Steven Taylor: “We know we are under pressure in every game we play.
"We want to do well in this competition. The gaffer has made it clear in team meetings and the players know too.
“I am desperate to win something. Hopefully this could be it.
"People say we have been playing weakened teams, but we haven’t.
"We have got great players and we have to try to do as well as we can in every match we play.
“There is more European experience in the squad now with the signings we made in January and we do have the young players that are good enough.
“The gaffer has the options now and he didn’t have those at the start of the season, that should help us.
“Players had to play out of position because of injury, but now we should have the players to come in.
“It was so difficult for our gaffer to be able to pick a side before January when we had all of the games. Competition is very healthy and we have to try to make the most of the Europa League.
“We have new faces in the squad, we all want to do well.
"European nights are what St James’ Park is all about and, from what I have heard, there will be a lot of fans there so the atmosphere should be something else.
“And rightly so because last season we did so well to qualify for Europe and now we need to kick on in the competition.
We want to win it.”