Game of the week (inc. Idiot of the Decade).
Fourth at best
.
NEWCASTLE, England, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Fourteen games into the season and the Barclaycard Premiership already appears beyond the grasp of both Newcastle United and Liverpool.
The sides, who meet at St James' Park on Saturday, made inconsistent starts to their campaigns and allowed frontrunners Chelsea, undefeated Arsenal and champions Manchester United to break away from the rest.
Alan Shearer and Steven Gerrard, captains of Newcastle and Liverpool respectively, have already lowered their sights on securing fourth place, which represents their most realistic chance of returning to Champions League football next year.
Fulham, already nine points behind third-placed United, lead the chasing pack ahead of Charlton Athletic, Liverpool and then Newcastle.
Robson rejects any notion that the race for fourth place will come down to a straight battle between his side and Liverpool, both of whom, on paper at least, possess the resources and the players to make a sustained challenge.
'You cannot say it is just between us and Liverpool,' Robson said. 'For example, Charlton are doing remarkably well, Fulham are hanging in there and a few other sides are not too far away from us.
'I think there are as many as six teams who are fighting for that fourth spot, that is if we all think the top three positions are already taken - and the chances are that this is the case with those teams already so far ahead.
'We've got to be realistic about that, so we'll just look to keep pushing on. We know if we can hit winning form then we can get up the league.
'There are a cluster of clubs around us but I know, with respect to those other sides, that we can head that cluster.'
Liverpool will be without injured England striker Michael Owen who traditionally thrives against Newcastle, while Harry Kewell is out for up to three weeks with an ankle injury sustained in the midweek League Cup defeat at home by Bolton.
The 3-2 reverse at Anfield prompted Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier to an issue an ultimatum to his players.
'The players have got to know they have a responsibility,' the Frenchman said. 'Only men can have that responsibility. If you cannot bear the responsibility you have got to move on -- or rot in the reserves.' .
Gerard!! Be responsible. Move on. Much, much on. .
Без Оуен, без Кюъл... we're screwed. Поне да гледаме хубав мач.