By Paul Gilder
* Having brushed aside the league leaders of Latvia this summer, Newcastle will return to the Baltic States next month to continue their Uefa Cup campaign against a team who boast a 17-point advantage in the Estonian championship table.
And although Glenn Roeder knows little about FC Levadia Tallinn, his scouting staff will ensure the St James's Park manager has a detailed dossier on the club's next opponents in Continental competition within the next seven days.
The first leg of the first round tie has already been moved from Levadia's modest ground to Estonia's national stadium, with the 8,700-capacity A. Le Coq Arena able to accommodate 4,000 more supporters than .......
...... the Meistriliiga club's Kadrioru Stadium. The Magpies are scheduled to travel to the Estonian capital for that game on September 14 and, between now and then, Roeder will strive to ensure there are no gaps in his knowledge.
"I don't know much about them at the minute but ask me in seven days and I will," he said last night. "We will do the same job as we did watching Ventspils (in the competition's previous round) and the same job we would do watching Chelsea.
"There will be detailed reports and DVD evidence and the players will go into the game knowing all they need to know about their players. I'm pleased with the draw and, as in the last round, all you can ask for is to be drawn at home first."
Levadia have become the first Estonian club to progress so far in European competition having beaten FC Haka of Finland in the Uefa Cup's first qualifying round and Holland's FC Twente in the second.
Newcastle's 50th opponents in Continental football have a commanding lead at the top of the Meistriliiga table having won 22 of their 24 league games this season, scoring 78 goals and conceding just 13 in the process.
Tallinn have a home match against Valga tomorrow afternoon. And, although he had not finalised his plans last night, it would be no surprise if Roeder were to send chief scout David Mills to run the rule over Levadia at the first opportunity.
Ventspils were watched on several occasions prior to the encounter with Newcastle.
Roeder will leave nothing to chance this time around.
United are scheduled to host Levadia in the second leg at St James's Park on September 28, although no dates or times have been confirmed.
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