MAGPIES SOAR
MAYBE Newcastle United should sign up a new assistant for Steve Bruce every week. Though you can’t explain a greatly-improved performance solely down to the recruitment of Graeme Jones from Bournemouth, this was a different outfit to the one that had previously sleptwalked to six defeats in a row.
Everton, not Newcastle, looked like the side that had previously failed to collect a league point in 2021. The visitors were hard-working and organised and — in contrast to recent displays — were happy to throw bodies forward at the right times.
Jones, who worked at Goodison with Roberto Martinez, was a visible presence yesterday yelling encouragement from the technical area in harmony with Bruce.
And whereas Everton’s famed front three struggled to get anything going, Callum Wilson was outstanding from start to finish and thoroughly deserved his two goals.
Initially deployed on the right wing, Everton couldn’t pick him up whenever he drifted inside. He missed a golden chance after 52 minutes but overcame the setback, like good striker should.
After 72 minutes, he lost marker Richarlison to meet Jonjo Shelvey’s corner with a brilliant flick header. And he kept going to the end — tapping in Jamal Lewis’ cross in injury-time when the Magpies broke with devastating affect.
Though the visitors finished with 39 per cent possession — and still haven’t had more possession than the opposition in any Premier League game since July — this was no smash-and-grab.
The breakthrough goal arrived from their 10th corner of the game and Carlo Ancelotti had already been forced to tweak his side by sending on substitute Andre Gomes to bring control to midfield.
Ancelotti is one of football’s great doyens but he got his line-up wrong this occasion. Naming five very attacking players in his selection looked tantalising on paper but didn’t lead to any cohesion. At least the Italian’s decision to stick by Jordan Pickford after his blunder against Leicester was justified when the England keeper tipped Wilson’s header on to the bar with the best chance of the first half.
‘It’s been a long time coming — we needed to pull our fingers out,’ said a candid Wilson after his side’s best result since winning at West Ham on the opening day. ‘I’m disappointed I didn’t get a hat-trick. I missed a couple of chances. I should have had three for sure.
‘The result is vital to give the boys a bit of a lift and confidence. You could see we were on the front foot and scored good goals. We have to take the game to teams. We can’t be sitting back all the time with the players we’ve got.’
The early signs were in Everton’s favour. Inside the first couple of minutes, Richarlison went on a barnstorming run and forced
Jamaal Lascelles into a bad challenge that got the Newcastle defender a booking.
Yet it still took the home side 21 minutes to test Karl Darlow through Richarlison and after that Newcastle were the better team with Shelvey pulling strings in midfield and Wilson and Ryan Fraser lively either side of the false nine, Miguel Almiron.
Pickford had to be alert to tip Wilson’s header on to the bar and the centre-foward was aghast after missing the target altogether when set up by Fraser after 52 minutes.
Encouragingly, Newcastle didn’t sulk. They forced a flurry of corners and were rewarded when Wilson ended his run of seven games without a goal.
The next target was to see if the Toon could win their first game in 11. They were anxieties when Wilson hit the outside of the post after rounding Pickford and then when Jeff Hendrick clattered into Richarlison, earning a yellow rather than red.
But the relief was evident in the 94th minute when substitute Allan Saint-Maximin and Jamal Lewis led a swift break for Wilson to net.
Bruce had started the week with his job on the line. There were even questions whether he approved the arrival of Jones, for whom Newcastle have had to pay Bournemouth compensation.
Now with home games against Crystal Palace and Southampton coming up, Newcastle can start looking up to mid-table rather than over their shoulders at the bottom three, especially with Saint-Maximin on the mend after Covid and Fraser back to his buzzing best.
‘It’s been tough, but when everyone’s fit and available we’re a decent outfit. When we aren’t, it becomes a bit of a struggle,’ said Bruce afterwards.
‘You know you’ll have to play well at Everton to get a result. We’ve seen signs of improvement in the second half against Villa and Leeds. Getting people back fit is really important. We have had a very tough past few weeks.’
Ancelotti’s first priority is to get Calvert-Lewin firing again. Having started the season like a Golden Boot contender, he has now gone seven league games without a goal.
The Italian lashed out at his players for being lazy, saying: ‘Newcastle won the game because they showed more fight and motivation.
‘It wasn’t for tactical reasons, it was mental. I am surprised. We are happy with what we have done this season but we can’t forget the reasons how we did it,’ he added.
‘Without spirit, there is no quality. Today we were lazy and slow. We were not focused. We didn’t win duels and second balls. We didn’t avoid corners or throw-ins. I said exactly that to the players in the dressing-room — no secrets.’
Ancelotti confirmed that winger Bernard and striker Cenk Tosun were missing from the squad in order to try and finalise moves before Monday’s deadline.
He urged the rest of his players to show a reaction to their defeat against Leeds on Wednesday.
‘I am disappointed. I hope it is only one game, he said. ‘I want to show our spirit in our next game. We are still in a good position in the table.’
Newcastle boss Bruce also confirmed striker Joelinton, an unused substitute yesterday, will be sanctioned for appearing to break lockdown rules by getting his hair cut.
‘He has made a mistake and he regrets it of course,’ added the manager.
Newcastle’s win was reward for playing more positively than in recent weeks.
‘We have been working on trying to get on the front foot and I think the players have enjoyed the change. But you need a result to go with it,’ added Bruce.