Coach Chris Quotage

Having masterminded our biggest humping in London since the 5-0 against Arsenal back in 2000 (IIRC), Chris Hughton reckons we'll be fine against West Brom in two weeks. Ashley and Llambias's puppet said:

'I think there is always concern when you lose a game but this is a loss in a pre-season programme that has gone very well so far. We have won the previous three games before this (and) played well.

It's not a problem - its what we expect in a pre-season period. Its not about one game, its not about one moment, its about a six week period that we are building up to make sure that we are right come the 8th of August and one thing I will guarantee is come 8th of August this group of lads will be right.

There's certainly enough, and enough quality here in this pre-season period to enlighten all of us and that's where we are at the moment.

I think what you have to do is you have to look what we have squad-wise and if you said to me, would myself or any manager managing Newcastle be happy with this group of players come the 8th of August I think that the answer is yes.

It is a pre-season period and in a pre-season period what you are going to do, you are going to experiment a little bit, you are going to give some of the younger players a game and its about building up to come the 8th of August and come the 8th of August what they'll all be, they'll be a team that will be put out that I'm quite sure will be able to cope with the rigours of a very, very difficult league.'

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