For the first time in close to six months, Newcastle United head into a Champions League with minimal pressure on the shoulders of Eddie Howe and the players.
Last week‘s resounding 6-1 win at Qarabag means we already have one foot in the last 16 of the competition, and it would take the greatest comeback in European football history for us not progress at St James’ Park.
So, how should Howe set up tonight? Despite all the talk of a mass rotation, it sounds like the boss is reluctant to make wholesale changes.
Eddie Howe has hinted at fielding a strong side in tonight’s Champions League second leg clash with Qarabag, despite our 6-1 advantage.
Last week, Howe handed Sean Neave his competitive debut in the final few minutes of the game, and there was optimism that the likes of Leo Shahar, Alex Murphy and Seung-Soo Park would be other youngsters given a great opportunity.
However, Howe’s pre-match comments suggest he is reluctant to lose the ‘good rhythm’ we’ve build recently, insisting he must find the balance between rotation and picking a strong side able to win the game.
“We’ll look at the squad and try to pick a strong team.
“We want to win the game, that’s the first target. In some senses we want to keep a good rhythm with the players.
“It’s a delicate balance between rotating the squad and making sure everyone’s fresh and also making sure players don’t lose rhythm and we don’t lose the good feeling we’ve had.”
Asked if he’ll hand opportunities to any youngsters, he added:
“Possibly. I think that we’ll look at the squad and try and pick a strong team who want to win the game.”
As much as many of us fans will want to see Neave get the nod up top, and Shahar step in for Trippier, Howe is right when he says that maintaining rhythm within the team is crucial.
Where we can possibly afford to rest the likes of Gordon, Hall, and Tonali, it’s clear he wants to keep momentum building ahead of a vital run of Premier League games ahead.
A must-win home game against Everton is next up, followed up by equally important games against Manchester United and Chelsea, so Qarabag could serve as the perfect ‘warm up’ for this intense run of games.
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