‘LET’S BE UNITED.. FOR ROO’
Boss Bruce urges teenage star Matty to end contract dispute and strike a new deal at home-town club Newcastle
vKick-off 7.45pm
PHILLIP COCU has told his Derby players to stick together and be ruthless to clinch a glamour FA Cup home tie against Manchester United.
Derby will be strong favourites when they host League Two Northampton tonight in a fourth-round replay at Pride Park.
The winners will land a plum home game with United next month – and Rams playmaker Wayne Rooney will be itching to face his old club.
Derby boss Cocu (top) wants his side to approach the game against Keith Curle’s underdogs with the same intensity as Friday’s 4-0 drubbing of Stoke to get the job done.
Cocu said: “It is a big game for us.
“The result on Friday was good. We have to be performing with the same level and desire as we did against Stoke.
“It will be a difficult game for us, so we have to approach it with the right mentality to try and get through to the next round.”
Northampton are due to be roared on by more than 4,000 supporters travelling up the M1.
Cobblers boss Curle (above) said: “We’ve got some good characters in our changing room and when you have the right mindset you can take your game anywhere.
“The focus from the changing room has been excellent again and we now look to Derby.”
MATTY LONGSTAFF has been ordered to show “common sense” and not walk out on Newcastle over his pay demands.
The teenage midfielder is out of contract this summer and can strike a deal for next season with any club now – and the Geordies would receive just £400,000 in compensation. England Under-20 star Longstaff, who has become a regular in Steve Bruce’s side alongside older brother Sean (both right), is currently earning a paltry £1,000 a week. Fellow midfield man Sean, 22, is also demanding a pay rise after making his firstteam breakthrough in December 2018.
That came just weeks after signing a new deal as an
Under-23 player that does not reflect his current status. Their bargaining power is increased because they could decide on family solidarity.
Sean was priced out of a £30million move to Manchester United last summer after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ruled it was not good value.
Both AC and Inter Milan are credited with an interest in Matty.
Bruce reacted to the simmering row by admitted it was a “concern” that Newcastle could lose both their homegrown assets.
He said: “It’s a concern for us all, of course it is. I hope we can get that tied up. But they’ve got the power these days, the players.
“We see it often now, with young players as well. I hope there’s a bit of common sense.
“There’s nobody at 19 played more games than Matty. He’s got an opportunity. If he’s fit, he plays against Oxford.”
On Sean’s contract, Bruce added: “I really don’t know where they’re up to in terms of that. I don’t know.
“We always want to keep our best young players, especially if they’re Geordies, of course. Let’s hope they both get tied up.
“With Matty, at 19, he’s played 11, 12 times. I’ve dipped him in and out. I can’t see another 19-year-old playing regularly at Premier League level.”