Tag: Newcastle v Barcelona

NUFC: This might be a defining moment for all of us.

Like many others I watched the videos of Barcelona players arriving at Matfen Hall at the weekend with a mixture of trepidation and excitement. You can’t help but feel excited at the prospect of any Champions League tie, but this one is special for many reasons. This could well be the start of one of the most important periods in the history of the club.

Not to start inventing a rivalry, but we’ve been here before. This will be the sixth time we’ve faced Barca in the Champions League and while any game against them will bring back memories of September 1997 and Tino Asprilla, it shouldn’t be forgotten that this was the only time we’ve beaten them in the Champions League. It might just be time to start thinking about putting that right. So, as if we didn’t know already, the pressure’s on.

A win on Tuesday would be incredible, but sadly we can’t really trust in the logic that it would represent a turning point in out season. You only have to go back to the Man Utd home game to see that. The story of the season is that we can’t seem to string wins or performances together. But a win on Tuesday would surely prove something to the players. Even a draw would help.

Beating Barcelona would be monumental, but only for a short time. We mustn’t forget that it’s a two legged tie. So making the first leg competitive is essential. Having gone to the Etihad a few weeks back with little or no chance of a comeback we should have learned a lesson. Stay in the tie.

Heading to the Nou Camp for a dead rubber simply cannot happen (although I understand it could). So while we have problems with both injuries and form, the occasion and its importance should be enough for the players and staff. Eddie Howe needs to find the tactics that give us the edge and the players need to find the desire to win or at least stay in the game, which to be fair to them, they’ve managed in the Champions League this year.

There are several players who it could be said have something to prove. Nick Woltemade, while to me a player with real quality, seems to be the scapegoat for a lot of people at the moment. It’d be great to see him played further up the field and for him to grab a goal. Yoan Wissa has flattered to deceive since joining the club and is due a performance. And it would be fantastic to see Anthony Elanga use that pace and get at his full back, if he starts. Whoever does start and whoever enters the fray as a sub, this is a time for heroes.

As a team, this is about how we approach the challenges ahead. The ground will no doubt be a bear pit and yet nothing new for Barcelona’s players. The fans will undoubtedly do their part though. So, it’s very much over to Eddie and the players. Stay in the tie against Barcelona and then go on to Chelsea and try to do it all again. And then it’s a showdown with everything to play for at the Nou Camp. The stuff of dreams. Players, fans and staff have the experience and the know how to make this a successful week. Don’t get me wrong, beating Barcelona is a mammoth task and the odds are stacked against us, but surely it’s moments like this in life that we all live for? So why not throw everything you can at the task in hand?

Fellow fans, make it a bear pit, raise the roof and get right behind the lads. Then hopefully, the team can respond with something very special. And when all else fails just remember, it could be worse. We could be playing Port Vale!

Howay Eddie Howe’s Champions League lads!

Newcastle v Barcelona; can we talk about last night?

So, after the hype and the weeks long build up, some will say that Newcastle United came crashing back down to Earth following the latest Champions League tie. Going into it with memories of the 4-1 mauling of PSG, Mbappe et al, you could have been forgiven for getting carried away. We had a formula, right? Not quite.

Despite the result, for me there’s a number of positives to be taken from the Barcelona game. I mean, we don’t have to play them away for starters! And while we’re being just a little bit daft, there’s no shame in losing to a side who we all witnessed are just so, so good.

Personally, I didn’t think that there was a great deal wrong with our performance. We started well and with a little bit of luck and admittedly better finishing we would have at least taken the lead. And then it becomes a whole different game. If Barnes or Gordon put away one of those chances maybe the team and the crowd become just a bit too much for Barca and we end up with another PSG style performance. But maybes don’t win football matches.

So…positives. It would be remiss of me to mention positives and not start with Wor Flags and in turn, the atmosphere. What I love about Wor Flags is their ability to come up with something different and creative on a regular basis. The tributes to players, the poignant quotes and the cultural references all give St. James’ Park that little bit something different. Last night’s AC/DC themed effort was stunning and can’t have failed to inspire players and fans alike. Keep them coming lads and lasses!

As expected, the atmosphere was raucous and intimidating; a wall of noise that inspired the quick start made by the team. An early breakthrough might well have ramped that up a notch and then who knows what we’d all be talking about this morning.

I thought there were a number of players that did well. Tino Livramento put in his usual shift against the excellent Raphina as well as covering across the backline when we’d over committed. Sandro Tonali more than held his own in midfield with some clever touches and the usual ridiculous amount of ground covered. Anthony Elanga looked sharp and at times provided Barcelona with a real worry. His searing pace cut Barca open on a couple of occasions and he provided crosses that deserved far better than the end products. A player that, if we can get right, will prove to be a genuine threat this season. Not many will think that he should have been subbed. And I though Malick Thiaw looked superb when he came on. Pace, power and enough class to take time on the ball when others might have panicked. With an ageing back line it’s good to see that the future looks good.

The fact that we created genuine chances last night is of course another positive. There are winnable games to come, our defence is doing well and so if we continue to create chances we should start to put them away. Nick Woltemade will gain fitness and appear more, Yoane Wissa will be available…someone, hopefully can start finishing those chances!

With 6 more games to go it’s reasonably certain that we won’t see a challenge as big as Barcelona until that last game at PSG. Everything in between now and then becomes hugely important. Yes, we need wins, points and better performances, but there’s plenty more time to make that happen. Howay the lads!