Newcastle United got back to winning ways by beating Athletic Club 2-0 on Wednesday evening to move into sixth place in the Champions League table. In what was a fairly routine win against a Bilbao side decimated by injury, United remained professional, something they couldn’t be accused of just three days ago.
Goals from Dan Burn and Joelinton were enough to secure the three points, with the closest Bilbao came to scoring was hitting the post twice in the first half.
Here are three things I liked (and two I didn’t) from the game:
Liked: Maligned lads bounce back…
There’s a caveat to this point and it’s one I’m sure isn’t far from many-a-Mags’ lips, and that’s they must show this again on Sunday; but to an even higher level. Despite passages of sloppy play from United in general, Nick Pope, Joelinton, and Dan Burn bounced back to varying degrees.
Dan Burn scored a picture-book header (he still shouldn’t start at LB on Sunday, mind) and it was a beauty, celebrated with the appropriate gusto. Joelinton scored a simple header from 8 yards out, but he still slowed up the play when it was attempted to be progressed through him. And Pope kept a clean sheet and made some decent saves late on.
However, some will argue that the players just got up for a game at home (as they’ve shown they can do repeatedly) once again, and that the bigger test is this Sunday against Brentford at the Gtech. And that’s something I wholly agree with.
Didn’t Like: Nick Woltemade’s ineffectiveness
Despite having a header that he put wide in the first half, showing his decent control, and his usual panache with his flicks and passes, Nick Woltemade remained a largely peripheral figure in the game.
He was often isolated and seemed to be playing from an even deeper position than usual, which would be fine if he was playing in the ten role and had a striker or wingers running beyond him, but that wasn’t the case on Wednesday.
Woltemade has been nothing short of exceptional since he’s arrived on Tyneside and maybe that’s why I really noticed a dip from him against Bilbao, but it’s clear that the team is still adjusting to his style and vice versa; and sometimes it clicks, and sometimes it doesn’t. Hopefully, Wissa will return from injury soon and the two will be able to form a partnership that will complement each other’s games.
Liked: Lewis Hall’s return from injury
What a wonderful breath of fresh air it was to see Lewis Hall back on the pitch, and within a few minutes he showed just how important it is to the modern game to have attacking emphasis from the full-backs.
In his brief 30 mins-ish cameo, he looked like he never missed a beat with some surging runs from deep, bypassing defenders like they weren’t there. He and Elanga, after the Swede came on late, sometimes occupied the same spaces down the left, but they’ve barely played together, and that will come with time.
Unfortunately, I don’t think Hall will play on Sunday as it will claimed it’s too early for him to play 90 mins, but Wednesday was a tantalising reminder of what we’ve missed down that side.
Didn’t like: Gordon’s performance (and subsequent injury)
Gordon was absolutely dreadful on Wednesday; he must’ve passed the ball to Bilbao players more than he did Newcastle players before he came off with a hip injury. Maybe an injury explains why he has blown so lukewarm and cold this season, but sometimes I just can’t escape the niggling suspicion that when a player is playing so poorly, they’re happy to come off with a “knock” to save their blushes.
The Englishman is having a really tough time in the Premier League, having not scored or assisted in his last 19 games, and depending on the severity of his injury, could be set for a spell out. Maybe a spell out will do him good and refresh him ahead of a big push after the international break, but he really needs to find some form quickly if he wants to be on that plane to the World Cup in the summer.
Liked: Winning in the Champions League for the third straight game
Seeing United play in the Champions League live is still a real pleasure, and that the lads are making a better fist of this time around is heartening (and at the moment, offers a welcome distraction from league worries), but it cannot be denied that the new league format is hugely beneficial to the better-resourced sides.
So, it’s with no great surprise then that most of the major sporting outlets have led with articles on Thursday morning with titles along the lines of “are the English sides finding the Champions League too easy?” But I don’t believe this should take away from United’s recent record in the competition.
Since the opening match week defeat to Barca, the lads have kept three clean sheets in a row, winning 4-0, 3-0, and 2-0, and the coaching staff are showing that they have learnt lessons from the last time we were in the competition too with solid rotation and squad management. And having only ever once before won three games in a row in this competition is a positive moment in United’s modern history. Make it four in a row against Marseille and we’ll all but be in the knockout phase.
Keep the faith. HWTL
(Photo by Andrew Thirlwall)
Add Comment