We Must Keep Safety In Our Own Hands - Harps

[Scottish Mag 3]

STEVE Harper insists that Newcastle United must do all they can to ensure their Premier League destiny remains in their own hands with the Magpies still just six points above the drop zone.

 

The Geordies were on the wrong end of a 5-1 drubbing at the weekend as a Wayne Rooney-inspired Man Utd closed the gap on Arsenal at the other end of the table to three points.

 

Harper was a half-time introduction during Saturday's game, making what was a consolation 100th appearance for the club in the process.

 

And, with the Toon stopper standing a good chance of starting next weekend's home clash with Blackburn, Harps admits that United have to start getting points in the board with just 11 games of the season remaining.

 

"We've got Blackburn next week and it's a massive game," he said.

 

"We're under no illusions just exactly what the task is, we're not looking at the top six.

 

"We're not daft as a bunch of players.

 

We know the longer we go without getting that elusive win the harder it's going to be, so the priority is to get back on the training field and do everything possible to get three points against Blackburn and bring this run to an end."

 

Harper, despite two fantastic saves in the second period, was forced to pick the ball out of the net on three occasions as the clinical Red Devils ran riot after the break.

 

And the 32-year-old conceded that morale was low after another heavy defeat.

 

"It's another demoralising defeat," he added.

 

"We started quite brightly, probably the best we've started at home for a long time.

 

"But against top teams you can't keep shooting yourself in the foot and we keep doing that week in, week out at the moment. Until we eradicate that we're going to have problems.

 

"We keep saying what if, what if, but you can't keep doing that. We've had a couple of great weeks' training, intense, really high tempo.

 

"Everyone's been out there and it's really perked up, the mood in the camp was good but Saturday was a knock-back.

 

"We need a win. We need momentum, nobody's kidding ourselves, we knew it would be tough.

 

"It was an encouraging start, but at 1-0 down we gave a poor goal away when we went to sleep. If we'd got to half time at 1-0 who knows?

 

"They got the killer goal at the start of the second half. If we'd got the next goal it would have been game on but we gave Ronaldo the freedom of the city for the third and we're 3-0 down against a team which could well become champions of Europe this season.

 

"We had a decent response with a goal back, but it's the same old story. Just as we give ourselves a bit of a lifeline they got a great goal from (Wayne) Rooney."

 

But Harper is still backing Kevin Keegan to turn things around on Tyneside, adding: "When Kevin came in, yes, we all got a lift.

 

"But nobody expected that first win to be automatic. You could compare it to last time when he came in.

 

"It was a massive task and his job this year is to get us the points necessary to put this season behind us and build in the summer.

 

"I'm sure he'll get the backing to rebuild this squad and this club but we can't think about the summer.

 

"We've got to think of the immediate priority to get the points to put this season to bed. Nobody's kidding themselves that we're going to be up there in the Champions League soon. It's a massive job at a massive club.

 

"People say he knows this club inside out and he will know more than anyone what needs doing. The immediate aim's to get three points and on the right track."

[Asprilla 96]

No shit Sherlock!

[Norbert Colon 0]

More vaccuous nonsense from the playing staff - the pr guy must be thinking we will calm down a bit if the clubs longest serving player trots out more than a few obvious cliches - its pathetic - we need actions on the field not excuses off it - try a fuckin group huddle and think really hard the reason why you are all millionaires - thats right boys because you are proffesional footballers not a fucking circus troup

Edited February 25, 2008 by Norbert Colon

[Howay 12496]

100 games in 14 or so years fucking hell .

Agreed about the article mind just more shite, normally it's 'Geordie hero' Taylor or Given I guess those two have been used too much time for longest serving player Harper to state the obvious. Why don't they stop telling us what they are going to do or what they need to do and just go and do it.