IT’S survival of the fittest for Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew as his side begin their pre-season campaign tonight at Motherwell. Newcastle kick off their preparations against Scottish Premier League club Motherwell at Fir Park tonight. And Pardew, in picking his team for the game, says it will be a case of survival of the fittest north of the border. Pardew says Vurnon Anita and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa are certain to play because of their conditioning. “We have a fairly young team, with a sprinkling of senior players,” said Pardew. “I’m actually playing the team that’s in the best condition. So the best conditioned player in each position will play. “For example, the best conditioned No 4 is Vurnon Anita. He is in front of Yohan Cabaye and Cheik Tiote, so he will play. “Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa is my best conditioned centre-half, so he will play. That’s the reason behind the team.” The game is followed by a week-long stay in Portugal, where Newcastle will play two games, and Pardew is keen for his team to set the tone for pre-season with their performance against Motherwell. “We obviously want to get off to a winning start, so we hope to do that at Motherwell,” he said. “They have done really well, so it’ll be a tough game. “I hope to see a few of our fans up there. We want to get off to a good start for them.” Pete
Posted on: Tue, 16 Jul 2013 08:03:29 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015