The Athletic

Newcastle United face Manchester United on Wednesday,

with both clubs competing for a place in Europe next season.

But is the increased strain on squads that comes with qualifying for UEFA's lesser competitions actually worth it?

Or would a season out of Europe allow both sides to regroup and build again?

I'm Ayahu Akimulare. Welcome to the Athletic FC podcast.

Okay, so with us today, we have the Athletics Newcastle writer George Corkin and Manchester United writer Carl Anker.

This is an opening question to you both really.

I guess you've got two clubs here in Newcastle United and Manchester United who are close in the league, but I guess the mood in both camps is very different, George. Yeah, I mean, it's been a tough, it's been a tough

season in different ways for both clubs, obviously, but these things, you know, these things are

relative. I mean, it's, it is quite sort of funny in some ways how, you know, only three points and a couple of league positions can separate the two clubs.

But in Newcastle's case, there is a feeling of positivity, they're in decent form, it's been a draining season in terms of injuries and, you know, their first European campaign, certainly in the Champions League for 20 years, and having to sort of get

through that. But they have done it. And yeah, they're sort of heading into the final week,

full of confidence. And I think if they can get back into Europe, if they can finish in the

top six, seven, it would represent a really, really good follow-up season to last time, which was

obviously a huge breakthrough for them. It really feels like Newcastle United are in the

ascendancy right now. Their form since the New Year, especially, has been good, and they've

returned to what my friends have politely described as Athletico Tyneside.

So hard, robust, aggressive, fantastic counter-pressing force,

whereas Manchester United are in absolute freefall.

One Premier League victory since the start of April,

their injury depleted and with little idea as to how they're going to get the next victory. George, from a Newcastle perspective then, like Europa League qualification looks in decent shape,

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