By Mark Deeks
February 24 2003

BAYER LEVERKEUSEN AWAY, FEBRUARY 18TH. Sorry it is later than usual. The main webmaster of Tyne Talk has been away but he is now back! Here is the Champions League column - It is just as good as the game! BAYER LEVERKEUSEN AWAY,
FEBRUARY 18TH.

So, here we go then. Back to our European adventure. Me and Dougie were supposed to be going but the financial gods conspired against us. Well me, anyway.

It really was all set up, wasn't it? Sir Bobby's 70th, JJ's 20th, they have just fired their manager and are in a state of disarray. All set up for a straightforward toon win, but we never do anything straightforward do we?

The suspensions of messrs Bellamy and Shearer may have seemed like a potential problem, but good ol' Sir Bob typically billed it as the opportunity for two younger stars to get their chance. Lua Lua and Ameobi were handed the shirts with Carl Cort ready and waiting on the bench. The opposition's new manager (their recently prmoted youth team coach) had made eight changes, and surely this would mean that their unfamiliarity with each other would work to our advantage?

Within 5 minutes it appeared that this was the case. A lovely twist and turn wide out right from Lua, a superbly whipped in cross, and Big Shola could hardly miss with his head from 5 yards! 0-1! As the celebrations kicked off, Shola was holding his finger to his lips "Shhhhh" style. Did this show that the gaffer had told his young stars to silence the crowd? Certainly looked like it.

It was a great start from the lads. We looked full of purpose, full of energy, and the dismantled German side didn't seem to know what to do with our two livewires up front. At the back, the lad Titus was having another assured step on his road to recovery from injury.

Ten minutes later, things got even better! Shola pounced on a bouncing ball in the middle of the park whilst his man waited for the ball to come under his control. And before you could say "Lomanatresorlualua", the kid this week described by Bobby as "a lanky version of Bamby!", had skipped past two challenges and had slotted home expertly from the edge of the box! AMAZING! 0-2! It was again followed by another "Shhhh" celebration. I like to see a bit of thought has gone into our antics. Always provides a nice touch I think!

The game really did seem to be there for the taking as the Germans looked rock bottom on confidence. But, typical toon, we took our foot off the gas, started to look a little complacent, and with 25 minutes on the clock got punished. A delightful one two on the edge of our box saw Bramble dragged out of position, and Franca dinked home. 1-2.

Crap. Surely we weren't going to throw away another two goal advantage ala Feyenoord away? Well no, actually. With the Germans' marking becoming increasingly, well, "toon-like", a fantastically whipped cross from Robert was volleyed in in the blink of an eye by Lua Lua! 1-3! Off went the somersaults and back flips (as well as a quick "Shhh") and I was left with an overriding thought. Since when did these two kids learn to finish like this? I am fans of them both, but it usually takes at least 2 or 3 chances each before one finds the back of the net, but this was three chances, three goals. All expertly executed.

Brilliant!

Even before half time arrived, Ameobi had buried another half chance only to be denied his hat-trick by an offside flag. Shame. Because it would have been what Soccer AM call the elite squad: it would have been one with his right foot, one with his left foot and one with his head. Never mind kid, another day.

Well, what an opening 45 minutes. Like the ITV2 crew said, it's certainly never dull watching Newcastle. Although quite how commentator John Champion can constantly refer to our miraculous 3-2 last gasp win in Feyenoord all night, but also declare our three goals in Germany to be the first time we had scored three away from home in the Champions' League is beyond me.

What happened in the second half was far less eventful. Bayer started to come at us with a lot more purpose, and if truth be told we looked decidedly shaky. We rode our luck with a goal being given offside despite the fact it wasn't the player who stuck the ball away who was off, we had a hefty cry for a German penalty turned down, and a couple of scrambled clearances. The main problem was our seeming inability to keep ahold of the ball. We gave it away far too cheaply.

At the other end, there were always going to be chances on the break as the hosts pressed, and Lua Lua was guilty of spurning the best of these with 5 minutes left on the clock.

Perhaps my abiding memory of the night, will be the constant shouting of encouragement from Sir Bobby. With the mics being positioned so close to the bench, there was a fantastic stream of manical cries to be heard from our esteemed leader throughout the match! It mainly consisted of random shouts of players' names, interspersed with the odd "Come On" and the brilliant "Gary!!! Gary!!! You're too short!", whatever that meant!

Great night for the gaffer. Great night for the lads, especially the two upfront, great night to be a toon fan. Fantastic first half, mildly spoiled by a poor second half. But by then, it was definitely a case of job done.

Just a little extra note! On the You're on Sky Sports football phone in, I made my debut appearance!! My first point about it being a brilliant night for the toon was greeted with very little by Rob Cushings and his guest Kenny Samson. But my second brought the house down!!! I told them that I had been watching the Leicester vs Portsmouth game the night before, and had become perturbed by Chrish Kamara's constant use of the word "caress" and asked if they could please arrange for it to stop! I suggested that perhaps our favourite excitable pundit must have had a most agreeable Valentine's weekend with his missus and that he had some caressing on his mind, but could he please not allow it to infiltrate his commentary like this!

The two lads in the studio were laughing hard as Rob Cushing suggested Kamara's new nickname be Chris "Caress" Kamara!!! Just thought I'd let you know incase it becomes a running joke on the Gillette Soccer Special on saturday!!!

Keep the faith.