CRAIG HOPE writes a good article on where we needed to strengthen
CRAIG HOPE: They're at Europe's top table but still struggling against Premier League's elite. Here's how Newcastle make the leap from underdogs to top dogs
Newcastle United have landed with a bump after back-to-back defeats against Manchester City and Liverpool.
Eddie Howe’s side were top of the table following an opening weekend 5-1 demolition of Aston Villa.
However, a 1-0 loss at City and Sunday’s 2-1 reverse at home to Liverpool — when leading against 10 men with 10 minutes to play — has raised questions over their credentials to compete with the very top teams.
Was the summer business what they needed?
Newcastle spent £120million (£95m net) on Sandro Tonali (£52m), Harvey Barnes (£38m), Tino Livramento (£30m) and Lewis Hall (loan). In answering a slightly different question, ‘Was it good business?’, you would have to say yes.
Tonali has enjoyed two very good games out of three, Barnes is a proven Premier League scorer and creator and the two young full-backs have solved a problem before it became one, giving them depth and a succession plan in those positions. The squad is undoubtedly stronger.
But the question posed is an interesting one and is the subject of some debate on Tyneside.
Entering the summer, club sources stressed that the priority was a No 6, a player to sit at the base of a midfield three and offer protection to the back four. Tonali, as good as he looks, is not that.
One former Newcastle scout, now employed at another club, expressed surprise at the nature of their midfield acquisition. He, and others, were convinced they would sign a holder to add physicality.
We can reveal that conversations were had with Declan Rice and Howe would have loved to have found a way to make a deal happen. Rice even intimated he would have been keen if not for Arsenal.
Elsewhere, it was felt that a right winger was perhaps a greater priority than left (Barnes) and a right-sided centre back was also needed, but neither arrived. At least not yet.
Where have they struggled in the opening matches?
Well, this comes back to the question above. They’ve had problems with opposition players in the No 10/second striker role. Moussa Diaby of Aston Villa was a menace on the opening day and there were discussions between defence and midfield as to who was picking him up.
Then, at City, Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez occupied that space at different times and the latter scored when no one tracked his movement into the penalty area.
In the closing stages against Liverpool, Newcastle were crying out for someone to shield the back four and control the game. Bruno Guimaraes was playing in the No 6 role but he is not that player, and the Brazilian gave the ball away for Darwin Nunez’s late winner.
They also lack recovery pace at the back, evidenced in some way by Nunez bursting clear for his two goals.
The second of those came after Sven Botman had departed injured — but Mail Sport understand the Dutch central defender has avoided serious damage to his right ankle.
How do they beat top teams?
There is a theme emerging here. To beat the very best, on a regular basis, you probably need to improve your best XI. Of the new signings, only Tonali has started games. Barnes is on the bench because Anthony Gordon is in fantastic form and both Hall and Livramento are likely to be understudies for now.
That is not to say they don’t have enough to beat the likes of Liverpool. They were favourites with the bookies on Sunday and finished above them in the table last season. They got themselves in a winning position against 10 men and blew it. Does that come back, on some level, to mentality?
They have thrived on being the underdog for so long now. Their ascent from bottom of the Premier League to the Champions League has been truly remarkable and against the odds. Howe has worked wonders.
But now he has to convince his players they are top dogs, not underdogs. They need to believe, at 1-0 at home against Liverpool, that they are the superior team and in control.
Maybe they need a season in the Champions League to embrace that feeling of belonging among the elite. Because, so far, they are beating the rest but not the best. Of just five losses at St James’ under Howe, three have come against Liverpool and the others versus Manchester City and Arsenal. That tells its own story.
But there were questions over Howe’s changes on Sunday?
There were, but he has massive reserves of goodwill in the bank on Tyneside. That does not put him above analysis, however, and his substitutions have dominated the fallout from Sunday’s defeat.
His withdrawal of Gordon on 72 minutes felt baffling at the time, given how well the scorer was playing. Supporters have also bemoaned Tonali’s removal, especially when the midfield became ragged in the latter stages.
The changes felt like the type made when a team has a comfortable advantage, not one goal. It’s interesting to note that Pep Guardiola kept the same XI throughout when City protected a 1-0 lead against Newcastle the previous weekend.
So, what is the general mood in the city right now?
In the wake of Sunday there is frustration, anger even. It was a massive opportunity missed.
But when that feeling subsides, optimism and excitement will remain. They have some top-class players within a very good squad and with an excellent manager.
On Thursday, they learn their Champions League opponents. They are in a good place and will recover from what was always likely to be a testing start. But one fact remains — to be the best, they have to start beating the best.
