What The Managers Say: Dave Jones v Chris Hughton
By Tyne-Talk
September 12 2009
The managers have spoken out ahead of tomorrow lunchtime's match. Newcastle United caretaker manager Chris Hughton who was recently handed the Coca-Cola Championship Manager of the Month award believes Cardiff is Newcastle's toughest game yet, whilst Cardiff City manager Dave Jones believes the game is Cardiff's biggest game in many years.
With a sell-out crowd and an attendance record of 26,828 expected, it is hardly surprising the managers are looking forward to tomorrow.
Hughton told The Chronicle;
"I'm expecting a really tough game, probably our toughest.
That's no disrespect to anybody else we've played, but you always focus on the next task in hand, which for us is Cardiff City.
I know they have been very good at their new stadium and that their fans will demand a performance from their players.
That is another factor, but for our players it's a chance to play in a great atmosphere.
Our approach will be to continue what we've already demonstrated in previous games."
Cardiff manager Dave Jones said of the match ahead;
"I feel this is probably the biggest league game this club has had for many, many years.
Newcastle are a massive club. Everybody talks about us becoming a big club, but they had 44,000 fans in the Championship, that is unbelievable.
We are playing for me a Premiership football club still. I would put Newcastle probably as one of the top four or five teams in this division.
They are top right now and they are there to be shot at. We don't want a gap to develop. we want to close the gap.
The only people talking about problems off the pitch for Newcastle have been the media. People in the game did not think they would have a bad start.
When you get relegated you have to try to get back as quick as you can and their fans were never going to let them go out on a football pitch and lay down and die.
When you look at the squad they have and the players they have kept, it is too big a club and their players have too much pride."
MATCH PREVIEW/STATS/THREAD HERE
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