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When Shay Given arrives at St James' Park on Saturday night to work as part of TNT Sports' coverage of Newcastle United's FA Cup fifth round clash with Manchester City, you could excuse him for having split loyalties.
After all, the former Republic of Ireland international goalkeeper played for both clubs during his storied career across the Premier League.
But it was with Newcastle that he cemented himself as a club legend, with his 354 Premier League appearances still the most of any Magpies player by quite a distance. It is, therefore, with Eddie Howe's side where his loyalties still lie to this day and he has shared the same frustration as the rest of the Toon Army with the inconsistent nature of this season.
United have reached the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup and will play Champions League knockout football for the first time in their history (although they reached the last 16 when it was a group stage in 2003) when they take on Barcelona on Tuesday evening.
Their Premier League form has been patchy, though, and while they are in the bottom half of the table at present, they are still in the fight to qualify for European football. They are still in the FA Cup, too, and have the potential to make this another memorable season. But the inconsistency is a concern and Given has offered a number of reasons as to why Newcastle have struggled at times this season.
"I think if I knew the answer I'd probably be in Eddie’s coaching staff," TNT Sports pundit Given exclusively told Chronicle Live. "Eddie and his staff will have left no stone unturned to try and get to the bottom of that because there will be nobody more frustrated than him.
Watch every match from the fifth round of the Emirates FA Cup, including Newcastle United vs Manchester City, this weekend on TNT Sports and discovery+
"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out when you're travelling in Champions League football, we had it a couple years ago the exact same thing happened where the Premier League campaign suffered. The games came thick and fast, we dipped in the Premier League and then last year to qualify for the Champions League, we didn't have European football so we had the full week to prepare and the Premier League results were back up again and we finished fifth.
"There are numerous things that hasn't helped and injuries is one, the game load is another and we talk about the new signings. Especially in attacking areas, it hasn't clicked yet. I'm sure Eddie and his staff probably won't say it publicly but would have wanted a lot more goals and outlay, especially from the likes of Elanga, Wissa and Woltemade, and it just hasn’t been there."
Nick Woltemade has struggled at Newcastle United in recent weeks.
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Newcastle's fixture list has been relentless, with their schedule exclusively containing two games per week since the start of September as they continued to compete on all four fronts. In the next 15 days alone, Newcastle take on Barcelona twice, Manchester City, Chelsea before rounding it off with their first Tyne-Wear derby against Sunderland at St James' Park in 10 years.
And while Given believes their gruelling schedule has taken its toll on the Magpies' season, he insists games and runs like this is exactly what every Newcastle player will want to be involved in.
"City, Barcelona, Chelsea, Barcelona, Sunderland - that's just an unbelievable run of games coming up," Given added. "But I think this is where we all want to be if we're connected to the club. We want to be in the Champions League, we want to play Man City at home on Saturday night and that big FA Cup tie, we want to we want to be going out to play Barcelona.
"These are all the sort of games when I finished playing you look back at them as the best memories.
"I think the players and Eddie will want to find the results to match how big and important these games are. They know how exciting these games are and Eddie will be telling the players not to shy away from them, or fear them, but to really try and attack them.
"This is where you want to be as a professional footballer. These are these are the crème de la crème."
It is a schedule that Manchester City, with all their success under manager Pep Guardiola, are now well accustomed to and Given believes it is their example Newcastle must aspire to replicate - even if the PSR restrictions make it a ridiculously tough proposition.
"Man City have obviously got the bit between their teeth and I'm not sure what team Pep will pick because he's moaning a bit about fixture congestion as well and his recovery time for the Real Madrid game [in the Champions League]," Given added.
"But even if Pep made full wholesale changes for Saturday, he's still got a team full of international stars. The strength in depth in their squad's probably a good example of the strength you need to be going on on all fronts of Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup.
"They've got real quality all over the pitch and I think that's where we're trying to get to but it's just more difficult with PSR."
It is the fifth time Newcastle and City have met each other this season, with the Magpies winning at St James' Park in the Premier League, before the Citizens emerged victorious in both legs of the Carabao Cup semi-final and the reverse league fixture at the Etihad.
Harvey Barnes of Newcastle United scores his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Manchester City at St James' Park on November 22, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
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And while Guardiola's men will enter the match as favourites, Given is confident Newcastle can get the better of them under the St James' Park lights on Saturday night.
"It’s a good thing we are at home under the lights. It'll be a special atmosphere Saturday night, it really will. The game a couple of weeks ago was a game of two halves. I remember Donnarumma making a save off Barnes in the last minute and they were all celebrating because that's how that's how close that game was.
"It could have went either way. Newcastle could have got something and they would have deserved something as well. That was at the Etihad and and we know how tough that place is to go, so I think there's a huge advantage this time being at St James’ Park under the lights on a Saturday night.
"I think Eddie will be probably showing them large parts of of that second half and the positive attacking play they had. They just have to tighten up a wee bit at the back and that's not just in the FA Cup but I think in the league as well.
"They have been conceding too many goals and it's stating the obvious about the balance of the team, both and without the ball, pressing together and then defending together because when you do play City there'll be spells where they'll have to all dig in and stay in a low block.
"They can then hit City on the counter attack and I think that's one of Newcastle’s strengths. With the likes of you Elanga, Gordon, Murphy, Barnes, the pace they have in the wide areas, and we know City's fullbacks like to really push on and be really offensive, it leaves huge space down down the sides of their centre-halves."
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