Newcastle vs Queens Park Rangers preview - Williamson remaining grounded

Posted Sunday, January 15, 2012 by PA

Defender Mike Williamson is refusing to look too far ahead as Newcastle attempt to remain in the upper reaches of the Barclays Premier League table.

The 28-year-old's return from injury has coincided with a resurgence on Tyneside which has seen the Magpies end a run of six league games without victory to rekindle their unlikely challenge for a top-six finish.

Wins over Bolton and champions Manchester United have strengthened their grip on seventh place and they are only one point adrift of Liverpool in sixth, sparking the more optimistic fans to talk of European qualification.

That would represent a major achievement for a club which only returned to the top flight last season and which has since seen striker Andy Carroll, full-back Jose Enrique and midfielders Kevin Nolan and Joey Barton all leave.

However, as he prepared for Sunday's home clash with QPR, Williamson was content to tackle each match as a separate entity rather than imagine what might lie ahead.

He said: "It's a cliche, but we are taking every game as it comes.

"For me personally, when you start getting carried away with targets and looking where we could finish, it just gets a bit too much.

"You take every day as it comes and then come the last game of the season, we will see where that brings us."

Newcastle established themselves as the latest Premier League surprise package when they went 11 games unbeaten at the start of the campaign.

But with 20 games played, they continue to rub shoulders with the division's big spenders despite having rebuilt their squad on a more humble budget, and that is a source of immense satisfaction.

In addition, they have managed to do it in some style with Demba Ba and Yohan Cabaye having produced sublime strikes in the 3-0 victory over United, while Hatem Ben Arfa and Jonas Gutierrez scored final individual goals to knock Blackburn out of the FA Cup last weekend.

Williamson said: "People were waiting for the bubble to burst, but we have just got an honest group of lads - although saying there are no superstars after the goals the other day, you would beg to differ.

"But we have just got an honest group and we know if we carry on working hard and applying ourselves in the way we do, we have got goals in the team and we have got a back four and a midfield which can keep clean sheets.

"Everybody needs a bit of luck along the way. Even the top teams go through sticky periods like we have done, but no, I am not really surprised.

"I know how hard the lads worked in pre-season, the togetherness when they were away, and you just feel the bond we have had for the last couple of years.

"It's just carried on."

Midfielder Danny Guthrie has returned to the Newcastle squad.

Guthrie has been sidelined by a groin injury since the beginning of December and will provide manager Alan Pardew with a fresh option in the wake of Cheick Tiote's departure for the African Nations Cup.

However, striker Peter Lovenkrands (calf) is unlikely to make the game, and Sammy Ameobi (knee) has joined fellow midfielder Sylvain Marveaux (groin) and defender Steve Taylor (Achilles) on the list of long-term absentees.

Mark Hughes will be unable to call upon several of his biggest names for his first game in charge of QPR.

Captain Joey Barton remains suspended for the trip to his former club, while Adel Taarabt and Armand Traore are on African Nations Cup duty.

Alejandro Faurlin (knee) has been ruled out for the rest of the season and goalkeeper Paddy Kenny is keeping his fingers crossed he does not suffer a recurrence of the hip problem that has dogged him recently.

Winger Bruno Andrade is determined to do everything he can to prove to Hughes that he is worthy of a first-team place.

The 18-year-old joined the west Londoners when he was 13 and has progressed from the club's Centre of Excellence to the fringes of the first-team. Andrade has made four appearances for QPR over the past 14 months, with Neil Warnock handing him a taste of Premier League action against Wigan earlier this season.

The wide man is regarded as one of the club's brightest prospects and, having spent a brief loan spell at Aldershot, hopes to show new manager Hughes what he is capable of.

"I take every chance I get with the first-team as a positive," he told Press Association Sport. "I am very privileged to be involved with them.

"It is a great learning experience for me and hopefully I can use that to come back to the youth side and help them.

"That, or maybe I can push further and push for a start for the first-team. Hopefully I will get a chance [under Hughes] but all I can say is that I will try hard and do my best."