Taylor urges his Newcastle team-mates: Show you're man enough to keep us up

03 March 2009 02:06
Your manager is recovering from heart surgery, his understudy is taking flak from unhappy supporters, the chairman has tried to sell the club and the team are sliding down the table at an alarming rate. Probably the last thing Newcastle need right now is a visit from the world, European and English champions, but Manchester United arrive at St James' Park tomorrow night with every intention of adding to Tyneside's growing crisis. Standing up for the Toon: Steven Taylor wants Newcastle players to scrap harder. Relegation is now a very real prospect for a club that seems to have stumbled from one calamity to another since Mike Ashley took control almost two years ago. Caretaker boss Chris Hughton tried to calm fears in the wake of Sunday's defeat at Bolton, which left Newcastle with just a solitary win from their last nine Premier League games and two points above the danger zone, but his players are under no illusions about the grim task ahead. Defender Steven Taylor responded to the latest setback by challenging his team-mates to stand up and be counted in the remaining 11 games of the season. Taylor said: 'This has to bring out the men in the dressing room. We'll see exactly who wants to play for this club. 'The lads need to show character and show exactly how much playing for Newcastle means to them. 'We're in a serious relegation fight and we have to dust ourselves off for Manchester United. They are the best team in the world. Now we have to be men and stand up to that.' Ifs and Butts: Nicky Butt has a knee injury that could rule him out against his former club Manchester United on Wednesday night. Positive results at the weekend for Middlesbrough, Blackburn and Stoke only added to Newcastle's troubles. Asked if the situation is as serious as when he was relegated with Birmingham while on loan in 2006, midfielder Nicky Butt said: 'Definitely. Anyone who is sat in there thinking "We're going to be OK" is in danger of getting bitten on the bum. 'We're down near the bottom. If we didn't think we were in the fight before Sunday's game, we know we are now. 'We have to concentrate on getting ourselves away from danger and back to where we should be. The standard of our performances has to improve - and we'll see whether it's enough to bring us anything on Wednesday.' Butt is waiting to find out if the knee injury he picked up at Bolton will prevent him facing his old club but he believes Newcastle must collect points from their next three home fixtures against United, Arsenal and Chelsea. 'Our situation is getting more and more serious as the weeks go by and we definitely need to take something from those games now,' he said. 'It could not be tougher than United. They are coming to St James', which is something, but they are probably the best team in the world at the moment. 'We could play out of our skins on Wednesday and still come away with nothing - that's how good United are.'

Source: Daily_Mail