I played in front of 100,000 fans in Tehran but Newcastle’s semi-final will be something else

Shay Given admits that many Newcastle United fans are already looking forward to hearing the final whistle at St James’ Park on Carabao Cup semi-final night.

By that time, PA announcer Rob Byron’s hands will be sweating as he holds his finger over the button before playing Que Sera, Sera at the end of the game, but it will signal that Newcastle fans are heading back to Wembley again. Given, who will be working as a pundit on the night, is desperate to soak up another big London weekend too.

But he knows that there is work to be done before fans can start dreaming of Trafalgar Square! Given told Chronicle Live: “That’s the thing, you know, how close we are to the Geordies taking over London again! If this was the other way round and we were going to the Emirates 2-0 down, we’d be thinking the party is over here.

“So the fans will play their part and help finish the job off. They were brilliant in London because I was at the game a couple of weeks ago. I know it will be brilliant at St James’ Park. Under the lights, it is set up perfectly: a semi-final, second leg, and a 2-0 lead. If you were picking a perfect fixture to be absolutely bouncing then this would be it. We are one game away from the Geordies taking over London again.”

Given, like head coach Eddie Howe, has warned it is only half-time and after Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli warned Arsenal are good enough to score up to five goals, the Gunners have not written this tie off yet.

The ex-Republic of Ireland international said: “There’s the excitement. But there is always trepidation. There is always that side if Arsenal score early then you never know. We are in a really strong position, and there is no hiding that fact. I don’t think there will be any issues with mindset but we need to be on the front-foot and trying to create problems. The crowd can get a lot more involved if we are playing that type of football.

“Arsenal will have moments as they have good players. I think we will be fine, but it will feel like you are baying for the final whistle before we’ve had the first whistle! It is going to be one of those nights.”



I played in front of 100,000 fans in Tehran but Newcastle’s semi-final will be something else
Former Newcastle United goalkeeper Shay Given

Newcastle have lost their last two home games in the Premier League and conceded six times in the process. They also watched on as Bromley took the lead in the FA Cup so leaking goals is not exactly something Newcastle are immune to.

Speaking about Arsenal’s approach, Given said: “Arsenal will have looked at the Bournemouth game and thought: ‘If they can do that we can do the same’. My leveller is that Newcastle will say that type of performance is unacceptable and it is fresh in the mind. Newcastle dropped off and Bournemouth were good. A defeat like that can be a wake-up call. You know if you aren’t at your best you will be out of the cup, sometimes it’s not a bad thing.”

The psychological side of a 2-0 lead after the first leg is fascinating for the neutral. Don’t forget Newcastle once trailed 4-0 to Arsenal and came back to draw 4-4 in the Premier League!

Given said: “I’ve played in games over two legs before, the mentality has to be right. I played in Ireland’s two-legged World Cup play-off against Iran and away goals used to count double. We won 2-0 in Dublin and I made a few saves at home which proved really important going over to Tehran and keeping them at no goals.

“Going over to Tehran was a bit spicy to say the least and we needed the two-goal lead. There were 100,000 people there and they turned up five hours before the match kicked off, it was mental. Iran did go on to score in injury time to take it to 2-1 on aggregate and that was bad enough because they finished the game thinking they had a chance and the crowd were jumping.”

Given feels that the right mix of caution and bravery is the needed on the night, and added: “My message for Newcastle is that this tie is far from over. We know in the past at Newcastle that we have made hard work of things so the important thing will be to get off to a good start, it really is.

“The way Eddie plays it is front-foot and he won’t try to defend that 2-0 lead. I know that it will get to a stage in the second half where maybe you might look at that, but I can’t see him changing to much in the initial approach. It is not the way the team play. I think they will fly out the blocks early.

“It is not easy and the fans know that but it is perhaps not to go into it with the mentality of getting bodies back. We want to see the attacking purpose that will create problems for Arsenal. I really feel that if we drop back to a low block, try to defend then that sort of nervous tension spreads to the fans from the pitch. There will be moments where it will happen.

“But I don’t think anybody – even me – can sit through 90 minutes of sheer hell. Eddie’s message will be to try to get the third goal and if that is the case it won’t be Goodnight Vienna, but we will be in a really strong position.”

Shay Given is a brand ambassador for sports betting platform CopyBet. Visit CopyBet.com

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