Newcastle United beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 on Sunday afternoon in the autumn sunshine. United secured back-to-back wins for the first time this season, cautiously building on the USG victory with a solid, if unspectacular, win.
Goals from Bruno Guimarães and a “Big” Nick Woltemade penalty were enough to see off an uninspiring Forest side who look truly hopeless under Ange Postecoglou.
Here are three things I liked from the game heading into the international break:
Liked: Nick Woltemade (and the best penalty ever)
Big Nick did it again for Newcastle, scoring for a third game in a row, this time with a clinical penalty that, whilst unorthodox in its taking, may be one of the best ever penalties witnessed at the Gallowgate End. Fired into the top left corner with near laser-guided accuracy, Woltemade really looks to be settling in nicely on Tyneside.
Goalscoring is key for a forward player (and the 23-year-old is providing with four in five starts), but Woltemade is doing much more for the team. His closing down and pressing were impressive on Sunday, and his fitness seems to be improving rapidly as he was able to press high, make unselfish runs to bring teammates into play, hold the ball up, and last beyond the 90 mins. He was involved in the game throughout and was a huge threat, having one goal-bound effort blocked on the line and another hit the bar before he scored his penalty.
I don’t think I’ve ever wanted a player to succeed more than the German, with all the noise around his move, who he’s replacing in the squad, and who he will be compared against, etc. Happily, he seems to be taking it all in his stride. Maybe if he bags a couple for Germany during the international break, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge can stop talking about things that have nothing to do with him.
Liked: Superb centre-back pairing
A fifth clean sheet in seven league games this season shows just how watertight the defence has been this season, with it provoking memories of the 2022/23 best defence in the league. The current incumbents at centre-back will take some shifting.
Sven Botman looks near back to his best. He was powerful yesterday with his covering runs, although Forest never really threatened. He has a couple of sliced clearances, but his headers were solid and, encouragingly, he probably still has another level to go up.
Malick Thaiw has brought an air of calmness to the back line and his recovery speed is invaluable with many slower players around him. He covered when Trippier was further forward on Sunday (though Sandro did have to cover one Forest counter in the second half instead) and it was the German’s fifth start in a row (three wins, a draw, and a defeat). He has received lots of lavish praise but I’m going to temper that slightly— the one game we lost in which he has partnered Botman at the back is the Arsenal game, the positive results have come against ‘lesser’ opposition. I would just like to see the lad impose himself and mark an excellent side out of a game in the coming months, then he would really be something for me.
Don’t rule out Fabian Schar though, none of the others quite have his long-range passing ability, (although Botman can split midfield/defensive line better in my opinion) and he will be desperate to get himself back into the side.
Liked: A Captain’s (much-needed) Performance
Whilst the final result could, and should’ve, seen more goals scored for United, it was ultimately a comfortable win against a side that is really struggling. But it’s also fair to say that United toiled away in a largely lacking-in-quality first half. Postegoglou set Forest up much more defensively than I thought he would, probably realising this is almost last chance saloon for him already, and for the first 45 minutes, they frustrated the hell out of United and the crowd.
It threatened to be a classic away team performance, and it took Bruno taking the match by the scruff of the neck (and scoring a spectacular goal) to really kickstart a second half performance that should’ve seen the game won four or five nil. Bruno was at his combative best, and scored one of those goals that he likes to grab once or twice a season from outside the box.
He is an excellent footballer, a consummate professional who loves the club, and we are lucky to have him (and Sandro) playing in the same side together. It was a huge performance from the captain and one that has seen us win well to shoot up the table and be back within touching distance of where we want to be.
Keep the faith. HWTL
