Tayls: Passion is the key

Mar 16 2008 by Neil Farrington, Sunday Sun

STEVEN TAYLOR believes passion – on the pitch and on the terraces – is the key to Newcastle’s survival battle.

Magpie players and fans must set aside all grievances and unite for what the defender believes are the biggest nine games in the club’s modern history.

And stopping the rot against fellow strugglers Birmingham tomorrow night is key to breathing fresh life into their season, insists Taylor.

“It’s all down to passion now; down to how much the players really want it,” he told the Sunday Sun.

“And we have never needed the fans with us more than we do now.

“We know we’ve let them down badly this season, but no games have meant more to this football club than the next nine. They are monumental.”

And Taylor knows that rising tension on Tyneside may turn to panic if Newcastle return from St Andrews on the back of a seventh straight league defeat on the road.

“Yes, there are a few winnable home games in among those nine, but Monday is massively important,” added the 22-year-old centre-half.

“We’ve got to stop the slide before the pressure on us builds even more at home.”

And what a slide.

Newcastle have conceded 20 goals in their last five Premier League outings on enemy soil, and boast one clean sheet away from home in 27 games in the top flight since November 2006.

Go behind, and United go to pieces.

“It would be massively important if we could score the first goal on Monday – it does take that bit of pressure off,” added Taylor, mindful that Birmingham have also leaked goals recently.

“When we have gone behind, we have tended to lose our shape in quite a few away games.

“Do that against big sides and you end up getting punished even worse, whereas against the lesser teams, you might get away with it once or twice.

“But we can’t rely on Birmingham doing us any favours. There’s no chance of that happening with them being in trouble. This is a real six-pointer.

“And it’s always tough down there anyway. Last year, when we played them in the FA Cup, they pushed us all the way at their place and then obviously hammered us in the replay.

“They might want to remind us of that – it was as bad as I’ve felt after a game – but it’s one of those things we want to put to bed.

“It was a different game again at St James’s Park earlier in the season. It went all the way to the end, then Habib Beye popped up and won us the points.

“But we are not going to go there, sit back and hope to nick something. We want to put them on the back foot and go and win the game.

“Once we get one win, I’m confident and positive that more will follow.”