Newcastle United have been battling against relegation since the start of the season.
This has led to suggestions that the club will consider resting some key players in the upcoming FA Cup match against Watford. Many clubs who are involved in the relegation battle try and avoid domestic cup matches since it would be a distraction once the club enters into the latter stages of the competition. Steve McClaren may be under a lot of pressure, but he has promised to field a strong line-up against Watford.
Newcastle have lost three games on the bounce and it has once again put the club under tremendous pressure.
There appeared to be a brief spell in the sunlight when the club managed back-to-back victories against Liverpool and Tottenham. This lifted them out of relegation trouble momentarily. However, for matches without a win has seen them drop back into the drop zone once again. Newcastle have not done well in the FA Cup since Mike Ashley took over the club in 2007. They have failed to progress past the fourth round of the competition since then. Keen to get some people to back him, McClaren may consider the possibility of taking the FA Cup seriously.
“It’s another game we want to win.I’m absolutely confident we can have a go at that.We’ll play a strong team and every game is important. The FA Cup is as important as any other game. It’s another game we want to win,” said McClaren. The manager will want to avoid the same embarrassment that came upon the club when they were knocked out of the Capital One Cup earlier in the campaign at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday. However, the club’s view with regard to the domestic cup competitions appears to have changed since McClaren took over.