UEFA CUP/ Newcastle v Mallorca, St James' Park, 7.45 (BBC3): Bobby Robson got his teeth into some sums yesterday. "We have reached the stage where the players have something to bite on," the Newcastle manager said, "if we get a 5 per cent improvement from every player then that's 50 per cent from a team point of view."
It sort of adds up, and Newcastle United will need it to if they are to pass Real Mallorca at St James' Park this evening. It is fourth-top of the Premiership versus fourth-bottom of the Primera Division and Newcastle are favourites to progress.
But, as Robson said, Valerenga raised their game "30 per cent" in the last round to give Newcastle a more difficult experience than expected, and as Jermaine Jenas admitted yesterday: "It is a fact we have been up and down the whole season."
That inconsistency means it is difficult to have faith in which Newcastle will turn up: the one that has shown flashes of last season's fluency or the one of the bitty, edgy football that has enraged supporters.
Robson acknowledged the problem. "We are aware we are not playing football as well as last year. I heard some ridiculous comments the other day saying we had played one minute of football all season - that's too ridiculous for words - but we have not been as fluent as some times last season.
"We don't keep the ball as well, lose it too easily and because of that we don't build up attacks. But we are still difficult to beat. We are fourth, not eighth or 12th."
This is a real opportunity to regenerate enthusiasm. Craig Bellamy is due to return and Darren Ambrose may be back on the right as Newcastle seek to use pace against a Mallorca defence in which 37-year-old Miguel Angel Nadal may mark Alan Shearer in a rerun of Euro '96.
In the bearded midfielder Gonzalo Colsa and Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o, Mallorca have potential match-winners. Eto'o got a hat-trick in the first round of this competition against Apoel Nicosia.
"In a good team he'd be a very good player," said Robson.
NEWCASTLE UNITED (possible; 4-4-2): Given; Hughes, Bramble, O'Brien, Bernard; Dyer or Ambrose, Jenas, Speed, Robert; Shearer, Bellamy.
REAL MALLORCA (possible; 4-4-2): Franco; Lussenhoff, Nadal, Cortes, Moya; Campano, Nagore, Colsa, Nene; Eto'o, Correa.
Referee: A Hamer (Luxembourg).
