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It is only two years since Eddie Howe attended his first Champions League match but now Newcastle’s manager is on a mission to disrupt Europe’s elite.
As Barcelona arrived on Tyneside on Wednesday Hansi Flick’s La Liga champions certainly displayed no sign of complacency. Indeed Flick warned of the “intensity” his players must be braced for at St James’ Park on Thursday night.
He remembers Paris Saint-Germain being utterly overwhelmed here two years ago when they surrendered 4-1 to formidable yet still slightly naive opponents whose inexperience would ultimately spell group stage elimination. Back then Newcastle, at times, looked a little bit like wide-eyed Champions League tourists; now they want to be seen as contenders.
“There were a lot of unknowns last time,” said Howe. “There there was a feeling we were experiencing something new, we enjoyed it but ultimately we failed. So, this time, the resolve is stronger to progress. Not just to enjoy the experience but to try to make it a meaningful one. We’ve learned things and tried to add layers.”
If Newcastle’s manager has wised up considerably since he watched his first live Champions League game from San Siro’s away dugout, the creditable draw his players secured against Milan 24 months ago emphasised that Howe was not as green as he might have seemed.
Now, as he prepares to counter the threat of Raphinha, Marcus Rashford, Frenkie de Jong and co, he has the added benefit of familiarity. “Everything that goes into a Champions League game is different from the Premier League,” said Howe. “It feels different, the buildup’s different. We hadn’t done that before but that experience will help us now. Our squad’s arguably stronger than it was two years ago.
“We’re excited. I’m looking forward to seeing how we match up against them. I’ll back our quality.” It all prompts memories of another visit from Barcelona, back in mid-September 1997.
To mark its anniversary a very special guest is flying in from Colombia to take a seat in the directors’ box. Faustino Asprilla’s unforgettable group stage hat-trick against Louis van Gaal’s side at St James’ Park helped Kenny Dalglish’s Newcastle secure a 3-2 win against the Catalans as the teams clashed in the Champions League for the first time. Given that Barcelona starting XI included Luís Figo, Rivaldo and Luis Enrique, it was some achievement.
Now, as both sets of supporters prepare for their fifth meeting in this competition, they will also remember Sir Bobby Robson. The former England manager’s son, Mark, will, like Asprilla, be looking on from the posh seats as two of the clubs his father coached with distinction face each other for the first time since 2003.
Twenty-two years ago Robson occupied Howe’s dugout but proved powerless to prevent Newcastle from succumbing 2-0 to his old friends from Barcelona. If Newcastle’s latest manager hopes for a different result he is not about to banish Robson’s memory.
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“There are connections with Sir Bobby that we fully embrace,” he said. “That’s what makes this such a special game. I might tap into the psychology of it.”
Back in September 1997 injury kept Pep Guardiola at home in Barcelona but the absence of the generational talent otherwise known as Lamine Yamal’s on Thursday night leaves an enormous hole in Flick’s starting XI. If Howe – who said he was disappointed not to be facing the prodigy – senses opportunity, he must be mindful of an opposing manager who shares his ability to switch tactical systems with rare fluency.
Like Howe, Flick is no slave to philosophy and, during his time in charge of Bayern Munich the now 60-year-old former Germany coach, was dubbed “Flicki-Flaka”. It was a reference to his ability to combine gegenpressing with controlled possession and, at Barcelona, the apparently reborn Manchester United loanee Rashford is evidently relishing working for such a subtly flexible tactician.
The feeling is clearly mutual. “It’s a real luxury to have Marcus in my team,” said Flick. “He has fantastic, unbelievable, qualities.” Barcelona may need them.
“I’ve never been here before,” added Flick. “But my players tell me it’s maybe the best atmosphere in the Premier League. I expect a tall, strong, Newcastle team with real intensity. Eddie Howe has done a fantastic job.”
