Planet Swans ArchivesMoncur will see the Geordies take on Swansea City at the weekend glad to see opponents at the ground coming to play football rather than coming to try and hold out for a draw.
Moncur cited the recent visit of Bristol City as an ugly game of football because of the tactics of the visitors and he told the Western Mail “It’s nice to see sides come to Newcastle and try to take them on by playing football rather than getting men behind the ball and holding out for a draw
“We saw that with Bristol City and it wasn’t pretty to watch. It wasn’t a good advert for the division. But Swansea will come here and be keen to make their mark. It’s all set up for a nice game to watch. But I’m sure Chris and Colin Calderwood would take another ugly 1-0 or 2-1 win.
“Many thought that Newcastle would really struggle to get to grips with the Championship after relegation
“Every team they have played so far have had that extra incentive to beat them – largely because it’s a massive scalp.
“Beating Newcastle is a result they will still be talking about in years to come in places like Blackpool and Scunthorpe. And the rest of the teams in the division are no different. But what I like about this Newcastle team is that they are prepared to stand up and fight. They put in the leg work and it’s rewarded with results.
“This team won’t be pushed around. They are prepared to put bodies on the line.”
Joe Allon – who played for both clubs in the 1980s also told the paper “It promises to be an entertaining game because they are two sides that like to play good football. They both get the ball down on the ground and play. Swansea are a different club to when I was there. Everything has changed – from the new stadium to a continental manager and, with the way they play, it will be a game Newcastle fans will want to watch.”
