I haven’t given up on this season this early, honest, but…

The Mag

·20 de outubro de 2024

I haven’t given up on this season this early, honest, but…

So, another chance to reboot.

Sitting seventh going into this was fair to middling given a tight top six and the chance to reel in at least one rival as we finally returned home for our second league game at SJP in seven weeks.

Vídeos OneFootball

The pointless, miserable, unwanted dirge that is the UEFA Nations League has a lot to answer for, as United approached a run of four games before the excitement of it all kicks in again.

I’m going to cut to the chase here, this game was a sickener.

I often wonder what percentage of the audience out there are like me, where you’d prefer to avoid all media referencing a game that makes you wince at the very memory of it. If so, this article will join many a podcast and tonight’s match of the day in a “do not open” box that probably will make for a better weekend in terms of mental health.

I’ve been home for about an hour post-match and I’ve already had an unnecessary fight with my wife about who should have cleaned the air fryer (result undetermined so the record will show responsibility lying with person or persons unknown).

Anyway, the first half hour was actually dead good. Brighton clearly coming to play a high but firm line of defence played a risky game as they allowed United to roar at them. Anthony Gordon had made a smashing effort to atone for his Goodison penalty miss by chucking a few quid behind the bar at the Strawberry ( I took my young un to four quarters so didn’t take advantage) but his efforts in a lively opening were a far more welcome gesture. The issue that seems to have plagued us still remains though; once the box is in sight, the cross is overhit, a conservative pass is slightly wayward, or the ball is dwelt on too long and the opposition gratefully belts it clear.

The welcome return of Isak was hopefully the answer to the above frustration but unfortunately it just exacerbated things. You could forgive a bit of rust as our striker recovers from a broken toe, and while an early air kick was just plain random, the moment (or moments) that settled the match came around the half hour.

Bruno’s fine defence splitting pass sent Isak one v one with the keeper in a situation you’d back him to score in 99 times from a hundred. I’m torn between whether classic Isak would be to use his footwork to round the onrushing goalie or ping a slightly lofted shot over and across him. Neither would have been a surprise, but sadly nor was the ineffective biff straight at the keeper, that this season’s version of Isak delivered. Best chance a-begging.

I think if Isak slots that we go on to win this game comfortably. As it was, moments later it was lost. A long free kick saw Welbeck collect in space and the defence was slack in allowing him to play a one-two with Rutter before easily holding off Livramento and finishing past Pope. Pre-match I had said to my mate that Welbeck was having one of those purple patches that is doomed to end soon and it’s your bad luck if you have to play them while he’s in this form. I even went as far as saying it would likely end with an injury that sees him disappear for months before turning up with a goal against Tottenham or something on the last day of the season, while many a match of the day viewer informs their co-watcher that they were unaware that Danny Welbeck was still playing. I feel I have to apologise here to the veteran striker, as he was stretchered off with a nasty looking back injury in the second half that looks like a stretch on the sidelines beckons. Sorry for the bad karma Danny.

I had a horrible feeling that would be it. Brighton had come to play for exactly this, smash and grab and kill the game around it, and they looked defensively solid enough to see this one out. The fact that the referee fell for every tumble and trick was frustrating, but we have ground out many a result in this fashion, and I doubt we’ll feel any remorse if we walk out of Stamford Bridge with a similar ill-gotten win. If you live by the sword…

Gordon had a cut inside and shoot moment as the half dwindled but I felt like Verbruggen’s diving save was one of those where the goalie makes it look better than it was. The second half looked immensely challenging, not least because we were kicking uphill after Bruno lost the toss for the fourth consecutive home game of his captaincy. It’s become a bit of a running joke amongst my crew, but seriously, I feel like the decision to bestow the captaincy on such a key player has backfired, as it seems to be a weight to carry around for him as well as making us kick toward the Leazes every second period. Once again I’ll back the theory that when the ref says “heads or tails” Bruno always says he thinks it’ll land on it’s edge.

After a solid first half, Gordon again showed signs of self-doubt after the Goodison business. First, Isak’s mazy run and lovely dinked cross presented a perfect headed opportunity that Gordon wastefully flashed over when hitting the target seemed simple. Then Schar picked his spot, splitting the defence with one of those fabulous balls through from the back. It looked like the goal Gordon had delivered on multiple occasions last season, but he echoed Isak’s earlier attempt, with another weak effort the goalie was grateful to throw his cap on. When Verbuggen was forced to make a bit of effort, from Isak’s deflected shot, there was no one there to follow up the second ball, parried temptingly into the six yard box, where it was allowed to drift until Joelinton’s desperate lunge sent it over the bar.

This was really gutting if I’m honest.

It wasn’t a poor performance but there doesn’t seem to be any plan to attack an opponent that isn’t leaving themselves wide open. The results so far have been acceptable but this poor home defeat means it’s two points from 12 and four matches without scoring anything other than a penalty. Ten games in all competitions and we’ve only scored more than once on two occasions and it looks like we don’t really practice planning to go forward, as various ponderous attacks peter out. We look good until the final third, then one of the following happens: either a wayward pass (usually backwards) derails the attack, or a pointless shot cannons off the first defender, or possession is taken down a dark alley where a grateful defender boots clear.

The very best scenario it seems we can hope for from these meanders is if the defensive intervention leads to a corner. However, the set plays are equally impotent and lack both invention and delivery. I feel there may be a situation here where Kieran Trippier’s considerable contribution over the years has been too integral to everything United do. When Trippier was thriving, so too were Newcastle, as he drove play forward, giddied up team mates and delivered assist after assist, often by taking control of set plays. As Trippier’s presence and performances have diminished, so has United’s standing.

Not much could have gone worse today as the teams we’d hoped to compete with all picked up wins and a slide to eighth place looks bad now, but may be the height of our ambition with the weeks ahead. Chelsea away and Arsenal at home are fixtures you know can go against you and taking a point from them both isn’t the end of the world, even in the best of seasons. However, todays misstep means that a draw/defeat return would mean three points from 18, relegation form. Given that we are within a bad result of 14th place it could mean we’re even in that conversation come the eagerly awaited next international break, after which we’ll yet again hope for that reboot.

I appreciate I’m coming over on the negative side here, but I’d ask everyone to consider this: since last autumn, when we had the little run of beating PSG and Man City in cups around the time of sticking eight past Sheffield United, when have Newcastle strung together three really decent performances? Get your fixture lists out if you want, but I’ll tell you now for nowt that they haven’t, at least every one game in three has been somewhere between underwhelming, disappointing and unacceptable.

I’d like to think there’s a way out but this has been the case for a year now. I fluctuate between scapegoats, which is wrong. PSR has buckled us so daft American owners can ruin our sport by creating an unassailable, unfairly weighted monopoly that maintains the status quo. The ridiculous extent of Callum Wilson’s unavailability has hurt us badly, as Isak struggles when he needs relief and goals look hard to come by.

However, this is all noise.

The players we had available today were capable of beating those that Brighton had on offer, the same as they were more than capable of winning at Everton, but for whatever reason they couldn’t perform to the required standard to do this. My personal preference here would be to target the cups, as I feel European qualification through the league is becoming a pipedream, but Eddie Howe will know he needs to take every opportunity to make this season a success on all fronts.

It’s too early to give up, but I’m going to be realistic to say that the kitchen sink needs chucked at Chelsea in that League Cup match and to hope that whatever follows in subsequent rounds, falls on days when we’re not the NUFC that is being excused as being “not at the levels we’re capable of.”

I haven’t given up on this season this early, honest, but it’s hard not to feel deflated. Let’s see what the weeks ahead hold…

Newcastle 0 Brighton 1 – Saturday 19 October 3pm

Goals:

Newcastle United:

Brighton:

Welbeck 35

Possession was Newcastle 60% Brighton 40%

Total shots were Newcastle 21 Brighton 10

Shots on target were Newcastle 6 Brighton 5

Corners were Newcastle 9 Brighton 4

Touches in the box Newcastle 45 Brighton 12

Newcastle United team v Brighton:

Pope, Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall (Osula 90+2), Joelinton, Bruno (Almiron 85), Tonali (Willock 65), Gordon (Longstaff 85), Jacob Murphy (Barnes 65), Isak

UNUSED SUBS:

Krafth, Kelly, Lewis Miley, Vlachodimos

You can follow the author on Twitter @Mr_Dolf

(Newcastle 0 Brighton 1 – Match ratings and comments on all Newcastle United players – Read HERE)

(Matches like this prove which Newcastle United fans have a clue and who are clueless – Read HERE)

(Newcastle 0 Brighton 1 – Instant Newcastle United fan / writer reaction – Read HERE)

Newcastle United upcoming matches confirmed to end of January 2025:

Sunday 27 October – Chelsea v Newcastle (2pm) Sky Sports

Wednesday 30 October – Newcastle v Chelsea (7.45pm) Sky Sports+

Saturday 2 November – Newcastle v Arsenal (12.30pm) TNT Sports

Sunday 10 November – Forest v Newcastle (2pm) Sky Sports

Monday 25 November – Newcastle v West Ham (8pm) Sky Sports