Newcastle United won’t park bus at Manchester City says John Carver

JOHN Carver says Newcastle United will NOT “park the bus” at Manchester City – and will instead look to take the driving seat.
DANGERMAN: Wilfried BonyDANGERMAN: Wilfried Bony
DANGERMAN: Wilfried Bony

Carver’s side take on the Premier League champions at the Etihad Stadium tomorrow.

Newcastle have already won the at City once this season – 2-0 in the Capital One Cup – and Carver says his team won’t be fearful of Manuel Pellegrini’s expensively-assembled side.

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Asked if second-placed City are vulnerable at home, head coach Carver said: “Absolutely.

“We saw that with Middlesbrough in the cup. Hull City last week, up until the last few minutes of the game, were winning, so we can’t go there with fear.

“We have got to go there with confidence.

“We are not going to park the bus. We are going to our gameplan – but we are going to have a go at them as well.”

Rolando Aarons and Moussa Sissoko found the net in Newcastle’s cup win at the Etihad Stadium in late October.

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And Carver is hopeful his team can cause City – who could have one eye on next week’s Champions League tie against Barcelona – problems on the counter-attack.

“We went there in the League Cup and thoroughly deserved the win,” said the 50-year-old. “It wasn’t a freak result – we played really well that night against a strong Manchester City side.

“We do know they have got a big Champions League game coming up on Tuesday, so what changes he will make, I am not quite sure.

“The one thing I will say is he hasn’t just got a good starting XI, he has got a good second string as well, so picking a first XI must be very, very difficult.

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“We are going there knowing that we are playing against a good side, but we are not going to be fearful of that side because we have proved it. We have gone there and got a good result.”

Newcastle, however, could have to contend with Wilfried Bony, who is expected to make his City debut after returning from the African Cup of Nations.

The 26-year-old, signed for £28mikllion from Swansea City, was once a target for Newcastle, but the club baulked at the £10m fee Vitesse Arnhem demanded in 2013.

Carver said: “He will be raring to go, coming back from the African Nations

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“Every time we have come up against him when he was at Swansea, he was a handful.

“If he makes his debut we have enough in our back four to deal with it.

“Our defenders lately have defended quite well. We have not conceded too many goals and hopefully that will continue.

“It’s quite funny because Mike Williamson, when he comes up against him, he likes that type of player. It’s the tricky ones who give him a little bit of a problem, so (Sergio) Aguero could give him a problem if he plays.”