Source: Northern_Echo
Spirit and character vital to the Magpies
WAYNE Routledge is confident his Newcastle teammates possess the character and spirit required to bounce back from last weekend's trouncing at Bolton with a positive result against Chelsea.[LNB] The Magpies suffered their worst 90 minutes of the season as they shipped five goals and lost two players to suspension at the Reebok Stadium.[LNB] As if the enforced absence of Fabricio Coloccini and Mike Williamson was not enough, Newcastle find themselves taking on the Premier League leaders as they look to return to winning ways on Sunday.[LNB] But while Chelsea are looking to turn around a two-game losing run when they travel to the North-East, Routledge is confident they will come up against a Magpies side determined to prove last weekend's aberrations were a one off.[LNB] It was a bad day at the office, put it that way, said the winger, who was a second-half substitute at Bolton.[LNB] Everybody has a bad day from time to time and hopefully that was ours and we can put it behind us.[LNB] It was hard to sit and watch it all again. It felt like the longest 90 minutes in the world to sit through it all again but it's something we had to do. You have to learn from a result like that.[LNB] I definitely think the squad here has the strength, the resilience and experience to bounce back from a result like that.[LNB] It was a bad day at the office, we've looked back over it, picked the bones out of it and we need to get past it now.[LNB] Hopefully, we'll put it behind us with a good performance against Chelsea on Sunday.[LNB] Meanwhile, Newcastle boss Chris Hughton has admitted there has been no progress in his attempts to recruit a new number two.[LNB] Hughton has been without an assistant since Colin Calderwood left to become manager of Hibernian more than a month ago.[LNB] Goalkeeping coach Paul Barron and assistant reserves boss Steve Stone have both taken on extra responsibilities, but Hughton remains desperate to appoint a more permanent right-hand man.[LNB] It's been coming up to five weeks now, but no, there's been no new progress,'' he said.[LNB]
