Newcastle United have a chance to maintain some of the momentum we built up at Sunderland on Sunday, by defeating Club Brugges tonight at St. James’ Park, and keep at the top of Group D in the Europa League with 7 points from our first three games.
Club Brugge was founded one year before Newcastle United, back in 1891, and they currently have 3 points in Group D, having defeated Maritimo in the last round, after being hammered 4-0 by Bordeaux.
But the home game games are what Newcastle need to win, if we are going to get to the knock out rounds of this competition, and there’s no reason at all, why we cannot do that.
And Newcastle have had a decent defense in the first three games in Europe, conceding only to Atromitos in Greece and keeping clean sheets at Maritimo, and also against Atromitos and Bordeaux at St. James’ Park.
Alan Pardew will make changes from the side that did so well at Sunderland on Sunday afternoon, with Steve Harper expected to start in goal, and Cheick Tiote will start in midfield, after receiving a three match ban for his sending off in the first half at the Stadium Of Light on Sunday.
Haris Vuckic, Dan Gosling and Ryan Taylor are all on the long term injured list, and it looks like goalkeeper Rob Eliot is still out injured.
This is a possible team tonight:
Harper
Tavernier Perch Taylor (S) Anita
Obertan Tiote Bigirimana Ferguson
Ameobi (Sh) Cisse
Subs: Alnwick Simpson Williamson Ameobi (Sa) Amalfitano Marveaux
Alan Pardew could also make history if he starts the two Ameobi brothers, and they could become the third set of brothers to start a game for the Magpies, following on from George and Ted Robledo in the 1950s and Matt and Richie Appleby in the 1990s.
It is expected that Club Brugge will field their strongest side, as most other European clubs seem to do in the European competitions.
Newcastle have an excellent record in Europe, and we have won our last five European games against Belgian sides, scoring 17 goals and conceding only four in those games.
And Belgian teams haven’t won any of their last 24 games in England, with Royal Antwerp the last team to win in England against Aston Villa a full 37 years ago.
Newcastle are unbeaten in 18 European home games and only drawn two of those, and we have won our last nine games in a row at St James Park, and it’s interesting that only Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham have won 10 or more consecutive home European games.
Maybe Newcastle can join that list tonight, and there were signs on Sunday that Newcastle are getting back to their top form, with some big players now fit again and looking to be in form.
Newcastle need to win tonight and we think Alan Pardew will field a strong enough team that can do just that.
Let us know how you think the game will go tonight.
Howay The Lads!!
122 comments so far
Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand
Oct 25, 2012 at 7:06 PM
Comment #121Can I delete that last bit?
New thread….tads, run and never return.
Peace
toonarmydownsouth
Oct 25, 2012 at 7:07 PM
Comment #122Im running