Comment by Lou Macari

IF you ask the average man in the street who has the better players – Stoke or Newcastle – I bet most would go for those in black and white stripes.

But both clubs have shown how reputations can count for very little, while more earthy qualities such as spirit and character count for so much.

Stoke are sitting relatively pretty ahead of the relegation pack not because they have tried to outplay teams, but because they’ve stuck to what they’re good at.

They’ve also played with a backbone and a determination that’s clearly lacking from Newcastle.

I’ve got a soft spot for Newcastle, particularly their fans, and they don’t deserve what’s happening to their club.

Any player with anything about him would have reacted long before now to the alarm bells ringing up at Newcastle.

The sad truth for them is that I don’t think those players do have anything about them.
And they don’t just lack character, they also lack ability in key areas.

Whoever scouted on Fabrizio Coloccini and told Newcastle “we must sign him” should be locked up in the Tower Of London.

It’s a sign of Newcastle’s desperation that they are now leaning on players such as Mark Viduka, who has hardly played all season.

Bringing back Joey Barton was always an accident waiting to happen, and another indication of their desperation, because you knew he was liable to lose his head and fly in the way he did down in no man’s land by the corner flag against Liverpool on Sunday.

The biggest gamble of all, of course, was bringing back Alan Shearer. Chucking a novice like him into a situation where a team is flying is fine, but not when the team clearly lacks every basic going and needs major surgery.

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw their players warming up on the touchline with exercise bikes at Stoke a few weeks ago.

Packing exercise bikes on to your team bus ahead of such a big game ... it’s ludicrous.
Many will already be pencilling Newcastle in for games at Peterborough, Doncaster and Barnsley next season.

I wouldn’t condemn them just yet, for all their mistakes and all their problems, but only because they have two win-able home games coming up against Middlesbrough and Fulham, and if they do get six points, out of those two games it’s a safe bet it’s not so much the manager or the players making the difference, but 50,000 Geordies who’ll do it for them.

“It’s United to face Chelsea”

IF you were to pin me down, then I’d forecast a Manchester United v Chelsea final in the Champions’ League.

Both of this week’s semi-finals are delicately poised and could yet go either way, but I feel it’s advantage United and Chelsea (but only just) after the way the first legs went last week.

United’s 1-0 lead means they only have to score once to leave Arsenal having to score three – and I don’t see them doing that against United.

Across London at Stamford Bridge tomorrow, meanwhile, there’s always the chance of Lionel Messi turning on the magic to steal the show for Barcelona.

But Chelsea also have their in-form match winners and I certainly don’t see them defending as generously as Real Madrid did on Saturday night when they leaked six against Barcelona.