What a huge week it is coming up for Newcastle United. Two signings in key positions, unwanted deadwood leaving and progress in one of the only two chances for silverware surely isn’t too much to ask?
Whilst four points from the opening two games is a solid enough start, and the resilience and will to win shown to beat Southampton with 10 men was impressive, there are valid concerns amongst fans.
On and off the pitch, the whole club feels like it needs an injection of positivity after a summer of upheaval and uncertainty.
CEO Darren Eales is a man in need of a big win in the next few days, to prove he is capable of filling Staveley and Ghodoussi’s shoes, whilst an elite signing or two would not only improve the side, but also give a much needed illusion of solidarity and collaboration between Howe and Paul Mitchell.
On the pitch, what has been a concern in our first two outings is how poor we have looked on the ball at times. In both games, Southampton and Bournemouth looked not only technically superior to us, but more worryingly, it begs the question, do other teams have us sussed out tactically? It certainly seems so.
The blueprint for the opposition is clearly to press us high, and neutralize Bruno. If they do that, the players currently available seem to lack the technical quality to look after the ball and play through the press. Krafth and Burn are solid enough Premier League players, but clearly lacking on the ball, which ends with our midfield receiving the ball with their backs to play, and then all manner of mistakes and tomfoolery occur. It also doesn’t help when Joelinton seemingly decided he’d play as badly in midfield as he did up front like he did on the south coast, while clotheslining opposite goalkeepers wasn’t on the tactics board either, surely.
The good news is the remedy to this is already in the squad regardless of what business we do this week. The imminent returns of Schar, Tonali and then Botman further down the line can’t come quick enough, and the difference they can make to our ball retention is monumental.
Events at Bournemouth are concrete evidence that the quality to be better is already available, and if Howe is to be criticised for his starting set up, he got his substitutions spot on. It was also further proof that despite his off field indiscretions, Newcastle just aren’t currently a good enough team to simply dispense with Kieran Trippier, who along with Hall, Willock and Barnes, transformed the team when they came on. In my own personal opinion, they should all be starting when fully match fit.
The right-winger issue is just becoming tedious. Despite his shows of public affection for Almiron, Howe knows as well as any fan that it’s a position that needs an upgrade. Whether Anthony Gordon wants to play on the left is irrelevant, despite the apparent need to tread on eggshells around him after the Liverpool links. The simple fact is him and Harvey Barnes are vastly superior wide forwards to Murphy and Almiron, and surely a front three of Gordon, Isak and Barnes is the way forward. The former Leicester man has been in for some outrageously unfair criticism on NUFC social media recently, and he showed what he provides, which is simply end product.
So we need to keep the faith, but Mitchell and Eales need to deliver this week on signings, and Howe needs to beat Forest on Wednesday.
It can be done.
HTL!
I think Newcastle Hired 2 lemon’s in those 2! There must be something wrong going on at Newcastle.Maybe there’s a hidden Agenda to get Howe and his Side Kick Tindell out of the club along with howe’s Brother.And to make it worse they are looking at another goal keeper are they for real when we have other positions that need upgrading soon as!
Jonboy(Quote)
A trip to Australia and then Japan when Euros and Copa America was being played in 2024 was a ridiculous idea. I am aware that promoting the club will entice new fans and possible sponsorship, but to what effect. Lackluster performances and the possibility of a mid-table finish will not have sponsors banging on the door at St. James’.
LA Toon(Quote)
I would love to know what our owners, who have very high expectations for the performance of the club, think of this. Frankly, Darren Eales should be very worried about making a trip to Riyadh if this plays out the way it seems likely to – he the person that should be held responsible for the Dan Ashworth saga, hiring Mitchell, this ridiculous drawn out story with Guehi and complete lack of action on the right winger front. In the same window, our main rivals – Villa, Spurs, Brighton, Chelsea – have all got players in place already. Shambles, doesn’t even describe it !
Charlie(Quote)
Easy to blame it all on Mitchell, what if Howe is insisting on Guehi and in reality it could be an Eddie request, English player with a bottom half of league team that no one else is interested in yet we want to spunk £70m on him.
Should have walked away and if it is an EH request then Eales should be telling him not at that money, who’s next.
In terms of our performances this season they are very similar to how we played most weeks and it was flashes of brilliance in some games that gave us the confidence to then dominate matches.
But there were a number of games where we were completely outplayed by teams way below us in the league, Forest, Wolves, Everton and Luton to name a few.
Our away form was relegation standard and if our home form dips (let’s be honest anyone other than Southampton would have beat us day ) and Bournemouth deserved to beat us day 2 so put away form looks no better, this could be a season where we finish top of bottom half.
I know we talk about CB’s and RW’s, we still need cover at striker and I’m sorry we’ll never win the league with Pope in goal, great shot stopper, useless on the deck and for his height he is like Dracula with his fear of crosses.
I can see EH going by Christmas I’m not convinced he has a style of play to be honest, our press is rubbish and we can’t keep the ball so we are always under pressure defensively.
Anyway rant over, move on get a CB in at about 30m, a RW for 20 and get Kyogo from Celtic for our striker cover for about £20m and that’s it the same we were going to spend on Guehi an overhyped English player.
David(Quote)
Pope is an excellent keeper but Man Utd are signing keeper Georgian marshmallow for £30 million and centre back de ligt for £35 million whilst Mitchell now has 5 keepers trying to buy another one and offering £70 million for a bang average mid table centre back who had 3 good games for England … PIF must be getting concerned at eales and Mitchell’s amateur hour
Mike(Quote)