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Lewis Miley Spares Newcastle's blushes! Newcastle 2-1 Fulham reaction
2 Playsin 6 hours
Michael Grahamslaw is back on the DailyNewcastle to break down Newcastle United’s gritty 2–1 quarter-final victory over Fulham at St James’ Park.
From Eddie Howe’s heavily rotated line-up and ongoing injury concerns, to a sluggish first half, questionable defending, and a much-needed second-half response, this episode covers it all.
With Wembley now just two games away and Manchester City looming in the semi-final, the cup dream is very much alive.
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Transcript
Newcastle's Victory and AFL Cup Progress
00:00:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello everybody and welcome back to the Daily Newcastle. I'm your host Michael Grimeslaw and today we are here to talk about Newcastle United's 2-1 victory against Fulham at St James' Park in the quarterfinals of the AFL Cup.
00:00:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's right, we're back in the semi-finals for the third time in four years. But let's get straight into it and talk lineups because the contrast between Sunday and Wednesday was pretty striking.
00:00:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
First off, the spine of the team changes dramatically. Against Sunderland, Howe went closer to the first choice 11. Nick Pope aside, it was pretty much that recognisable Premier League call.
00:00:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
and then Fast forward to tonight. It was a rotation-heavy approach, but one that I think everybody needed to see. Ramsdale kept his place.
00:01:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Defense in front of him was reshuffled. Lewis Miley went into right back. Tino Livramento shifted over to left-back with Fabian Scher coming in for the injured dampen, just like he did on Sunday. And it sounds like Lewis Hall tweaked his hamstring once again, and which is obviously the reason why he missed 10 games earlier in the season.
00:01:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
So that's not exactly great, is it? Particularly when a certain other full-back goes down in the second half and comes off. But we'll get into that later.
Lineup Changes and Performance Analysis
00:01:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Elsewhere, Bruno Germade has kept his place in midfield with such outsiders Joe Willick and Jacob Ramsey coming back into the team with something to prove. It felt like they needed good performances today. um And then up front, we saw a complete rotation, which Ian and I did predict we would see yesterday. Harvey Barnes came in on the left, Jacob Murphy on the right, and Johan Wiss had got the nod up top.
00:02:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
But then when you look at this squad, think it's pretty clear that depth is needed in January in the defence. But offensively, it doesn't really look that bad. You've got two decent players in every position. And I know people will say, well, Anthony Alanga is not very good and Jago Ramsey is not very good.
00:02:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Very few players come in and hit the ground, running straight away. You need to give them time. You need to give them sort of a lot of minutes ah on the pitch before you actually see the best of them. I remember what Anthony Gordon was like in his first six months.
00:02:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolutely dreadful. It looked like we got rinsed. And then we had a winger who got 10 goals and 10 assists the next season. um It was more, but the the milestone of 10 goals, 10 assists is what I'm getting at there. um So I've got faith both will come good. We have seen glimpses from Alanga, less so of Ramsey, unfortunately.
00:03:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
But confident that both of them will come good.
Match Highlights and Tactical Overview
00:03:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Trying to be a bit more positive after the air the weekend. But less about all that and into the game that happened tonight. Fulham started the better side without a shadow of a doubt.
00:03:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
But they didn't really create any clear-cut chances, really. They had 20 touches in our box... Before we had three in theirs, but thankfully the third was a goal for Newcastle United. Johan Wisser reacting to a Jacob Murphy cross that was palmed out by Benjamin Le Conte into an empty net. Not really the best of um saves, should we say, from the Fulham goalkeeper, and but it's one that, you know, unless he's got the shout, he needs to make the save.
00:03:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
And he can't really push it anywhere, but either in front of him or out. And if he pushes it out, it's going straight back into danger. So hard to blame the goalkeeper for that. Good position from Johan Wisser and the easiest goal he's ah probably ever going to score in a Newcastle shirt. But yeah, first 20 minutes, I said it was all Fulham.
00:04:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it come came as no surprise that they equalised pretty quickly. a Free kick was played short. Moves over to the right. Long diagonal ball over the left flank. Anthony Robinson has got away from Jacob Murphy, who fell asleep.
00:04:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Anthony Robinson plays ah a first-time cross. Put on a plate, really, for Sassi Lukic. And he ends the ball beyond Aaron Ramsdale. Scored more goals at St. James' Park than Craven Cottage now. um And that's a little bit of an embarrassing stat.
00:04:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
and And when that happens, you're sitting there and thinking, oh, it's going to happen again. But after the 20th minute, Newcastle woke up and while in the first half they didn't really create any too too many clear-cut chances, there were enough half chances to remain positive, and the best of which, Johan Wisser misjudged a Joe Willett cross, which I thought was a very, very good cross, nicely balanced. um And it's just bounced off Wisser's shoulder. I think a fully fit Wisser probably does do a little bit better with it, but it was a pretty shocking attempt. Other than that, the only real notable things that happened in the the first half, from a Newcastle perspective, there were a few yellow cards for Fulham.
00:05:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
But Fulham's Kevin um fired the ball straight at Aaron Ramsdale from a first-time effort. That was a pretty decent chance. And Fabian Scher will miss the first leg of our AFL Cup semi-final.
00:05:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
for picking up a really nonsensical yellow card ah midway through the first half, holding Jimenez on a counter-attack that he was never getting the ball from.
Second-Half Dynamics and Player Contributions
00:05:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
The counter-attack literally comes from, I think it's Harry Wilson, just volleying the ball out of the box.
00:06:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Jimenez tries to get away from Cher to close down the other defender where the ball is going to, and Cher just holds him and gives away the free kick, and it It was probably a bit harsh giving them the yellow for it, um but nothing really you can argue about. It was a foul. um And there is a chance that Jimenez, Newcastle defender, makes a mistake and Jimenez goes through on goals. so I guess in that situation, unlucky, um but it's Newcastle. You wouldn't be too surprised if something happened there.
00:06:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Second half, Fulham take off the the carded goalscorer, Lukic, and bring on Harrison Reid. and But the flow of the game didn't really change, stayed exactly the same. And by that, I mean Newcastle have all of the ball without really creating too many chances. And Fulham pray that they can hit Newcastle on the counter-attack.
00:06:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Both sides looked fairly comfortable. um It was kind of thinking that it was going to take a mistake, for so um such as Sunday, really, a mistake for either side to win the game. um Doesn't come to that in the end. um But it did get to the 60th minute. I'm sitting there and I'm thinking, FNL, are we just not going to put in a challenge today?
00:07:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm sitting there I'm thinking, well, actually, I can't remember the last time we were really, really physical in a game. And then i looked at him was like, oh, maybe Fulham are just being really physical. Turns out after 60 minutes, Fulham had made 17 tackles to our six.
00:07:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
When have you ever heard of that from an Eddie Howe Newcastle United side? That's really, really strange. And I don't know if we're just scared of getting injured. um Maybe we're knackered. I mean, Tonali could have been red carded in the final moments for an elbow. Yeah.
00:07:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
He tries to sit the ball at the corner, is fouled, doesn't get the foul. And then when he's coming back, he's just walking back and he just gives a little swift elbow to the Fulham player. And it's it's really stupid with VAR.
00:08:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
He gets sent off. um It really epitomises how Tanoly's been the last few weeks. it's It's a shame because when he came on, he probably had his best performance for a little while. But the stupidity there, it's it's up there with Jacob Ramsey against Burnley. um And I've said Ramsey's incident, ah I'd be putting on the back of the queue because he cannot be trusted.
00:08:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
If Sandra had been caught there and had been red carded, be saying exactly the same for him, even though he is one of the best midfielders we've ever had. and Because you can't be that stupid.
00:08:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But yeah, Tonali by this point in the 60th minute hasn't actually um come onto the pitch yet, so spoiler. um But in the 60th minute we start turning the screw a little bit. Jacob Murphy and crosses the ball into the box from the right.
00:09:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Joachim Andersson gets a touch on it before it gets to the goalkeeper, up but he knocks it into his own net. Turns out from the through ball from Bruno Gamares, Murphy was offside. and But just ah before and just after that, Newcastle had some decent chances coming from the left with both Tino Livramento and Harvey Barnes firing straight at Lecomte from pretty narrow narrow angles.
00:09:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then it was around 65 minutes when... Tenali comes on, Valtomar joins him, Johan Wisser comes off, Joe Willock also comes off. And the big thing from that, and the only reason I'm really mentioning Valtomar coming on, he didn't do anything really. but was the fact he got that good great response when he came on.
Injuries, Substitutions, and Emerging Talent
00:09:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
um first chant was, Voltemada, Voltemada, ole, ole, ole, which I think was massively important because the first thing he'll have been thinking going onto that pitch is, if I don't get my usual reaction, the fans have started to turn on me and it's going to start going a bit sour because we know how fickle we are as football fans. I'm exactly the same. Win against Chelsea and I'll probably be singing and
00:10:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
i'm not I was going to say shit and rainbows there, but not quite. um Yeah, i'll be I'll be taking rainbows. I'll be painting rainbows. I'll be doing anything, really. and The point is I'll be quite happy, and I've said that about as dreadfully as we've defended this season um in the latter stages.
00:10:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
And today, actually, we ended up in the lead. And didn't concede. and But before we get to that. There is the main casualty of the game. And that is Tino Livramento. And it doesn't look like it's too bad.
00:10:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Tino Livramento, unfortunately, is closing down. He does slip. um Doesn't look too seriously ah injured, but he was down on the floor for a little while. Eddie Howe decided to hook him, and then he was replaced by Alex Murphy, who Ian has been asking to get a chance in the first team for a long, long time. Ian, I hope you're happy, because the cost could be a lot worse than the game, but...
00:11:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
I will say Alex Murphy, when he came on, he did put in a good performance against an in-form Harry Wilson, and he certainly didn't look out of place. And he was busting a gut to get back.
00:11:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah You can see um he is a little bit more of a centre-back, I would say, than a full-back. You can see that by his's um by his height. I think he's...
00:11:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's 6'2"? Yes, he's 6'2". And you can see the way he was powering back. It was like watching Gabriel Obartan when he actually ran for a change for Newcastle. I've tried to think of a pacey Newcastle player and the first one that's come to my mind is Gabriel Obartan. You can tell my brain's rotten right now. But Newcastle kept knocking on the door.
00:12:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it was eventually another young player that put the ball in the back of the net. Now, to start off, Lewis Miley falls as Le Conte into a fantastic save in the 91st minute. And you're thinking, no, that was the chance.
00:12:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
This is going to go to penalties. I'm not sure I can be bothered with a penalty shootout, particularly going out of the cup with a penalty shootout. But no.
00:12:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
A brilliant cross in from Sandro Tsunali. i Probably the best corner of the game. I am sick and tired of our crosses going to the back post. It's like every single one we're trying to loop into the the corner. This one, right on the money. Six-yard box. Lewis Miley flicks it back. If he doesn't get there, Malik Chow does. I'm not sure what happens if Chow gets there, obviously. But Lewis Miley, brilliant header.
00:12:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Power, precision, power. and 2-1 Newcastle United. Le Conte did a lot to stop Newcastle during the game. He couldn't stop that. And Lewis Miley stepped up for not the first time this season and really, really has cemented his place in that Newcastle United midfield.
00:13:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
However, after dropping 19 points in all competitions ah this season, from leading positions, should I say, Whether or not we could hold on was a really, really big question. And Fulham didn't actually create anything at Kenny Tete. Long-range strike was the only real um worry they had, and to be honest. It was the most comfortable I've felt in the latter stages for a long, long time.
Resilience and Future Challenges
00:13:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
um And that's mental, because we went into the 90th minute against Burnley 2-0 up.
00:13:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
um but fulham didn't really have enough time to do anything thankfully uh and i will say I do think a passionate late glass gasp winner was what Newcastle and United needed.
00:14:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
If we'd won 4-0, bounced back after the derby, the questions would have still remained. You would have had fans in there going, well, why can't we do it on the road, but we could do it at St. James' Park.
00:14:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Why are we putting in that kind of performance against Fulham and then not laying a glove on Sunderland? So... I think the fact that we so took a bit of adversary, um the team showed a bit of fight, they controlled the game, they looked to bounce back, and they were there was passion on the pitch, which we certainly didn't see the weekend. And a young Geordie lad getting the winner.
00:14:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was pretty much the perfect way a Newcastle could have gone through and bounced back. They've just now got to do that against Chelsea as well. That was part one of bouncing back. It finishes in March.
00:14:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's a very long way to bounce back. But credit has to go to the young lads, as I mentioned. Lewis Miley well for being the hero once again, man of the match. And Alex Murphy, who again came on, looked very composed.
00:15:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Looks like he's probably going have a job to do against Chelsea as well. um And then i think it's going to be one of those where, look, an EFL Cup semi-final doesn't make up for a Shamboddock derby, but this is this is the first step in putting it right. And umm I'm actually quite confident that anyhow in Newcastle will make it right. We're just two trips, well, we're two games away, sorry, from another trip to one Wembley.
00:15:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
But the team that stands in our way, is Manchester City. And realistically, Newcastle have never really had a better run under a manager against Manchester City than they do right now. Obviously, we've knocked them out of cup competitions before. Um...
00:15:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
I remember I was in Krakow on a stag do when we beat them 1-0. We've already beat them this season. And it's one of those where I'm looking at City and I'm thinking, you know what, maybe just once it's a winnable game. I know the last two games that the Etihad, I nearly called it the City of Manchester Stadium again, they've beat us 6-0 across two games, 4-0 in the Prem, 2-0 in the...
00:16:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
the FA Cup, but if we can keep it tight... in Manchester, in the second leg, to well, take a win there from St James' Park. It's a one-goal lead is all we really need, and get a draw down there if we can. Don't get me wrong, i've I'm looking at our record against the map in Manchester right now, and it is abysmal. It's almost as bad as the Derby record, and that is saying something. But I genuinely think this team at this time against this Manchester City
00:16:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
who'd call an upset and you are go end up face and either chelsea arsenal or crystal palace and final i do think it's be arsenal to be honest um and an ars manchester city final does seem the most likely But Newcastle could get there and to be honest, they might feel like they need to after that shambolic display at the weekend. But part one's in play. Newcastle are beginning to bounce back.
Manager's Future and Closing Thoughts
00:17:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
It continues again against Chelsea, then against Man United and then into January as well.
00:17:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Anyhow, not going to say he's off the hook because it wasn't a great performance. um But I personally am more than willing to give him at least till the end of the Champions League fixtures because I think he's deserved that. and You've got enough credit in the bank to last as long as what you've got us into. the fa cup The EFL Cup and the Champions League won it last year. Give them a chance to retain it. Champions League is the reason we qualified. Let's be honest.
00:18:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolutely fantastic manager for us. He's the reason we qualified. Let's make him the first manager to get us into the knockout stages of the Champions League. And it won't be the first time we've qualified from a group stage, obviously. But that was when we had two group stages to get through and it was all just seemed a much harder format.
00:18:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's an asterisk. We didn't have to play Union Saint-Gélois in those days, but It's another thing that Eddie Cow can add to his legacy here in Newcastle United. It's another month or two months.
00:18:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's give him January. Let's give him the time. Whether the team whether the ah board want to back him financially or not, I don't know. We'll certainly see in... We've got two weeks now until the transfer market. I do think they'll back him. I think they'll at least give him until the end of the season.
00:18:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
It all depends on what happens really for me in the next 30 days. But in the meantime, I've been Michael Grahams, though. This has been The Daily Newcastle. Thank you very much for listening. Check us out on our socials or anywhere you get your podcasts, or you can check us out on the radio at NUFC Talk TV radio station. But for now, we're in the semi-final.
00:19:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
We can almost crack a smile.