UEFA Champions & Europa League Football Thread ** spoilers ** [30th Sept - 2nd October 2025]

Great result and heartening performance from Newcastle this morning. Enjoyed that. Thought Big Nick was great but Tonali and Thiaw showed exactly why they were bought from a team with such a European pedigree precisely for nights like this. It may well be the equivalent of beating Bradford in the league cup but its going to be a good confidence builder going into a winnable PL game at the weekend.
Burn at left back has to change though. I'm not having it. Tried it two years ago and it was a disaster then.
 
Let me start off by thanking Sesko again and we should 100% do more panic buying!!

Nick showcased last night what he will bring to the toon with a highlight moment at the half way line which we have seen before in the welcome to Newcastle videos. Received the ball at the half way line surrounded by 3-4 players held one off physically and with his silky feet dribbled his way forward to set off a lovely attack. Then there was his quick thinking heel flick goal.

I’ve stated to get excited and make “oooo” noises with his all round play.

We are having a few fullback issues but my word we are stacked at CB. Burn, Thiaw, Botman and Schar!!

Lots criticism has been aimed at our wingers mostly fiair but you couldn’t asked more last night!

Elenga MOTM and won a penalty. Gordon two good spot kicks and got better as the match went on. Barnes with a well taken goal after some great forward play by Wil.

I don’t know how the backline will shape up at the weekend. Hall shouldn’t be rushed back yet and Trips needs his game time managed. Thiaw can play RB.
Vandle said:
Great result and heartening performance from Newcastle this morning. Enjoyed that. Thought Big Nick was great but Tonali and Thiaw showed exactly why they were bought from a team with such a European pedigree precisely for nights like this. It may well be the equivalent of beating Bradford in the league cup but it’s going to be a good confidence builder going into a winnable PL game at the weekend.
Burn at left back has to change though. I'm not having it. Tried it two years ago and it was a disaster then.
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They beat Liverpool two years ago. Belgium Champions and stuck 3 past PSV in the last round. They are a decent team.
 
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Thiaw is a bit of a bargain by the looks of things.

Of all the transfers he is up there for value and under the radar player.

Nick is looking classy and tbh his return of goals is looking good already considering he is young and thrown straight in.

Shame wissa got injured straight away as I think we’d be in a much better place. But yeh last night is exactly what the team needed, bit of a confidence boost and the front 3 working much better together.

Still a must win I think against Forest regardless.

Also, we need to get Tonali locked into a massive contract … asap
 
booyaka said:
Said in many threads - he'll score 20-25 goals this season at Napoli.

he got zero service at United, and whilst a little light weight at times holding the ball up, he's a decent striker who at 22, will continue to improve....

Plenty of time and space in Italian football/champions league.... He'll do a great job for them. I felt sorry for him at United, he was a scapegoat for the fans.
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They (+ De Bruyne) had enough time and space to do the weekly grocery shop between the start and end of his first goal
 
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Was at the game last night and even with all the changes was hoping we'd play better than that. All over them in the first 20 then just went into training mode. Gyokeres did really well for our first goal but should have done better with his shot after being put through. We still havent managed to get the ball to him in the box though so am hopeful he'll start banging them in soon. Got to say the ref seemed awful, 3 or 4 occasions no one in the stadium knew what he'd given fouls for. Their number 20 got away with some seriously bad tackles without a yellow.

Martinelli played really well on the right which was a surprise. Trossard was pretty poor again, not a starter in my opinion.

It was a win though so can't complain too much. I think we'll see more of this rotation during the group phase, hopefully it will mean we keep the injuries down.
 
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sigma said:
You could park a jumbo jet in the space he and Kevin had
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? He burned off the defenders for his first (he's always had the pace, but never got the service De Bruyne gave him there). Second he shrugs off the defender and beats the keeper to the ball....not like he was just sitting unmarked for either of them.
 
mid_gen said:
? He burned off the defenders for his first (he's always had the pace, but never got the service De Bruyne gave him there). Second he shrugs off the defender and beats the keeper to the ball....not like he was just sitting unmarked for either of them.
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You have to ask questions when a player that was outmuscled, outpaced (often) is magically stronger and faster elsewhere. I would suggest that points to the opposition being somewhat weaker.
 
fez said:
You have to ask questions when a player that was outmuscled, outpaced (often) is magically stronger and faster elsewhere. I would suggest that points to the opposition being somewhat weaker.
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Still - I'll repeat what I've said elsewhere - Hjoland will score 20-25 goals this season - he's a decent striker, who got zero service at United - yes he was a bit lightweight but he's 22 and most strikers hit peak physical / abilities around 26/27....

United failed him - 100%. Coaching / service / support etc.
 
booyaka said:
Still - I'll repeat what I've said elsewhere - Hjoland will score 20-25 goals this season - he's a decent striker, who got zero service at United - yes he was a bit lightweight but he's 22 and most strikers hit peak physical / abilities around 26/27....

United failed him - 100%. Coaching / service / support etc.
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For the love of... I suppose Liverpool failed Nunez did they?

I was an advocate for Hojlund staying however feels like you're using the circumstances of a player performing well in a different league to basically swing at united...

Acknowledging that United is far from the ideal environment for any young player to be in to build confidence, he was hardly failed by them.

He got ample play time, the service was there as he repeatedly missed opportunities under pressure which was a problem of ours last season and again now. We have a better attack now but the problem of lack of goals last season was down to him and others and is down to our current strike force again.

From what we understand he was asked to stay, although we wanted more striker options to support out attack. He's decided he didn't want to stay and share game time (and his previous coaches all said he could use more time in serie A) and we could use the money for a PSR so a general agreement was met to just call ties on it. No harm, no foul from either side.

Despite you wishes to whisk up it, there's just not a big drama here at all... This is simple, he is young and could use more game time developing so he decided to find that elsewhere with familiarity.
 
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booyaka said:
Still - I'll repeat what I've said elsewhere - Hjoland will score 20-25 goals this season - he's a decent striker, who got zero service at United - yes he was a bit lightweight but he's 22 and most strikers hit peak physical / abilities around 26/27....

United failed him - 100%. Coaching / service / support etc.
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It was always too much pressure/expectation for a young unproven striker in a broken club

Which is why I'm bamboozled regarding Sesko, history repeating itself... Hopefully not
 
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Bigpig said:
Let me start off by thanking Sesko again and we should 100% do more panic buying!!

Nick showcased last night what he will bring to the toon with a highlight moment at the half way line which we have seen before in the welcome to Newcastle videos. Received the ball at the half way line surrounded by 3-4 players held one off physically and with his silky feet dribbled his way forward to set off a lovely attack. Then there was his quick thinking heel flick goal.

I’ve stated to get excited and make “oooo” noises with his all round play.

We are having a few fullback issues but my word we are stacked at CB. Burn, Thiaw, Botman and Schar!!

Lots criticism has been aimed at our wingers mostly fiair but you couldn’t asked more last night!

Elenga MOTM and won a penalty. Gordon two good spot kicks and got better as the match went on. Barnes with a well taken goal after some great forward play by Wil.

I don’t know how the backline will shape up at the weekend. Hall shouldn’t be rushed back yet and Trips needs his game time managed. Thiaw can play RB.

They beat Liverpool two years ago. Belgium Champions and stuck 3 past PSV in the last round. They are a decent team.
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Thank us for Elanga as well, big fish in a small pond :p
 
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shipinabottle said:
For the love of... I suppose Liverpool failed Nunez did they?

I was an advocate for Hojlund staying however feels like you're using the circumstances of a player performing well in a different league to basically swing at united...

He got ample play time, the service was there as he repeatedly missed opportunities under pressure which was a problem of ours last season and again now.

Despite you wishes to whisk up it, there's just not a big drama here at all... This is simple, he is young and could use more game time developing so he decided to find that elsewhere with familiarity.
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What's Nunez got to do with anything? Liverpool got offered a massive fee and took it.

Of course I'm taking a swing at United - they signed him for £64million at aged 20. Gave him 5/6 year deal - He's a long term project at that age... They have then effectively discarded him 18 months after just 60 appearances.

Where's the coaching of young players gone? He got almost no support/supply on the pitch in terms of crosses / thru balls etc.

Even in the first few games with Sekso - it appears to be a very similar tune.... Lack of quality supply from the midfield etc - Not a lack of quality from the striker as we can't judge them at the moment as they are hardly seeing the ball.

like @sigma said above - changing the striker doesn't appear to have helped any - it appears to be just more of the same again....
 
booyaka said:
What's Nunez got to do with anything? Liverpool got offered a massive fee and took it.

Of course I'm taking a swing at United - they signed him for £64million at aged 20. Gave him 5/6 year deal - He's a long term project at that age... They have then effectively discarded him 18 months after just 60 appearances.

Where's the coaching of young players gone? He got almost no support/supply on the pitch in terms of crosses / thru balls etc.

Even in the first few games with Sekso - it appears to be a very similar tune.... Lack of quality supply from the midfield etc - Not a lack of quality from the striker as we can't judge them at the moment as they are hardly seeing the ball.

like @sigma said above - changing the striker doesn't appear to have helped any - it appears to be just more of the same again....
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I think we need to give the front three some time, especially given they have minimal support from the midfield. I am negative about the club but not about those 3 quite just yet.
 
sigma said:
I think we need to give the front three some time, especially given they have minimal support from the midfield. I am negative about the club but not about those 3 quite just yet.
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I 100% agree - but Bruno playing deep means zero creative play going forward at the current time.
 
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