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Double jeopardy for Premier pair
Newcastle and Aston Villa meet at St James' Park on what could be a vital day of destiny for under-fire bosses Graeme Souness and David O'Leary.
Souness is feeling the heat at Newcastle after the Carling Cup defeat against a depleted Wigan side.
And O'Leary heard ominous words from "humiliated and embarrassed" chairman Doug Ellis after the loss at Doncaster.
It means the game at Newcastle will shape the immediate futures of two men feeling a huge weight of expectation.
So what are the factors that have made this meeting of two of the Premiership's fallen giants so crucial for Souness and O'Leary?
THE CHAIRMEN'S MESSAGE
Newcastle's Freddy Shepherd was reduced to taking the damage limitation measure of a time-honoured apology to fans after losing at the JJB Stadium.
"I felt sorry for our supporters, especially those who have travelled 165 miles on a freezing and foggy night to watch a performance like that, and I would like to say sorry to them.
"But we are all in this together. From me as chairman, to the management and the players, we have all got to stick together and get a win on Saturday, which would give everyone a huge lift."
Aston Villa's "Deadly" Doug Ellis does not take defeat lightly - and he was not delivering any mixed messages after the crushing 3-0 Carling Cup defeat at League One minnows Doncaster.
If O'Leary was looking for words of comfort, he would not have found any here.
"I was disgusted by the team's performance. Take nothing away from Doncaster, they played us off the park and are a very good side.
"But the way we played left me feeling humiliated and embarrassed. I had a lousy journey on the way home.
"The supporters are down and understandably so. But they are not the only ones feeling as sick as dogs. No-one feels as sick as I do now."
Just come straight out with it, Doug.
MAJOR FAULTS
Newcastle have a potent attack and a fluent midfield, full of options when all fit, but at the back they are an accident waiting to happen.
Titus Bramble shows no signs of curing the lack of concentration that has dogged his career, while Jean-Alain Boumsong has not looked comfortable in the Premiership.
Such was the defensive shambles at Wigan, that only a world-class show from keeper Shay Given stood between Newcastle and a beating of monumental proportions.
Aston Villa show no sign of achieving the consistency O'Leary desires - the defeat at home to Wigan followed hard on the heels of a derby win at Birmingham being a prime example.
Lack of real quality is a major problem, and O'Leary will have trouble claiming the big signings he needs to push Villa forward.
FRUSTRATED FANS
Newcastle fans have never showered Souness with unanimous affection, even from the start of his reign.
He is a cold, hard operator who does not seek approval from supporters, and does not fall into the category of "The People's Cheerleader" Kevin Keegan or Geordie born-and-bred Sir Bobby Robson.
And yet he has been shown little patience from fans hardly well-versed in success.
This is harsh on Souness, who has a track record of silverware that is the envy of anyone at Newcastle.
Indeed, he would have regarded Newcastle's last major honour - the 1969 Inter Cities Fairs Cup - as very much a consolation prize in his own playing days.
Souness needed a flying start, and then some, to convince those who doubted him before he even arrived at the club.
This hasn't happened, and combined with years of trophyless frustration, has piled on the pressure from the Newcastle faithful.
Aston Villa fans welcomed O'Leary's appointment - and he was well received after a sixth-place finish in his first season.
Villa finished 10th last term, but have failed to excite and rarely threatened the silverware demanded by a passionate fan-base.
Chairman Ellis is the traditional target for terrace discontent, but recent poor performances - culminating in the crushing humiliation at Doncaster - has turned the spotlight firmly on O'Leary.
For once eyes have turned away from the directors' box to the dug-out in the search for a culprit.
TRANSFER ACTIVITY
Newcastle boss Souness went for the top end of the market this summer - and hit the jackpot with all his major targets.
Scott Parker and Emre provided crucial midfield quality when they arrived from Chelsea and Inter Milan - while the capture of Albert Luque from Deportivo La Coruna was regarded as a coup.
And then Souness landed the jewel in the crown, blowing Liverpool out of the water with a 17m fee and some fast talking to persuade Michael Owen to quit Real Madrid for Tyneside.
So it will be to Souness's intense frustration that, Parker apart, their class has been missing on so many occasions through injury.
The other side of the coin is the 8m spent on the error-prone Boumsong, who has done little to convince anyone that he is the man to shore up Newcastle's defensive weakness.
Aston Villa made Milan Baros their showpiece signing in a £6.5m move from Liverpool - but he has proved just as inconsistent and prone to injury as he was at Anfield.
Kevin Phillips has also been injured, while Holland defender Wilfred Bouma has yet to settle to the task after his £3.5m move from PSV Eindhoven.
Villa need a spark - but the summer captures have yet to provide it.
ANY EXCUSES?
Newcastle have had to cope with a injury list of crippling proportions, which even led Souness to question the quality of their training pitch after an epidemic of hamstring problems.
Owen has not been able to string games together, despite looking devastating when fit, while Kieron Dyer has sparkled on the rare occasions he has been available.
Souness will not make the excuses, but a fully-fit Newcastle squad would surely have been in a better position.
Aston Villa have had injury problems of their own, with Baros and Phillips sidelined, while O'Leary cannot punch above his weight in the transfer market.
O'Leary will plead for patience, but it is an increasingly rare commodity at Villa Park these days.
SURVIVAL CHANCES?
Newcastle need quick wins to ease the pressure on Souness, with terrace unrest growing and a chairman who desperately needs a return on his huge transfer outlay.
Souness will not want a defeat against Villa - not in the current north-east climate.
But Souness is not the first Newcastle manager to struggle to meet expectations, so maybe the chairman will keep his finger off the trigger.
Aston Villa boss O'Leary is under less pressure, although Doncaster turned up the temperature with that Carling Cup win.
But an unhappy Doug Ellis is a man to beware. He may be edging into his 80s, but he shows no sign of mellowing and it just doesn't do to disappoint him.
A draw will suit O'Leary... but Souness needs the three points. |
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