Shearer and Dowie spoke to the players yesterday morning about the system and probable line-up and they expect to see an “urgency” from the squad.

The fact that the system has changed again from that deployed at Anfield is hardly ideal – but Dowie insists the management team are working within the constraints of a squad low on both resources and confidence.

“I think Alan would love to play the same system week in, week out and he’d love to play the same 11,” he said.

“But we’re working with what we’ve got – injuries and the performances have really dictated the changes to us.

“Hopefully we should be able to work and drill the system from tomorrow onwards and Alan will look to see how everyone reacts.

“It’s been frustrating to keep changing the system – both Alan and I like certainty, and I think the players would prefer it, too.

“We’d love to be able to pick the same side but, to be fair, we haven’t really had time to drill a preferred formation into the players.”

Boro utility man Matthew Bates, meanwhile, admits the derby is one of the biggest games in the club’s history. The 22-year-old, who has been employed both in central midfield and at right-back in recent months, needs no reminding of just what is at stake at St James’s Park.

He said: “Newcastle is probably one of the biggest games in the club’s history, it’s that big. The players know it and the manager knows it, and we will go there to try and get the three points.

“The loser of the game might possibly go down. I’m not sure if mathematically it will mean that, but it could mean that.”