Roeder’s Hungry
By Nick Raynor
February 2 2007
Glenn Roeder has stated that he believes Newcastle can go on a similar run of victories as they did this time last season.
Roeder took over a broken Newcastle United team and led them to an InterToto Cup spot to earn himself the job permanently.
After a season where he has only made 2 cash purchases and has an injury list the longest in the Premiership, Roeder and his players have done fantastic to get to 9th.
But Roeder thinks the team can go further and win a European spot.
Roeder said:
"I am a hungry person and so are my players.
"With some luck and when we get more players back from injury I think we can have a run like last year between now and the end of the season when we won six of our last seven games and drew the other.
"It can be the same as last year when I was caretaker.
"That's what I will be aiming for, starting at Fulham tomorrow.
"It is well known in football that if you give footballers a chance to make an excuse about getting beaten then they will take it.
“For five months now we have often had a team up on the board of injured players that would comfortably take on the fit players and do well.
"This lot haven't moaned, they have stuck together in adversity.
"They all get on very well together on and off the field of play.
"We have had the odd bad result and awful performance like
"Against Sheff United it was poor preparation after playing 36 hours before in
"But overall the lads have shown guts and courage for me and believe me I am not a person that is easily satisfied but being ninth is a heck of an achievement given the circumstances.
"We have never complained about injuries but we have made it clear to our fans who is available and who isn't.
"Some people will be cynical and feel we should be higher up the table than we are.
"And I know with a fully-fit squad we would be higher up the table.
"It is not a question of thinking we would, I know we would.