ANOTHER KO FOR PUNCHDRUNK TOON
NEWCASTLE UNITED under Steve Bruce are like a boxer with a decent chin but no punch. Throw what you want at them and they will resist long enough to stay in the contest.
But when it comes to landing a blow of their own, they’ll take aim for your face and hit your cornerman.
They have scored one goal in eight hours of play and are without a win in seven matches.
Yet still Bruce emerged at the Emirates Stadium to talk of ‘progress’. In the context of what has gone before, he was arguably right. But it is a low bar for improvement.
They played OK against Arsenal. They soaked up some early pressure – they always do – and could have won the tie inside 90 minutes with better finishing.
But therein lies the problem that threatens to drag them towards the bottom three. Tomorrow’s trip to Sheffield United is of far greater importance in that regard.
Bruce made mention of the Gunners being below Newcastle in the table before Christmas, but these sides are heading in very different directions now.
The holders advanced here thanks to extra-time goals from Emile Smith Rowe, who had a red card overturned near the end of normal time, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
But it was Kieran Tierney and Bukayo Saka who again provided the spark after Arsenal, at times, l ooked back to t heir stodgy pre-Christmas worst.
Finding a way to win games is a fine quality, though, and there has been enough evidence lately to suggest Mikel Arteta has identified those who can make a difference when deployed correctly.
By contrast, Bruce is 18 months into his job and still talks of ‘getting the team further up the pitch’ and ‘passing the ball a bit better’.
In truth, they are nothing more than that battered boxer who stays on his feet and shades the odd bout on points.
The club has not beaten a Premier League opponent since 2012 i n this competition.
For when it comes to t he cups, i t’ s invariably a knockout for Newcastle.
(4-2-3-1): Leno 7; Soares 6 (Maitland-Niles 120min), Luiz 6, Pablo Mari 6, Elneny 6, Willock 5 (Xhaka 66, 6.5); Pepe 5 (Lacazette 106, 6), Willian 4 (Saka 66, 7), Nelson 5 (Smith Rowe 57, 7); Aubameyang 6.5. Runarsson, Chambers, Nketiah. Smith Rowe 109, Aubameyang 117. Soares, Smith Rowe.
Mikel Arteta 7. (5-4-1): Dubravka 6; Krafth 6 (Murphy 68, 5), Clark 6.5, Lascelles 6 (Ritchie 46, 5), Hayden 6, Dummett 6; Almiron 6 (Yedlin 81, 5), Hendrick 6, S Longstaff 6, Joelinton 5 (Anderson 81, 6.5); Carroll 7 (Gayle 106, 5).