Toon dream torn to shreds as trophy wait enters 70th year. Maybe Ashley and Bruce weren’t so bad after all...
Bernardo Silva takes the plaudits after his double (left) to leave Eddie Howe (above) and the Toon down and out
THE season started with Newcastle’s Saudi chief Yasir Al-rumayyan declaring the club was aiming to be No.1.
It ended as a trophy hunt, with the Toon having gone 69 years without major domestic silverware.
The harsh truth is the Magpies look as far away as ever from being contenders.
As Eddie Howe’s squad headed for a reset in Dubai, the mood seemed as bleak as ever.
A year ago it felt like anything was possible after a near perfect fourth-place finish.
Now we have Howe saying there’s no financial scope for a major overhaul this summer and a team on a losing streak being smashed by second-gear Manchester City, who hogged 72 per cent of possession.
And all while there is debate over which star they will sell in the summer.
Not much different to having Mike Ashley and Steve Bruce at the helm?! Only with added Saudi human rights concerns. Souls sold for what?
The end result is the same. It’s the same old Newcastle. Winning the ‘fan singing’ trophy – 8,000 were at City – but nothing else.
Have patience, it’s a longterm project, fans are assured.
They last won the FA Cup in 1955. That’s patience. Difficult questions, harsh, raw opinions. But realities that have to be faced.
Newcastle have the wealthiest owners, spending wildly on football at home, but are unable to rebuild because of Profit and Sustainability Rules. They can’t inflate transfer deals or sponsorships with related companies, brakes that didn’t exist before City’s Abu Dhabi takeover and spending.
The Premier League and FA Cup needs a revived Newcastle to stop their league becoming boring. When City v Newcastle is a tedious, predictable mismatch, football has a problem.
So Howe, Newcastle and their fans are locked out of a swift route to the top. They have to sell to buy big, and their director of football Dan Ashworth remains on gardening leave, bound for Manchester United.
Why aren’t the Saudis pumping more cash in through multiple sponsorship deals?
A new training ground was promised but it’s gone quiet. St James’ Park may be revamped not rebuilt.
Perhaps the Saudi Pro League, their World Cup bid and buying up other sports is more of a priority, and the Toon is not the flagship asset many thought, and feared, it would be.
Howe will try to keep the season alive by insisting his 10th-placed squad have to chase seventh or eighth to get into Europe next season. That would at least be creditable.
Reality is hitting home that trips to Milan, Dortmund and Paris in the Champions League 72% 11
5 721 91% 11
3
7
0
REF:
POSSESSION 28% SHOTS ON TARGET 1 SHOTS OFF TARGET 1
TOTAL PASSES 235 PASSING SUCCESS80% CORNERS 2 OFFSIDE 4 FOULS 16 CARDS 0
0 this season, and Wembley last, could be the exception.
On the pitch City had 16 shots to Newcastle’s two and 11 corners to two. Dominance.
Howe’s squad looks out on its feet, beleaguered by constant injuries, with the tenacious energy and pressing of last season lost since December.
Even Lewis Miley’s shirt (above) failed to pass the Etihad test.
They have two players of real quality in Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak, with Joelinton also crucial, and Anthony Gordon player of the season.
Sven Botman has lost form, Sean Longstaff is struggling. Many players have run their race at the Toon, but will still be there next season.
Asked to give his verdict on Newcastle’s struggles, City boss Pep Guardiola said: “They took a big step and reached another level but this season they’ve played a lot, and it’s completely different.
“I’m sure they’ll take lessons because the potential is there. Last season was unbelievable.”
3
MAN CITY (4-3-3):
Ortega 6, Walker 7, Dias 7, Akanji 7, Gvardiol 7, Silva 7, Rodri 8, Kovacic 7, Foden 7, Haaland 7 (Alvarez 87), Doku 7 (Bobb 77).
NEWCASTLE (5-3-2):
Dubravka 6, Murphy 5, Lascelles 6, Schar 6, Botman 5 (Krafth 83), Burn 5 (Hall 62, 6), Longstaff 5 (Miley 62, 5), Guimaraes 6, Willock 5 (Anderson 62, 5), Gordon 5 (Almiron 62, 6), Isak 5.
ROTHERHAM boss Leam Richardson made his team block out the emotion to end a nine-game losing streak.
The Millers also finished off a run of 14 games without a clean sheet, including successive 5-0 drubbings immediately prior to this.
Rotherham, who have meagre resources by Championship standards, need momentum to take into
League One next season after almost inevitable relegation.
Shutting out Huddersfield was a desperately-needed first step in the right direction. Richardson (right) said: “We need a culture shift and we need to make sure that weeks like last week (losing 5-0 twice) don’t happen. The players needed my support and I’d like to think I gave them it.
“It’s important that you’ve got the right leadership skills, put the emotion aside, and make sure you can take the next best step forward. It’s easy to dive for cover and find excuses, which I won’t allow.”
Huddersfield boss Andre Breitenreiter’s second-half inaction back-fired, as the Terriers failed to strike.
The German manager felt a goal was coming but it didn’t arrive, while Danny Ward, Josh Koroma and Alex Matos were all unused subs.
Breitenreiter tried to put a positive spin on this result’s ramifications, saying: “Maybe we can speak at the end of the season, we drink a pint of beer, and we say that this point was the special one.”