Ameobi bros batter Brugge! Club Brugge 2-2 Newcastle

Shola celebrates the leveller
Newcastle edged ever closer to qualifying for the knockout stages of the Europa League by rescuing a draw at Club Brugge.

United had found themselves 2-0 down before strikes from Vurnon Anita and Shola Ameobi levelled the match before half-time. A win in our next Europa League group game – at home to Maritimo in a fortnight – will be enough to ensure European football beyond the new year.

The reality is that Newcastle could and probably should have won on the night, but two lapses in concentration from two of our most reliable players cost us dear and ensured we found ourselves struggling to get the win before getting going in the match.

The home side started brightly but the first chance of the game fell to Newcastle through Gabriel Obertan, who was out through by a backheel from Shola Ameobi. Unfortunately the shot from Obertan was unconvincing and was neither powerful enough nor accurate enough to seriously worry Bojan Jorgacevic in the Brugge goal.

Brugge did look good when attacking quickly though, and it was that approach that saw them take the lead with nearly fifteen minutes on the clock. Ivan Trickovski controlled a long punt forward before turning inside Fabricio Coloccini and finishing past Tim Krul. For me Coloccini should have done better and could have perhaps learned from the goal Luis Suarez scored on Sunday, but I’ll probably get lynched for daring to suggest such a thing…

Speaking of things, they went from bad to worse just five minutes later when the home side doubled their lead. Jesper Jorgensen latched on to a weak headed clearance from James Tavernier before firing a shot at goal. I feel bad for saying firing as the shot wasn’t exactly filled with power, but it still somehow managed to evade Tim Krul and find the corner of the goal. I think Krul could have dealt with it a lot better, but I’ll probably get lynched for daring to suggest such a thing.

It will all be Mike Williamson’s fault I’m sure…

However there was a positive to come out of going two goals down, and that one is that we actually started to play a bit and assert ourselves on the game. Chances soon followed, with Gabriel Obertan creating a cracking one for Sylvain Marveaux who somehow contrived to kick nothing but fresh air when the ball was squared to him. Shocking.

The two Ameobi’s, the first two brothers to start for United since the days of the Robledo’s apparently, then combined to carve out enough chance. Younger brother Sammy crossed from the right wing while Shola forced the Brugge ‘keeper to tip over the bar.

Newcastle finally got back into the game through Vurnon Anita scoring his first goal for the club since his summer move from Ajax. The Netherlands international latched onto a defensive clearance from Brugge and volleyed the ball straight back at goal finding the far corner of the net. Not a bad way to open an account at a new club.

Just two minutes later and United were level. Sammy Ameobi played the ball through for his younger brother who advanced on goal and prodded past Jorgacevic to restore parity just before half-time.

Half-time: Club Brugge 2-2 Newcastle

The second half was a much quieter affair although Newcastle were most definitely on top at the start of the period. They continued to create chances although admittedly none of them were exactly guilt-edged. Yohan Cabaye did hit the crossbar with what looked to me to be cross from a free-kick.

However Newcastle seemed to drop off the boil in the final stages of the match and Brugge threatened to grab a winner. Tim Krul saved well from headers by Carl Hoefkens and Mohammed Tchite before Jesper Jorgensen went close a minute from time after a cleverly worked corner routine.

But no more goals were forthcoming and the match ended in a draw despite a succession of late corners from United.

Full-time: Club Brugge 2-2 Newcastle

I don’t know what to make of this result. I’m pleased we got the draw but in a way I saw enough from us to think we could and probably should have won the game. I guess I have to happy with a point away from home at the end of the day bearing in mind we done it once again with what is largely classed our second-string side.

Ultimately two lapses in concentration cost us dearly and ensured we were at a handicap before the game was twenty minutes in. A shame really considering we weren’t exactly under vast swathes of pressure when the goals were conceded.

Mind you once again we showed great character to come back into the match. it would have been easy to hide away and lose heart, but they didn’t which deserves credit.

They say if you win your home games and draw your home games you’ll do well in Europe, and that is proving to be the case. Follow that pattern in our next European fixture and we’ll have qualified from Group D with a game to spare.

Howay the lads!

Club Brugge: Bojan Jorgacevic; Tom Hogli, Carl Hoefkens, Michael Almeback, Jordi Figueras; Maxime Lestienne, Ryan Donk, Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe, Ivan Trickovski; Jesper Jorgensen; Carlos Bacca

Subs: Vladan Kujovic, Mohammed Tchite, Bjorn Vleminckx, Bart Buysse, Bjorn Engels, Birger Verstraete, Nathaniel Lagrou

Newcastle: Tim Krul; Vurnon Anita, Mike Williamson, Fabricio Coloccini, James Tavernier; Gael Bigirimana, Cheik Tiote; Gabriel Obertan, Sylvain Marveaux, Sammy Ameobi; Shola Ameobi

Subs: Rob Elliot, Shane Ferguson, Davide Santon, Steven Taylor, Yohan Cabaye, Romain Amalfitano, Papiss Cisse

Attendance: 18,000 – Making a mockery of the decision not to offer us more than the 2,600 we ended up with.

About toonsy

A lifelong Newcastle fan and current webmaster of this very 'blog who has the sole aim of creating a place by Newcastle United fans, for Newcastle United fans.

129 thoughts on “Ameobi bros batter Brugge! Club Brugge 2-2 Newcastle

  1. G2 ,In fairness the whole team has been sluggish too often this season with the only real gusto being displayed V the Scum and Dippers imo. Colo has often been our saviour in games and so I’m reluctant to single him out ,though I get what your saying about his style of play as he’s not the quickest in truth. Colo has a good football brain ,he doesn’t flap or panic in the main and unlike others doesn’t take risk inside the box in general.

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  2. Obertan will have to prove himself in the Prem for me. Otherwise we can’t afford to keep him around in case we end up in Europe again at some point. He looks much more confident in Europe and clearly the quality of our opposition there so far has been lower than in the Prem. Abeid continues to be a puzzle. Would just like to see him play in Europe to be able to rate him. Just doesn’t look like it’s going to happen for him with us.

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  3. Sharpy
    His long term future may not be a good one (probably one behind bars) but at the moment he is leaching money of us and wasting tax-payers (of which I am not yet but am still annoyed) money.
    Abeid should be given a chance in one of the cup games, if we don’t see him in the next three months then he needs to go on loan, preferrably to a local club such as carlisle or hartlepool.

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  4. Good points Kim, you know your football. I love to watch him play. His game is a mile above the average CB. He reads the game brilliantly and has great skill on the ball. Well worth what we paid for him.

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  5. us = NUFC
    I reckon Ranger is even worse than Barton, it is the stupid generation (of which I am among) in which being ‘gangster’ is seen as cool, and young people now talk like ghetto londoners (even up here), innit though blood. Ya get me?

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  6. If you could combine Colo’s footballing brain with the pace and strength of say Pique or Hummels then you’d have the world’s greatest defender. Colo’s age doesn’t exactly help his pace either.

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  7. Anyone else see Pardew talking about Carroll? Its all over Newsnow, basically just saying that Liverpool WILL sell when he returns from loan and expects that we’ll challenge for him.

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  8. Kim
    Nah, talking like an American was late 90s-early noughties 😉 , yah dizzy blood? Tout zo Pusio 😎 😆

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  9. Kim
    As would I. I just hope though that if he returns its not as a replacement for a departed Ba/Cisse. If we had all those three though we would definately be top 4 contenders. Provided we sort out the f-cking defence 🙄 .

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  10. Kim
    I’ve heard of Sherringham but never seen him play, except maybe a soccer aid game if he is who I’m thinking off. Absolutely clattered Gordon Ramsey 😆 .

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  11. G2 – agree with points on both players.

    Andy – also agree. I reckon Ranger will be wasting ever penny as well. He’ll probably have cling on mates who he pays for if they go out and things. The kids a mug.
    As for Abied, I’m sure there was a report that one of the big Italian clubs were after him. He looked to good for the lower league clubs in pre season to be honest mate, I’d maybe offer him to a championship side.
    But up to now Pardew has not convinced me that the kid has a future at the club. I may be wrong, but he’s not getting games and not being used when he’s a sub.
    If Pardew does think he’s got a future then loan him like he did with Vuckic to Cardiff, but if not, get rid.

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  12. I want to get a euromillions ticket (£127m prize) but the shops are too far away (parents down sooth at the moment) and the online thingy says it can’t prove I’m over sixteen 😡 . Don’t even get ID’d in the shops for a ticket now, yet the bloody tinternet is being a douche.

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  13. Andy he played for loads of clubs Spurs two stints and Manure W.Ham ,but I loved him up front with Shearer for England ,such a clever player ,very underrated imo.

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  14. Ranger probably pays for all his mates drugs and alcohol 😕 . “the kids a mug.” Think you’ll probably find that he does in fact mug kids 😐 .
    I assumed when Abeid was in and around the team a season or so ago he was at the same level of Vuckic in consideration and expected him to either be tiote’s back-up or get games on loan, neither of this has happened and whilst Haris has been given chances (when not injured) Mehdi appears to have been overlooked. It could of course be more surrounding it than it appears ie he doesn’t show enough to Pardew to suggest a call-up and no decent teams want him on loan, or he could be a bit of a waster and doesn’t show enough enthusuasm.

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  15. Kim
    Yeah he’s who I’m thinking of then. Absolutely destroyed Ramsey, had to be taken off on a stretcher, terrible forward’s tackle 😆 . My dad talks about him in high regards.
    Speaking of whom has said that he might take me to see Newcastle v Swansea in a week and a bits time. Reckon he’ll do it as I got 97% in a unit standard maths test the other day :mrgreen: .

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  16. So Pardew would have Carroll and Nolan back in the squad as it would make us stronger?! 😕
    I never want to see Nolan back at our club again, and believe there are better CFs than Carroll out there for less more than he’d cost.

    Andy – wow, I’m 33 and you’ve just made me feel really old .. cheers buddy 🙁

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  17. Really hope I get to go to the Swansea game as it’ll be my first of the season and my fifth in the last three years. 😀 We won 5/6 so in some ways I am a good luck charm 😎 , I blame the fact that my German exchange partner was there for the blackpool game (2-0 😡 ). 😆

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  18. Sharpy @ 62 😉

    ST not picking on you 😆 but it’s funny that you have a pop at Troy for speculating what Pards might do and rant about having no evidence 😀 then the next thing your stating that Obertan is on pittance 😯 when in fact your only speculating with no evidence to back your ridiculous claim’s unless football manager is your source 😳 😆 now that is a corker
    Don’t forget to put all them toys back in the pram 😆

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  19. I see a Newcastle fan was attacked in Brugge 🙁 , not fatal but he’s in hospital. Seem to recall the police telling newcastle fans to stay away if they don’t have tickets as they thought we’d be liverpool-esque hooligans and yet it was a few of their supporters being the offenders.

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  20. Andy ,Well done in your maths test, 😎 great mark that . Hope you get to see the game ,I really enjoyed my trip to Reading to watch the Toon even though we were ***** 🙄 .

    Sharpy ,How good was euro 96 and a really hot summer too, happy days 😀 They really should of given us another World cup as Euro 96 and the recent Olympics show how well we do it. 😉 .I was too young to really appreciate 1966 only being 5yrs old.

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  21. Kim funny your saying your too young to remember much about the 66 WC I bet Ice wishes he was younger when he seen it instead of being in his 40’s 😀

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  22. Kim- england will never host another world cup, same as the united states. Our countries have laws against outright bribery which disqualifies us in the eyes of FIFA

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  23. Kim – I’m not sure I’ve ever celebrated an England goal quite like the Gazza goal against Scotland.
    Also the Holland game is the best England game I ever saw – although a day on the drink in the sun and I don’t remember too much about it unfortunately.

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  24. Sharpy ,yeah the dentist chair celebrations were funny ,given all the press furore before hand and it was a great goal ,poor colin Hendrie was totally mugged 😆 . The dutch game was a real game of two halves ,we were **** poor first half and outplayed but fantastic second half , but a memorable game all the same. 😀

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  25. (THIS IS A GOVERNMENT HEALTH WARNING. THIS POSTER IS LIABLE TO DISAGREE WITH YOUR POINT OF VIEW. ONLY ENGAGE IF YOU AREN’T SENSITIVE AND DON’T TAKE HISSY FITS)

    @Trumpet

    If you noticed I put a question mark next to my quotes about whether he will stick with the youngsters. It’s a logical query bearing in my mind the youngsters might feel hacked off being dropped having got them qualification.

    I also stick by my views that we’ve seriously rode our luck in some of the euro games and playing a stronger side, I’m sure would have us already qualified and the youngsters could get a run out now.

    By the way, Big Dave is right. You speculated. 😉
    You really do blow your trumpet out of tune. 😆

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  26. Troy don’t be picking on him 😆
    How are you any how haven’t seen much of you 😉

    Kim Yeah the old dentist chair was a good one, the thing that stands out for me then was that most of the players seemed to play with pride and passion 😕 or maybe thats just me with rose tinted ones on 😀

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  27. Sharpy, from earlier on….. got a guilty concience there mate?? I wasn’t even thinking of you when I made my first post. I was just summarising the general vibe of most of the comments about our team. And to say I just snipe without making a comment is a joke. I’ve posted articles based on my opinions of things for people to pick apart, so get your facts right mate.

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  28. Aussie – I was referring to this article, and at the time of your post there was only me who had really voiced my displeasure. I know you post articles mate and I comment on them regularly, I never named you personally as a sniper so a touch of the guilties yourself there I think mate.
    I assumed your comments were direct at me based on the posts on this article, if they weren’t then fair do’s mate I apologise.
    But I do think that in some people’s eyes, if you make a negative comment or criticize then that somehow translates in you saying the toon are ****. I don’t think that, but we could and should be a lot better IMO. 😉

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  29. No stress Sharpy, I generally agree with most of your craic most of the time mate 🙂 I have players that I criticize as well and we can play better football than we are showing. It just seems that near on the whole team gets bagged out at times..

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  30. Maybe because at times near on the whole team has played poorly 😉
    slightly off topic…I love it when the steakhouse only charges for the 1st beer 😈 :mrgreen:

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  31. I see Pardew has been playing mind games with the judas again. Just before the match tomorrow.
    “Oh yes we’d love to have carroll back, blah blah blah.
    maybe we can get him over the line in the summer blah blah blah
    We never really wanted to sell him blah blah blah
    He would make a great addition to our squad”. Bollix.
    Makes me think Pardew is running scared.
    👿
    Fullt expect AC to score against us on sunday. Especially after the roasting he got last time he returned.

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  32. (THIS IS A GOVERNMENT HEALTH WARNING. THIS POSTER IS LIABLE TO DISAGREE WITH YOUR POINT OF VIEW. ONLY ENGAGE IF YOU AREN’T SENSITIVE AND DON’T TAKE HISSY FITS)

    @BD

    I’ve been busy at work mate and also fighting a crusade against work pension cutbacks.

    I see you are still keeping Trumpet in check. 😉

    He does need to learn how to play his Trumpet properly. 😉

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  33. Richie i’m sure the steakhouse will be rethinking that one after they see what you manage to put away 😀

    Troy you need to fight the good fight otherwise you might aswell roll over on your back and just take whatever is threw at you,

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  34. BB – I think Carroll will cause an ariel threat as always, but I think between Saylor and Williamson we can cope with that. We seem to struggle more with CFs who want to play on the shoulder of our defenders and run in behind them with skill and pace.
    Of the 2, Nolan would worry me most with his movement and late runs. I also think he’ll be on a mission to show our board they should have met his demands.

    Anyone got any news on our injuries? Will Ba and Cabs be playing do we think?

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  35. Mds@108 , sorry for late reply got tied up with the lad 😉 ,Yep ,that about sums the situation up right mate. Corrupt bunch of tossers. 👿

    Dave @112 .No mate your not wrong ,there was defo more passion for the shirt back then imo. Like I always say too much money to be made playing for England now . 🙁

    Re ,Andy Carroll ,he won’t score against us ,he wants to come home. 😉

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  36. Sharpy, Nolan will score ,you can bet on that I reckon.He’ll be desperate has as been said to prove a point . 👿

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