It’s crunch time for Magpies

NEWCASTLE boss Graeme Souness has admitted that the next four days hold the key to the club’s season.

Speaking as he prepared to put his side through their paces at the Jose Alvalade Stadium ahead of tonight's UEFA Cup quarter-final clash with Sporting Lisbon, Souness had little doubt about what is at stake both in Portugal and in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

"It is going to be an enormous four days," he said. "Just after 10pm tomorrow night, we could be sitting in the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup feeling extremely confident about Sunday or it could be a case of picking ourselves up.

"We will have to wait and see what 10pm tomorrow night brings, but we can only deal with one game at a time and the first game is a difficult game here in Lisbon, and that is all we can focus on."

Just how successful the Magpies are in Portugal could depend on the team Souness is able to field with keeper Shay Given still struggling with a hip injury after missing Sunday's defeat at Tottenham, and with defender Titus Bramble having only two days' training under his belt following a four-week lay-off after surgery on a hernia.

The Scot was giving nothing away as he was quizzed about his team, saying only when asked if there was an update: "We have, but I am not telling you.

"We have, obviously, a doubt about one or two things, but we will have to keep that up our sleeve for as long as we can."

Given that, Bramble and midfielder Kieron Dyer, who has been battling against a hamstring problem, both trained last night, although to differing degrees.

Patrick Kluivert, who has missed the last three games with a knee problem, was also involved, while full-back Celestine Babayaro trained away from the main group.

Despite his problems, Souness was quietly confident as he contemplated the task ahead, although he stopped short of matching opposite number Jose Peseiro's prediction that his side would win.

"I am famous for being a diplomat," he said with a smile. "We come here with a slight advantage, but we know tomorrow will be a very hard game for us.

"It is two different styles of football and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. But we are under no illusion that it will be a very hard game of football for us."

Souness knows Lisbon well after spending two years in Portugal as manager of Sporting's city rivals Benfica.

"I lasted two years there and I think in that same time, Sporting must have had at least half a dozen coaches in that same period of time, so I must have done quite well. Somebody must have liked me.

"This is a fantastic city to live in. I had two years here and I enjoyed them very much. Lisbon for me is one of the best cities in Europe and Portugal is a great country to live in.

"The weather, the food, the people are extremely warm and I am sure we will be given a very warm welcome tomorrow night."

Setanta Sports will show live coverage of the game at 8.10pm.