Source: Telegraph
Newcastle will be running scared by Portsmouth's defensive might says Paul Hart
Newcastle United v PortsmouthKick-off: Mon Apr 27, 8.00pm, St James' Park, NewcastleRadio: Setanta Sports 1Radio: BBC Radio Five Live [LNB]That, at least, is the view of Portsmouth caretaker manager Paul Hart who is convinced that Owen and Co will be taken aback when they see his defenders as they head into battle on Tyneside.[LNB] Related ArticlesOutlook bleak at troubled NewcastleOutlook bleak at NewcastleIt's grim up northShearer's plea to fans falls on deaf earsAndrei Arshavins wife in WAG heaven at ArsenalNewcastle nearing Premier League exit after Portsmouth drawThe stature of the likes of Sol Campbell, Sylvain Distin and Younes Kaboul has left him convinced his team can push Newcastle to the brink of relegation to the Championship and safeguard their own Premier League status.[LNB]"Our back four has been looking absolutely awesome and when you're stood in the tunnel the opposition must look at some of our players and think Gordon Bennett because they're huge," Hart said.[LNB]"Younes Kaboul is a centre-half flying up and down the wing at right back and he's frighteningly powerful. We've tried to give the players confidence from a sound defensive base and to enjoy defending and they have enjoyed that." Portsmouth have only conceded seven goals since Hart took over from Tony Adams in February and that miserly record means he is certain Newcastle will be kept at bay in a must-win win for Shearer's team who are second-bottom of the Premier League.[LNB]"We recognised one or two things when we came in because we were shipping a few goals so we tried to stabilise and played this 4-3-3 formation that can sometimes look like 4-5-1," Hart said.[LNB]"It depends if your glass is half-full or half-empty. We prefer to see it as quite an attacking formation but we are attacking from a sound defensive base.[LNB]"We have been very hard to beat because of it but we have still created chances in every game we have played both home and away and I could probably saw before the Man U game that we should have won every away game even the one a Chelsea when we were beaten after Petr Cech kept them in the game." Hart believes his team have what it takes to hammer a nail into Newcastle' s Premier League coffin because they are fighting for survival themselves.[LNB]"We're doing all right but I don't think we are safe for one minute," the former Leeds academy boss added. "The thing is once we do get safe I will be happy to say so but we want to carry on until the end of the season. We want to finish off well.[LNB]"We have to be extremely competitive and believe we are going to get something. It's a big game. I have read all the pundits saying that if Newcastle win their home games they will be safe and that may be the case but our competitive edge and our toughness in these situations is going to be crucial and I believe we can get something there as well." [LNB]
