After a dire performance against Leicester City (arguably the worse of the season so far), Newcastle need to improve and fast. The excuses are starting to wear thin; No longer can Steve McClaren justify the lack of positive results and poor performances by either stating the strength of the opposition, or the fact that Newcastle are a team in transition.
The boos rang out both at half-time and at the final whistle on Saturday, which came as little surprise to anyone that witnessed the match. Two wins in 13 matches and only five league wins from 32 matches in 2015 makes for frightening reading. Whilst sacking the manager or bringing in players in January are the more drastic changes discussed, here’s a look at just a few things Newcastle need to do to improve.
Newcastle need to be harder to beat. As much as a win would be great, Newcastle have to start getting points on the board. Talent on paper is useless unless it is put into practice with wholehearted performances, passion and a desire to play for the shirt. Leicester City epitomise this and take a look at where they are now. No disrespect to Leicester, but their squad isn’t littered with star names and huge wages. But, what they do have is a fantastic work ethic. They fight for each other and they give 110% from minute one to minute 95. Not one player wearing a black and white shirt this season can say they do that on a consistent basis. If you are being outclassed by talent, I can accept that, but if you lose due to lack of effort, then you shouldn’t be playing. The players need to have a good hard look in the mirror and come out fighting.
Tactics and personnel need changing. If the players started putting in the required and expected effort, instantly the amount of goals Newcastle are conceding would be reduced. However, 0-0 draws or losing by only one goal instead of three will not keep us in the league. A return of one goal in the last four games speaks volumes. This undeniably stems from the formation and personnel deployed each week. There is no creativity in midfield and Newcastle play two of their biggest talents out of position on the wings. Not only does this prevent Georginio Wijnaldum and Moussa Sissoko from using their attributes effectively, but it means Newcastle play with no real width and, therefore, provide the forwards with no service.
Aleksandar Mitrovic is screaming out for an out-and-out winger to provide him with crosses to feed from. His form has dipped alarmingly over the last few matches and he may well find himself dropped for the next match. Having your best players on the pitch is pointless if they don’t play in a system that allows them to flourish.
McClaren’s possession philosophy just isn’t working at the moment. Newcastle enjoyed more possession against Leicester at the weekend, however, they still only mustered one shot on target. Leicester, on the other hand, managed a total of 18 shots – double that of Newcastle. This has been the trend for much of the season now and the Magpies’ best results have been when they have had less possession than the opposition.
McClaren has to pick a team that is able to put his plans into action. If he wants to keep possession, he needs to pick players who are comfortable on the ball and won’t give it away needlessly. What McClaren has to stop doing is picking 11 players he likes the look of, rather than not caring whether they compliment each other or can play his system.
I, like many others, enjoy watching fast flowing football. It actually gets me out of my seat, however, at this moment in time, I would take ugly football that gets points on the board. It is not a long-term solution, but the style of football can be experimented with as soon as 40 points are on the board.
January is going to be very important for the club. We need to bring in proven, top-quality players who actually want to play for the team, rather than buying players who just want to get their wage and run.
