Newcastle United beat Spurs 2-0 on Wednesday evening to make it four Carabao Cup quarter-finals in four years. A much-changed side made short work of a hyped Tottenham team whose calibre of changes was, for once, weaker than our own, with Richarlison having a stinker of an evening.
Goals from Fabian Schär and Nick Wiltemade were enough to see United home and into a winnable QF against Fulham at St James’ Park.
Here are four things I liked (and one thing I didn’t) from the game:
Liked: Brilliant big Nick
Newcastle’s record signing couldn’t really have wished for a better start to his career in England. It’s six goals in eleven games for the German, and he is already halfway to his total league goals for Stuttgart last season. He is adapting incredibly quickly to English football (not that long ago he could barely manage 60 mins on his debut vs Wolves) and he can only get better the older he gets and the more he trains with Eddie and the lads.
His header was a simple nod in ahead of a flapping goalkeeper, but he had to show decent movement and good awareness to be in position to score the goal, and he was head and shoulders above that clown Spurs call a striker, although that’s not difficult.
But it’s his link-up play that really separates him, and there are certainly Harry Kane-like elements to his game. I really hope the Bayern executive team (but mainly Karl-Heinz) are tuning in to hate-watch our games at the minute and leaving thoroughly frustrated.
Liked: A big night for the squad
I don’t think in my entire adult life following United have we had a deeper squad than we have at the moment, and it’s missing three key/big players via injury in Wissa, Hall, and Livramento too. Eddie Howe made eight changes to the side on Wednesday and it confidently swept aside a team from the so-called “big six”.
Fringe players were able to get valuable minutes to keep up their match sharpness, and there were good runouts for Barnes, Willock, Krafth, and Ramsdale. Willock looked much improved from his last outing and even grabbed an assist when he set up Big Nick’s goal. It was huge to see Krafth play too and give Trippier a rest, even though it only lasted 72 minutes.
Jacob Ramsey picked up where he left off against Benfica too, rarely giving the ball away and showing excellent technical quality as we cut into Spurs from open play on multiple occasions, highlighting just what a brilliant night it was for the strength and depth of the squad.
Didn’t like: Anthony Elanga – but I still back him to come good
It’s another game down and, unfortunately for Anthony Elanga, he’s just not delivered in any domestic appearance. Against USG he was good but he is really stinking up the place at home. He just looks bereft of confidence, a shadow of the player he was last season for Forest.
He could’ve scored when well placed at the back post in the second half but chose to try to find Woltmade instead and it just didn’t come off, and as an attacking winger, the lad has to try and take the strike at goal from those positions. His control of the ball really seems to be letting him down too as it either bounces off him or it takes him two or three to bring the ball under his control.
It’s still early days and his performances are no doubt judged in the shadow of his huge fee, (a fee many feel was inflated anyway), but he needs to find some form soon as the tide of fan opinion is starting to turn on the Swede, and that would be a shame, as there is a player in there. But he does need to start improving quickly.
Liked: Aaron Ramsdale and his unique sweeper-keeping
Being a back-up goalkeeper is a weird gig, probably only superseded by being a third-choice goalkeeper. But to his credit, every time (despite the minutes being limited) I’ve seen Ramsdale play, I think I’d like to see more.
The common refrain is that Ramsdale is a worse shot-stopper than Nick Pope, but he pulled off some brilliant feats of positioning, shot-stopping, and sweeping on Wednesday, looking accomplished in most things he did.
He is clearly excellent with his feet, and you do just rest a little easier with him in nets when the defenders play the ball to him in tight situations. Ramsdale was great on Wednesday, but Nick Pope will still be back in goal on Sunday, and we’ll all have to go back to gripping the edge of our seats a little tighter.
Liked: A team hungry to defend our trophy
70 years without a trophy was a long time to wait for one, but like the proverbial London buses, United could be in line for two coming along in quick succession. The lads looked hungry and determined to defend the trophy, and we have now beaten every “top six” side in the Carabao Cup since Eddie took charge.
17 wins from 19 games in this competition over the last four seasons is hugely impressive and shows just how seriously we take it. It may be derided by many (especially once a fanbase’s team has been knocked out), but you will not find a single Newcastle fan saying the same thing, and it’s clear the players feel the same.
Everybody was a solid 7/7.5/8 out of ten last night (Elanga aside), and with Fulham confirmed as our QF opponents after the game, if United can get through that tie, then you’d fancy us against anyone in a two-legged semi-final.
Keep the faith. HWTL
