Game On! Atromitos v Newcastle

Europe!
Welcome to Europe! After a five year absence we are back in continental competition this evening as we visit Atromitos F.C. of Athens.

A string away performance will go a long way to ensuring safe passage into the group stages of the Europa League but, as we’ve seen so often, nothing can be decided until the final ball is kick at the end of the second leg.

Of course Newcastle fans should be well aware of that little fact after what turned out to be our final trip into Europe before our five year exile. Having beaten AZ Alkmaar 4-2 in the home leg back in the 2006-2007 UEFA Cup, we then transpired to lose the away leg 2-0 and found ourselves out of the competition on the away goals rule after drawing 4-4 on aggregate over the two ties.

To get past Atromitos Alan Pardew is looking increasingly likely to depend on a largely second string United side, with names such as Fabricio Coloccini, Demba Ba and Cheik Tiote all left at home to ensure that they are ready for our game less than 48 hours later against Chelsea.

My match preview was written prior to confirmation regarding who was to be left behind on Tyneside so we can scrub Haris Vuckic (also left behind) from my predicted stab at a starting line up.

TV coverage is scarce and none of the “big hitters” like ITV 4 (sarcasm intended) have picked up the match. However, “Premier Sports” on Sky channel 428 are advertising the game but you have to subscribe. A quick little look has revealed that if you input the word “NEWCASTLE” as a promotional code you can get two months access for £9.99.

If that doesn’t tickle your fancy and you can find it somewhere, like perhaps on the internet, then please feel free to accidentally post a link to it in our ‘comments’ section below. Be warned though, streams might be harder to come by as there are new ways for broadcasters to identify live broadcasts and shut them down. Maybe…

Team news, as always, will be added below as and when it becomes available.

Howay the lads!

Newcastle: Steve Harper; James Tavernier, Mike Williamson, James Perch, Ryan Taylor; Gael Bigirimana, Vurnon Anita; Gabriel Obertan, Dan Gosling, Sylvain Marveaux; Papiss Cisse

Subs: Tim Krul, Davide Santon, Steven Taylor, Yohan Cabaye, Jonas Gutierrez, Romain Amalfitano, Adam Campbell

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.

169 thoughts on “Game On! Atromitos v Newcastle

  1. I knew it wasn’t Ed’s as it doesn’t have the phrase ‘waxing lyrical’ anywhere to be seen in the article 😯

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  2. Good Cup team. Does this mean Cisse has been dropped from the team against Chelsea for failing to score against Spurs? 😆

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  3. @Moreno 😆 Haven’t been on there in so long I’d forgotten about that

    We’re back in Europe ❗ ❗ ❗

    HTL

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  4. Am on holiday in Bodrum, match is in at a load of bars here – would imagine there should be a few streams like – HWTL

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  5. Prem,

    Well Cisse hasn’t even scored this whole season so maybe risky to start him against Chelsea 😛

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  6. **** we are going for it tonight arent we? If Ba is not fit for tonight will he make Chelsea at the weekend?

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  7. Beardsleys Boots says:
    August 23, 2012 at 17:38
    which strip tonight then

    The maroon kit according to Lee Ryder on twitter

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  8. I can see Cisse clawing back his goal a game average today with a hattrick.
    No basis for saying that mind, haven’t looked into the opposition at all, fan forums all seem to think they’re **** but bookies seem to rate them 😯

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  9. I hope so Newkie! We need him and Tiote for chelsea if u want a chance on getting a result

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  10. Anyone got the link up for setanta 1 ,it’s showing some thing on athletics 😕 has everyone else got that?

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  11. Hey, there’s a cracking party gan nurn next door like lads ind lassies 😯 ………..>
    Me, Big Dave, Connor and Batty have just put a spread oot. Praaahn Vol aux vents the lot. 😛

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  12. Wouldn’t be the 1st time a bigger team found out that a so called **** team can up their game and give a real fight 👿 .
    But in Pards we trust to know what he’s doing

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  13. @Big Dave

    Only been posting on here couple months tops and most have just been under “Gary”

    If there has been chew with another called “Spyro” sorry to disappoint but its not me …

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  14. Tavernier is really struggling. He’s been lucky a number of times, but not on this occasion .. 1-0 – ****!

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  15. That has been coming all game. Tavernier has been poor so far, the third time he got caught out. Also think the goalie should have stayed on his line.. 👿

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  16. Moreno, send me the fiver instead mate, at least one of us will be happy the neet… 😳

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  17. Looking at this even if we do by some chance qualify ,we won’t last long in the competition. Tav has been very poor and Obatan sloppy in all , Cisse may as well not be on the pitch for all the support he’s getting. 👿

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  18. Kim I wouldn’t worry. I doubt they are going into this with an extremely motivated frame of mind. Happy with a draw away because we would expect that we’ll turn em over at SJP. we’ll be fitter then too. Chelsea has to take the priority over playing these off the park at 100mph

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  19. We here about Benny needs to up his work rate etc but does Oba ever comeback to help Tav out , he seems to be forever standing about waiting for the ball to come to him 😕

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  20. At the end of the day, our right side is absolutely gash, we are creating nothing, Tavernier and Obertan are both useless tonight.

    However, they are still doing more than our left side… 😯

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  21. As long as the tie remains alive going to back to St James Park I would have faith we will get through , think we will get a draw here though!

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  22. Dave ,he’s awful tonight and I hate writing players off but maybe sir Alex let him go for a reason 😕 ,Shame cause pre season I thought he was turning a corner.

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