“We have had a tough eight games but I have seen enough in the last two weeks that we can win football matches..
Our season begins now.”
Steve McClaren, via BBC Sport.
Newcastle United are still winless under new Head Coach, Steve McClaren, who remained positive after seeing his side routed 6-1 by Manchester City. The Premier League’s hardest start by far meant The Magpies have already faced six of last season’s Top Eight teams, including all of the established Champions League Top Four, and left Newcastle bottom of the pile.
Six in the City: Newcastle’s Lessons From the Manchester Rout
After a £50 million injection of quality signings from Champions League clubs like Anderlecht and PSV, Newcastle do have the squad calibre to battle it out, as competent displays against Chelsea and Man United proved.
Yet, when Newcastle are bad, they are very, very bad, and the club must bounce back quickly and make the most of their next six games when the fixture list is slightly kinder.
Norwich, Stoke and Leicester at home and trips to Sunderland, Bournemouth and Crystal Palace must return a good points haul to drag Newcastle out of the relegation zone. This is how they can begin to maximise returns from the remaining 30 games, with 90 points up for grabs:
- McClaren Must Incorporate Recent NUFC History in his Learning Process
The Newcastle boss often talks about the start of the season as a “learning process” yet the club’s recent past can provide answers to a lot of his dilemmas. For example, last season, Newcastle were slaughtered 5-1 at Man City, with a weak midfield of, yes, Vurnon Anita and Yoan Gouffran.
McClaren and his staff may be new to the job, club and the Premier League in the main, yet a wealth of accessible information, opinion and insight exists. Kevin Keegan, in his time at Newcastle, marvelled at the knowledge of the club’s fan-base and would regularly read online forums to stay ahead of the game. I await your call, Steve…
- Newcastle Need a Break
It’s an admirable trait among Steve McClaren not to make excuses, yet Newcastle’s wrongly-disallowed second goal should have stood after Daryl Janmaat was falsely flagged offside.
Newcastle started the game very brightly and, having taken the lead deservedly against opponents, they haven’t beaten in 17 League games. The Magpies needed the officials to do their job. Aleksandar Mitrović scored a second goal, which was incorrectly ruled out and, at 2-0 up, it’s a different ball game entirely.
After penalties not awarded to Siem De Jong at 2-2 in the dying stages of the Southampton home game and, more blatantly, when Papiss Cissé was pulled back against Watford with the score at 0-0, Newcastle need a game-changing decision to go their way.
- Cheick Tioté Must Replace Vurnon Anita
Newcastle need a defensive midfield shield in front of the defence, and one of the best in the business is Cheick Tioté. Vurnon Anita, while possessing a neat touch and decent pass, is wholly ineffective as a Premier League midfielder and the club’s results when he plays reflect that statistically with a relegation win percentage.
Tioté, however, who came on at 6-1 and allowed no further goals to be conceded, is a massive competitor both physically and mentally. His intensity gives Newcastle an edge and has the fighting spirit to revive The Magpies’ season.
- Jack Colback is the Heartbeat of the Newcastle Side
The Killingworth-born midfielder has missed eight goals in three halves since his injury just after half-time against Chelsea, which shows the importance of the bizarrely coined “Ginger Pirlo” to the team.
Colback’s individual record against Man City, for example, is excellent; he has been on the winning side against the billionaires three times for Sunderland, and once for Newcastle, and was also a big miss at The Etihad. The international break will give him a fortnight to recover ahead of a run of must-win games for The Magpies, in which he will play a vital part.
- Aleksandar Mitrović is going to be a Premier League Star
If anyone was doubting the Serbian striker’s potency after a Premier League start marred by a red card against Arsenal, and a couple of bookings for wild tackles against Southampton and Swansea, then a goal at The Etihad answered his critics.
An away goal against Man City was something much-lauded hit men Demba Ba and Loïc Remy never managed in a black and white shirt, nor current number nine, Papiss Cissé, so far. Mitrović was unlucky to have a second ruled out for offside and had a potential third saved by Joe Hart. This was against one of the best defences in the League, so here’s hoping that the goals will soon flow.
- The Only Way is Up
A year ago, Newcastle were in the relegation zone after eight games, yet a five-game winning spell kick-started their season and, by November, they were fifth top.
Newcastle’s next five games against Norwich, Sunderland, Stoke, Bournemouth and Leicester are all eminently winnable and a good points haul is essential to bounce back from the toughest of Premier League starts.
Things can change very quickly in football; if Newcastle can get that first win under their belts and go on a run, anything is possible.
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