Europa League glory or Premier League safety?

Is the Europa League a priority now?
Is the Europa League a priority now?
With the Europa League set to resume this Thursday I’m left wondering just how much of a priority our participation in the competition should be?

Which is a shame after the team worked so hard to achieve qualification for Europe last season, but at the end of the day circumstances dictate and our Premier League circumstance is still not assured for next season.

Generally speaking we’ve made the knockout stages of the Europa League pretty much hassle free using a mixture of youth and reserve players to help us through the group stage. Now we’re in the knockout format though will our approach change and will we see a stronger side? Or will we continue playing the youth and reserve players who have done well enough so far?

Of course we’ve added to the squad since the last time we played in Europe although unfortunately not all of our new additions are eligible to play in the competition. Yoan Gouffran, injury aside, is cup-tied as he’s already played in the competition whilst only one of Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa and Mathieu Debuchy are allowed to be named in our squad for Europe owing to their Champions League participation earlier on in the season with Motpellier and Lille respectively and it was Mbiwa who got the nod. The other two new guys, Moussa Sissoko and Massadio Haidara, along with Mbiwa, make up the three new additions to our Europa League squad.

So just how strong do we go? The only certainty for me is that Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa will make his full home debut. Fabricio Coloccini and Steven Taylor have made it hard for the former Montpellier man to come straight into the side domestically so it seems highly likely he’ll get the nod on Thursday to give him some match practice and a chance to showcase his skills and perhaps even stake a claim for a place in the side domestically.

Another player who could feature is Cheik Tiote who had to make do with a place on the bench against Spurs at the weekend. He could line up with Vurnon Anita in midfield meaning that Yohan Cabaye gets a rest. Sylvain Marveaux could come into an attacking midfield role after finding himself, harshly in my opinion, on the bench recently. Massadio Haidara could also make a debut at left-back giving Davide Santon a rest or in the event that he moves to the right-back spot in the absence of Debuchy and Danny Simpson.

We could actually name a pretty strong side whilst at the same time protecting some of our most important players. The side I’ve started drafting above wouldn’t involve players like Yohan Cabaye or Moussa Sissoko ensuring they were kept back for domestic purposes, but it still looks pretty good on paper to start with.

The whole underlying tone behind this article is about protecting the players and keeping them fresh for Premier League duty. Granted we have no league game at the weekend which makes it a bit easier to do so technically I guess we could name a pretty much full-strength side and only have to worry about the risk of injury, but with ten days after the home fixture before we face Southampton it would have to be an injury we worry about and not a simple knock for example.

My point being, and I’ve read it from a few people now, is that it’s all well and good saying we should “attack” the Europa League but it worth attacking so much that we risk losing players that would help us secure Premier League safety? After all, that is the most important thing for this season isn’t it?

What do you think?

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.

117 thoughts on “Europa League glory or Premier League safety?

  1. Interesting read Toonsy, i’m not wanting a full strength 1st 11 but I want a strong team, yeah I know we could pick up an injury, but sorry I just think that after what the players gave last season to get into Europe it would be a bad move to not take it serious and try to win.
    We go through this every time we play in any cups etc ah the Prem is our priority but how are we ever going to get silverware if we keep doing the same thing.

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  2. I want the strongest team, but that doesn’t mean the team we’ve started with recently. Cisse needs to play as a goal or two would do him the world of good.

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  3. I think Pardz will play a strong line up. He will want to keep the feel good factor going and a loss against the Metal Heads will do our confidence no good going into the game against Southampton. For this reason alone I reckon Pardz will go for it…

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  4. Changes I’d make:
    Mbiwa for Colo (could give us an indication for next year on how they pair up)
    Hadeira for Debuchy
    Anita for Cabaye
    Marv for Gouffran
    Ober for Jonas
    I would risk Cisse as well.

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  5. The league is top priority in the short term no doubt, I think the Europa league depends how far up the table we are by the time it comes around again. If we beat karkiv i could see a stronger team playing in the next round if the league position has improved (which it will have) and it getting to the latter stages.

    But for this one im expecting the usual mix of first teamers and squad players, Cant see Pards risking Saylor and Cabaye.

    ————————————Krul——————————
    –Simpson—Yanga-Mbiwa———-Colo—-Santon——-
    —————————–Tiote———Anita——————–
    —–Gutierrez—————–Marveaux———–Obertan–
    ————————————-Shola—————————

    Subs: Harper, Williamson, Haidara, Perch, Sissoko, Sammy, Cisse

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  6. One thing I’m not sure some are considering when looking at transfers is the whole Europe rotation thing.
    If we only want to play our first team in the cups, and we aren’t paying over the odds on wages, why would established players want to come here to sit on the bench all season?
    Only way we can improve the squad is by investing in young potential imo.
    It’s also vital we keep the likes of Willo/Perch – can’t understand those that want rid.

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  7. Off topic, have people watched much of Liverpool this year?
    I don’t really watch many games other than our at the minute – lack of sky sports and no excitement to watch football when we’re doing *****..!
    Anyway apparently Enrique has been absolute trash this season, no Pool fans rate him at all!

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  8. Strumps, every time I’ve seen enrique on the box, he’s looked solid, although yesterday I detected the crowd getting impatient with the players, and him in particular. I was thinking I’d hate to be the Baggies winger because enriques’ so quick and strong, he looked formidable.

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  9. Think we will play a strong side at hoe as there is decent recovery time. However would not take the key players away.

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  10. I’d play a pretty strong team. I’d rest Colo for Mbiwa, move Santon to right and bring Haidara in. I’d rest Cabaye for Anita and Marv in for Gouffran (really like the look of this lad). What we need is a big win and then rest a load for 2nd leg. Maybe give Benny a run out from the bench.

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  11. 40 minutes later . . . where is everyone else? A Celtic friend posted me a link to the fans singing “I just can’t get enough”. Amazing! A whole pop song, all the words too. Very infectious and very creative. Any suggestions for a Toon song? The Blaydon Races has turned into a two line chant almost. “Dancin in the Street”?

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  12. i hope we try and win well as we can then consider resting players in the second leg away

    a lot of the youth are away at a tournement in italy, too early for simpson or benarfa

    i think adam campbell will get some sort of a run out, maybe haidara, yanga-mbiwa is almost a cert to start, not sure whether it’ll be centre back or full back, if it’s central maybe tav will play right

    hoping anita plays in a deep midfield role, maybe alongside tiote

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  13. Strongish team, Mapou definitely has to play but not sure who he should partner, maybe Staylor/Willo half each-try Cabaye as captain.

    Honestly know nothing about Metalist, if there’s a chance we could put the tie to bed in this first match we should try and do it..

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  14. Also reckon Anita and Tiote should play, so maybe cabs only have one half? I’d play Cisse and Sissoko as well, defo Marv

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  15. Georgio – yeah I agree, Pardew will want to have a couple of goals advantage so that the 2nd leg he can rest afew and send a couple of reserves out to Ukraine. He may well decide to give Colo the week off to keep him sweet. I think maybe something similar to this:

    ——————- Krul ——————
    Debuchy – MYM – Saylor – Santon
    ———— Perch —– Tiote ———-
    —– Obertan — Anita — Marv ——-
    —————— Cisse ——————-

    If we take a 2 goal lead from this game the I think Krul, Debuchy, Santon and Cisse may well get the 2nd leg off. I do think he’ll still have players like Cabaye and Sissoko on the bench for this game, just in case things aren’t going right.

    I have to be honest and say that I’m really not that bothered about Europe if I’m honest. Gone are the days we destroyed teams like Royal Antwerp 10-2 on agg. I think it’s since they changed the format of the competition there just seems to be too many games. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want us to throw it or anything like that and here’s hoping we progress.

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  16. “I have to be honest and say that I’m really not that bothered about Europe if I’m honest.”

    Pards in disguise as Sharpy, I knew it! 😆

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  17. Fortunately, with Bnnie about to return, we seem to have the squad to do both. I’m with Dave on this one- throw out your best 11 for this one

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  18. A strong team as possible should be played this week. We should try to capitalize on their lack of competitive matches (they are currently only playing in friendlies because Ukrainian league is on winter break).

    Line up at home:
    Krul; Simpson, Mapou, Colo, Santon; Bigi, Cabaye/Anita; Gutierrez, Sissoko, Obertan/Marveaux; Cisse.

    Line up at Kharkiv:
    Elliott; Simpson, Mapou, Willo, Haidara; Perch, Anita; Obertan, Marveaux, Sammy; Shola

    Some of first teamers may also travel in the squad, unless Pardew decides to completely left them in England as the .

    Oh, some interesting facts I found here:

    – Jonas has not played in Europa yet! 😯
    – Demba Ba only played once as a sub in the Maritimo game (the game Ben Arfa suddenly starts and get injured). This made him ineligible to play for Chelsea in Europa. 😮 😆 😈

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  19. wants a strong team played wedensday wrap up the tie before the 2nd leg dont the winners of this get a champs league spot now? 😀

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  20. <<<<<<<<< expects pards to announce the team tomorrow with a strong line up boost ticket sales for thursday

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  21. Think the CL spot is still being talked about. Nothing definite yet.
    TRW – I hope ( and yes it is a personal view) I never see Ober, Willo, Sammy or Simpson in the stripes again!

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  22. I would like to see us have a good go at trying to win it tbh .Reckon we have a good enough squad to mix it up a bit now and still fight our way to safety as well . Obviously PL is most important but we should still respect Europa and it is our only chance of a trophy now. It would be great if we can survive and get to the final of Europa cup too , would totally lift the whole club .

    Sharpy@16 ,Debuchy can’t play in 2nd leg mate ,he’s not been registered.

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  23. GEORGIO thanks for the heads up bud just saw a headline yesterday about a vote on champs league spot will admit i did not read though just saw the headline 🙂

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  24. Kim – you keep me right lass ;-). Can he play the first leg?.
    I saw your post last night but didn’t get chance to reply coz was at work. Hope Lewis is doing ok hun, sounds like he had a real rough time.

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  25. Ameobi is out so does that mean cisse will start?
    Would like a strong team but can see;

    Elliott

    Tavernier, Mbwia, Colo, Hiadara

    Anita, Tiote, Perch

    Obertan, Cisse, Marveaux

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  26. Sharpy@31 ,Thanks ,yeah he’s getting there ,nose is still oozing on and off with blood though ,will take up to 3 weeks to heal apparently 🙁 🙄 .
    Sharpy ,Debuchy isn’t registered for Europa at all sad to say.

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  27. Ice ,Would love to see Campbell get a start ,think he’s earned the right to start as much as that **** Ranger has .We should be rewarding the lad for his good displays up front not some jumped up little gangsta ****.

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  28. Tae@32 ,Bloody hell ,it’s Joey MK 2 😆 He would stir up a right hornets nest , defo not a wise buy I’d of thought.

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  29. KIMTOON
    think thats a red card all year long and i dint care he got the ball first lol 😆

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  30. Hoping to see a strong starting 11 at home to build up a decent lead for the away leg. It seems quite possible now. I don’t think we can afford to underestimate this team or we’ll be out of the competition. If we can’t handle 1 cup competition as well as the league how will we ever compete for the FA cup again? No more excuses Pardew. We’ve had enough of those this season. Let’s see some decent tactical decisions.

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  31. Let’s see what the end of this season brings and whether most people still support Pardew as manager next season. I’m leaning more and more away from him. Don’t believe he has a viable long term plan for the club, and don’t often agree with his tactics. Just can’t see him as being the right manager for a club full of foreign internationals. Times are changing and Pardew is part of the old guard with very little previous success. I hope I’m proven wrong but let’s see what he does with the players now at his disposal.

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  32. GEORDIETWO
    think it would of been silly to get rid of pards meself, cant blame a workmen for a bad job if he aint got the tools to do the job in the 1st place.The bigwigs at the club admited mistakes were made in the summer,to many 1st teamers left and to many kids were expected to step up.

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  33. Ice @ 44 I agree mate, but at the same time you you can’t expect a £25 B+D drill to be as good as a £300 Makita or you can’t expect a Strolla to be as good as a Gouffran 😉

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  34. DAVE i would rather have a wheelie-bin out there than shola 😀 well looks like the weather is going to be right up the vistors street going by forcast 😉

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  35. TOON dave will like it,its the way he always played in his day,anything above grass you kick 😆 😆 😆

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  36. TAE 😀 thats a belter and I bet he had a sore head after that, but TBH if you watch him his eye is on the ball the whole time, I wonder what happened to him for that tackle

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  37. @ BIG DAVE
    im all for a few broken bones in our pursuit of glory, but he could of so easily broke the guys neck there, which is going abit far even for me 😆

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  38. Pards
    “I will be picking a strong side for Thursday, the new lads who arrived last month give us greater depth.

    It is a competition we would all love to win, it is difficult to get through the group stage so we don’t want that hard work to all be for nothing!”.

    I just hope he sticks to that 😉

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  39. Four young players have left Newcastle United by mutual consent, the Club has confirmed.
    Teenagers Marcus Maddison, Michael Riley, JJ Hooper and Dennis Knight were all part of last season’s Premier Academy League Group D title-winning team and had been involved at under-21 level.

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  40. DAVE celtic getting beat 1nil at h/t but really playing well just havent got that class in final third,real goof by frazer in first 3min,by the way toon let them players go last wk mate 😉

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