Can our European experience help us challenge in the Europa?

toonsy

Yohan Cabaye - Our most experienced player in Europe
So we know we’ll be in the Europa League next season, but how far can we go in that particular competition?

Much of that will depend on what happens over the summer, but it’s not exactly a new experience, either for us or for the players.

It may have been a while since we got the passports and headed away with Newcastle United, but it wasn’t that long ago we were regulars on the European stage. Still time moves quickly and after a five-year absence it’s almost like starting all over again.

Not for the players though as we have a nucleus of them who have played in Europe before. It’s not like we are going into the competition blind which should help us mark a mark on the competition.

From front to back we have European experience within our team although admittedly to varying degrees. A look at the list below shows that most of our team have played in Europe before so they should have nothing to fear as a consequence.

Tim Krul – Limited experience, but remember that night in Palermo?
Davide Santon – Has played in Europe with Inter Milan.
Steven Taylor – Has made 24 appearances in Europe with us.
Fabricio Coloccini – Has played in Europe with Villareal and AC Milan
Hatem Ben Arfa – 34 European appearances for the former Lyon and Marseille man.
Yohan Cabaye – 35 European appearances for Lille.
Cheik Tiote – Has made 23 European appearances with Anderlecht and FC Twente.

Even players like Gabriel Obertan have got experience in Europe and of course you can’t forget Barcelona Shola!

You see what I mean? It’s not like our players are going boldly to a frontier that they’ve never experienced before. In fact most of those appearances have been made in a higher European competition than the Europa League!

I know it has its detractors, but personally I can’t wait for the draw to be made to see who we are up against. I just hope we get through the qualifying round!

If we don’t, it won’t be through lack of experience anyway…

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.

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240 thoughts on “Can our European experience help us challenge in the Europa?”

  1. CC you could be reet,but ive watched him quite a lot only on the box like imo hes ****,but then again ive been wrong before

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  3. Your right about Ritchie, Ice. He said he was dropping his missus off somewhere so no doubt the porn sites will be getting a working over, he won’t have time for football talk 🙂 🙂

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  7. ice

    Like i said i might have just caught him on a couple of good days, Whatever happens i hope we bring in some quality to cover Colo and Saylor because perch and williamson are ok on the odd occasion but if were gonna push on next we need much better imo…

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  8. AMF aye think there must have been some back-handers on that deal.
    richie can hide anywhere i wouldnt say hes on the big side but had to get his mac handmade rent-a-tent done him a good deal 🙂 🙂

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  10. It will be a good effort from Blackpool if the get straight back into the pl… hope w/ham fall on their ****. The pre game is just on the tele here now.. should be a good game..

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  13. Me too mate! !

    Pards just said that “Troy Stavers was speaking out of his **** and shouldn’t be spreading rumours”, when asked about the big news to be announced this week.. 🙂

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  14. If anyone’s interested were through to the quarters of the hong kong 7s tourny. Won all three games, including v 5 time winners villa, without conceding a goal. Celtic in the quarters first up in the small hours of the morning

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  15. CC you must have watched him when he was playing against the likes of Excelsior or VVV venlo . Seriously the guy is nothing better than championship level . Even Bramble would be a better signing ,he is that bad .

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  16. Ice, I think I’d prefer Blackpool, purely down to the managers rather than teams. But I think West Ham will do them in normal time. Same for Bayern, I can’t see Chelsea keeping them out, on their doorstep, with Chelsea missing their two best defenders.

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  19. RODZILLA i fancy Blackpool to win today , Holloway is a clever manager and deserves more credit than he gets . i would love to see him back in the premiership next season . Think your right about Bayern though if Robben and Ribery are on top form tonight then i see chelsea getting a royal shafting 4or5 nil . Chelsea are missing too many of their better players for this one .

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  20. @Axel don’t worry about the CL result, it doesn’t affect where we enter the Europa in the slightest.

    From wiki “When the domestic cup winners (considered as the “highest-placed” qualifiers within the national association) also qualify for the Champions League, their Europa League place is vacated, and the remaining Europa League qualifiers are moved up one place, with the final place (with the earliest starting round) taken by the domestic cup runners-up”

    We definitely go in at the final playoffs
    Liverpool definitely go in the round before that.

    As it stands: Chelsea as FA cup winners go straight into the groups, however if the FA Cup winners win the CL League than 4th place (now the most valuable Europa league standing not FA Cup runners up) will go straight into the Europa group stages.

    So either Spurs or Chel$ki go straight into the group stage, we always go via playoffs.

    My head hurts.

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  22. SOLANSTRUMPET cheers m8 and after researching all that , its nee wonder your heeds hurting .

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  24. Been reading that Bolton have released 15 players including Greta Stiennson . Any one else think he would be a good signing for free .

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  26. RICHIE you shoundnt have stopped out perving so long you will gan blind i just chance one eye 🙂

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  28. Ice…I wish, wor lass is on a course so had to drop her off, then pick her up again at 8……unless she’s having an affair 😯 , but hey if a man can watch the footy in peace, who am I to complain 😆

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  29. @SolanosTrumpet: You are absoutley right. 😉

    We wouldn’t even meet any english club till after group stages.That is if we win our play off. 😈

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  34. Come on Blackpool, it will be a defeat for football if West Spam and Sam win. Don’t want that man back in the prem. 😥

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  35. **** , if West Ham win this Allardyce will start saying he should of got the england job because he is the greatest manager ever . Thats until he is bottom of the premiership at christmas and gets sacked again . 👿

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  37. 32 – Blackpool won 32 points from losing positions in the regular Championship season; more than any other side. Comeback? #PlayOffFinal

    😎 😎

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  38. 1 – The only side to come from behind to win a Championship playoff final since 2003 were Blackpool (2010). Undecided. #PlayOffFinal

    😉 😉

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  44. Ince,the one player who is being a boo target by west ham supporter scores. 😆 😆

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  45. I don’t want west ham o get promoted as much for their dodgy owners speaking out of turn as for Sam. Mostly I want Blackpool up for the entertainment of holloway

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  47. Blackpool have looked threatening all match when they have the ball in that last third. Just need to keep control of the game and the ball in the second half which they couldn’t sustain in the first

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  48. Blackpool need to keep attacking as Hammers are rocked they cant sit back again like in first half.

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  53. Axel hopefully. As long as it doesn’t end with him taking another job in the premiership

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  60. What a ******* , if their is 1 manager that does not deserve to be in the premiership its that fat git .

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  61. Blackpool were far the better team in the second half. West Ham didn’t deserve that at all.

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  62. Well I tell you what ,if West ham don’t invest in players they are straight back down cause they were **** today. If Blackpool had better finishers they would of been out of sight and West Ham won’t be that lucky in the PL. Cisse and Benny will have a field day against that lot . 😉

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  63. Blackpool are a pleasure to watch, the whole team pass it around crisply and work it into the final third. Willo and Simpson need some lessons at Blackpool.

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  64. If Blackpool wern’t relying on a 38-year old Kevin Philips I think they would be back in the prem. Just shows the difference between buying a striker or not.

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  65. Ollie deserves big credit for what he achieves with lesser players ,he is very taticly astute and I was really impressed with Tom Ince a right chip off the old block there.

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  71. I’m the father of a baby boy! Baby Jack and mother appreciate all the good vibes sent our way

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  72. AndrewT…congrats to you and your lass and young “Keegan ShearerT” too 😉

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  74. Andrew ,wow ,congratulations ,another Toon army member 😀 ALL the best to all three of you.

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