Source: Telegraph
Jonas Gutierrez puts Newcastle needs ahead of international ambitions
The Argentine international has played a key role in helping Diego Maradona secure his country a place at next year's World Cup finals but he has now pledged to concentrate on Newcastle United's Championship campaign. [LNB]Gutierrez, 26, was hailed by Maradona in the 1-0 victory against Uruguay in Montevideo that guarantee Argentina's berth in South Africa last Wednesday but he was brought down to earth with a bump last weekend in a 1-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest. [LNB]Gutierrez was only able to play a bit role at the City Ground but now he fully intends to put the club's promotion campaign back on track at Scunthorpe's Glanford Park ground on Tuesday night. [LNB]"It was fantastic on Wednesday and it was dream to get to the World Cup but Argentina is finished now and I must focus on Newcastle,' said Gutierrez who has been assured a place in South Africa by Maradona. [LNB]"I want to get us back up and that is all I am thinking about. It was very nice for Diego Maradona to say that I am going to the World Cup. But I can't stop, I have to keep on playing my best for Newcastle and I must keep up my form." [LNB]Newcastle surrendered pole position in the promotion race to West Bromwich Albion last weekend and will meet a Scunthorpe side buoyed by a 3-1 victory over Sheffield United. [LNB]Gutierrez has insisted that nothing less than a three-point haul will be acceptable for Newcastle who have taken just two points from their last three games. [LNB]"I was very happy after getting to the World Cup and I wanted to celebrate with another win on Saturday,' Gutierrez added. [LNB]"It was a very hard game, though, and we didn't play as well as we have been. I thought we did better after half-time and we should have got a draw at least. [LNB]"But it is good that we have another match on Tuesday. We have to take the three points and get back to the top of the table." [LNB]Midfielder Kevin Nolan has echoed Gutierrez's sentiments and said things could get "ugly" in the visitors' dressing room at Scunthorpe. [LNB]"It's difficult to explain why things were so poor at Forest but when it comes to naming names I think we could point the finger at every single player in our dressing room," Nolan said. [LNB]"The fact is we're not going to come to grounds and get it easy. We've got to get used to that. I'm not happy at all. I don't think anyone is. [LNB]"We've got a game on Tuesday at Scunthorpe and it will be the same again. We've got to put it right there. We expect a reaction, that's for sure. [LNB]"If we don't get the right reaction, it's going to be ugly. It's not going to be a nice dressing room to come back into because we set high standards for ourselves." [LNB]
