Newcastle’s squad-building is exposed
In a scene unfamiliar to Newcastle’s owners, we saw a public display of dissent at St James’s Park yesterday, where the crowd met with boos a feeble 3-1 loss to Nottingham Forest. It’s Newcastle’s sixth defeat in seven games, which Eddie Howe should know is an unacceptable run of form for an elite club. The length of their injury list has provided much mitigation to now, but yesterday’s was the kind of result that can’t be written off.
Forest continually sliced Newcastle open on the counter attack, and it was much too easy for them to run through the vacant swathe of grass that is supposed to be Newcastle’s midfield. The original sin here was Newcastle’s summer recruitment, with much of their budget blown on Sandro Tonali. His betting ban makes it look like the wrong signing in hindsight, but it should have been evident it was the wrong signing at the time, too. Tonali is another cut-and-thrust number eight, with which the Newcastle squad is relatively stacked. They needed an out-and-out defensive midfielder instead and without one, Bruno Guimaraes has been deployed in that position. He has done fine, but it has blunted his attacking influence.
Eddie Howe seemed to suggest Newcastle won’t be active in the transfer marker when he said the solutions must come from within. This problem likely won’t be solved anywhere but in the market.
Jota’s return is key for Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp said his medical team might kill him if he played the retuning Diogo Jota for more than a few minutes against Burnley, saying this was at least a means of re-introducing him to a stadium atmosphere before Monday’s game against Newcastle. In the end, he needed Jota to seal a slightly-nervy win. His return from a hamstring injury is timely indeed, with Mohamed Salah soon to depart for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Outside of Salah, Jota is Liverpool’s most reliable finisher. Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo are in the slough of poor form, while Darwin Nunez remains a compellingly unstable compound.
Liverpool have been dogged by profligacy and a poor final ball in recent games, but that is clouding what is otherwise some very encouraging performances: their pressing and general stability is beginning to look as it did when the team were in their pomp.
They have collected 42 points in the first half of the season, but will probably need between 44 and 48 points from the latter half if they are going to truly push for the title. For that they need to be more ruthless.
Liverpool have had 95 shots over their last four games: they would have scored more than eight times had Jota been fit for them all.
Garnacho can help solve United’s Rashford conundrum
Is his what we call the minority investor bounce? Manchester United conceded a dreadful pair of goals from set pieces against Villa but were otherwise the better team; figuring out a way to deal with their offside trip at half-time to fightback for a precious three points.
United’s basic work ethic was outstanding, pressing Villa effectively after half-time. Rasmus Hojlund’s winning goal was a brilliant moment of instinct, though ironically he would have been off the pitch at that point had Marcus Rashford not picked up an injury and been forced off instead.
Rashford’s performance was very encouraging – it was his best outing in yonks. One of the reasons for that is his return to the left side of United’s attack, as he is ineffective on the right side. That’s hardly his fault: you never see Mo Salah or Bukayo Saka playing off the left, for instance.
But United’s wretched squad-building has pressed Rashford into action off the right too often this season, given there are few alternatives to the miserable Antony. Garnacho, however, played off the right against Villa and was outstanding. Perhaps Erik ten Hag has stumbled over a solution that will suit all.
A cheery night all round for United.