Jonás Gutiérrez backs Michael Owen for derby clash

May 5 2009 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

JONÁS Gutiérrez has backed Michael Owen to be in the right frame of mind for one of the most important games in Newcastle United’s recent history – despite being dropped at the weekend.

But the chances of Joey Barton getting an opportunity to show similar powers of recovery after looking thin.

Owen and Gutiérrez were both on the bench at Anfield as Newcastle were handed a 3-0 beating which only magnified the importance of Monday’s match against relegation rivals Middlesbrough.

It was a blow for Gutiérrez, one of United’s brightest performers in the first half of the season, but a peripheral figure since. However, coming at the ground where he started his career, it was far more humiliating for captain Owen to be left out of a side which has scored just once in Alan Shearer’s five matches in charge.

“Michael wanted to play, I could tell that, and he wanted the best for the team,” said the winger. “The manager must decide who plays in his team.

“I, like Michael, trained during the week and then you hope to start. But the manager is the manager and whenever we get called upon, we have to do the best for the team.” Owen was given a generous reception as he warmed up in the first half and a rapturous one when he came on in the second. Owen’s ten-minute appearance did nothing to alter Newcastle’s non-existent goal threat, or end a personal goal drought stretching to early January.

But with Shearer set to adopt a more attacking formation against Middlesbrough, Owen could be recalled next week. If so, Gutiérrez expects him to be ready.

“There is no doubt his mind will be right for next week,” he said. “We have to win and we all have to pull together.

“I didn’t start at Liverpool but we are all determined and focused on next week’s match with Middlesbrough. If we don’t win that, it will be very difficult for us to stay in the Premier League.”

With Boro and Newcastle level on 31 points, no one at St James’s Park is downplaying the significance of the 121st Tyne-Tees derby. Shearer has repeatedly described it as the most important game of his Newcastle career and Gutiérrez shares his manager’s view that it – and the following home game against Fulham – will be crucial to United’s survival hopes.

“We can turn it around with the two matches we have at home,” he said. “We will have to prepare for that like they are two cup finals. We know we need to perform better and get a better result against Middlesbrough.

“If we don’t, it will be very, very difficult to stay in the Premier League. Middlesbrough have also not been playing too well and it’s good they have not been picking up points.

“We have to concentrate on getting out of it. We have possibilities to stay up still, so what has gone has gone. If we can take six points from the two home matches we have coming up it will be a different situation.” Barton’s rash tackle on Xabi Alonso on Sunday ended his season and influential figures within the club would like it to have a similar effect on his Magpies career.