Newcastle's £124m problem and triple injury blow - Two concerns from Tuesday
After each game, I write a piece for NUFC Blog on the positives and negatives from the match.
As I discussed at length in my article on the positives, there was a lot to really like about Tuesday's win at Spurs, whether it be Jacob Ramsey and Anthony Elanga's displays, the return of resilience within the side or a precious away win ahead of upcoming trips to Aston Villa, Qarabag and Man City.
However, for balance, we did come away from North London with a few things to ponder, whether it be another injury worry or a striker conundrum that continues to cause debate on Tyneside.
The £124m conundrum
Despite the win, when ball after ball was throw into the box in the first half, you couldn’t help but think “if only we had a striker!”
When Spurs equalised, you wondered whether that decision had cost us an easy win by three or four goals, as even though Gordon played a key role in much of his energy and pressing, he just didn’t look like getting on the end of any of the balls put into the box.
It’s a damning indictment of United’s summer business that Howe feels our best striker is a winger, suggesting £55m Yoane Wissa and £69m Nick Woltemade and the coaching staff have some real work to do so that those two can function in this side.
I imagine that with just two days between matches there was little that could be worked on, but if Woltemade continues to find himself out of the side and misses out on a World Cup place with Germany, some difficult conversations may need to be had this summer, which would be a crying shame given his clear talent when utilised correctly.
Injuries mounting in midfield
Injuries continue to blight United too, with Bruno Guimaraes picking up another knock, Lewis Miley suffering a setback and Joelinton also nowhere to be seen, despite suggestions last month that his groin issue was minor.
Initially, Bruno seemed to be struggling with that same foot/ankle issue as he tried to solider on, then he went down holding his hamstring and looked visibly concerned as he was forced off, leaving many to wonder why he wasn't taken off earlier.
The coaching staff must be stronger in those situations and take the decision out of the players hands, as if the Brazilian is injured for any length of time, it's hard to see us going on a real run given our history of struggling without him in the side.
Yes, Hall was given a rest alongside Tonali for much of the night, and it was great to see Ramsey and Willock step up, but with three of our six midfielders currently sidelined with five more games still to play over the final few weeks of February, we're suddenly as light in midfield as we are at the back.
