Robson targets perfect home run

His three seasons in Dutch football marked Bobby Robson as a man whose domestic triumphs were marred by failures on the European stage – despite winning successive titles with PSV Eindhoven, he was removed because the club made little impact in the European Cup.

Should Newcastle United falter against Feyenoord tonight, the Dutch journalists and supporters drifting away from St James' Park may be tempted to come to the conclusion that not much has changed in 10 years. After their defeat by Dynamo Kiev, Robson yesterday all but admitted that Newcastle's three home games have to be won.

"We have no points on the board. We have suffered a difficult match in the Ukraine and we have to make our three home games pay. We have to aim for nine points at home and try to pick up something on our travels," said the Newcastle manager. "We have to go to Juventus next week and things are coming thick, fast and heavy."

Nevertheless, a comfortable victory in Saturday's Tyne-Wear derby will have lifted much of the depression that had started to gather over St James' Park, as will the news that Craig Bellamy, who was doubtful to start against Sunderland and barely trained yesterday, will be ready this evening. Johnny Metgod, the former Nottingham Forest goalkeeper and now Feyenoord's assistant manager, followed Newcastle to Chelsea and Kiev and reported "a team with not much self-confidence," although he acknowledged that their first home victory in the North-east derby since 1993 would have altered that – while the replacement of Olivier Bernard by Andy Griffin appears to have bolstered the back four.

Of Robson's team, only Shay Given, Gary Speed and Alan Shearer had tasted the Champions' League before the Republican Stadium in Kiev. For the rest it was a brutal introduction to this level of football. "The biggest thing I noticed in Kiev was that they were all athletes, big strong lads," said Andy O'Brien who will tonight attempt to quell the threat of Pierre van Hooijdonk.

Robson, who first seriously studied Dutch football when he was manager of Ipswich on the grounds that the Netherlands were easier to reach from East Anglia than Sheffield, still admits to "nipping over" for special games, although his attempt to sign Feyenoord's Brett Emerton foundered when the Rotterdam club refused payment by instalments.

Having won the Uefa Cup and beaten Fenerbahce home and away to qualify for the Champions' League, Feyenoord are in formidable form, with their only defeat of the season coming in the Super Cup against Real Madrid. Both Robson and the Feyenoord coach, Bert van Marwijk, note similarities in the two clubs. "The atmosphere at Newcastle is overwhelming," said Van Marwijk. "The spectators do not expect them to play defensively and hardly give you time to think."

After receiving criticism for the lacklustre nature of Feyenoord's victory over De Graafschap at the weekend, he complained: "Abroad, we would have been praised that we finished the match so professionally. Look at Manchester United, they only have to win their matches in between Champions' League games, nothing more. But in Holland, they always expect us to make a show of things." They expect it on Tyneside, too.

Newcastle United: (probable 4-4-2) Given; Griffin, Dabizas, O'Brien, Hughes; Solano, Dyer, Speed, Robert; Bellamy, Shearer.

Feyenoord: (probable 4-4-2) Zoetebier; Gyan, Paauwe, Van Wonderen, Rzasa; Bosvelt, Emerton, Ono, Pardo; Buffel, Van Hooijdonk.

Referee: C Colombo (France).