After poor start there must be no way for Jose

ANY THOUGHTS OF A REPEAT OF 23/24 MUST BE BANISHED

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NEWCASTLE, with sticking plaster over wounds both mental and physical, must steel themselves for a rapid-fire Champions League confrontation with Jose Mourinho and Benfica, aware they have to fend off fears of a repeat of recent history.

When Eddie Howe last took his black-and-white warriors into a Champions League season, the relentless weight of four competitions proved too great to carry.

United finished the 2023-24 season seventh in the Premier League, completely adrift from all European qualification.

Right now, the signs that both expectation and workload could take its toll again will concern the more cautious Geordie faithful, with defeat at Brighton confining United to the bottom half of the PL table - five points behind Sunderland, with only two wins in eight matches and none away from St James' Park.

Of course, it's still early in the season and United have a deeper squad this time around. But facts don't lie and Howe will be calling on his players to banish any fleeting thoughts of a possible permanent struggle.

He'll demand a second CL victory tomorrow, and three points against Fulham before the week is out. Anything less would be alarming.

Unlucky or not to come away from the south coast with nothing but a stinging defeat when pushing for victory, it is undeniable that Newcastle are playing catch up.