Relegation Battle Heats Up for Newcastle and Middlesbrough

The relegation battle heats up with Newcastle and Middlesbrough fighting to avoid the drop. The fact that Hull City lost their match against Stoke City means that neither team should settle for a draw. West Brom's win against Wigan added more pressure on both teams and now the bottom three teams are level on 31 points apiece. So this derby is a must-win game for either side, and the least we can hope for is both sides to treat the match with the intensity and the effort that it warrants.

I tend to agree with Steve McMahon (now an ESPN star soccer analyst) that he has been extremely disappointed that teams at the bottom are not showing fight and commitment to beat the drop. If we had a choice, Sunderland, Hull, Newcastle, and Boro should be relegated right now! WBA should stay up simply because their playing philosophy merit another shot at the Premiership, even if their defence require a complete overhaul.

Whenever I have watched Newcastle, they have been nothing but disappointing. Their form at home has been abysmal, ranking 19th in the league. They have won only four games at home.

So much for fortress St. James Park...overall, Newcastle have been winless in 10 games, dating back to February. So what does Alan Shearer do to bring some joy back to Newcastle fans?

He could start by playing his fearsome threesome. The time has come to play Owen, Viduka, and Martins in a three-pronged attack 4-3-3 formation. On paper, this is mouthwatering, all three are match winners in their own right, and hopefully together, they can create and take chances, which should come their way.

Shearer needs to pack the midfield with fighters and grafters. The "Dogs of War" mentality must set in—it's the fight for survival! Players who will give you 110 percent commitment and fight for the cause.

Nicky Butt has been one of the few committed Newcastle players. A very good midfield defensive cover for the back four. Still, he is no box-to-box player. Kevin Nolan and Jonas Gutierrez are the sort of selfless players that Newcastle needs to provide the support and extra bodies at both ends of the pitch. Shearer cannot do much worse than playing Nolan and Jonas either side of Butt.

Defensively, they have been in shambles....Coloccini is not coping with the pace and power of the Premier League. Pair Steven Taylor (who can score goals as well) with the impressive Sebastien Bassong at centre defence. I do think that Damien Duff at leftback is a great idea, though. Shearer and his coaching staff need to work hard to ensure that Newcastle backline understands what defending means (i.e. marking and interceptions).

On the other hand, Middlesbrough's biggest problem is scoring goals. They have scored the fewest goals in the Premier League this season. Yet, they sold one of their biggest threats in Mido.

Also, they are woeful away from home, gaining only eight points on the road, ranking 19th in the league. Boro's strongest area is in midfield, where Tuncay, Downing, and O'Neill have consistently given their all for the cause. Between them, they have contributed 28 percent of the total Boro goals (25) to date. More significantly, this midfield trio are responsible for 47 percent of the total assists (15).

Clearly, Boro's best creative work is through the triumvirate of Tuncay-Downing-O'Neill. Gareth Southgate must tell his players to get the ball quickly to this trio. Only when this trio control the flow of matches will Boro have a chance of winning matches and subsequently staying in the Premiership.

The one thing that Southgate need not worry too much about is defence. It is a solid flat back four with imposing physical presence and tight defending. Brad Jones has slowly matured into a very skilled goalkeeper.

If both teams play to their strengths as mentioned, they can win their next remaining matches ensuring survival for both teams. Hull City has to play Bolton away, and Man Utd at home in their last two games, so no points gained is quite possible. Sunderland have Portsmouth away and Chelsea at home as their last two fixtures. Again, zero points could be on the cards.

This makes Newcastle's and Boro's last two matches really important six-pointers. The make-or-break matches, so to speak.

Another interesting fact....since 2002, there hasn't been an instance when the same three relegated clubs came straight back up to the Premier League the following season.

The closest to that happening had been in the 2006-2007 season, where Sunderland and Birmingham came straight back up after relegation in 2005-2006. That just goes to show how tough it is to, firstly, recover from the shock of relegation, and secondly, to gain promotion back into the big time.

Notwithstanding the stats and the complicated match permutations, I have no doubt that West Brom, Boro, and Newcastle can make it back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

In case you are wondering....yeah, I do believe all three will be relegated come May 24th...