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What has been Eddie Howe's BIGGEST headache this season? Newcastle United Analysed!
11 Plays13 days ago
Goalkeeping dilemma? Creative issues? A transition of playing styles? What has been Eddie Howe's biggest headache this season at Newcastle United? Michael Grahamslaw discusses all this and more on today's Daily Newcastle.
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Transcript
Introduction to 'The Daily Newcastle'
00:00:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Alright lads, lasses and everybody in between, this is the Daily Newcastle. My name is Michael Gramslow and today we are here to talk about a few problems that Eddie Howe and Newcastle face between now and the end of the season.
Current Premier League Standing & Outlook
00:00:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
And let's be honest, a few is probably being a little generous considering you know we sit 13th, actually we might not even be 13th in the Premier League table, It was last night, but it might not be after the results. um
00:00:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I'm Michael Grameslow. um I'm an optimist, said nobody that ever listened to this podcast. No, let's be honest, I am the pessimist of the group and I am more than happy with that role because it's how I am, particularly when it comes to football.
Eddie Howe's Capability to Turn Season Around
00:00:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
However,
00:00:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
I fully believe that Eddie Howe and his backroom staff can turn this season into a very good one. Particularly when I look at that Premier League table, because we all know we've been a little bit off it, and we're still so, so close to those Champions League places.
00:01:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But to do so, think there's a few issues that do need to be fixed, and Eddie Howe
Goalkeeper Dilemma: Ramsdale vs. Pope
00:01:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
will know. that these issues need to be fixed and he'll be working on it every single day. And let's be honest, he's more likely to get a tune and fix them than any of us. But that doesn't stop me talking about it. Um...
00:01:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I'm not saying these are the only issues with the squad at the minute. These are just the ones that I think need to be fixed before we realistically can say we're going to challenge for the Champions League this season. The first of which um is maybe a bit harsh, but Newcastle have to choose between the goalkeeper that can't really kick a ball and does have a mistake in him once in a while, or the goalkeeper that can't save anything that hasn't strayed at him at the moment.
00:02:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Um, And even then he kind of struggles. um But look, I love anybody that plays for Newcastle United. But even Stevie Wonder can see the options are pretty bleak at the moment.
00:02:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But the reason it's an issue is because whichever goalkeeper we decide on, whether it's Aaron Ramsdale or Nick Pope, It needs to change the way that we play.
00:02:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because at the minute we're playing a bit of a hybrid that suits neither goalkeeper, really. um If we play Ramsdale, we have to be a lot more aggressive defending our box.
00:02:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
With the ball, Newcastle are fine playing out from the back. That suits Ramsdale to a T. That's where he's good. Let's be honest, he is one of the best I would see in the league with his feet.
00:02:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
just a shame about the hands. and but if And then if we play Nick Pope, we need to play with four defenders who are comfortable with the ball at their feet. Which means the likes of Dan Burns' time in the squad is limited. Which personally I dislike because I think Burn offers the most commanding presence in the box from a defensive point of view.
00:03:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
And while he can be caught out with a pace at the back, Only Malik Chow really can't, in my opinion, out of our centre-backs. So it makes sense to have Dan Byrne in there as the most commanding presence.
00:03:24
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And let's be honest, Sven Botman isn't the best with the ball at his
Goalkeeper Management Scenarios
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Global Sports Podcast Network
feet either. And he is a fantastic defender that needs to be there. So it's a very, very difficult scenario for Eddie Howe.
00:03:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Which one does he choose? Either way, it's going to dictate the way we play going forward. Personally, I'm probably edging towards Ramsdale because long term, we are going to play that way. We are going to play a very similar way, the way we do Ramsdale with Nick Pope. I think he's a significantly better shot stopper.
00:04:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
I still think on his day, he is one of the best in the league, but he's having too many off days at the moment. Um, I think realistically, we need to look to the future and go, right, we're going to try and play a bit more of an attacking style of play in the future.
00:04:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
We need to go with the goalkeeper that best suits that. for our defenders and midfielders as much as the goalkeeper. um I don't think it's something that will be fixed as such in this window, um the goalkeeping situation, that is. um I think three scenarios I can see happening. The first one is about 85% to 90% likely, and that is Ramsdale and Pope remain as the options until the end of the season.
00:04:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
um And one of them stakes their claim. I think it will end up being Pope for the rest of the season, personally, once he's back from his injury, obviously. and Purely because as as good as Ramsdale is with hes with the ball at his feet, we're not. There's stupid goals going in that shouldn't. And I think we're going to end up rotating and going, well, we don't like that one.
00:05:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's bring the other one back in. Realistically, the best thing for Nick Pope was getting that injury and having the replacement goalkeeper come in and not do very well. And then second option, which I'm not 100% sure is actually even possible and because I don't know the details of the loan spell. um But we end Aaron Ramsdale's loan spell in January, send him back to Southampton and bring in James Trafford on loan, which is, I'll be honest, it's not an option I like, but it is...
00:05:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
When looking at it, the most likely second option, in my opinion, Newcastle wanted Trafford. Man City ended up with Juan Luigi Donnarumma alongside James Trafford.
00:05:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Trafford's not getting any games, but City will still want him to go out and make an impression. He's not doing anything, sat on the bench. And then this is probably the least likely due to the financial situation because we brought in Wissau on the last day, etc.,
00:06:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But then Newcastle could kind cancel the loan spell of Aaron Ramsdale and then bring in another keeper from abroad, which I stress again, probably a 2% chance of happening.
00:06:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
um I don't think it'll be a priority, and but I would love to see someone like a young goalkeeper come in with a lot of potential, um but it's not really what Newcastle need right now. you know you look ah When I look at the sort of future great goalkeepers, one of them for me is going to be Zeon Suzuki from Parma, but that's because I'm a bit of a Parma fanboy from growing up.
00:06:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
and But he has the potential be incredible. just like Giovanni Leone, who Liverpool got from the same team. and But realistically, Newcastle can't go out and buy potential. They need someone that's going to be there right now.
00:06:55
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And unfortunately, time is running out for both Nick Pope and, um to be honest, Aaron Ramsdale at Newcastle, because as much as he will probably have an okay end of the season, let's be honest, we're not buying him for the £20 million that's quoted.
Mentality Issues & Arsenal Comparison
00:07:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then the second problem I have, well, the second problem I see, should I say, with Newcastle, the issue that needs to be fixed is a clear mentality issue. When we go ahead...
00:07:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
it feels like there's no belief in the team whatsoever that we're going to hold on to the result, to the win. And I'm not sure how many people watched Arsenal's victory over Brentford on Wednesday night. Arsenal didn't play well at all.
00:07:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I'm not comparing Newcastle and Arsenal squads before anyone gets started there. They weren't bad, Arsenal. but it And it wasn't a performance that kids will remember, you know, five years. Oh, can you remember when we beat Brentford 2-0?
00:07:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
no absolutely not but they took the lead from michael marino and went right we're going to control the game have for the majority of possession but we're going to limit what you do in the process so we're going to keep players back but we're still going to control the game in the midfield and for the front players and then when you look at newcastle in comparison against the same opposition we took off two wingers brought on a winger and a fullback And that was at 1-1.
00:08:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then against Man City and Atletico Bilbao, we finished without a striker. It did work in those two games. But without against Arsenal, for example, we went five at the back, 25 minutes left, and we folded.
00:08:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Arsenal did nothing against us, really. outside of the first 20 minutes, um well, after the goal, really, um and then up until in between our goal and their goal, basically they did nothing.
00:08:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
What changed in that time? We went to five at the back, tried to hold on, and it failed. against Brentford we tried holding on we changed things up and it failed and let's be honest you can't win football matches by just sticking the same philosophy for 90 minutes it's not football manager um but it is one of those where we are how I say it We are changing our mentality without changing the formation at times. Sometimes we are changing the formation, but we're sitting back and we don't have that belief that we can go forward and cause these teams issues. I mean, let's look at games where we've sat back after taking the lead. Marseille, Aubameyang could have had five.
00:09:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Fulham realistically should have got something at St. James' Park if it wasn't for a late winner by Bruno. ah West Ham, Brentford, even Wolves. Wolves could have got something against us if they weren't absolutely dreadful.
Transition to Top-Six Team
00:09:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
um West Ham are absolutely dreadful, and they did, because we sat back and didn't have that belief. um And it's hard to say what brings that belief. Maybe it will just take a couple of wins. um But we did start sitting back a little bit against Tottenham towards the end. And I was hoping the 4-1 win against Everton was going to be that moment where Newcastle went, well, hang on.
00:10:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
we can score four goals away from home. We can put in good performances. And yes, against Everton, we sat back a lot in the the first 30 minutes. But second half, we came out, we matched them, and, well, we did a lot more than match them, actually, but we had the mentality of trying to match them and trying to beat them.
00:10:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
um And we were fantastic. So I was hoping to see them more of the same. Maybe we will. Maybe that's just what we've needed to change things up. And Spurs, little bit of a fluke of that side coming back in.
00:10:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
and But i I also think with that, we're in a bit of a transition period and you see it with Spurs as well. um We're not the Newcastle of a few years ago.
00:10:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
There are expectations on us now and teams come into games against us going, if we get a draw at St. James' Park, that's a great result. Oh, we've got Newcastle coming away from home. That's going to be a tough physical game. You know what? I'd be happy with the draw.
00:11:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Teams are happy with the draw against us now. It's not the Steve Bruce or even anyhow when he first came in where they were going Newcastle mid-table. Let's be honest, we should be beating them. um And we're in that transition period of becoming that top six side where you have to stop the constant press.
00:11:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
the counter-attack and style of football because you have 50 games in a season every year and you have to start playing on the front foot instead of equal footing. And that is something that Newcastle struggle with. If you look at any top...
00:11:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's say top six team, except from Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp. How many of them play with a good press? Klopp's Liverpool were an anomaly, really. i hate to say it because I really hate the turkey teeth, man. um Yeah, I didn't want to say man. But we're going to keep it PG. um ah Yeah, it's it's one of those where realistically...
00:12:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
They're an anomaly. You don't get Pep Guardiola's team playing high-intensity pressing football. They're going to pass it through it. Tiki-taka. Same with Miguel Arteta's Arsenal. They're not going to press you that high, but what they are going to do is try and pass through you.
00:12:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Same with Tottenham. Same with Chelsea. you know Chelsea aren't a pressing machine. neither Tottenham kind of tried to be under Big Ange, realised it wouldn't work. Look at how that went.
00:12:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
They're still struggling with that now. um So we're really in that transition period, but and keeping up champion getting European football, should I say, and transitioning at the same time, it's always going to be difficult to juggle. It was always going to be a
Adapting New Signings like Anthony Alanga
00:12:50
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bit of a difficult season, um but we did think that we recruited a lot better than what it looks like we have. Now, what I will say is you've got to give these new signings time as well.
00:13:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
I've seen so much about Anthony Alanga being terrible on social media. we saw against Everton he can be very very good yes we've seen more negatives than positives in the first few months but we saw that with almost every signing that we've had you know then it's very rare that players hit the ground running for a new club and Gordon didn't Barnes certainly didn't Barnes has been our top goal scorer outside of he's certainly from the wings um but he's been one of the top goal scorers for the last few seasons Gordon fantastic a few years back not so much last year and not so much this year but it took him six months or so to get into it and I'm absolutely certain that the same will be for Anthony Alanga there are things that are wrong with his game he isn't fantastic he well he hasn't started fantastically should i say but the so you can see the potential is there with them and i'm very confident that we'll see a great anthony langer in the future but we are going to go to our first advert of the episode and then i'm going to go into the other issues that i believe they're bit smaller these ones so should be wrapping up at around 20 minutes um but for now it's bionique
00:14:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
cracking stuff so one thing by one thing that isn't cracking is newcastle's creativity uh just hasn't really seemed to have been working but what we have seen in recent games is newcastle creating a lot more chances and you might be sitting there thinking but we didn't create that much against spurs we had two shots cleared off the line and a while good chances were at a premium we did see an improvement in the second half dominance in the first half and it was certainly an improvement on some of the performances we've seen earlier. So it is improving, but it's not quite there yet for me.
00:15:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
um ah We haven't really been good enough, and some of you will be thinking, well, Jacob Murphy got 12 assists last year, so clearly, you know, we are creative. No, he put in 200 crosses and... Most of them didn't beat the first man or were absolute dog. um but And I love Murphy. But you see he puts in 12 crosses a game. One of them ends up hitting Volta Marder on the head and goes in. um It's a bit harsh. But one of them is perfect. The rest are usually pretty poor. um But what I will say as well is that Jacob Murphy this year has created more chances than pretty much any other Newcastle player and more than Mohamed Koudis. The Spurs who has four assists.
00:16:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
So you could argue it is a finishing problem. um But I think between that, you're looking at Volta Marder, Gordon, Barnes, Alanga. They've created just two more big chances than Jacob Murphy this season. um And nobody at Newcastle has created more big chances than Sean Longstaff at Leeds.
00:16:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I think that tells you just how poor we've been creatively. um I will say it isn't Valtemar's job to create these big chances. um It's his job to put them in the back of the net and he's certainly been better at doing that than anyone else in the team. um And to be
Improvement in Creativity & Finishing Challenges
00:16:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
fair, the way where Valtemar has sort of transitioned um the last few games, it's a lot more like a striker, hold-up striker. While were asking him to play a bit deeper earlier in the season, I was concerned, to be honest, about Valtemar dropping a bit deeper.
00:17:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Last few games, clearly Eddie Howe has said, we want to play you a different way. You can see the way the wingers are reacting to him as well. It's a little bit different. They're more getting in behind and being aware of where he's going to be. ah You saw for the Spurs goal, im not the Spurs goal, the first goal against Spurs, Gordon gets the byline.
00:17:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Valtemar is in a fantastic position just to lay it off for Bruno Gamares like the you know the big man striker does. And it was fantastic. um because of the good finish as well.
00:17:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I think one of the things that it is really the wingers that I'm not calling out here, but I sort of say need to improve um because they've also been the cause of 13 big missed chances this season. um And that, you know,
00:17:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
That does show that chances are being created, it but not necessarily being taken. and you know I'm not going to go through every single one of those big chances, but from Alanga in the opening game against Aston Villa to Valtemar as header cleared off the line against Spurs, there might have been one a bit later, but that's the latest big chance I can think in the game and that we miss.
00:18:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, those big chances are being created, but just not taking them. And every team doesn't take their chances at times, but it is a bit of a difficult one for Newcastle. um And then the fourth one, it's not really something that Eddie Howe will be able to manipulate himself, but it comes from that consistency.
Injury Impact on Lineup Consistency
00:18:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
If you look at any team who are overperforming this season, they've been able to put out pretty much The same 11 every single game.
00:18:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
So last night on Sky Sports, Sunland had only made 15 changes in their Premier League game so far this season. I'd be surprised if we weren't in there. I don't have the exact number for us, but I'm pretty sure it'll be at least 30.
00:19:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
um maybe even in the 40s it's one of those where we rarely have been able to keep our best 11 on the field for consecutive games and we're always in that top five for injuries during a league campaign no matter what point you look at we're just like spurs in that regards really there's a lot of comparisons between the two clubs that i can see really um from where they were and uh um Pochettino.
00:19:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Why could I not think of Pochettino? Wow. And anyhow, you know when they're building up to try and become these big clubs and trying to play that sort of high-intensity football, um you know it didn't work for Spurs under Ange. Newcastle, if I find out that that high intensity, we can't keep up for as much as what we'd like to because the quality isn't the same as the likes of Liverpool's under Klopp.
00:19:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
You're always going fall short over 36-game campaign. and you know because we haven't really got the quality in the squads in comparison to Liverpool, Man City, Arsenal, you've got to try and outwork them.
00:20:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
And during that period where Newcastle play three, four days if until the end of February, we are going to struggle really. um So I'm expecting the next few months not to be tough,
00:20:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
but for there be a few results against the likes of, hopefully not Burnley, but your Brentfords, who I know we don't even play in that period, um your Crystal Palaces, your Leeds, who realistically, you're probably not going to get the result that you're hoping for or the performance that you hope for.
00:20:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
We are going to struggle in depth, It feels like depth should have helped us a lot more than what it has, but when the likes of Jacob Ramsey is getting 200 minutes out of thousands in the Premier League in the opening few months of the season, it doesn't really feel like that depth is being used appropriately. Now, whether that's because the likes of Ramsey...
00:21:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
aren't ready for Newcastle United's style of play, like Gordon wasn't, like Lewis Hall wasn't.
Optimism for Future Under Eddie Howe
00:21:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
That remains to be seen, but certainly it needs to kick on. And I think where we will kick on, I don't think it'll be like last season where it's over Christmas.
00:21:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
I do think we'll improve. We'll have a few bad results still. But Amir Mark, in that game against Everton, at home, on the 28th of February is when I think we'll start to see the best of Newcastle United week in, week out, because while the games, we've got a few less, let's be honest, Champions League will only probably have, let's say, three or four more fixtures, um if we even make it that far.
00:21:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we might even be out, well, the Carabao Cup will have finished, we might be out of the FA Cup, and we might just be focusing on the league. um But fixtures do tend to slow down a little bit towards the end of the season.
00:21:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
That is when Newcastle's fixtures get a little bit harder, really. But when who do you want to play when you're at your best? You want to play the best. So maybe, just maybe,
00:22:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
that is going to be what kickstarts our season right at the end and we push for that, you know, top four spot. Well, top five spot really because you don't need top four these days, do you? Now, let's be honest. I will add just at the end, if I had the answers to all of these problems, I'd be paid millions and I wouldn't be sat here looking at a camera, looking at my own face and talking about it.
00:22:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
But... I am very, very confident that Eddie Howe will have the answers. And what I do know is despite some poor results, he's got so much in the bank. And people will say, yes, we hounded out Bobby Robson and stuff like that. I mean, I was just a Ben, but I know where we were at that point. We had a terrible end to the season before.
00:22:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
realistically Bobby should have walked away and because the stage in his life that he was but he wanted to keep going because he loved the club and in the end it didn't work out in the end the relationship sort of was pulled apart um on all ends.
00:23:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But he still remains a legend. And 100% Eddie Howe will remain a legend at Newcastle United as well. He ended the trophy drought. We're back in the top six most of the time. And I'll tell you what, the Premier League this year, it's so tight. It's so
Podcast Conclusion & Social Media Promotion
00:23:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
interesting. And personally, I've enjoyed it a lot more.
00:23:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I will enjoy it even more when Eddie Howe gets us back into that top six. So that's all from us on The Daily Newcastle. I've been Michael Grahamslaw. Check us out wherever you find your podcasts, on our social media platforms, at GSPN Newcastle, or even on the radio by checking out NUFC Talk TV radio station. But for now, it's goodbye.