Judging by the advertisements Newcastle United have placed in the local newspapers for tonight's European Cup qualifier with Croatia Zagreb at St James' Park (ITV, 8.0 p.m.), Kenny Dalglish has only minimal contact with his club's marketing department. Notoriously reticent, it seems unlikely that Dalglish would have sanctioned the use of a picture of Faustino Asprilla below the words The Key To Europe. It will be a day worth remembering when Dalglish singles out an individual and uses such a description, but then it is as rare for an advertisement to be so truthful. If Newcastle are to unlock the door to the riches of the Champions' League, Asprilla's ability, and goals, will be the key.
Asprilla's nine in 25 starts last season was hardly prolific, but then five of them came in Europe and he has already two League goals this season. Zagreb, however, will not be as defensively tentative as Sheffield Wednesday were last Saturday, a point the Croatian delegation made on Saturday night. Nevertheless, they left St James' Park impressed by Asprilla.
"He is the danger man," said Marko Mlinaric, the Zagreb assistant coach. "I should almost prefer to be facing Alan Shearer than Asprilla." Even Dalglish was heard singing the Colombian's praises yesterday.
Asked about the perception that Asprilla was not a Dalglish type of player, Dalglish replied: "That's because you've been misinformed. It's you (the news media) who misled the people. Others say it is a surprise for Tino to be playing up front by himself, but those who say so cannot be too well informed because that's where he plays for Colombia. So he's doing nothing new.
"At the end of last season he was brilliant for us. He's intelligent: he's not as daft as he would like you to believe. He does always look shattered, even in the first minute; he even looked shattered getting the team's picture taken. But I never had any pre-conceived ideas about him, that's just the way he is."
Dalglish played down the suggestion that Newcastle's victory over Wednesday was the most complete performance since his arrival on Tyneside, but it is probable that the line-up that started then will begin again tonight.
Presumably that would mean another occasional forward roll for Philippe Albert, who was conspicuous by his attacking presence on Saturday, a ploy noted rather sarcastically by Mlinaric.
"Albert is a better attacker than he is a defender," the Croat said, adding: "I wasn't too impressed by Pearce, and Given was unsure in goal."
A Newcastle player that moved Mlinaric, other than Asprilla, was David Batty and his contest with the great Robert Prosinecki in midfield should have a serious impact on the outcome. In a way, Prosinecki has failed to fulfil the promise that saw him rated the best young player in Europe six years ago and led him to join Barcelona.
But he is still only 28, and is one of eight internationals in a team that easily overcame Partizan Belgrade in their previous round, have won the Croatian League and Cup double twice in two seasons and won their league by 21 points.
It is 30 years since they played an English club when, as they were known then, Dinamo Zagreb defeated Leeds 2-0 over two legs in the final of the Fairs Cup. Today Croatia Zagreb seem confident of a similar scoreline because in Prosinecki, Igor Cvitanovic and Silvio Maric they feel they have three keys to Newcastle's two: Batty and Asprilla.
Guardian Service
