Aston Villa vs Newcastle

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Tim Krul has demanded Newcastle's refreshed squad rise to relegation battle - after praising Mike Ashley for landing five new signings.
The Dutch keeper has scoffed at suggestions Newcastle are "too big" to go down, but says the impetus gained from the new French recruits will be key in the scrap ahead.
Alan Pardew's men are searching for their first away win of the season at fellow strugglers Aston Villa tonight with two tough games against Chelsea and Spurs to follow. Three points is essential to avoid dropping into the bottom three in the next fortnight.
"It feels like a big occassion, an important game. Both sides need a win, even a draw is not really good enough," admitted Pardew yesterday.
Krul has been brushing up on his key French words so he can issue instructions to new boy Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa if as expected his is one of three debutants alongside Yoan Gouffran and Moussa Sissoko.
Krul said: "The owner and chairman (Derek Llambias) did what they said they were going to do. Five new players is more than I expected.
"It's given everyone a massive lift. The club said we were going to strengthen the squad and they showed that in five or six days signing five new players. It gives that extra competition for places, instead of taking things for granted and people will have to work their socks off to stay in the side.

New in Toon: Haidara, Gouffran and Yanga-Mbiwa have all signed on Tyneside

Ian Horrocks

 "At a club like Newcastle, you need that. Before now with the injuries we had we were just happy to get 11 on the pitch and a bench. We've definitely got strength in depth now.
"So Tuesday is a massive game for us, massive. We have to walk away with a result and we definitely go there to win. Villa are on a poor run at the moment, we haven't' been on a great run.
"Back in 2009 I was there when we were relegated at Villa. But this is a new game with new players in a new year. There are a lot of fresh faces and that will give us a extra lift. We have 15 games to go and we're in a fight which nobody expected us to be.
"Everyone said we were too big to be in this fight but we're not. We're in it and we have to get out of it as quickly as possible. We can't take things for granted like we did then."
Krul has been linked with a move to AC Milan in the summer but was not permitted to comment on those rumours yesterday.
But he is delighted at having to learn a bit of French again, after dropping it at school. He says he doesn't care where the new signings come from as long as they are quality.
He added: "Not a problem. I'm just impressed by the quality we're signing. It doesn't matter what country they come from. we could have 10 French or 10 Dutch, as long as they're good players and I think they are I'm just glad there here.
 

 

Italian job? Krul has been linked with a move to AC Milan

Reuters

"Some of them don't really speak much English yet so from or point of view we have to help them all we can. If my centre halves speak French I have to make sure I can communicate with them. That will take a few weeks but football language isn't that difficult.
"It doesn't take that long to integrate and football language is easy to pick up. I'll teach them the most important words.
"There are a few key words which they've got to know. 'away', 'man on','keeper's ball' that kind of thing. If I'm coming out for the ball they will know about it! Definitely today I'll give them a list.
"For me Dutch and English were the two languages I learned as a kid. I also did German and French as well but I kept mixing things up so I gave French up after a year.
"I've just passed Mapou in the corridor and I had to get out of his way, he's a big lad! You need that physical side and it will be good to get Tiote back. With those two players in the side it will give the other sides a little fright. I'm really glad we've signed the new players."
 Alan Pardew  believes Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has shown his long term commitment with the January signings.
Five new faces, including France internationals Mathieu Debuchy, Moussa Sissoko and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa and with an average age of under 24 have bolstered the squad.
The Toon boss says Ashley could have gone for “quick fixes” of older players to get the team out of their ­relegation hole, but instead invested more than £17million in building for now and the future.
Ahead of tonight’s visit to fellow strugglers Aston Villa, he also addressed comments he made in a row with Arsene Wenger in 2006, when he claimed every team should have a core of at least three Englishmen to make it tick.
With 11 French nationals and three other French speakers on the books at St James’ Park, Pardew claimed the inflated market in British players – especially from the Championship – makes it tough to ignore better value from abroad.
He said: “The long-term future of the club, Mike’s commitment to the club, all those ­questions aren’t being asked at the moment because of the run we’re on, but I think the ­signings have shown he’s committed to the club. Because you don’t sign players at that age if you’re not committed to the club.
“If it was a short-term option he probably would have given me the signal to go and buy some older players to make sure we stayed in the division. If they were any good next year, it wouldn’t really matter, if you had that kind of vision. His vision is much more long-term.
“That’s why we’ve bought the players we have. I am happier coming to work in the morning now, without doubt. And I think the players will be too, more importantly.
“If you’re a player walking out with the group we have now and you look round at the bench, you’d have to say you feel a lot more confident.”
 

 

French connection: Pardew doesn't agree that French influx will call problems

Ian Horrocks

Pardew said French players will have to speak English on the training ground or be fined, and he dismissed Gerard Houllier’s claim that too many French players creates “problems”.

He said: “Gerrard Houllier said that? I don’t really see it as a problem.

“I’ve not seen that problem at any club I’ve been at. I’ve never ­encouraged cliques. I’m very, very quick to stop that. Since I’ve been here I’ve never really ­encountered it and I don’t intend to let it happen.
“In 2006 I though three English players would be a nice rule. It’s not the rule though. I think it’s very important to promote British players, but unfortunately the market makes it very difficult. Chief executives and chairmen need to ­understand that ­sometimes players need opportunities.”
Wilfried Zaha ­illustrated Pardew’s point. Toon were priced out of a move and Manchester United signed him from Crystal Palace.
“It became very evident that trying to take a player of that ability from the Championship isn’t easy and bigger clubs were beginning to get involved, so it was out of our equation,”
said Pardew.