Speed Confident of Reaching the Champions League

By Matthew Jones
May 10 2004

Have you given up on Newcastle's hopes of reaching next seasons Champions League? If so, why? Alan Shearer is confident, and now Gary Speed gives his view. It's not over until it's over. Forget Wolves, and lets concentrate on a victory at Southampton, and then one against Liverpool!

Speaking to Alan Oliver from the Evening Chronicle, Speed said:

"We cannot throw in the towel and we won't throw in the towel.

"It's disappointing what happened against Wolves and we understand the fans' frustrations. But multiply that by 100 and that's what the players are feeling.

"I've never experienced anything like that before in my life but we have to put that at the back of our minds and go out and win the next two games.

"We feel bad but we have to carry on. If we win our last two games we are in the Champions League.

"I don't think much has changed after this result, except we've got to win at Southampton. If we'd beaten Wolves we'd still have to win at Liverpool anyway.

"We're disappointed and down, but we've got to try and win the next two games, which we are capable of.

"All is not lost. If we don't make it then we can have the inquest at the end of the season and sort a few things out then, but we cannot allow this to affect us on Wednesday and Saturday, it would be stupid if that happened.

"We have to pick ourselves up and go for it. There is no getting away from the fact that our away form has killed us this season - if we'd won as many as we did last year then we'd have it sewn up.

"We've not played well, it's no secret, but we've got two games to remedy that. We've won at Southampton before this season in the FA Cup so we'll go there trying to do the same and then go to Liverpool.

"If we do that, then Liverpool will be like a cup final where anything can happen."

Speaking about the Wolves game, he added:

"You cannot question Al in any way just because he misses a penalty.

"Without his goals we'd be fighting off relegation. You have to feel for him."