Cup replay crucial for Toon as fans fume at another blank
NEWCASTLE UNITED are painful to watch, and Steve Bruce knows it.
Two home games in eight days. Two goalless draws. And twice they have failed to take the game to bottom-of-thetable Norwich, and Oxford, from League One.
What’s the plan? Toon fans don’t know whether to be happy their side look set to stay in the top flight again, or fuming that the entertainment, levels of attacking cohesion, and use of the ball are at rock bottom. The fluctuating mood on Tyneside hinges on beating
Oxford tomorrow in the FA Cup replay, and then, maybe, West Brom in the fifth round.
As Ciaran Clark admitted, Toon fans need something to cheer and hang the season on.
“We want to have a cup run, all the players and staff do,” Clark (right) said. “We want to give the crowd something to be excited about. We will go there with the right attitude.”
In the positive column, Bruce’s men are unbeaten in seven games, and mid-table after an undeserved draw, outplayed by Norwich’s superior passing and movement.
Beat Oxford and progress in the Cup, while going into a winter break next weekend with 31 points, would appear to be heading in the right direction. But the boos at half-time and the end suggest there is an uneasy coalition between terrace and turf.
It’s two wins in 10 games for Newcastle and it is early November since they played well. They have a £40million striker in Joelinton who doesn’t make enough positive runs, and suffers for a lack of decent service.
In midfield, it’s pedestrian with only Isaac Hayden offering athleticism.
No one wants the ball enough, or is prepared to take a risk.
The defence is solid, having conceded five goals in seven games, but playing with three centrebacks requires the passing ability of Florian Lejeune or Fabian Schar.
Teemu Pukki should have had a hat-trick and the excellent Martin Dubravka bailed Newcastle out with six good saves. City keeper Tim Krul, back on Tyneside, made one good stop from Joelinton. Quiet apart from the “special” reception given to him by the Gallowgate End.
Tomorrow night, Oxford will fancy an upset unless Toon move the ball quicker, like they did in their third-round replay against Rochdale.
Bruce couldn’t get the cutting-edge player he wanted last week (loanee Danny Rose, inset) and will now wait until the summer window.
The Magpies boss said: “I’d rather wait until we get the players we want. I am determined to bring more quality in than just add a body. We looked and looked. We didn’t get anywhere.”