(Image curtesy of Instagram: @Patrice_Creative)
On the 19th December, Newcastle were demolished at home by Manchester City 4-0. On that day 3 long months ago, Newcastle were outplayed by the reigning Premier League champions and barely laid a glove on the Citizens.
It was a significant game as it was two of the Premier League’s financial superpowers going head-to-head in an El Cashico showdown for the first time since the £300m buyout of the club by the Saudi-backed consortium from previous owner, Mike Ashley.
If this match had been played five years from now when the Newcastle takeover process was further down the timeline and the teams were more evenly matched, we might have seen more of an even contest.
However, it was not to be.
The home team did not have a shot on target until the 81st minute Goals from Ruben Dias, Riyad Mahrez, Raheem Sterling and a beauty of a goal from Joao Cancelo put the Magpies to the sword and left them in serious relegation trouble hanging on in 19th place in the table.
The results was not a surprise. In fact it was something that Newcastle fans have had to get used to while their club was under the ownership of the Mike Ashley regime. At that point, Newcastle were stuck on a measly 10 points having taken just five points from Eddie Howe’s first seven games in charge. The statistic of the 13 previous instances of a team having 10 or fewer points after 18 Premier League games, 61% of them had been relegated. They had also conceded 79 goals in the league in 2021, the joint-most by a team in the competition in a calendar year.
And then everything changed.
(Image curtesy of NUFC)
The fortunes of the Magpies have dramatically changed in the last couple of weeks and Newcastle VAVEL writer, Harry Roy spoke about the renewed sense of optimism and the positive atmosphere that has engulfed St. James’ Park and galvanised football fans in the North East.
He said: “The atmosphere has been very good at St. James’ Park since Mike Ashley left. There has been a real boost.
“The quality of the football is a lot better, and we are winning now the atmosphere is much more positive.
“St. James’ Park is the best place in the league to watch football at the minute and long may it continue.”
Roy also commented on the improvement he has seen in during this great run, not only defensively but also in the huge change of mentality within the team stating: “I have seen a real improvement in how we see out and win football matches.
“Under Bruce, the defence were so poor, unorganised and unfit. We couldn’t win unless we scored four goals a game.
“There was a mental block at the time. Newcastle have dropped 21 points from winning positions more than any other club, but now they look a lot more confident.”
Since that heavy defeat, Newcastle have only lost one of their nine games and are currently on a eight-match unbeaten run having only conceded 6 goals.
(Image curtesy of Chronicle Live)
On the new signings that joined made the move to the River Tyne in January, Roy said: “The most important player that they brough in was absolutely Trippier.
“He seems to have galvanised the team and has become part of the senior leadership group. He even captained the side against Aston Villa.
“The injury he suffered was devastating because he is one of the players in modern times that I have seen play for Newcastle.”
However, despite the clear leadership and added quality that Trippier has brought to the team, the experience and solidity that Dan Burn and Matt Targett have instilled into the Newcastle defence and the drastically improved performances of Joe Willock and Joelinton (Joelinton in particular who is now being deployed as a powerhouse box-to-box midfielder), there is one name on Geordie lips that continues to excite the city.
He continues to make mouths drop with audacious dribbling skills, continues to sometimes single-handedly raise the decibels in the 52,000-seater Newcastle upon Tyne stadium on a regularly basis, and is now starting to refine himself as a lethal offensive weapon that the relegation-battlers can now depend upon.
(Graph showing Allan Saint-Maximin compared to positional peers in Top Leagues )
Everyone already knows what sort of player Allan Sain-Maximin is, so I don’t need to go into too much detail on that. However, what is different now is his efficiency and the home win against Everton on February 8 is a great example of this slight tweak we have seen in his game in recent weeks.
The Frenchman was man of the match again, no surprise. Although, in this game it was interesting to note that despite his performance being filled with take-ons and burst of pace as per usual with the ex-Nice winger, this game he was more much mature and incisive with his approach.
Instead of like in previous instances where he may hold on to the ball for a split-second too long and spurn a golden opportunity to set up a chance for a teammate, that day he played the pass at the perfect time. He only brought out the sumptuous skills when he needed to, and he did so with immaculate efficiency. He was strong and dynamic with his dribbling, won some interceptions in great positions of the pitch and regularly launched threatening counter attacks.
He was simply unplayable that day. The winger was at the heart of everything the home team did going forward. He was an all-round menace to the Everton defence and was ruthless with his chance creation and all-round team play. During the course of this season, he has been awarded the man of the match award six times, more than any other Newcastle player. His five goals and three assists this season are also chart-topping goal contributions numbers in his team and he is starting to really put the team on his back.
(Image curtesy of Telegraph & Argus)
Roy, like a lot of Geordies, is becoming increasingly excited with the potential project that Newcastle United are about to embark on.
He said: “I expect they’ll go back in for Sven Botman. He was a player that we really wanted to come but unfortunately, we could not get it done.
“I think they’ll need another winger, two centre-halves and possibly a new goalkeeper. They’ll probably go back in for Jesse Lingard as well, so I expect a lot of business.
“A lot of work needs to be done. We have to buy the right players and I think they’ll spend well over £150m and begin the push for Europe."
This new-look Newcastle United team are fast becoming one of the Premier League’s biggest stories at the moment, and under the stewardship of Eddie Howe they are beginning to turn doubters into believers.
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