The headline pretty much says it all doesn’t it? A win to be potentially closer to be safe from the real Promised Land is down to this game, however Hull are the team to chase and if they win against Stoke then we have β€˜nothing to play for’.

Come Monday night at roughly 7.40pm I wouldn’t be surprised if I threw up, not only because of the fact it is a massive chance to keep us up, but to send the Geordies down to the Championship in a huge double whammy.

This game is as big as Elland Road at Leeds in 1997, and to think it’s been that long since we’ve had the capacity to use that game and compare. Since then we’ve had cup finals and success in Europe and somehow it’s all come crashing back down on us and it’s up to Gareth and his players to deal with it.

However, let’s be brutally honest I’ve watched Newcastle this season and they’re just as shit as we are. I suppose I’m just nit-picking here but this game that has received a lot of attention, especially when Shearer came in charge and maybe the attention will die down as another Joey Barton episode occurs and reaches it’s first full series. And to think what could happen in series 2?

My main concern as a Boro fan would be Mark Viduka, in the 0-0 draw at the Riverside this season he came on as a sub to face the mass of aggrieved Boro fans, however he did make a nuisance of himself and at Β£78k a week he turns up for two games (I suppose you can guess which ones).

Anyway we almost should have a full side to choose from, I nearly stated that Gareth has a selection dilemma but he hasn’t has he? Just play people in the proper positions.

I hope Gareth doesn’t start Aliadiere on the right; he is equally as bad as he is up front, so don’t play him there either. There is only one player throughout this entire season that’s shown he can play on the right and that’s O’Neil. Now that Digards back he has options not a dilemma;

Option A: Play Tuncay in the middle with Bates and start King and Alves leading the attack supported by Tuncay and Downing.

Option B: Start Digard in the middle with Bates, play Tuncay up top operating almost as a 4-5-1 alternating to a 4-3-3.

Option C: Aliadiere plays, becomes anonymous and Gareth becomes even more tactically inept even when he has almost a full strength side to pick.

A lot of people I speak to are adamant that Shearer will keep them up, how can you possibly think that, when have Newcastle ever had a little bit of luck? The only bit of luck I can recall is that our goalkeeping coach (now at Newcastle ironically) told our current keeper to punch it even if he had no pressure on him, and for Lee Clark to find it and score in the last kick and make it 2-2. Apart from that there crap!

I hate them, and if we go down I’d only hope that the 8th biggest club in the world follows us which wouldn’t make this season a disaster surely not?

COME ON BORO!!!

2-1 TO BORO!

MarkB17.