These three Newcastle United players need to step up | OneFootball

The Newcastle United players take on Union Saint-Gilloise in their second Champions League match.

It will be the ninth of the season in total so far for NUFC.

The opening eight games bringing two wins, three draws and three defeats.

Generally, Newcastle United haven’t played badly, more a case of just missing that extra edge, the difference in turning defeat into draws (or wins…) and draws into victories.

I think three Newcastle United players need to step up.

Not that any of them have been terrible this season, more a case of just how valuable they are and indeed, vital, to United’s chances this season.

Joelinton, Sandro Tonali and Bruno, have all had their moments in the first six weeks of the season. Just not enough of them.

Most importantly though, we have not really seen our midfield trio combine as we know they can. A formidable force and a match for any midfield in the Premier League.

Nowhere did we see this better than in March at Wembley, all three of them superb and for me it was how that trio performed, that saw United dominate against Liverpool. A Newcastle United performance that should have seen United win by three or four, not the on goal margin that Luckypool got away with.

Assuming they all start, which I think will be the case, we need Sandro, Bruno and Joelinton to take a grip on this Champions League clash. To dominate their Union S-G midfield opponents, which will give Newcastle the platform to win.

I always think, if you team can win the midfield battle, then in most cases you win the match and rarely get beat.

That is what we witnessed so often last season when the three were on the pitch together and I am confident that we will see the trio of Newcastle United midfielders really click into gear together in this game.

Eddie Howe’s side then using that as a platform to get a vital Champions League win by protecting the back four AND setting things up for success at the other end of the pitch.

The three Newcastle United players can’t do it by themselves of course, they need their teammates to do their bit as well.

However, I think that when our midfield functions at something like its best level, then their lead is followed by the rest.