Pundit can’t believe how people have reacted to Newcastle Champions League group

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Newcastle United were part of the Champions League group stage draw in Monaco last night.

Newcastle United will compete in the Champions League for the first time in twenty years this season, after Eddie Howe led the club to a top four finish in the Premier League last time out. 

Given their extended absence and relative lack of pedigree on the continental stage, the Magpies were assigned to pot 4 for the Champions League group stage draw. That meant that the Tyneside outfit were included amongst the lowest seeded clutch of teams set to feature in this year’s edition of the tournament.

In the end, Newcastle were drawn in an extremely tough group, alongside PSG, Borussia Dortmund, and AC Milan. It will take a mammoth effort from Howe and his players to progress from that group into the knock-out rounds of the competition.

However, the Magpies will fancy their chances of pulling off an upset and will be excited to test themselves against the best. The atmosphere of a bouncing St James’ Park will play into their hands during the home games they will host in the group stage.

Newcastle will thrive on the fight

Pundits Jason Cundy and Jamie O’Hara certainly believe Newcastle have reasons to be positive. Speaking on TalkSport, former Chelsea defender Cundy said, “everyone’s writing Newcastle off. Why would you be writing them off?…I don’t doubt for one second that Newcastle can get out of this group.”

Ex-Tottenham Hotspur midfielder O’Hara followed up with, “you want to play the big boys…it’s a brilliant group.”

Newcastle will relish their role as underdogs. They surpassed all expectations in the Premier League last season, and Howe will use the pessimism about their chances in the Champions League to fire up his players.

Anyone who has watched things closely at St James’ Park over the last couple of years will know that this Champions League group draw is no reason to discount them. Howe certainly won’t allow his Newcastle squad to think that they’ve already been all but beaten.