Newcastle United picked up a point on their final trip to Goodison Park on Saturday evening. In what was a measured, if uninspiring display, United had all the possession and play but spurned a litany of chances as they couldn’t beat Jordan Pickford in the Everton goal.
Anthony Gordon endured a tough 90 minutes, as despite being our best player, he missed a penalty, and a couple of excellent chances to net against his old club.
Here are our five key takeaways from the game:
- An unhappy return
In a footballing paradox, Anthony Gordon was both United’s best and worst player on Saturday. He looked quick, and sharp on the ball. One first half flick away from a floundering James Tarkowski was pure poetry in motion. He consistently made excellent runs (that unfortunately his teammates often ignored) and he was tough and durable as he was getting fouled consistently by the Toffees.
Unfortunately, he passed up the only two gilt-edged chances to score in the game from the penalty spot in the first half, and he really should’ve scored when he was put through by Almiron late in the second half. Mentally, after the penalty miss, it all seemed just a little bit too much for him. But there are really encouraging signs to his play as he appears to be approaching full fitness again.
- Low block struggles continue
I wrote after AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday that I’d reserve judgement on United’s ability to breakdown a low block until after the Everton game. Honestly, it’s a difficult one to assess. Newcastle controlled the game, had all of the play, and created by far the best chances. It was simply abject finishing that let the team down.
The game was not crying but hollering out for a striker, it needed Isak or Wilson to apply the finishing touch using their striker’s instinct run to make the back post run or to get across and in front of their defender.
It’s such a devastating shame, and frankly poor transfer business, that they both suffer such terrible problems with injury, and often at the same time too, which leaves the lads horribly exposed in games like Saturdays. It also looks like a really poor bit of squad management too, to let/make Isak play against Fulham with a broken toe. Which brings me onto…
- Lack of a third choice striker
A lot of column inches were dedicated to the failed pursuit of a central defender in the summer when a lot more of them should’ve been focused on the lack of a third-choice striker in United’s squad.
Will Osula has clearly been deemed not good enough for the Premier League just yet, (I’m not saying I agree with this it’s just how it appears) and with two injury prone strikers in the squad days like Saturday become more likely to happen. A team that wants to be a serious top four contender and trophy winner shouldn’t have their best winger playing as a striker.
Honestly, I’m surprised Osula didn’t get ten minutes. He needs game time to develop, and ultimately, as a third choice, is the manager really expecting a player of much better quality?
- Good riddance Goodison
Goodison Park isn’t a happy hunting ground for Newcastle. The commentators mentioned during the game that we have only won on three out of the last twenty trips there, a shocking record at a perpetual relegation fodder football club.
History is very important especially to huge community assets like football clubs and their stadia, and hopefully links to that history will be saved for future generations of Evertonians.
From a Black and White perspective, I hope their new stadium starts next season in the Championship…
- Ultimately, it’s still all to play for
So, another early season international break brings another opportunity for the fanbase to take stock and assess where United are as a club. On one hand we have twelve points from seven games, and as of Saturday night, are just a point off the top four. The lads have advanced to the fourth round of the League Cup with a winnable home tie to play next, and everything the club wants to achieve this season is infinitely attainable.
However, on another hand, have United played well at all this season? Park the Man City performance for a second. We’ve now struggled against Southampton, Bournemouth, Spurs, Wolves, Fulham and Everton in the Premier League and Forest and Wimbledon in the League Cup. We’ve only really played okay in spells, and despite everything still being achievable it feels like it’s all teetering on a knife edge.
The real Newcastle United will need to stand up after the international break because the fixtures are arguably only getting tougher right up until Christmas. So, won’t the real Newcastle United please stand up.
