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Newcastle United beat Sunderland in the FA Cup third round the last time the two sides met.<\/p>\nNewcastle United take on their fierce rivals this weekend but have several big games on the horizonNewcastle United beat Sunderland in the FA Cup third round the last time the two sides met.<\/p>\n
I bumped into Mick Edmondson last week. For those who don’t know him, Mick runs The Back Page, the extraordinarily good sporting memorabilia shop that now has branches in Newcastle city centre and the MetroCentre.<\/p>\n
Mick is a Newcastle United fan like few others. He’s followed the club home and away all his life and seen the ups and (mainly downs) for six decades. He’s bought the T-shirt, worn the T-shirt and now sells the T-shirt too.<\/p>\n
Mick has forgotten more about the club than most people can remember. His passion is incredible, although he has partnered it with a love for non-league side Heaton Stannington in the latter years. So when he speaks, it’s always worth a listen.<\/p>\n
We got talking about the upcoming derby. I asked his view on it and his answer surprised me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe most important match in the next three in many people\u2019s eyes is the derby. And yes, of course, nothing would please me more than a 5-0 Newcastle win.<\/p>\n
“But in reality the games against Leverkusen and Fulham are more important, as progression in the Champions League and the League Cup is so much bigger. In an ideal world we will win all three, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n
It got me thinking. Would Newcastle fans really be prepared to sacrifice a derby win if it meant progress in both the Champions League and Carabao Cup? A win over Leverkusen in the former would secure a play-off place at the very least, and put them probably one win away from a top eight finish.<\/p>\n
There’s huge finances involved too, of course. Aston Villa finished eighth in the league phase last season, won their round of 16 tie against Club Brugge before losing in the quarter-final to eventual winners Paris St Germain. It’s estimated that run made them \u00a345million.<\/p>\n
And victory at home to Fulham three days after the derby would put Carabao Cup holders into the semi-finals again, a step closer another return to Wembley.<\/p>\n
Worth a defeat against their oldest, fiercest rivals? Worth losing the first Premier League clash between the two sides in eight years?<\/p>\n
I canvassed a few opinions among other Newcastle fans and the opinion was split. Some talked about the ‘bigger picture’ of finances, cup progression and how United shouldn’t define their season just about how they’ve done in the derbies. Others said that the derby is too important for bragging rights and Premier League standings, that they couldn’t countenance a defeat at the hands of Sunderland, particularly those still remembering the ‘six in a row’ mocking.<\/p>\n
Of course, all of those spoken to said, like Mick, that there’s no reason Newcastle can’t win all three games.<\/p>\n
It’s an interesting subject, mainly because some of this will have entered Eddie Howe’s thinking. The Newcastle boss is having to be canny with his squad, mixing and matching his starting XI for each game with one eye on how to get a win and the other on the upcoming schedule. It’s a relentless fixture list and with injuries and illness starting to creep in, one he needs to manage carefully.<\/p>\n
Does he rest Tino Livramento, Bruno Guimaraes, Nick Woltemade and Malick Thiaw in Germany to keep them fresh for the derby, or does he go full strength and try to secure a vital Champions League victory? What to do with Lewis Hall and Sandro Tonali, fit enough just for bench duty<\/a> against Burnley after illness and injury?<\/p>\n