Les: Devils clash is all about revenge

Feb 21 2008 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

KEVIN Keegan will remind his stumbling Newcastle United players that they have been humiliated by Manchester United as they look to avenge the 6-0 thrashing at Old Trafford earlier this year, according to Les Ferdinand.

Ferdinand was part of the Newcastle side which famously thumped the Red Devils 5-0 at St James’s Park almost 12 years ago and he can still vividly remember the team talk which inspired that historic victory.

There were no flashy speeches or clever rhetoric, just a stark reminder that the team they were about to face had embarrassed them the last time they had met – a 4-0 Charity Shield defeat at Wembley.

According to Ferdinand, it was enough to prompt one of the Premier League’s most memorable matches as Newcastle turned the tables on their tormentors in spectacular fashion.

Given United’s alarming slump in form, the former Newcastle forward knows Keegan will need to pull off a similar masterstroke this time, but he knows Newcastle’s players will not need any encouragement for revenge.

“I think I’ve got a pretty good idea what Kevin’s team talk will be before the game because I can remember the words he used before we beat them 5-0 all those years ago,” explained Ferdinand, who admitted few give the Magpies any hope of taking anything from the game on Saturday.

“You have to remember that when we went into that game, we had been humiliated in the Charity Shield against them and, before that, they had beaten us 1-0 at St James’s Park on the way to pipping us to the title.

“We owed them one and we knew it. Kevin reminded us of that and he also reminded us that, when we had lost at home, our fans had applauded us off the pitch. When we had been awful against them in the Charity Shield, the fans stayed behind to applaud us off the pitch. That was all we needed to hear from him, we knew the rest, we knew we owed them one and we couldn’t wait to settle some old scores. When you are a professional footballer you hate being humiliated by another team and Newcastle were well and truly humiliated by Manchester United at Old Trafford.

“The memories of that 6-0 defeat will still haunt anyone who was playing for Newcastle that day and they will be desperate to get it out of their system, to try and put things right. Whether they can do that, I don’t know. I don’t think anyone will give them much of a chance outside of the dressing room, but they will certainly not need any extra motivation. That 6-0 defeat will be enough.”

Newcastle have not won a league game since December 15 and have taken just three points from a possible 27 as Keegan’s return to St James’s Park has failed to prompt a change in results. But although Manchester United will be the overwhelming favourites to secure a double over the Magpies, Ferdinand argued these games can also prove to be a godsend for a struggling side.

He explained: “Manchester United are in form and playing well. Newcastle United aren’t playing well and they haven’t won a league game this year, nobody thinks they have a hope of winning. But you only have to look at the FA Cup this season. Football isn’t always that simple. You can be struggling in the league and then, on the day of the cup game, everyone raises their game

and everything comes together suddenly. That is what Newcastle have got to hope for on Saturday.

“It is the sort of game which can transform a season, which is what they need at the moment. They are the underdogs, but if they win, it is a massive lift and could just be the spark Kevin needs to ignite things again.”

Ferdinand was delighted to see his former manager return to St James’s Park last month, but he also believes he has a far tougher job on his hands than he first realised. He said: “I think Kevin will be wishing he’d watched a bit more football before he took the job again. He admitted he hadn’t watched much and, if he had, he would have realised where he needed to strengthen the team in the January window. He has quickly discovered what a tough job he has taken on.

“Newcastle are still two or three wins away from safety and it’s going to be a struggle between now and the end of the season. I still think he is the right man for the job, but he’s got a big job on his hands.

The good thing is, he can have a good, long look at the players he has got there and he can see what sort of characters they are when its tough and who falls away. He’ll know exactly who he wants to keep and who he wants to get rid of by the time transfer window opens in the summer.”

:: Les Ferdinand is an analyst for Setanta’s Premier League coverage. Newcastle United v Manchester United is exclusively live on Setanta Sports 1 from 4pm on Saturday. To subscribe, go online to www.setanta.com or call 08712 102030