Saturday saw normal service resumed as a Newcastle side playing in front of a full house at home put three past Ipswich Town, confirming the relegation of the Tractor Boys in the process.
Eddie Howe was back on the sidelines for the Magpies, a welcome sight as the Premier League season approaches its final few fixtures. It was very routine from start to finish, yet it took United a while to get going in the first half. Once they did, though, they didn’t look back, and another excellent defensive performance ensured back-to-back clean sheets at home.
As always, I’m Sam, and I’m here to break it all down for you, as well as what’s been going on off the pitch on Tyneside. Welcome to this week’s edition of the Toon Review.
Victory in the Sir Bobby Robson Derby
Chants paying tribute to the late Sir Bobby echoed around St James’ Park, as both sets of fans celebrated a man who meant so much to both teams. After all, there’s only one Bobby Robson.
It wasn’t until Alexander Isak converted his penalty in stoppage time of the first half that Newcastle really got going on Saturday afternoon. That being said, the visitors never looked like threatening, and became even more toothless when right-midfielder Ben Johnson saw a second yellow card in the 37th minute. Boss Kieran McKenna must have bben furious; the first yellow was for a needless dive in the box and the second came after a pointless grab of Isak on the edge of the box.
Newcastle actually had the ball in the back of the net earlier in the first half, but Bruno’s goal was deemed unable to stand after VAR ruled that the midfielder had fouled goalkeeper Alex Palmer. Guimaraes also saw an acrobatic effort cleared off the line soon after, and was really unlucky not to score. The hosts were offered a chance to take the lead at the end of the half, though, and Isak duly converted after Jacob Murphy was fouled inside the box by Julio Enciso. They went into the break up 1-0.
11 minutes after the restart, towering defender Dan Burn rose to bundle in a second for the Magpies, ending up in the back of the net himself in the process. It was the first Premier League goal of the season for United’s Carabao Cup final hero.
Fan favourite Will Osula looked lively upon his introduction, and made his opportunity count with a great header from a Kieran Trippier corner. As he and his teammates danced gleefully in front of the Gallowgate, the game was over and Eddie Howe had achieved another important win upon his return from his stint away from the team. With just four league fixtures left to play, United sit a lofty third in the table, just five points behind Arsenal in second. With just a couple of points separating third and sixth, Champions League football is far from nailed on yet. But Saturday was another step in the right direction for Newcastle, and showed their ability to bounce back after a setback away to Villa the week before.
What Howe Said
“I thought we defended really well today, and that gave us the platform to win the game.”
On scoring just before half time: “It was a big moment. 1-0 is very different to 0-0. The pressure came off and we were able to be more free in the second half.”
“The talk at half time was about being on the front foot and looking to score and attack. We wanted to try and put the game to bed.”
On Will Osula’s impact and goal: “He looked really bright today. I thought he was really quick, direct, and he made some really good decisions with the ball. It was a really good header from a long way out.”
On importance of last four games of the season: “We need the emotion but we have to channel it in the right way. We have four huge games.”
The Rumour Mill
Sandro Tonali is planning to stay at Newcastle for the long term, despite being linked with a return to his homeland. (Telegraph)
Midfielder Sean Longstaff is a target for newly-promoted Leeds United. (i Paper)
Newcastle are still interested in signing Lille’s Canadian striker Jonathan David when his contract expires this summer, but Marseille are trying to convince the player to stay in France. (RMC Sport, via Get Football News France)
United’s shortlist for defensive reinforcements includes Sporting’s 21-year-old Ivorian Ousmane Diomande, Milan’s Malick Thiaw and Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke. (GiveMeSport)
Newcastle are interested in activating the £30 million release clause in the contract of Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap. (Telegraph)
The Magpies are interested in Strasbourg’s 22-year-old Dutch forward Emanuel Emegha. (L’Equipe)
On This Day…
On this day in 1975, United defeated local foes Sunderland 5-3 at St James’ Park, in a match that took place as a testimomial for Newcastle icon David Craig. A full-back hailing from Northern Ireland, Craig was an integral part of the Newcastle side that won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969. He made a total of 460 appearances for the club.
The Match itself included a brace from Magpies legend Malcolm MacDonald, as well as goals for Mickey Burns, John Tudor and Alan Kennedy. They were some pretty good players, too. Sunderland’s three goals came from Bobby Kerr, Bobby Mitchell and Pop Robson.
Today is also the 39th birthday of former United shotstopper Rob Elliot, who played for the club from 2011-2021. Many happy returns, Rob!
What’s Next?
Brighton (A)
Howe’s side will travel to the south coast on Sunday to take on a Brighton side who sit ninth in the table. The Seagulls dumped United out of the FA Cup in painful fashion back in March, and Newcastle will be seeking revenge for that frustrating afternoon on Tyneside. Brighton also beat the Magpies in the league at St James’ back in October. It is another tough test down the stretch, but one United must win to stay ahead of the group chasing them for Champions League places.
HWTL.
Toon Trivia
A couple of weeks ago, I asked you to tell me who Aston Villa famously defeated in the 1982 European Cup final, as well as the final score from the match. Well done to those of you who correctly answered that they beat Bayern Munich 1-0.
With an away trip to the Amex at the weekend, let’s make this one Brighton-themed. Former boss Chris Hughton managed both Newcastle and Brighton relatively succesfully. Which national side did he become head coach of in 2023?
That’s all for now. See you next time!
