Robson plays down Magpies chances

Newcastle 1 FC Basle 0 (aggregate 4-2)

United were made to fight all the way despite extending their aggregate lead through substitute Boris Smiljanic's 14th-minute own goal. Robson insisted that while the Magpies will provide a stern test for any side, they cannot be regarded as one of the favourites.

"We'll be a danger to most clubs, but I wouldn't want to say that we'll be one of the favourites, I think that's putting pressure on us.

"There'll be some very good teams coming in from the Champions League, but we're there and it's fine.

"We've won again at home, we've not been in too much difficulty.

They (Basle) got a sniff of it, but you're not going to play 90 minutes at this level of football and they're not going to get a sniff of your goal. But they haven't put the ball past our keeper, so that's fine.

"There will be some very good teams coming into it. This competition gets stronger now."

Newcastle flew out of the traps and deserved their lead on the night, but they relaxed as half-time approached and Basle might have forced their way back into it but for three good saves from Shay Given.

They might too have had a penalty when midfielder Mario Cantaluppi appeared to be felled by the Irishman, but referee Knud Erik Fisker booked the Basle player for diving "It's job done," said Robson. "The object was to get through and we've done it. It's sometimes not going to be exotic.

"Our opinion on that team before we played them was that they would give us two difficult games, and they've done that.

"We've given them two difficult games as well. We've been the better team over two matches and we've gone through 4-2, so it's fine."

Basle boss Christian Gross admitted his side had lost the tie in the first leg, and by shooting themselves in the foot within 14 minutes of kick-off.

"Of course we're disappointed because tonight we had our chances," he said.

"But it was our home defeat which stopped us going forward. "It became really, really difficult. We tried hard and we created some good opportunities to score, excellent opportunities, but unfortunately, we couldn't score.

"We had quite a good first half, especially Marco Streller. He missed a great chance Given was excellent on that occasion.

"We're disappointed, but what we now have to look to is becoming champions this year."

Gross, whose side might have had a first-half penalty and also hit the post, refused to bemoan their luck, and absolved "It became really, really difficult. We tried hard and we created some good opportunities to score, excellent opportunities, but unfortunately, we couldn't score.

"We had quite a good first half, especially Marco Streller. He missed a great chance Given was excellent on that occasion.

"We're disappointed, but what we now have to look to is becoming champions this year."

Gross, whose side might have had a first-half penalty and also hit the post, refused to bemoan their luck, and absolved.