Football is a strange old game.
Newcastle dominated possession, played the better football and registered a combined total of 36 shots on goal in their previous two Premier League games against Sunderland and Stoke but a mixture of rotten luck, poor refereeing and wasteful finishing meant that the Magpies agonisingly failed to gain their just desserts.
Saturday’s dire performance at the Vitality Stadium was the polar opposite to recent weeks but, somehow, the game ended with Newcastle picking up their first away victory since January.
Bournemouth penned United back for 90 minutes, dictated the pace of the game and created a host of clear goalscoring opportunities, yet, with their only effort on target, the Magpies stole a crucial victory to leapfrog the Cherries and move out of the drop zone.
It was arguably Newcastle’s worst display of the season but when you’re at the foot of the Premier League table performances are of little importance, results are paramount.
Here’s what we learned from the Magpies’ South Coast smash and grab.
Elliot is a capable stand in for Krul
Many United fans remain unconvinced by Rob Elliot however there’s no doubting that the former Charlton man is a highly talented shot-stopper.
The Republic of Ireland international justified McClaren’s bold call to name him in the starting XI in spite of his troublesome thigh-injury by making a string of remarkable saves to shutout Eddie Howe’s relentless Bournemouth side.
This was Elliot’s second clean-sheet in successive weeks and he deservedly took the plaudits as well as the Man of the Match award following the final whistle.
The Irishman’s astonishing performance between the sticks ranks as one of the most memorable goalkeeping displays in Newcastle’s Premier League history and he will be full of confidence heading into the international break.
Newcastle lacked physicality and hunger
Following Newcastle’s 2-0 defeat at the Liberty Stadium earlier this season, Swansea manager Garry Monk accused McClaren’s side of trying to rough up the Swans by adopting an overly physical approach to the game. Today, Monk’s claims couldn’t have been further from the truth.
Bournemouth bullied United from the off. The home side were first to every second ball and won the lion’s share of 50-50 challenges, as a feeble Newcastle side lost a majority of their individual duels without laying a glove on the Cherries. Aleksandar Mitrovic was the only United player to physically trouble Bournemouth, in a game that often looked like men against boys.
This was an early season six-pointer for both sides but only one team showed the requisite hunger and application to match the magnitude of the encounter – and it certainly wasn’t Newcastle.
Tougher tests lie ahead for the Magpies and, after some improved displays in recent weeks, McClaren will hope that Saturday’s lacklustre performance was nothing more than a bad day at the office.
Tiote and Anita don’t work together
Tiote and Anita are two of the most defensive-minded central midfielders you could possibly find and their limitations were glaringly exposed today, as the deep-lying pair invited constant waves of pressure from Bournemouth.
Playing the duo together is not conducive towards any form of progressive football and their selection at the heart of a midfield-four immediately handed the initiative to Eddie Howes’ side. The pair were wretched on the ball and their finite range of passing regularly gifted possession back to the Cherries in dangerous areas of the pitch.
The diminutive Anita frequently dropped into the right back slot to cover for Daryl Janmaat’s attacking forays, leaving a hapless Tiote completely overrun in the middle of the park and unable to break up the home side’s slick passing moves. The Cherries penetrated the Magpies’ midfield lines at will and at times the game looked like a training ground exercise of defence against attack.
A Bournemouth goal was a matter of when and not if until McClaren wisely decided to sacrifice Aleskandar Mitrovic and revert back to a 4-5-1 formation to assist the ailing duo in seeing out the final 20 minutes of the game.
The midfield battle is where a majority of Premier League clashes are won or lost and against more clinical opposition Newcastle would certainly have been punished.
Rumours of McClaren requesting a winger and a centre-half in the January transfer window emerged last week, however, on today’s evidence, a centre midfielder should be top of his the former England manager’s wish list.
Mitrovic is key
Mitrovic was the Newcastle focal point once again at the Vitality Stadium and every piece of promising play came through the brawny Serbian. The former Anderlecht striker possesses a real physical presence but he is also beginning to show United fans that there is more to his game than brute strength.
The frontman demonstrated an impressive footballing IQ throughout the first-half of Saturday’s game by cleverly using his body to shield possession, buying valuable time for his teammates who were desperately struggling to transition from defence to attack.
In United’s one piece of Premier League quality, Mitrovic’s beautiful back-heel flick bamboozled Bournemouth’s defenders and allowed Gini Wijnaldum to feed Ayoze Perez for the game’s deciding goal.
Mitrovic has proved to be the perfect foil for Spain u21 international Perez and the Spaniard’s influence on games has undoubtedly grown since the Serbian returned to the United starting XI. Their understanding of one and other borders on telepathic at times and, if they can both remain injury-free, the sky is the limit for the pair’s mouth-watering partnership.
Thauvin CAN make a positive impact
Florian Thauvin has flattered to deceive in a Newcastle shirt since his dream debut in August’s Capital One Cup tie with Northampton and in recent weeks the winger’s game time has been at a premium. The former Marseille man was widely berated for his cameo appearance in United’s Wear-Tyne derby defeat last month, as he repeatedly conceded possession and carelessly neglected all of his defensive duties, contributing to Steven Fletcher’s breakaway goal.
As the Frenchman prepared to join the action on Saturday, I must admit, I feared the worst. Thankfully, Thauvin proved me wrong.
The tricky winger had a positive impact following his late introduction to the game, with his blistering pace and trickery stretching Bournemouth on the break, giving the Cherries something to worry about as they pushed for a late equaliser.
The France u21 international looked up to the task and his decision making with the ball seemed to receive greater consideration, intelligently recycling the ball to his teammates with some neat, simple passes rather than giving possession away cheaply.
As Tiote and Anita continue to flounder in the middle of the park, McClaren may be forced to move Wijnaldum infield from the left to occupy a more central role. This potential switch could present Thauvin with the perfect opportunity to establish himself in Newcastle’s starting XI and United fans will hope that the Frenchman can build upon Saturday’s much-improved display.
