DANNY GUTHRIE regards the Newcastle of January 2010 as a different club from the one he joined at the start of last season, and he urged any of the Magpies transfer targets they should “jump at the chance” to join the Championship title-favourites.
With today’s trip to Reading postponed Chris Hughton will put his players through their paces on the indoor pitches at Newcastle’s Darsley Park training ground.
Guthrie was relaxed about the prospect of having a free weekend saying: “There are a lot of games coming up so having the odd postponement isn’t anything to be too worried about.”
The 22-year-old’s contented demeanour stems as much from the happy atmosphere currently pervading the Newcastle dressing room as the club’s position six points at the top.
Three months after Guthrie was signed from Liverpool in July 2008 Newcastle imploded with Kevin Keegan’s departure sparking a chain of events that led to May’s relegation from the Premier League.
It was, in Guthrie’s words “a horrible experience” but the midfielder believes that he and his team-mates are stronger for coming through last year’s tribulations.
Reflecting on 2009, he said: “I’ve never seen anything like it! I have never been involved in anything like it. But everything you go through, even bad things, make you stronger. It was one that I am trying to put behind me.
“We’re doing a pretty good job of that at the minute.
Nothing gets won in the first half of the season so the next few months could be massive.
We are a lot more settled and everyone is pulling in the same direction.
“You can see from the outside that having stability in the managerial position means we can get on with playing.
“It’s a different club from the one I joined. Particularly in the dressing room where we are all so together as a group pulling in the same direction.
It is a good place to be.
It is a really strong dressing room here now and only the right players should be brought in.
“They must have the right mentality and attitude. Anyone coming in will have to become part of that spirit. We all want the same thing and every week everyone goes out and plays for each other.”
The Shrewsbury-born midfielder who acknowledges that Hughton’s calming influence has been key off the pitch but cites the example set by the senior members of the team, in particular skipper Alan Smith, as being the reason behind Newcastle’s revival on it.
“The experienced lads like Alan Smith and Nicky Butt have been really important in setting the tone,” he said.
“But it takes the younger players like me, Andy Carroll, Steven Taylor not to be ignorant to that. We’ve needed to be open-minded and follow the lead set by the older lads.
If they had set a bad example we might not have been in this position.”
He added: “I think that Alan Smith is as good a pro as I have ever played with. The way he conducts himself in training and games shows us that he is real team player.
“He is a top lad as well and we all get on really well with him. His is a great leader and you know that if you have Alan Smith beside you then the opposition are in for a tough day. He brings out the best in us.
“He is a model pro in the way he goes about his business and is there for all of us younger lads to learn from.”
Guthrie admits to being perplexed by the decision of Sheffield United defender Matthew Kilgallon not to join Newcastle’s happy band and the midfielder offered reassurance to anyone else hesitating over a move to St James’ Park.
Guthrie said: “I can’t speak for someone who decides not to come. Whoever we bring in will have to have the right mentality. I’m surprised when I read that someone has decided not to come but that is their loss. Newcastle is a massive club and a great opportunity for anyone.”
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