Dissenting voices are heard on Tyneside, echoing the short-sighted doubters of Old Trafford’s pre-season. For the first time the title is Manchester United’s to lose, as well as Newcastle’s.TOP THREE: Manchester Utd 32-67 (+29); Newcastle 31-64 (+26); Liverpool 32-62 (+34). Stan Collymore then scores twice, the second in injury time, to win it for the Reds – both of them.It is Keegan’s turn to be questioned. While Manchester United pause for breath, having sealed a place in the FA Cup final, their rivals go head-to-head.Liverpool lead inside two minutes through Fowler but Newcastle take up the gauntlet, responding through Ferdinand and Ginola Fowler levels, but Asprilla restores the lead Newcastle have chances to seal it but waste them. It takes a very late goal from – who else? – Cantona and a generous measure of injury time to do it.Two days later Newcastle respond in style, ripping West Ham apart to regain the lead.
Asprilla is in rich form but, not for the first time, chances go begging.TOP THREE: Manchester Utd 30-61; Newcastle 28-61; Liverpool 30-59. 3 April HEARTBREAK AT ANFIELD Liverpool 4 Newcastle 3The game of the season, and perhaps the one that breaks Newcastle. 16 Mar IT’S ALL FAIR AND SQUARE QPR 1 Man Utd 1After six months of chasing, Manchester United finally catch up with Newcastle. Peter Schmeichel saves them all and, as Newcastle’s hurricane blows itself out Cantona sneaks in at his favourite far post to steal the winner. The result also opens the door for Liverpool who ended Villa’s challenge, and underlined their own, with an eight-minute demolition the previous day.TOP FOUR: Newcastle 28-61; Manchester Utd 29-60; Liverpool 28-55; Aston Villa 28-49. The visitors are equally confident after winning eight straight but are subjected to a stunning barrage of pressure. Asprilla is untouchable as he creates chance after chance for Ferdinand.
Leicester are not getting 100 per cent of my potential if you know what I mean. I hope my employers can give me a position which will allow me to devote more time to the game.”Today a forward called Back promises to “throw everything at it” “It’s a huge opportunity to show the world what we can do. A more fluid game would suit me and that’s exactly how we train. It’s going to be very physical, very ferocious, very fast and very close.”. Twickenham will be resplendent today when 75,000 – a world-record attendance in club rugby – witness a fitting Pilkington Cup final between the two best teams in England, both of whom announced last month that they would not be back for more next season. How strange this rugby world has become with professionalism breaking out all over, and so many people apparently wanting to see it that HQ has been sold out for this match since before the quarter-finals, when Bath’s and Leicester’s arrival in the final could be no more than a well-educated guess.
This, then, is what the clubs would voluntarily forgo next season and somehow the thought of their own incestuous cup competition culminating in a game at, say, Wembley does not have the same allure. Always provided the Rugby Football Union does not find a way of overshadowing today’s august occasion, this fundamental and rather awkward truth will be handsomely revealed.Given the unpredictability of the RFU/clubs dispute – you know, the one about how professional club rugby is to be controlled and financed – nothing about cup-final day should be taken for granted.
Indeed, it needs only a 12-month hindsight to see that Bath’s display in thrashing Wasps in the 1995 final was largely forgotten because the union chose that very day to depose Will Carling as England captain.If we can forget the politicking for one afternoon, we could – should – be in for a treat. But alas for optimism, matches between Bath and Leicester habitually promise more than they deliver, the awful 1994 final being a case in point, but if for once the theory of a fascinating clash of styles could be matched in practice, it would be a grand finale.What fun it is for Dean Richards to pretend that his Leicester side, who have built results and reputation on immovable and to an extent immobile forward play, should anticipate quite the opposite. “We need a fast and open game and that’s what we play at Leicester week-in week-out,” he quipped for the benefit of television viewers the other day.Doubtless the final could do with being “fast and open”, but not withstanding the consummate finishing of their wings Rory Underwood and Steve Hackney, the Tigers should not be expected to contribute greatly in that respect. Manchester United’s dull win is notable only for underlining the decline of the current champions.TOP FOUR: Newcastle 25-60; Manchester Utd 26-51; Liverpool 25-46; Aston Villa 25-45. 4 Mar HOME COMFORTS Newcastle Utd 0 Man Utd 1By being beaten at West Ham, and held at Manchester City (literally, in the case of Asprilla who takes exception to Keith Curle’s grappling), Newcastle have seen the lead cut to four points.But, however worrying their struggles on the road they have been able to count on maximum points at home and they welcome Manchester United backed by the record: played 13, won 13. Butt is sent off.TOP FOUR: Newcastle 23-54; Liverpool 23-42; Manchester Utd 23-42; Tottenham 23-41. 10 Feb ASPRILLA’S PERFECT FIT Man Utd 1 Blackburn 0 Middlesbrough 1 Newcastle 2Newcastle have not lost in the League since Old Trafford but Keegan is not convinced.
