - but it doesn't look good when you look at the table, and we have got a lot of hard games as well."But we are more than capable of getting ourselves out of it - and it's about time we get out there and do it."No-one's heads have gone down. It hurts when you lose games, and the hardest thing to do is to pick yourselves up, but that's what we have got to do and get ready for the Chelsea game."We have got a lot of experienced players in the dressing room, which helps. You can turn to them and they have been there, seen it and done it."Guthrie, a summer signing from Liverpool, has been a frustrated bystander since damaging his hamstring during the 3-0 Premier League defeat at Blackburn on January 17.In his absence, the Magpies have collected just six points from a possible 24 to slip into deep trouble.He will hope to fight for a place against Chelsea with injuries continuing to take their toll on a small an unbalanced squad.Fellow midfielder Damien Duff returned from international duty with the Republic of Ireland on Thursday night after suffering a hamstring injury which could rule him out of the clash with his former club, while defenders Sebastien Bassong and Steven Taylor are major doubts with groin and ankle problems respectively.Meanwhile, Newcastle have turned to one of the heroes of their recent past to help school a new generation of strikers.Magpies legend Peter Beardsley, who has been working in an ambassadorial role for the club, has returned as an Academy coach.The 48-year-old will work with young forwards such as Nile Ranger, who made his debut for England's Under-19s this week, and Wesley Ngo Baheng.[LNB]
