Souey: Toon untameable

EXCLUSIVE BY MATT BOZEAT

STEVE BRUCE has been warned that the Toon army ‘lions’ will be sharpening their claws as his side fight to stay in the Premier League.

Newcastle are in the middle of another relegation battle, and Graeme Souness (below) understands the pressure Bruce faces, having himself spent 17 months in charge at St James’ Park, trying to please an untamed fanbase.

Souness said: “People go there thinking, ‘I’ll be the one who brings the good days back’. But it isn’t as simple as that. Newcastle has been a graveyard for managers for years.

“I remember my first game there was against Blackburn. I went into hospitality before the match and saw the chairman’s wife. She said, ‘So, you’re the new lion-tamer’ and she pointed at the crowd. They are wild and they demand success.”

MATT BEARD will lead Bristol City into today’s Continental League Cup Final against Chelsea.

And he knows whatever the result, he will be standing aside when Tanya Oxtoby returns from maternity leave.

A win over the Chelsea women, though, would be a ringing endorsement of his time in charge.

It would also represent one of the biggest shocks in a season full of them.

Beard (above) took over at Ashton Gate in January, assuming the reins shortly after the West Country women’s side had beaten Aston Villa to secure a place in the last four of the competition.

But he must appreciate it will take an enormous reversal of fortunes for his team to beat the holders – given that Chelsea have already beaten City 9-0 and 5-0 during their WSL campaign.

Beard said: “We know this is a huge task on Sunday, but it’s a cup final and anything can happen in a cup final. We’re really looking forward to it.

“Chelsea are a worldclass side, full of internationals, so whatever XI they pick, it’s going to be a tough afternoon for us.”

Oxtoby is due to give birth in a fortnight, but will be at Vicarage Road this afternoon.

She will hope to see the journey she started finished by Beard and the team she put together.

PLANS to expand the Champions League will “cannibalise” club football across Europe – hitting the English game hardest.

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish this week claimed they would have “a devastating effect”.

And Lars-Christer Olsson, former UEFA chief executive and now European Leagues president, agreed.

“The plan would cannibalise the domestic competitions,” said Olsson.

“Especially in England which already has the most crowded calendar... associations have given away power to big clubs.”

Under the proposed UEFA ratings, clubs like Spurs and Arsenal would be boosted by past results.