Amid all the January transfer window drama over the past few days, Newcastle United actually have an FA Cup tie with Fulham to focus on.
With so much rumour and speculation regarding who could come and go, the trip to Craven Cottage will offer a welcome break for Toon fans who just want to worry about the football. However, this FA Cup tie is absolutely massive.
The competition represents Newcastle’s only real chance of silverware this season, while it could also be our best chance of getting back into Europe – unless we can rectify our Premier League form in the coming weeks.
Fulham away is our reward for beating Sunderland in the derby – an all Premier League affair down by the river Thames. There will be much less tension surrounding this game, but there is certainly a lot riding on it.
Eddie Howe will be desperate to go deep into the FA Cup and take the Magpies back to Wembley, but BBC Sport pundit Chris Sutton believes that Newcastle United will be eliminated from the competition on Saturday night.
Chris Sutton thinks Newcastle will lose to Fulham
As part of his predictions for BBC Sport, Chris Sutton has backed Fulham to beat Newcastle 2-1 in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
“What on earth is happening at Newcastle? I keep reading reports that they are about to sell half their team,” he wrote.
“I feel sorry for Magpies boss Eddie Howe because of the uncertainty over the future of some of his key players, but I don’t see things going well for him at Craven Cottage either.
“Fulham are the kind of team who can turn it on at times, and they are going to throw everything they’ve got at Newcastle.”
Newcastle under pressure against a decent Fulham side
Like many Toon fans, Sutton is bewildered about what has been going on at Newcastle over the past few days. So many of Howe’s players have been linked with leaving, which has created a sense of uncertainty at St James’ Park.
But Craven Cottage is the venue this weekend, and it is a ground where Sutton thinks Newcastle will suffer defeat.
He is certainly right about Fulham – they are a team capable of turning it on. We almost saw that when they arrived on Tyneside last month. They started the Premier League tie very brightly, only to lose 3-0 once Raul Jimenez was sent off.
It is going to be a difficult evening for Newcastle, but they will take confidence from their recent record at Craven Cottage. They have won their last three there, and there is a lot of pressure to make it four.
Sutton does not think they will, but we have confidence that Newcastle can get the job done and move into the fifth round of the FA Cup!
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