"The team performance was like chalk and cheese compared with Wembley on Sunday. It was just what we needed and I am very pleased.

"Anderlecht are a good side and they ask different questions of you. It wasn't like a normal friendly, it was played at a pretty hard pace. I got everything I wanted out of this game.

"We defended as a team, not as individuals. The midfield worked hard and were inventive and we looked lively up front."
 

They Said

Jan Boskamp:

To follow
 

Stats

This was United's third game in Brussels against the Purple and Whites, but only their second visit to the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium.   May 1951 found the Magpies end their season with a resounding 6-0 friendly win over the Belgian champions at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels. Their first visit to this stadium came during March 1970, when they were beaten 2-0 in the first leg of their Fairs Cup Quarter Final. Although Joe Harvey's side won the return game 3-1 at SJP, the Belgians advanced on penalties and after eliminating Inter Milan in the Semis were beaten by Arsenal in the Final.

Waffle

48 hours after the Wembley Charity Shield debacle, a handful of hardcore loons trekked to Brussels and saw Newcastle win a meaningless friendly.

With Les Ferdinand resting an ankle knock ahead of the opening league game, birthday boy Alan Shearer and Tino Asprilla were paired to good effect - the former setting up the latter to score the opener. 

Keith Gillespie was then harshly penalised as the home side levelled from the spot, before United went back down the other end and Steve Watson played in Ginola for a crowd-silencing winner.

The French winger had been abused by home fans throughout the game and was spoken to by the match referee during the first half, after picking up a rolled-up newspaper thrown in his direction and tossing it into the stand.

Biffa