A perfect start to the new season as Eddie Howe’s Mags dominated from first minute to last in a convincing win over Nottingham Forest.
I can’t remember the last time I saw us play with such energy, purpose and ingenuity. We were incredible off the ball and equally good on it, seeing first-time passes, constant movement and relentless pressing all afternoon.
Howe has often asked for more control of games, regularly bemoaning lapses or a lack of possession in some of our tight victories last season. Today, we did EXACTLY what he’s been asking for from the first minute to the last.
Fabian Schar broke the deadlock with a 58th minute thunderbolt and Callum Wilson made the points safe – not that they ever seemed in doubt – with a clever finish, scooping brilliantly over Dean Henderson from Joelinton’s low cross.
With 62% of the ball, 23 shots, 11 corners and efficient defending that saw us concede ZERO shots on target and just one corner, it’s fair to say we dominated. Pope didn’t have a save to make – although he was quick off his line and decent in his distribution – and we could’ve easily scored three or four on another day.
We were so impressive in the first half and did just about everything but the important bit – putting the ball into the back of the net! In terms of our control of the game, decision making on the ball and dominant possession, it was exactly what Eddie Howe would’ve been asking for, we just couldn’t find the finish in what was an otherwise superb start.
They couldn’t cope with our pressing and constantly saw the ball coming straight back at them when they attempted to play out or push up the pitch. Our midfield three were smothering them, moving the back quickly and overloads were created out wide. Trippier and Almiron linked up nicely, Bruno was pulling the strings and so much more and Saint-Maximin was doing everything Howe would’ve asked of him – working hard, releasing the ball at the right time and busting a gut to get into the box when we got into good positions.
I felt sure we’d find a breakthrough if we kept up this level of energy, intensity and quality of approach play and we did so in stunning fashion through Fabian Schar. The Swiss centre-back smashed a ball past Henderson’s near post from range and St James’ Park erupted!
We didn’t back down after that and soon made it 2-0 through Callum Wilson. Our number nine wasn’t actually at his best today, but the quality of his finish highlighted why we miss him so much when he’s injured.
Bruno Guimaraes showed, once again, what a sensational footballer he is. He’s got it all and made Forest midfielder look silly at times, with his genius working perfectly alongside the industry offered by the impressive Joelinton and Joe Willock.
Saint-Maximin deserves real praise for putting in a much improved all-round display, doing all of those little things Eddie Howe has been demanding from him. He worked much harder, released the ball quicker, looked fitter and showed much-improved movement, often arriving into the box to try and score those tap-ins he so rarely does.
Some were shocked to see Botman on the bench, but it’s hard to knock Howe’s decision to ease him in when Schar and Burn were so good again. Schar was classy at both ends, while Burn dealt with just about everything with minimal fuss, showing his underrated turn of speed on a couple of occasions.
Almiron also deserves credit for his part in the win. He linked up beautifully with Trippier at times and was relentless in his pressing, often pinching the ball back in good areas. He probably should have scored, however he created a couple of big chances and, without finding the net, showed more encouraging signs after a prolific pre-season.
Aside from some careless finishing in the final third, it was the perfect team display and the sort of emphatic start to the new season we were all hoping for. Howe-ball was in full flow and St James’ Park in great spirits on a feel-good day on Tyneside.
Next up, Brighton away next weekend!
STARTING XI: Pope, Trippier, Schar, Burn, Targett, Bruno, Willock, Joelinton, Almiron, Wilson, Saint-Maximin.
SUBS: Dubravka, Botman, Lascelles, S Longstaff, Ritchie, Anderson, Fraser, Murphy, Wood.
Observations on the first weekend.
I expected City and Liverpool to be streets ahead of everyone else, and I think these are still going to be well ahead of the next despite Liverpool’s slip up.
The four teams that I expected to be third to sixth all won and I still expect those four to take the European spots, although in what order I’m not predicting. Spurs, Chelsea, Arsenal and Us.The next three all lost which in West Hams case was forgivable but I expected better from Villa. They bought well. Utd appear to still be a basket case.
Everton and Soton look like they are in for a grim season.
PremAndUp(Quote)
My only head scratch with the Paqueta link is if we truly are interested in signing him – why have we not bid on him yet?? – we have for Maddison 🤷🏼♂️.
It’s the only thing that leaves me in doubt.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Didn’t we enquire early on and didn’t like the price?
PremAndUp(Quote)
I’ve saw the article saying Connor Gallagher now Shelvey is out injured.
I think Gallagher is class. But I don’t see Chelsea letting him go – and he’d want regular football – how would that go when Shelvey was back??.
But I do think Billy Gilmour could be a good loan move. Good passer of the ball and similar in style.
If not him, I think Maitland-Niles would be a good squad player to get too.
Sharpy17(Quote)
LYON have halfed the price for him to £33 mil,try £30 they might get him,thats if they want him
icedog(Quote)
We don’t need cover for Shelvey. We have 5 central midfielders and have been linked with Maddison and Paqueta.
PremAndUp(Quote)
Prem – it still doesn’t make sense considering our approach for Maddison.
Why would we enquire a price for Paqueta and then just bid £40m for Maddison to be told £60m.
Why not bid £40m for Paqueta – or whatever price we wanted to leave on the table – £30-35m, you get my point.
Even now – like Ice says, bid £30m and and get the ball rolling if he’s a player we want and think we could get.
I’m not expecting you to have the answer mate – I’m just saying the difference in approach is what makes me question our reported interest in Paqueta.
If we get him I couldn’t care less the difference though to be honest 😂
Sharpy17(Quote)
It’s all speculation, guesses by journos, leaks by agents etc.
If you know who we have actually enquired about let alone bidded for you know more than the rest of the world.
I’m not judging their actions by the info we have
PremAndUp(Quote)
The Giggs stuff sounds real. There is too much detail for it to be made up. But it is obvious the girlfriend stayed with him for the lifestyle until he got too mentally and physically violent. He seems like a total piece of work. Simon Jordan will probably still back him though 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Giggs is morally bankrupt, anyone who sleeps with his brothers wife is . And now we hear he’s violent too, are any of us surprised .
kimtoon(Quote)
How did Mick Lowes have a job commentating on NUFC for so long? He is now on with Steve Wraith and has the most annoying speech pattern of anybody, ever.
“And I will tell you this, I will tell you this… Chris Wood couldn’t hit a barn door with a banana, with a banana, with a banana, and more so I will tell you this, I will tell you this, he couldn’t hit, couldn’t hit, couldn’t hit a barn door with a banana, with a banana.”
Eric Sykes(Quote)
nowt but a ratbag,been married over 40 yrs,what makes it work imo trust and respect
icedog(Quote)
and open communication
PremAndUp(Quote)
Ice , spot on mate, well done you and your mrs. Ruby wedding eh, that’s gonna cost you lol
kimtoon(Quote)
Won’t cost much mate I get her something every week,every day is my wedding ,Ime just a big softy I suppose
Yes PREM bit of that too mate
Icedog(Quote)
Told to be on standby on Friday,mmmlmmmmm
Icedog(Quote)
Told to be on standby on Friday mmmmmmmm,let’s see
Icedog(Quote)
Hopefully great news
PremAndUp(Quote)
That’s lovely mate.
kimtoon(Quote)
Well it would be great if it was Paqueta but I think from all the chat at the moment it’s more likely to be young Ramos
Sharpy17(Quote)
My guess Bamba Dieng
PremAndUp(Quote)
Aye reckon you are right Sharpy.
kimtoon(Quote)
Benfica have sold Nunez, don’t need the money and see Ramos as their next striker.
Marseille do need the money and are willing to deal.
PremAndUp(Quote)
Prem – I was watching SSN and the Portugal transfer fella said the opposite. Said the new manager didn’t fancy him & didn’t start him in their first game.
Said from what he’s heard the club would be willing to sell but for nothing less than €30m.
He reckons the clubs spoke when they were over for the friendly & the player would be up for the move after seeing the turn out.
Who knows how much he actually knows like 🤷🏼♂️.
I rate Dieng too so would not be disappointed either way.
Sharpy17(Quote)
not the first time I’ve been wrong.
PremAndUp(Quote)
Prem – I really wouldn’t mind either way. They are both very good young players with lots of potential to get better again.
Man Utd look like they are about to get fleeced for Sesko – so our lot getting either of these 2 is brilliant business in comparison.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I was watching a replay of the Forest game and noticed how good Miggy’s link up play was. That’s what I noticed in MLS also but he scored quite a few goals there as well. That was probably due to the poor quality of opposition. His general average is about 1 in every 9 games for clubs and country. That means we should expect about 4 or 5 a season. That’s who he is, and thinking we will get double figures is not realistic in the PL.
He does a job though in Eddie’s system and really harries and harasses the opposition.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
BUT……. if Miggy doesnt get more than 1 goal and 0 assists this season I would sell him. 4 goals and 6 assists is my minimum for him no matter his work rate.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
The other thing I noticed AGAIN is we can take throw-ins now. We pass it to the 1st man before the other team can put 3 players within 5 yards. Under the cabbage and his Steve’s we would always be dawdling and letting the opposition mark our players.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
This is a totally different Newcastle United. We can take throw-ins, corners and free kicks now. Part of it is the movement and quick passing of the players. If anybody has watched the training sessions like the one where Sean Longstaff was mic’d up it was all about quick interplay. We even have Maxi passing the ball now.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
lot of the press saying we are bidding for quite a number of left backs?? imo its just cr*p trying to sell their rubbish
icedog(Quote)
With our interest in Ramos I was trying to think of Portuguese players in black & white – can only think of Hugo Viana??
Sharpy17(Quote)
Talk we are interested in NDomdele from Spurs. He’s not made his mark there but he’s a talented player – is it his character or does he just not fit their system??.
Worth a loan to buy move I reckon.
Buy our forward & hopefully get Paqueta with NDomdele on loan & that would be an excellent end to a very good window imo.
Sharpy17(Quote)
We got Tranmere in the League Cup – everybody knows what that means, right? MIKE DEAN.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Tranmere are Mike Dean’s pretend team when he really supports Liverpool but we will see him in the stands and probably being interviewed. He is retired as a Ref now but is still somehow involved in VAR.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Helder Cristovao I believe is Portugese
StanHardy(Quote)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2rNYgnX3KE
Bit of morning fun
kimtoon(Quote)
our new forward
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGbZdrcqXA8
kimtoon(Quote)
SHARPY NDomdele is not Howes cup of tea they are saying,does not train hard enough and hasnt since he went to Spurs great talent but does not put the work in,so i think we can say its a no no mate
icedog(Quote)
Since everything is harmonious at NUFC it is interesting to watch the goings on at Man U. They are planning another boycott and are wearing the green and gold scarves again. I went to see them in Chicago 10 years ago and the same shyte was going on then. It is not like they had to suffer Mike Ashley for 15 years. The Glazers have let the Managers spend like a billion dollars (literally) in that time and take a dividend of 25 mil per year which is a drop in the bucket to Man U. Their supporters see the Glazers as thieves, imagine what they would say if they had our fat tw@t?
Anyway, they got what they wanted. Moyes was Ferguson’s choice. Then Van Gaal was seen as a serial winner and a safe pair of hands. Same with Jose. An OGS was a fan favourite. Now they have Ten Hag and there was really only the choice of him or Poch. WTF are they moaning about!!! They got what they asked for. They even got Verane, and Ronaldo back.
I dont really see the Glazers as the problem. They have given the managers money and the fans what they asked for.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Whatever the problems are with UTD, it ain’t the owners.
Plenty of investment
Anyway long may it continue
I reckon they will creep into the top 10 this season
PremAndUp(Quote)
Ice – I agree mate & it has to be down to the player coz it’s been 3 managers now at Spurs that don’t fancy him. Such a shame coz he’s a very talented player imo.
This was the week to make all our signings – we never get weather like this man!! 😎
Like selling your house when you’ve baked bread or something like that 😂
Sharpy17(Quote)
Can’t stand this heat , boys day center is open but they have cancelled transport even though they have AC on their buses.
Now he’s stuck at home in a bungalow which despite huge fans going is like a greenhouse when he could of been in an air conditioned building. Can’t take him outside as it’s far too hot. He’s really not coping with this heat and we have 3 more days of this **** and I just know a big fit is coming too.
You can take your 34c and stick it where the sun don’t shine, pardon the pun.
About time we signed someone too.
kimtoon(Quote)
Keiran McGuire is full of shyte. I remember a couple of years ago he valued NUFC at 200 million. I said on here it was a stupid number as all you had to do was look at Soton to see we were much nearer 350 million. I actually think Stavely got a steal at the price she paid.
In addition to this he was on one of the youtube channels saying we could spend 500 million. Now he has completely changed his tune.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Kimtoon: you can get those gelpak things that you put in the freezer that might help cool your boy down. I had one for a bad back. They are not that expensive. Otherwise buy a bag of ice and some ziplock bags. That might help.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
It’s always baffled me how we can live on an Island surrounded by water and there be drought & hosepipe bans – even more so when climate change is causing rising sea levels & rivers to burst their banks.
I’m not making light of it, merely thinking surely scientists and environmentalists must be able to find a solution to purify sea water or create back up underground water reservoirs – maybe that’s simplifying things, but with modern technologies there has to be more they can do so that a few weeks of sun doesn’t cause so much trouble – if it really does or is it the news blowing out of proportion again??.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Our hose pipe ban is incoming here in south west, but rain is due on monday.
Eric, thanks for tips. I am wiping him down with cold flannels and have him by the fan. Hazels fella bought round a huge fan off the tv show he was working on, it’s like a jet engine but all it’s doing is pushing hot air around 🙁
kimtoon(Quote)
put a bucket of cold water in front of the fan
PremAndUp(Quote)
Kim – prems suggestion works, if you put a bucket of cold water – ideally with ice in it, it’s the next best thing to air con. Far cheaper but works really well.
Sharpy17(Quote)
well mate has had phone call,nothing doing or week-end,ffs
icedog(Quote)
What the f@ck are we playing at here????
Forest are on the verge of signing Denis from Watford for £20m and Fulham are in talks to sign Dieng for £15m.
Both players cheaper than Wood & both will score more goals than him too.
Howe has said in his press conference we are no further forward in bringing new players in – well there’s 2 that are clearly available.
Patience is all well and good, but people already know we need a forward – imagine if Wilson gets injured against Brighton & is out for a few weeks/months.
Ever club will stick an extra £5m on the valuation, ever agent will stick an extra £1m on their fee & every player will stick an extra £10k on their wages.
Are we trying to be clever here??!! or are we messing around??.
They will have known that PSG were in for Ekitike.
They will have known Diaby had no interest in coming to NUFC.
They knew Maddison was never a realistic target.
It’s the one thing that has frustrated me since they have too over – it takes them too **** long to get stuff done!!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
So had windows open over night but closed along with blinds today and is defo better, you can feel the fans now. Gonna be 35 tomorrow ffs.
Ice, that’s bad news, was hoping for an incoming
kimtoon(Quote)
Sharpy agree mate, are we skint or what.
kimtoon(Quote)
I have no idea about tomorrow so will go with a total guess and say we win 2-1. Mainly because Brighton have lost some very good players including BDB. But remember they also sold Ben White for 50 mil and the gonk looking bloke to Chelsea for like 60 mil.
They have mainly had our number under the cabbage but Eddie is a different kettle of vegetable. We have Wilson fit and Maxi actually passing the ball so I think that will make the difference.
Plus Man U were shyte so I think that might have flattered Brighton.
HWTLs.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
It is scary to dare to dream. But we are a TOTALLY DIFFERENT team under Eddie. The personnel are different, especially at the back. The defense doesnt have a single starter left from the cabbage days. Big Joe looks a different player now and Bruno must be worth 100 mil. Also, Little Joe looks like he has gotten over his homesickness. Add in Maxi who is now willing to pass, a fit Wilson and Miggy who just presses the opposition all match and I think we are very hard to play against.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
fair play rules say we can only spend much if we go over that it will impact the next two to three windows,we need a big sponser to help our transfer chest which you are allowed to spend,its a pain in the *** if you ask me,new owners should be allowed a bit leeway imo
icedog(Quote)
Ice – I get they are trying to be careful but if they are bidding £30m for Ekitike and £40m for Maddison the money MUST be there.
I’m not expecting a complete over haul of the squad – just cover the areas we are light in – CF being one when ironically we’ve already spent £25m there 🤦🏼♂️.
Stavs has said we’ll get another 2 in and Eddie has said 1 to 2 players to come in.
But the breaking news is Wilson is about to sign a bumper new deal????
We need to be working on his replacement/cover – not working on a deal that could have been done after the window is closed!!.
I get we need to build, but if they are serious about breaking into the top 6 – the better ones get their business done early!!.
Sharpy17(Quote)