A round-up of your Newcastle United evening headlines on Saturday, April 2.
Pundits all predict Spurs win over Newcastle
Pundits believe Newcastle United will lose their third game in a row when they travel to Tottenham Hotspur tomorrow. Even a draw was beyond the Magpies, according to the prognosticators.
The most pessimistic, from a Newcastle point of view, was David Seaman, who foresaw a 3-1 hammering for the Toon. Mark Lawrenson suggested a similarly gloomy 2-0 loss for Newcastle.
Londoner Paul Merson was slightly more positive about Newcastle, suggesting they would at least get a goal, though ultimately succumb to Spurs and lose 2-1. Former Newcastle striker Michael Owen agreed with that prediction, opting for a 2-1 win for Spurs too.
Read their full remarks here.
Malcolm Macdonald on how to stop Kane and Son
As Newcastle head to London to play Tottenham Hotspur tomorrow, worried fans will no doubt be thinking about the rising form of Harry Kane. Former Newcastle United striker Malcolm Macdonald has written about that very subject in his latest column for the Chronicle.
Macdonald wrote: "We all know about how super a player Kane is which means Son is somewhat in his shadow as chief support when actually he is a devastating player. The South Korean reminds me so much of Mike Channon who used to be my partner with England both at Under 23 and full level.
"Channon used to drift about but with purpose, feeding me in and then producing a lovely ability to pop up in the penalty area and side foot the ball into the net. Son does that beautifully. These type of players marry the midfield to the forwards and are invaluable.
"United must try to keep Kane as far away from goal as possible which means playing a very tight offside game. They must step up whenever he is going to be played in and that takes 90-minute concentration from every single one of the back line."
Read Malcolm Macdonald's full column here.
Sir John Hall says owners' plans are 'tremendous"
Former Newcastle United owner Sir John Hall has been talking to the Chronicle about the club's new owners. And it sounds like he thinks the club is in good hands.
The 89-year-old said: “Talking to Amanda [Staveley], their plans for the club are tremendous and we can only look forward to the many, many years ahead. Amanda, she understands what needs to be done.
“They paid £300m for Newcastle, you look now at Chelsea - they’re talking £3billion. Here at Newcastle, you can invest another £500m into the club, perhaps take it up to £1b, and still, in a sense, you’d be under your value because all that can happen here is the club will increase in value.
“We have the fan base, can have the facilities, and they’re going to buy more players for the team - it’s happening at the end of my life. I’m disappointed in a way that I might not live to see the success of 69, but it’s for the younger people of today to enjoy - it’s a wonderful time to be a Newcastle supporter.”
Read more of the Chronicle's interview with Sir John here.
Jose Enrique says Eddie Howe brought belief
Former Newcastle full-back Jose Enrique has been speaking about the transformation of the team's mental attitude in recent months. And he put the change down to the arrival of Eddie Howe.
Speaking on behalf of Genting Casino, Enrique said: "Newcastle got the right manager, the right players, and now they have the right mentality and belief in Eddie. That is the most important thing.
"Everyone at the club really believes the system Eddie is trying to put in to play, the formation, the style. Everyone is following him and that's why they have been successful.
"I believe Newcastle are going to become one of the top teams in England, I don't know how long it is going to take. If they keep spending and trust in Eddie, I believe it is going to get better and better."
Read more of Enrique's thoughts here.
Aston Villa winger on trial at Newcastle United
Newcastle United are running the rule over Aston Villa winger Tristan Goodridge. The 19-year-old is set to leave Villa and is spending time at United's Academy this month.
The left-winger played the first 45 minutes of Newcastle's derby defeat at Middlesbrough at the Riverside on Friday night. The Magpies were beaten 4-2 on Teesside with Goodridge replaced at half-time by Charlie Wiggett.
But Newcastle may be keen to take a further look at the winger after he scored four goals and made three assists in 17 matches. He can also play wide right and occasionally as a centre-forward if need be.
Read more here.
