Atromitos v Newcastle United - Official Matchday Thread

Limited net access at the mo so have lifted this from nufc.com.
Once live streams are available can people please post them up.

One final thing to say..... GTF In! We're back in Europe!!!!!



United make a return to competitive European football on Thursday after an absence of over five years, since Glenn Roeder's side bowed out of the UEFA Cup at Dutch side AZ Alkmaar back in March 2007.

Their opponents in the two-legged Europa League Fourth Qualifying Round (aka playoffs) are Greek side Atromitos from the western suburbs of Athens.

Kick-off at their 10,000 capacity Peristeri Stadium is at*
8pm local time (6pm BST). There's no visa requirement for UK passport holders travelling to Greece.

Match tickets for the away section are priced at £25 (no concessions) and NUFC were allocated 500, although we understand only about 100 have been sold, as fans try unsuccessfully to find an affordable travel option.

The club published an application form on Friday online here for season ticket holders to make an immediate application, with tickets available for collection at SJP.*



Anyone making the trip (including the players) should check the weather forecast for Athens - it's a bit warm, like. The BBC Weather website lists expected daytime temperatures to peak at 39 degrees Celsius, dropping down to a mere 30 by 9pm (kickoff is at 8pm). Phew.***

Live UK coverage is now confirmed on Premier Sports (Sky TV channel 428) from 5.55pm. Readers report that they have subscribed to the channel via 0871 6639000.*

Like United, Atromitos begin their campaign this stage of the competition. Their only previous experience of Europe came in the 2006/07 season, when beaten 1-6 on aggregate by Sevilla in the First Round of the UEFA Cup.

The finished fourth in the Greek Super League last season - 23 points behind champions and our recent pre-season opponents, Olympiakos.**

And speaking of Olympiakos, their former coach Dusan Bajevic took charge of Atromitos over the summer; the Bosnian Serb having managed Olympiakos when United beat them 7-1 on aggregate in the 2004/05 UEFA Cup.

Atromitos also have a Saturday evening league game when they kick off their domestic league season next weekend, travelling to Kerkyra for a 5pm kickoff.**

Ahead of our meeting, Atromitos beat Asteras Tripolis 1-0 at home on Friday night - extending their 100% success rate in pre-season games to five.

Squad:*Confirmation came on Wednesday that United flew to Athens without; Fabricio Coloccini, Cheick Tiote, Demba Ba, Shola Ameobi, Shane Ferguson and Haris Vuckic.

After pulling out of Saturday's season opener due to an injury sustained in the warm up, Shola Ameobi is a doubt for this tie.*

Younger brother Sammy also remains sidelined with an injury picked up in pre-season while the availability of Sylvain Marveaux remains tbc.*

Hatem Ben Arfa serves a suspension that's a hangover from his Marseille days and a 1-2 home loss to Benfica that saw the French outfit exit at the Round of 16 stage of the 2009/10 Europa League.

Ben Arfa entered the fray as a 90th minute substitute and was heading back down the tunnel precisely 62 seconds later, red-carded for kicking out at an opponent.*

The length of the suspension has been reported as three games, but we've looked in vain for confirmation of that so far on the news archives of the UEFA & Marseille sites.*

According to the UEFA website United have made the following registrations for this competition. Note that the list is divided into two separate sections according to the age and status of the players: there's no restriction on selection, so all the players are eligible to play.*

A list (maximum of 25 players, 24 currently named, with Anita expected to be added):*
**
Krul, Elliot, Harper, Coloccini, Santon, Simpson, Perch,
Williamson, R.Taylor, S.Taylor, Good, Cabaye, Ben Arfa, Gosling, Amalfitano, Gutiérrez, Bigirimana, Marveaux, Tiote, Obertan, Abeid, Cisse, Ba, Sh.Ameobi.

B list: (unlimited number of U21 players)**

Alnwick, Streete, Dummett, Tavernier, Ferguson
Sa.Ameobi, Newton, Logan, Inman, Vuckic, Ranger, Campbell.

UEFA's refusal to reschedule this tie means that United will kick off away to Chelsea in the Premier League less than 48 hours after full time in Athens - flying back from Greece to South East England early on Friday.

This game will mark 51 year-old Alan Pardew's managerial debut for Newcastle in European competitions. He's a year older than Joe Harvey was at the start of his (and our inaugural) campaign back in 1968.*

Pardew's previous experience of Europe came both as a player with Spurs (on loan for their 1995 Intertoto Cup) and a manager with West Ham (a 0-1 home loss and 0-3 away defeat by Palermo in the 2006 UEFA Cup).*

Alan Pardew:

"Who can play the three games in a week? Who can play two? It's the first week and we have already had guys on international duty and probably not done as much work as we would have liked.

"I think I have to see how we cope with a Europa League which is tough scheduling for a Premier League team and how we cope with those first 10 games. Then, I think I will have a little bit more of an idea.*

"Logistically, I noted how Stoke played a complete second XI in one of the games (last season) and left senior players behind and I can understand that.

"If you have really long trips, four or five hours, it is almost impossible. So we have to be very intelligent in what we do, but the most important thing is that we put a Newcastle team out which we think is going to win.

"The younger ones and guys who did not see a lot of football last year are definitely going to get games. "

That opens the door for Shane Ferguson, Mehdi Abeid, Romain Amalfitano, Haris Vuckic and Gael Bigirimana etc.

Paddy Power match bets

Selected PP Match odds:*
Newcastle to be ahead at HT & FT @ 11/5
Newcastle to win 1-0 @ 11/2
(PP price Newcastle at 33/1 to win the Europa League)

AFC: Included in their squad is centre forward Njazi Kuqi - younger brother of ex-Magpie Shefki Kuqi. Njazi was part of the Finland side who drew 3-3 in Belfast last week against a Northern Ireland side including Shane Ferguson.

Ref: Alon Yefet (Israel)

UK TV: Premier Sports (Sky channel 428)

Overseas TV: Nova Sports 2 (Greece)

NE Radio: Live commentary on BBC Newcastle

Stats: Full European record

This will be United's third competitive match in Athens, following their UEFA Cup campaign of 2004/05 when they won 1-0 at Panionios, returning to Olympiakos in nearby Piraeus to register a 3-1 success six months later.

 

--------------Shola----------

Amalfitano---Gosling---Obertan

--------Abeid-------Bigi-------

Raylor---Perch---Willo-----Tav

------------Harper-------------

 

Shola's injured Tash, if you read the article you'd see that.

Also, can someone explain why Bigi, Good and Abeid are in the registered squad, not the unlimited u21s?

 

Don't they all turn 21 this season?

 

Shola injured? Wtf!!!

 

As long as he's fit for the big one.

 

Just wondering does anybody know if anywhere in Toon will be playing the match tomorrow (1st leg) and if possible which bars? I finish work at 5pm so looking to go straight out and not sure where to go!

Also what's your predictions?

My bet... 2-0 Amalfitano 1st goal!

Howay the Toooooon!

 

According to the BEEB:

In the absence of his first-choice strikeforce the Magpies boss could turn to teenage striker Adam Campbell, who scored a hat-trick for the development team against Tottenham at the weekend. Campbell would become the club's youngest European debutant if he were involved, breaking Andy Carroll's record of 17 years and 300 days.

 

Shola isn't injured. He' just resting to save himself ready for when we play 'them'.

 

As long as he's ready for that day, all's ok.

 

He's always ready for that day.

 

"Slayday" as he likes to call it!

 

Most of the pubs will be showing it, not bothered about the score but I'd expect to see us win.

 

Thanks mate

Yeah I expect a win too!

 

Just hoping we don't understimate them and take the game for granted.

After such a great season, to bow out at the first stage would be a complete and utter disaster.

HTL

 

I've put a sizeable bet on you ****ers to win, and I think you will, comfortable.

This is a Greek side, and not even a top one, with the midfield you have you should dominate.

I'd back you against Panathinaikos or Olympiacos, never minfd these no hopers.

1-3 Toon, should have been more, for me.

 

Left some early morning rep for a canny few

 

Newcastle in Europe has a nice ring to it.

 

I'm out for a pub meal this evening, I know the pub has the Sky games on, not sure if they show foreign channels or whatever, I'll be keeping my iphone handy for 'Alerts'.

 

Hope you enjoy the meal and the lads serve you up the best dessert possible.