Eddie Howe adores motivational slogans and the Newcastle manager’s current favourite is: “One Brain.” The idea is to inspire his team to play with the sort of synchronicity that stems from a collective mindset and united purpose.
For a while here it seemed to be working a treat with Newcastle’s intelligence – both joint and individual – threatening to further humiliate Qarabag. But then, with a last-16 tie against either Barcelona or Chelsea assured, home concentration began wandering a little. Commendably, the Azerbaijani title holders fought back with Gurban Gurbanov’s side, and, in particular, their Colombian forward Camilo Durán, showing they can play a bit too. If the concession of nine goals over two legs is never ideal, Qarabag at least exited the Champions League on something of a minor high.
Continue reading…Eddie Howe adores motivational slogans and the Newcastle manager’s current favourite is: “One Brain.” The idea is to inspire his team to play with the sort of synchronicity that stems from a collective mindset and united purpose.For a while here it seemed to be working a treat with Newcastle’s intelligence – both joint and individual – threatening to further humiliate Qarabag. But then, with a last-16 tie against either Barcelona or Chelsea assured, home concentration began wandering a little. Commendably, the Azerbaijani title holders fought back with Gurban Gurbanov’s side, and, in particular, their Colombian forward Camilo Durán, showing they can play a bit too. If the concession of nine goals over two legs is never ideal, Qarabag at least exited the Champions League on something of a minor high. Continue reading…
