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Pardew: 'We Need To Be At Our Best'
Written by Newcastle Utd
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew knows his side needs several "outstanding" performances if they're to beat Chelsea on Saturday
By Dan King - Newcastle United Digital Editor
Alan Pardew believes Newcastle can beat Chelsea at St. James' Park on Saturday - but only if United are at their very best.
The Magpies have adopted a high-tempo approach in their last two home games against Liverpool and Manchester City, urged on by their supporters, and it has served them well.
Despite playing for more than half of the game with ten men, the Magpies drew 2-2 with the Merseysiders and could well have beaten City over 90 minutes before eventually losing out in extra time.
And Pardew is hoping for more of the same this weekend after admitting that his players mustn't be afraid of going toe-to-toe with Jose Mourinho's title challengers.
"What we have to be sure of is that we play a game that gives us a chance of winning the game," he said.
"Tactically, we'll have to make sure that's right. I'm looking forward to it. When you get a manager like Jose come to your stadium, and you get the players of John Terry and Frank Lampard, it raises the expectation of players and coaches of the other team and if you can do that, you've got a chance of winning.
"If you're daunted by it, you've got no chance.
"To beat one of the top teams - and let's be honest, Chelsea are one of those - you need to be at your very best.
"You can't win a game in the Premier League, when they've got the resources they've got, unless you're at your very best.
"It's been proven time and time again that you can upset them but you need to play very, very well and you need all your players to play very well. For us, with the quality we've got, we could have perhaps three goodish performances but we need eight outstanding, for sure.
"With our fans' backing at home, it's very important for us in that stadium that our fans are behind us like they were on Wednesday.
"It makes a huge difference. We can create that pressure that you need to do to unsettle a top team and if we can create that then we can get a victory.
"In the last six games with Chelsea we've won two, lost two and drawn two so they're tight affairs usually between us.
"I think they spent £60m in the summer - that helps - and they've got a manager who is arguably the best in the world, so you bring those factors together and it's a place you can see Jose is comfortable, at Chelsea.
"You can see with him in his demeanour, that he's at the top of his game at the minute so it's tough to cross swords with him when he's like that.
"I think his teams are under-rated defensively when Mourinho takes over. I think Chelsea are stronger for that. They're difficult to break down, difficult to score against, and that always gives them a platform to win games."