The Chronicle (South Tyneside and Durham)
Hendrick left out of Owls player squad
fans are at loggerheads with the owners trouble is always just the flick of a switch away.
Blackburn are a worse Championship side than Sunderland and United won there 3-0 without having to get out of second gear in round three.
It is a great opportunity to keep dreams alive but the way United have lived on a bouncy castle of ups and downs this season we dare not take anything for granted.
However would we prefer to be going to Manchester City or Liverpool? Come on, let us be grateful and get the job done.
Blackburn may be at home but that advantage is miniscule. In 16 league matches at Ewood Park so far this term, they have won just six and lost eight drawing the other two 1-1 and 2-2. That’s a poor ratio, as close as it matters to one win every three games with a whopping 27 goals conceded in those 16 outings, which is the worst defensive home record in the division.
Rovers’ saving grace at Ewood
Park has been their results in cup competitions. They have beaten Cambridge United 5-2 and Wrexham 4-1 in the FA Cup while in the league cup their two home ties saw them overturn Walsall 4-3 and Cardiff City 5-2.
Note, however, not one victory over a Premier League club. Every single triumph was against lower league sides apart from Cardiff, who share Championship status with them.
Sure, we can moan that the knockout cups have not been kind to United in terms of the draw this campaign – Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea in the Carabao Cup and three successive away ties in the FA Cup.
However the Mags are on an unexpected roll when on their travels so let them beat Blackburn, get the home draw they deserve on the law of averages in the sixth round, and then see where we go.
■ HAVING sold out the Tyne Theatre with an audience topping 1,000 for the Keegan, Waddle and Beardsley
Class of 84 we are back on January 24 of next year with the Entertainers.
I will again be hosting an event which will focus on the seasons from 1992 to 95 including Kevin Keegan’s arrival and formation of everybody’s ‘second team,’ the glorious promotion campaign and those early days in the Premier League that led to the return of European nights.
The names of the first two legends have just been released. Midfielder Liam O’brien and flying winger Ruel
Fox will be sharing their stories about life and times in black and white. Other top stars will follow.
Tickets are now on sale from www.tynetheatreandoperahouse.uk or by calling the box office on 08442 491000.
NEWCASTLE United midfielder
Jeff Hendrick has been omitted from Sheffield Wednesday’s 25-player Championship squad as the loanee prepares to leave St James’ Park on a permanent basis this summer.
The 32-year-old is running into the final months of his contract with the Premier League side.
Hendrick signed for Wednesday on a season-long agreement last summer. However, the Irishman has only played 503 minutes this campaign and has not featured in the league since December.
He was handed a 29-minute cameo in Wednesday’s FA Cup fourth-round replay defeat to Coventry City, but that could prove to be his last appearance for the South Yorkshire outfit. Hendrick was not included in the updated 25-player squad list, which has to be published by all sides after the January window.
Wednesday could, theoretically, re-add Hendrick to their group for the run-in. However, given the club also have other loanees, a route back to first-team action is not exactly straight-forward as he continues to for a new team. Newcastle snapped-up Hendrick from Burnley in August 2020. His imminent departure is expected.
Speaking about his now-ineligible loan midfielder, Wednesday manager Danny Rohl said: “He [Hendrick] played some minutes in the cup which was good. There is learning also from my side that you have an FA Cup list and a [separate] league list.
“We have seven loans and so we have to make decisions. This is part of the reason why. He’s still involved and I think maybe when I look to the next 15 games it could be he’s helpful. He has trained, he’s professional. All of my players have taken the situation.”