History will not save us – Harper

Mar 17 2008 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

STEVE Harper has insisted Newcastle United have to realise their reputations count for nothing as they prepare for a vital relegation clash with Birmingham City this evening.

United travel to St Andrew’s knowing another defeat would be a massive blow to their survival chances and Harper is adamant the players have to grasp the harsh reality of the situation they are in. Newcastle’s squad, on paper, looks by far the strongest of all the clubs haunted by relegation fears, but they are also the team with the worst form with nine games remaining – having picked up just three points from the last 39.

“People might look at the squads and think we’ve got the best players but it doesn’t work like that,” said Harper, who will once again be in goal against Birmingham as Shay Given is still nursing a groin strain.

“We might have players who have played in World Cups, won league titles and FA Cups, but we’re no better than the likes of Birmingham City and Wigan because that is what the table tells us.

“Until we get points on board we can’t say we are better than them. The league table doesn’t lie and it’s not lying at the minute. I think it’s only right that people are getting worried because we haven’t won a game since before Christmas and that run has got to stop. We are there because we deserve to be there. People can talk about tough fixtures or bad luck, but luck will even itself out if you work hard and apply yourself. We have a lot of international players who have been there, done that, but this is a completely new challenge for some of them.

“But we have some big characters, experienced players. Steven Taylor and James Milner are big characters as well. There are plenty in there and we’ve got to rally round and make sure everybody realises the task ahead.

“People have been saying we’ll be all right, but as games are passing by it starts to sink in. It’s getting to the time when we are in it. As players we haven’t underestimated that at all. The immediate priority is to get points on board – starting on Monday.”

Harper was at St James’s Park during Keegan’s last spell as manager and could only watch in dismay as they lost the title to Manchester United, having thrown away a 12-point lead. But the 33-year-old stopper believes the next nine games are just as important to the club as the final nine games were back in 1996.

He explained: “We have five tough away games and this one against Birmingham is the biggest game in the club’s recent history, the biggest game for a long, long time.

“There is always pressure at this place, everybody knows it’s a pressure cooker – more than any other club. Every game is a big game at a big club but Monday’s is massive. We’ve had a rotten run and an awful couple of months, but there is no point looking back – 29 games have gone and we can’t do anything about them. People talk about ifs and buts, but it’s history and you can’t change that. All that matters now are the next nine games. They are just as important as the last nine games were in 1996. We were riding the crest of a wave then and it was a fantastic time at the club when we came so close, but that’s history. Maybe people are still thinking of this club in that light, but this is a different scenario and is just as important.”

Despite United’s problems this season, problems which Keegan has failed to solve during his eight games in charge of the side, Harper is still backing the manager to turn things around. He added: “Kevin was a legend in football for what he did last time here. It was a similar scenario. People forget how he saved club from disappearing into oblivion. It went to the wire and we hope this doesn’t.

“Once he turned it around he was given the opportunity to build and put the club up where we think it belongs. We can’t think about that though – we have to do the job in last nine games, that’s all we can think about at the moment.”