All posts by z3u9t.icu

20 years. That is how long Newcastle United had gone without the glitz and glamour of Champions League football, prior to their return in 2023/24.

They haven’t come all too often in recent times, but St James’ Park is a stadium made for Champions League nights – Football FanCast thought it was worth ranking Newcastle United’s greatest clashes in European football…

5 Newcastle United 1-0 Juventus – 2002-03 Champions League

If you were to ask a Newcastle fan about Andy Griffin, one moment would come to mind. That would, of course, be Griffin’s famous goal against Juventus 20 years ago.

Star-studded players such as Alessandro Del Piero, Gianluigi Buffon and Edgar Davids made the trip to Tyneside, but Griffin was the unlikely hero in a historic win for the Magpies

The full-back, who was never famed for his goalscoring exploits, saw his effort deflect in off Italian legend Buffon to hand Newcastle their first win of their Champions League campaign.

4 Feynoord 2-3 Newcastle United – 2002/03 Champions League

Another Champions League classic from the 2002/03 season saw Craig Bellamy’s last-minute winner make Newcastle the first-ever side to qualify from their group after losing their first three games.

Needing a win to book their place in the second group stage – as was the format back in the day – the Magpies raced off into a 2-0 lead through goals from Bellamy and Hugo Viana, only to let that slip midway through the second half.

Bellamy, however, would come to the rescue, with Kieron Dyer’s shot falling at the feet of the Welshman, who slotted home the winner and sent the Newcastle away end into pandemonium.

3 Inter 2-2 Newcastle United – 2002/03 Champions League

The 2002-03 Champions League season was well and truly a rollercoaster ride for the Magpies, with Newcastle’s famous trip to the San Siro providing yet another classic for the Toon Army – albeit they will have felt hard done by after the final whistle.

Needing a win to realistically stay in the tournament, the Magpies took a staggering 12,000 fans to Milan. Toon legend Alan Shearer repaid the faith of the fans by scoring two goals either side of half-time, though his brace was cancelled out by goals from Christian Vieri and Ivan Cordoba.

Despite the Inter side including the likes of Fabio Cannavaro and Javier Zanetti, Newcastle were largely the better team throughout and could have deemed themselves unlucky not to have left Italian soil without the three points.

2 Ujpest 2-3 Newcastle United – 1968/69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup

Newcastle’s only European trophy to date was secured following the Magpies’ clash with Hungarian outfit Ujpest came way back in the 1960s – days when finals used to be played across two legs.

The Fairs Cup was a predecessor to the UEFA Cup and Europa League, and the Toon’s triumph remains their most recent taste of major silverware.

A Newcastle side including the likes of Bob Moncur and Wyn Davies soared into a 3-0 lead after the first game, going on to comfortably lift the trophy after a 3-2 second-leg victory in Budapest.

1 Newcastle United 3-2 Barcelona – 1997/98 Champions League

Newcastle’s famous win over Spanish giants FC Barcelona has to be the best of the bunch when it comes to European nights at St James’ Park.

Back in 1997, Kenny Dalglish’s side played host to a legendary Barcelona side that contained the likes of Rivaldo, Luis Figo and Luis Enrique.

The Magpies, however, came out on top thanks to a sublime hat-trick from Faustino Asprilla. The Colombian’s 49-minute hat-trick sailed the Toon Army into a shock 3-0 lead, with Barcelona eventually fighting back with two goals of their own through Enrique and Figo.

Newcastle United are hoping to leapfrog Premier League rivals Manchester United in the race for Napoli centre-half Kim Min-jae, who has been impeccable in Serie A this season.

What's the latest on Kim Min-jae to Newcastle?

Erik ten Hag's Red Devils are believed to be leading the race for the South Korean defender and are willing to meet his £42m release clause this summer, according to one Italian transfer specialist, but the Magpies could yet throw a spanner in the works.

That's according to the Sun, who claim that Toon representatives recently held 'secret' talks with the player's entourage at St. James' Park ahead of a possible hijack, with Kim's release clause activating on July 1.

The 26-year-old has only plied his trade for I Partenopei for one year after signing from Fenerbahce for just €18m (£16m) but has already earned a place among the pantheon of modern defensive titans for the magnitude of his performances in Naples.

Should Newcastle sign Kim Min-jae?

Newcastle finished the 22/23 Premier League season boasting a fourth-placed finish and the division's joint-mightiest defensive record, alongside champions Manchester City.

Sven Botman was signed in the summer for roughly £35m to complement the signings of Keiran Trippier and Dan Burn the previous winter.

Fabian Schar, who has made 141 appearances for the Toon, has undergone a resurgence under the stewardship of Eddie Howe and played a central role in the resounding success of the past 18 months, but at 31-years-old and with just one year left on his contract, he is unlikely to be deemed indispensable.

And with a signing of Kim's calibre entering the fray, having recorded an average rating of 7.22 in the Italian top-flight this term, as per Sofascore, posting two goals and assists apiece, completing 91% of his passes, winning 62% of his duels and averaging 1.6 tackles and 3.5 clearances per outing, he certainly deserves the acclaim that has left the likes of teammate Kvicha Kvaratskhelia dubbing him an "iron barrel".

While the 75-cap Schar has been a distinctive presence at the back over the past year, ranking among the top 6% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues for rate of assists and the top 2% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref, he is not of the same ilk as Kim, who has been described as an all-encompassing defender with "no flaws" by journalist Ivan Zacharoni.

Indeed, he ranks among the top 14% of positional peers for shot-creating actions but also the top 3% for passes attempted, 10% for pass completion and 12% for progressive passes and progressive carries per 90, which could play very nicely into the hands of his ostensible partner, Botman.

The Dutchman is considered a no-nonsense, traditional centre-back, and his ruthless tenacity and Kim's ball-playing aptitude could craft a perfect state of confluence and keep the club's equilibrium balanced so perfectly.

The 23-year-old has already demonstrated that his skill set matches up with the more creative air that his Swiss partner exudes, and the South Korean would only be an upgrade in this regard.

With Botman already hailed for his "incredible impact" by Leon Osman, the thought of this newfound partnership on Tyneside is a devastating proposition for rivals, and with Manchester United circling on his signature, Howe and co must act swiftly to tie up a deal that could cement the burgeoning rise.

Manchester United will likely continue their efforts to rebuild and improve the squad this summer and now a new update has emerged on a long-standing transfer target.

What's the latest on Man United's interest in Adrien Rabiot?

According to Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Man United have revived their interest in Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot.

As per the report, Rabiot's outstanding form this season hasn't gone unnoticed with the Red Devils set to compete with Newcastle United for his signature this summer.

The Frenchman will be out of contract and available for free in a few weeks' time.

Who would Rabiot replace at Man United?

Whilst the highest priority at Old Trafford this summer will be to sign a prolific centre-forward, adding quality into key areas all over the pitch will be essential to continue the progress already made by Erik ten Hag in his first season.

The Manchester giants have made positive steps forward this season with a League Cup and Champions League qualification secured, so the signing of high-quality players will be important in their pursuit of challenging at the top again domestically and also putting in a strong European campaign too.

As a result, the signing of Rabiot could be exactly what Ten Hag needs to inject some great talent and a fresh perspective in midfield next season with the France international potentially standing as a much-needed Paul Pogba replacement.

Rabiot has stepped up into Pogba's role for both the France national team and Juventus over the last 12 months to become the beating heart in midfield during the Qatar World Cup and throughout the season in the Serie A, whilst the former Man United man has been out injured.

Over 31 league appearances, the 6 foot 2 titan has been an effective presence at both ends of the pitch having scored eight goals, registered four assists and successfully completed 60% of his dribbles.

Furthermore, the Juve star has averaged one key pass, 1.5 shots on goal, two tackles and 1.2 clearances per game, proving that he has the all-round game to replace Pogba at Old Trafford.

Despite a controversial past, the Frenchman has seemingly been reborn in Italy and has demonstrated his strong midfield attributes that has led to high praise from many including his manager Andrea Pirlo, who said:

"He is a complete player, I have rarely seen someone so strong both physically and technically.

"He doesn't even know the potential for improvement he can have, and we work on the mental side of things to make him understand that he is a champion. He is improving game after game."

With that being said, if Man United can snap up the services of Rabiot for free this summer it would be a great opportunity for Ten Hag to add some much-need quality in midfield with that Pogba-shaped void finally being filled.

Leeds United defender Robin Koch is being targeted in a surprise cut-price swoop by Tottenham Hotspur, according to reports.

Is Robin Koch leaving Leeds?

The Whites centre-back arrived at Elland Road from SC Freiburg back in 2020 and has since gone on to make a total of 77 appearances to date where he was a regular feature in the first-team last season, making 36 starts from 38 games in the Premier League.

The Germany international, however, will be out of contract at the end of next season meaning that the upcoming window could be the club's final opportunity to cash in, should they not want to lose the 26-year-old for free, but regardless, Leeds officials could be forced to sanction his sale having now been relegated to the Championship.

Are Tottenham signing Koch?

According to Football Insider, Tottenham are setting their sights on Koch this summer, with the Leeds defender having been "shortlisted" as a serious centre-back option for Daniel Levy's new permanent manager.

Spurs know that the 6 foot 3 colossus will be available for a cut-price having dropped down to the second tier and his admirers are hopeful that £15m will be enough to reach an agreement. The Yorkshire outfit's star "fits the bill" in N17 and is "keen to stay" in the Premier League, so this could be one to watch in the weeks and months ahead.

Should Leeds keep or sell Koch?

Leeds don’t have the most attacking type of centre-back in Koch having recorded zero goals or assists since putting pen to paper, but he is strong in the natural defensive aspect of his game and has even been dubbed a “leader” by journalist Josh Bunting so the board may want to do everything they can to retain his services beyond the summer.

The Whites titan, who earns £40k-per-week, was averaging 4.1 clearances, 3.1 aerial wins and 1.5 tackles per top-flight game last term, via WhoScored, so was a relatively solid performer in the heart of the backline despite the collective struggles in front of Illan Meslier and Joel Robles.

The Kaiserslautern native also brings wonderful versatility to the side with his ability to operate in six various positions over the grass, including everywhere across the backline and even three positions in the midfield, so this is yet another extremely useful attribute for the next manager to have at his disposal should any unexpected injuries occur in other roles.

Antonio Conte reportedly has his sights set on bringing Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling to Tottenham Hotspur this summer, according to The Telegraph.

The Lowdown: Sterling profiled

The 27-year-old joined the Sky Blues in a £49m move from Premier League rivals Liverpool seven years ago, and he has since gone on to make 339 appearances for his current club, scoring 131 goals and providing 95 assists during that time, as per Transfermarkt.

Despite still having just over a year remaining on his contract with Pep Guardiola’s side, the winger has been heavily linked with a move away from the Premier League champions, with the likes of Barcelona and Chelsea being named as potential suitors.

However, following a fresh update, it would now appear as though the most current interest is coming from the Lilywhites.

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The Latest: Spurs line up Sterling swoop

In a new article published by The Telegraph, it is claimed that Sterling is a player that Conte would ‘no doubt’ look at signing if he decides to leave City. However, it remains ‘highly questionable’ whether or not Spurs would be able to afford his wages and price tag, which is believed to have been set at around the £80m mark.

The report added that the 74-cap England international will ‘carefully weigh his options’ up whilst on holiday next month before making a return to the UK to hold ‘talks’ with City about his future, although it is thought that the attacker would aim to join a club ‘higher’ than the north London outfit.

The Verdict: Second time lucky?

Despite finding the net 17 times across all competitions this season, Sterling has slightly fallen down the pecking order under Guardiola in recent weeks behind the likes of Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish, so it’s no shock to see him being rumoured with a summer exit.

The former Liverpool man, who was once dubbed a “beast” by former City centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo, has previously been associated with a switch to N17, after Spurs chairman Daniel Levy was offered the player as part of an attempted swap deal for Harry Kane just last year.

After successfully securing Champions League football for Tottenham next term, Conte is now said to be targeting between six and eight new signings to bolster his ranks ahead of the 2022/23 season, one of which is a forward who can play either centrally or out wide. If the price is right, the versatile Sterling might just be someone who comes back onto the club’s radar in the coming months.

In other news… Conte is believed to have made a major transfer decision involving this former Spurs star

Leeds United have written to the Premier League to question if Everton have broken Financial Fair Play rules, according to Sky Sports.

The Lowdown: Everton safe, Leeds in the bottom three

The Whites take on Brentford this afternoon knowing that defeat would send them back to the Championship.

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Leeds have been battling both Burnley and Everton in recent weeks to avoid the final relegation spot, but the Toffees are now mathematically safe after a dramatic comeback against Crystal Palace on Thursday.

Burnley also picked up a point away at Aston Villa, meaning that Jesse Marsch’s side need to better the Clarets’ result against Newcastle later today to stay up.

The Latest: Sky Sports claim

Sky Sports provided a ‘significant’ update live on air on Friday afternoon regarding Leeds, Burnley and Everton. They stated that both Leeds, who are owned by Andrea Radrizzani, and Burnley have made contact with the Premier League, questioning if the Merseyside club have broken Financial Fair Play rules.

Everton have recorded losses of £371.8m over the past three years, £266.8m more than the maximum permissible amount of £105m. However, the Toffees are ‘comfortable’ that they have ‘complied with the rules’ and argue that the pandemic has had a huge impact on their figures.

The Verdict: One to watch…

Regardless of who goes down out of Leeds and Burnley this afternoon, this story could well get very messy and rumble on over the summer.

You’d expect that a potential punishment for Everton wouldn’t come into play this season, although they could be affected heading into the 2022/23 campaign if they have breached any fair play rules.

That won’t be of any help to whichever team drops back down to the Championship at the end of play today, but you can see why both the Whites and the Clarets want answers from those at the top regarding those extreme losses.

In other news: Big setback for Marsch as Phil Hay shares final major injury blow for Leeds pre-Brentford

West Ham United host Manchester City this afternoon as the Hammers look to climb into the top six whilst City can extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to six points.

The Irons have all but secured a place in the Europa Conference League but can still overtake Manchester United to record a second consecutive top six finish.

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However, today’s match will be all about one person for the East London club…Mark Noble.

Having made 548 appearances for West Ham, the Hammers’ skipper will wave goodbye to the home supporters one last time before the 35-year-old retires at the end of the season.

Therefore, the midfielder deserves to start in the Premier League one last time for his boyhood club.

On the chalkboard

Granted, it’s not been the most eventful season for Noble despite West Ham’s impressive run to the semi-final of the Europa League whilst battling for a top-six finish once again.

The Englishman has made just nine appearances in the top-flight, starting three with the deep-lying partnership of Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek difficult to break apart.

However, the latter was rested for last weekend’s 4-0 victory against Norwich City with Manuel Lanzini taking his place and therefore the Argentine could be set to drop out to allow Noble to start one final time for the Clarets.

On the other hand, Rice could be rested. Either way, the West Ham captain deserves to start.

In an interview with the BBC ahead of this afternoon’s match, Hammers manager David Moyes was full of praise for the £49k-per-week veteran midfielder.

“I’m sure it’ll be hugely emotional for Mark and his family,” he said. “Your career is never that long as a footballer, but to do it at one club is a huge achievement.

“It’s not done by many people, so great credit to Mark and the way he’s conducted himself throughout the career.

“He’s played continuously, at the highest level. He’ll be renowned.”

Set to make his 549th and possibly final West Ham appearance, the Irons captain has been a remarkable servant, staying on with his boyhood club throughout his career with brief loan spells at Hull City and Ipswich Town as a youngster the only exceptions.

Since making his first-team debut as a 17-year-old in 2004, the 35-year-old has gone on to score 62 goals and provide 61 assists for the Hammers and will certainly be a massive miss for the east London outfit.

AND in other news: 11 games, 0 goals: Bilic made “huge mistake” on WHU dud who cost £2.5m per yellow card

Rangers could look within to Nikola Katic following the impending departure of Connor Goldson, according to Football Scotland. 

The lowdown

Katic will return to Glasgow in the summer when his season-long loan at Hajduk Split reaches its end. It’s not a certainty however, because the Croatian club do have the option to sign him permanently for £3million.

Rangers turned down the opportunity to recall Katic in January, but they are set to lose a centre-back in the summer, with Goldson ‘likely to leave under freedom of contract’.

It’s worth noting that the Gers have already secured the signing of John Souttar and can also call upon the likes of Leon King, Calvin Bassey and Leon Balogun.

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The latest

Journalist Ross Pilcher writes that Van Bronckhorst ‘may well see a place’ for Katic after Goldson moves on.

King has ‘shown promise’, he says, but the manager may value ‘the experience’ Katic provides.

As such, the Croatian may ‘still have a role to play’ at Ibrox.

The verdict

First and foremost, should Hajduk Split be expected to activate their purchase option?

Well, he’s started 17 league games during his loan spell, having joined ahead of match-day eight, so he is valued there.

But £3m is far from small change for the club. In fact, going by Transfermarkt figures, it would far outstrip their existing transfer record of £1.8million. Given that the website only values Katic at £900,000, they may not deem it a worthwhile outlay.

That could see him come back to Rangers, for whom he’s made 59 appearances and scored a memorable goal at Parkhead.

Katic could count former boss Steven Gerrard among his admirers, judging by an exchange between the pair when he moved to Aston Villa. In reply to a farewell message from the defender, Gerrard wrote: “Love you, kid.”

And the ex-Liverpool man also hailed him as an ‘immaculate’ professional during his time at Ibrox.

In other news, Rangers’ potential Europa League windfall has been broken down. 

Nottingham Forest face arguably their most pivotal game in years on Tuesday night, as they take on Scott Parker’s Bournemouth side in a clash which could well decide which of the two clubs secures that much-coveted automatic promotion spot.

Steve Cooper’s men still have it all to do with three points currently separating themselves and their second-placed opponents, although to even be in contention at this stage of the season is a testament to the work done by the former Swansea City boss since his appointment back in September.

Under his predecessor Chris Hughton, the club were going nowhere fast and even appeared set to drop into the third tier, with the City Ground outfit picking up just a solitary point from their opening seven games of the current campaign.

Now they are on the cusp of a return to the promised land that is the Premier League, with their midweek encounter potentially set to showcase plenty of fireworks as the two sides go toe-to-toe.

Ahead of that meeting, one man who the Forest boss should well turn to to make the difference is young starlet Alex Mighten, with the 20-year-old having caught the eye off the bench in the recent 5-1 thrashing of Swansea.

While it may be a brave shout to alter a winning team – particularly following such a convincing victory – the youngster’s impact as a late substitute has seemingly done enough to warrant a start, even in a game of such magnitude.

In his 14-minute cameo, the academy graduate won 100% of his ground duels and completed two successful dribbles, while also notably getting himself on the scoresheet to put late gloss on an already emphatic scoreline.

Despite appearing something of a scrappy way to grab his first Championship goal of the season, the £540k-rated speedster showed great persistence to bundle the ball past the opposition stopper, latching onto a lofted pass over the top and busting a gut to get himself ahead of the visitors’ lacklustre defence.

That impressive display saw him receive an 8.0 match rating, via SofaScore, while NottinghamPost writer Sarah Clapson awarded the American-born prospect an 8.5/10 rating in her post-match report, writing of the forward’s performance that: “He’ll have enjoyed that one! Lovely run to find the net and help boost the goal difference.”

Following that showing, the £2.5k-per-week gem also received glowing praise from his manager, with Cooper dubbing him a “real livewire” and insisting that the player has now “got to get himself in the team and kick on.”

Should he be given the chance at the Vitality Stadium, Mighten seemingly has the opportunity to ‘kick on’, with a fresh pair of legs also potentially a benefit in what was an intense climax to the campaign.

With teammate Phillip Zinckernagel not enjoying his best day out at the weekend – the on-loan Watford man winning just one of his eight duels and losing possession on five occasions – it could be an ideal opportunity for a shake-up in attack.

IN other news: Nottingham Forest set for disaster on Djed Spence…

James Hunter has now dropped another boost for Sunderland alongside Aiden McGeady before they play Morecambe in League One on Saturday afternoon.

The Lowdown: McGeady boost

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match, Alex Neil revealed (via The Chronicle) that McGeady has made ‘good progress’ and is back training with the squad, putting him in contention for a potential return from injury.

The former Norwich City and Preston North End manager also gave updates on other players’ fitness as they aim to wrap up a play-0ff place on the final day.

The Latest: Dajaku update

Taking to Twitter, The Chronicle journalist Hunter shared an update on Dajaku, saying that he is ‘expected’ to be back on Wearside on Monday.

The Union Berlin loanee has been suffering from illness, but now it looks like he could make a swift recovery in time for the play-offs, should they get there.

The Verdict: Big boost

The fact that Dajaku could play a part in the play-offs is certainly a big boost for the Stadium of Light faithful.

On top of his four goals and three assists in the league, he has picked up one man-of-the-match award, and also ranks highly among his teammates in terms of average shots, dribbles and crosses per match (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, his creativity and flair could be the difference for the Black Cats as they look to chase promotion back up to the Championship.

In other news, find out who SAFC’s three worst players were against Rotherham United here!