Eddie Howe can channel Sir Bobby Robson’s spirit to keep the Champions League dream alive.
Newcastle United, like Sir Bobby Robson’s miracle workers in November 2002, are staring into the Champions League abyss.
If you turn on the radio, open a national newspaper, or, dare I say, check social media, you might think Newcastle United has already been eliminated from the Champions League.
Last month, pundits predicted the Magpies would breeze through to the knockout stages after annihilating pre-tournament favourites Paris Saint-Germain. Newcastle made their European debut with a stunning 4-1 victory, propelling them to the top of Group F.
However, two defeats to Borussia Dortmund have dashed non-Tyneside fans’ hopes.
The defeat at St James’ Park was a squandered opportunity, as Newcastle would have advanced to the knockout stages. Was there any pre-match arrogance that United would also sweep them aside? Possibly.
The Bundesliga giants, who have an illustrious history in this competition, used all of their guile and experience to comfortably dispatch an injury-stricken Newcastle outfit in the reverse fixture. The loss means the Magpies will need at least four points from their remaining two games to keep their Champions League hopes alive.
Given that the first of those is against PSG, the Ligue 1 goliath and home to the world’s best player, Kylian Mbappe, many have already written them off. Did Newcastle really put in all that effort last season to make the competition… for naught?
Sir Bobby Robson’s spirit would suggest otherwise.
The Magpies were staring into the abyss of a humiliating Champions League exit in autumn 2002, when denim, Nokia phones, and awful pop music were everywhere. Three defeats at the hands of Dynamo Kyiv, Feyenoord, and Juventus embarrassed not only Newcastle, but English football as a whole.
Newcastle would have loved to have four points at that point in the season. In the reverse fixtures, the Toon defeated Juventus and Kyiv, setting up an all-or-nothing clash in Feyenoord with the club’s European fate on the line.
What appeared to be a routine assignment went awry in the sixth minute of the second half, when Mariano Bombarda and Anthony Lurling equalized for the Dutch. Newcastle were on their way out, just as they are now.
That is, until Craig Bellamy scored in the 92nd minute, when the script was written. Newcastle became the first team in Champions League history to lose all three group games and still qualify, a feat only Atalanta accomplished in 2019.
There is no reason why Sir Bobby’s modern-day incarnation, when faced with an equally daunting challenge, cannot perform his own miracle. Even when he was at Bournemouth, Eddie Howe made no secret of his philosophy: win at all costs, regardless of the opposition.
Given the previous PSG result and the fact that they have another three weeks to recover injured soldiers, Newcastle should be able to attack the Parc de Princes with optimism in their sails. If that fails, a possible showdown with AC Milan for a Europa League berth does not sound too bad either.
