We’re Taking This Division By Storm — Notes for Newcastle Friday, 21st Oct 2016 11:00 by HarryFromBath HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Saturday’s game at St James’ Park by delving into their forums. “Norwich are drawing”, “We’re gannin’ top as it stands”, “We’re looking like champions”, “I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s us top until May now. We have decent fixtures to come too”, “Aye, it’s looking very promising after our dodgy start”, “Nine wins in 11 games is not a bad return, top of the league.” Tuesday’s comfortable 2-0 win at Barnsley coupled with the Canaries’ 2-2 draw at Fulham elevated the Magpies to top of the Championship. Newcastle head into Saturday’s match on a four-game winning run and there is a belief among Geordies that they have now worked the Championship out. “I’m enjoying this winning feeling”, “We are a class above every team in this division”, “It’s satisfying when you win comfortably without really getting out of second gear. It was the same the last time we were in this league”, “We need to win our games and not worry about other teams too much.” “The team is evolving and improving all the time, it is good to see.” There is wide agreement that they have the strongest squad in the division. “We shouldn’t be bothered by other teams’ results with the squad we have”, “Of all the leading teams I fancy us to improve the most throughout the season.” Rafa Benitez“What a man. What a change this football club has gone through so far and everyone seems to be loving it. Finally, there is some hope and belief again and all this is more or less down to one man. I can’t praise him enough for taking this challenge on instead of leaving and going for easier options.”  “Falling back in love with my football club all over again.” The decision by the 56-year-old former Napoli and Liverpool manager to stay on Tyneside despite Newcastle’s relegation last season has created a deep bond of trust between him and supporters. “He is mint, man. I proper love him.” “It’s surreal having a manager who does things that actually make sense”, “Don’t question Rafa, he’s a proper dad”, “He’s building this team to play in a certain style against anybody”, “Control the game and win rather than Kevin Keegan’s tactics of ‘going for it’ which are not sustainable these days.” “The massive thing with Rafa is ‘control’, which is why he is always portrayed as a negative manager. He has the tactical acumen to back this up, though he could go for it a bit more without going too over the top. He would rather have solid foundations in place and go into a game with a clear plan.” Formation“Rafa wants to play a system with a single mobile striker up top. He wants the players at his disposal to get used to playing that system when we are in the Premier League”, “The instruction to shut games down when winning must come from Rafa”, “Playing two up front is just not what he does.” “We can discuss this until the cows come home, but as long as Rafa is in charge the only time we will only see more than one out-and-out striker on the pitch is when we are chasing a game”, “Rafa likes rotation and 4-2-3-1. We have to accept the whole package”, “It can be frustrating, mind you.” DarlowAnitaLascellesClarkDummettRitchieShelveyHaydenGouffranDiameGayle
United’s line-up at Barnsley (above) kept their preferred shape with one striker up top and one in behind, but few Magpies were surprised at seeing three alterations from their previous fixture. “You haven’t grasped Rafa’s rotation policy yet, have you?”, “It’s impossible to guess the right starting XI.” “We score early and teams are totally screwed at this level.” Newcastle have preferred to control the shape and tempo of games in the Championship this season. They have relied on the quality of players to capitalise on opportunities instead of gambling and taking games to their opponents. “We just have to accept that once we are in a winning position under Rafa, the players aren’t going to rack up goals to entertain, but get the job done with minimal fuss. It’s brilliant given where we were before he turned up but not very entertaining. But hey, where did entertainment ever get us?” The spine of the team is gaining strength with each passing game. Magpies have praised the centre-half pairing of Jamaal Lascelles, the drive and creativity of Jonjo Shelvey in midfield, Matt Ritchie’s creativity cutting in from the right flank and ever-improving finishing of striker Dwight Gayle. “We have gone from giving the ball to someone, watching and hoping the player can do something on his own to actually working as a fluid and organised unit. We let the ball do the work with lots of movement and quick play from one side of the pitch to the other between opposition lines.” “We are so much more effective as a football team”, “Some of our passing has just been a step above this league in the last two games. It really shows how Rafa is drilling in his methods now, more so than ever before. I’m not talking about Shelvey’s 50-yard diagonals but passing in little triangles”, Barnsley 0 — 2 Newcastle“Job done”, “A solid away performance, we didn’t create much but didn’t give Barnsley a sniff and Gayle was clinical when he got his chances”, “Never any doubt, we were so much better than them from start to finish”, “It was another solid, well-organised professional away performance.” Dwight Gayle opened the scoring for the visitors by pouncing on a loose ball at the back post after Barnsley failed to clear a corner and he added a second on 68 minutes from the edge of the area, out-sprinting the Tykes’ defence and latching on to Matt Ritchie’s through ball on a counter-attack. “On route home, a solid win, another tricky away test passed and top of the league”, “We upped the tempo and intensity in the second half”, “I know it’s a lower division but it’s so refreshing to have good away form”, “We are putting games to bed comfortably, we rarely looked troubled tonight.” Newcastle 3 — 1 Brentford“I managed to stay for the full 90 minutes but was bored out of my skull by the end of the game and was choking for a pint. That was such an easy win”, “We were absolutely superb in the first half hour and had so many chances in and around the box”, “We were cruising pretty well through the game.” “Today showed we are the best team in this league.” The comfortable manner of last Saturday’s win confirmed for many Geordies that they had cracked the formula for beating Championship teams. “We have never been so comfortable at a match for years, great stuff and long may it continue.” Centre-back Ciaran Clark opened the scoring for the hosts on 11 minutes after heading home a Shelvey cross. Gayle doubled United’s lead five minutes later when he drilled home a shot inside the area and the marksman added a third when he tapped in from close range four minutes after the break. Brentford striker Scott Hogan glanced home a header from a corner on 51 minutes but it was to prove nothing more than a consolation goal as the hosts comfortably saw the game out. “We barely needed to get out of second gear”, “Brentford hardly looked threatening for most of the match.” DarlowAnitaLascellesClarkDummettAtsuShelveyColbackGouffranPerezGayle
“I think Rafa is trying to save legs for this fixture run.” The starting XI (above) had three different midfielders compared to the side which beat Barnsley three days later. Benitez’s has rotated his to mitigate injuries but the team alterations had no negative impact in what was a comfortable win. Rotherham 0 — 1 Newcastle“A win but that was poor on the whole. We should be battering teams like that”, “It was ugly stuff. We put ourselves under pressure at times”, “We have got to stop allowing teams back into the game like this. Hopefully we will kill off games better as the season goes on”, “We should be out of sight.” “A great result, now for the shambles that is international football.” Newcastle went into the break with a victory over the Millers which came courtesy of an outstanding individual goal by right winger Christian Atsu four minutes before half-time. Some Geordies were underwhelmed leaving the game. “What are we doing? We are going further and further back, soaking up needless pressure.” Magpies were agitated watching their team sitting back and trying to contain beatable opponents. “My nerves are shot after that last 15 minutes”, “This is shambolic”, “Just keep the ball and play it.” “Good win, dodgy performance”, “I actually think Rotherham deserved something out of it, like”, “We didn’t play well. To me it looked like we never got going and still won”, “We made harder work of it than was necessary but we weren’t troubled by them. I will take 1-0 away wins all season long.” Goalkeepers and Defenders“Karl Darlow’s kicking needs much improvement but he does a lot of the finer aspects of goalkeeping very well. The defence has confidence in him too.” The 26-year-old former Forest keeper looks good enough to me, He seems really agile at times”, “Looks comfortably the best all-round keeper to me.”  “Darlow looks so assured with balls into the box and the routine stuff”, “He’s making a point to Rafa by coming out and claiming every cross”, “He bosses every high ball that comes near him”, “Half this forum has a better kick than him but his ability in the air and calmness make him our best keeper.” “Vurnon Anita is a solid yet unremarkable professional that gives his all for the club.” The 27-year-old ex-Ajax right-back “will never be world class but a good solid squad player”, “Brilliant at chasing down, tackling, turning around with the ball and playing it out calmly”, “He’s a balanced full-back.” “Anita is the first choice right-back because Rafa likes his positional discipline and defensive ability”, “He’s a safer solution behind the inexperienced Atsu”, “He is quality at shielding the ball out. He just puts his massive backside out and the opposition have to travel three kilometres just to get around it.” “I like Anita defensively, but there is no comparison with DeAndre Yedlin’s pace going forward.” The 23-year-old USA international played on loan for Sunderland last season from his then-parent club Spurs before joining the Magpies for £5 million in the summer. “His acceleration is unreal. Surely he’s one of the quickest players we have ever had”, “He looks rapid.” “In all respects Yedlin reminds me of Raheem Sterling. Imagine those two on the same wing. It would be like an autobahn crossed with a skid-pan, fast as anything but never getting anywhere”, “He gives the ball away cheaply”, “A bit careless with simple passes, but will tear it up when fully integrated.” “I sit at matches watching wingers run rings around Paul Dummett on a regular basis.” The 25-year-old youth product “can’t turn quickly to save his life which makes it a disaster when he tries to get too close to his man”, “The left-back will rush in and get skinned because he is trying too hard.” “Dummett is so cumbersome on the ball”, “He is quick in terms of straight-line speed but that doesn’t make a good full-back. He is so slow in his decision-making on the ball that it’s agonising to watch. How many times does he end up delaying so long that all his passing options are cut off?” “Once Achraf Lazaar gets settled in he will add something different to the side.” The 24-year-old left-back and new arrival from Palermo “looked really poor against Wolves in our EFL Cup game. I’m in no hurry to see him start in the league”, “We need more down that left side which he will offer.” “The jury’s out on Grant Hanley. I have seen all his minutes so far and not seen anything inspiring. He seems really tentative and has struggled to control balls that didn’t look too challenging. I expect he will settle and show more.” The 24-year-old ex-Blackburn centre-half “has not had time to settle in”. “For a big lad, Hanley loses a few headers. What astonished me most is that when he goes up for a header his feet barely leave the ground. He looks heavy and his ability as a footballer is worse than Lascelles who isn’t great himself”, “It’s simple things like his passing to team-mates that bother me.” “Ciaran Clark is mint.” The 27-year-old former Aston Villa centre-half “wins everything in the air and looks on top of his game. He looks quite composed on the ball”, “He has surprised me at how good he has been so far. He has rightly kept his place”, “Looks a solid and no-nonsense type of defender.” “He’s one of my favourite players, Clarky like. He seems to be flourishing”, “He was in a poor Villa team lacking confidence. He has taken a step down under a world-class manager and looks a lot better, albeit at a lower level”, “Any ridiculous mistakes are outweighed by his goalscoring threat.” Jamaal Lascelles“When everyone else was whimpering away last season, Jamaal came out swinging. The lad is full of passion and is gaining the skills to back it up.” The 22-year-old ex-Forest centre-half “is strong, great in the air and fairly comfortable on the ball”, “His fight and leadership are exactly what we need.” “Lascelles is rightly the poster boy for our change in culture”, “A captain who actually cares for the club, who deserves the armband”, “He gives a damn”, “He needs to sort out his distribution. He can lump a few balls which could be passed”, “Working with Rafa this season will be the making of him.” Central Midfielders“Jack ‘loves a back pass’ Colback is such a waste of space when we have the ball.” The 26-year-old ex-Sunderland man and former Town loanee “does the dog work very well, but we don’t dominate the midfield when he is playing”, “Colback dallies and takes an eternity to make a decision as to what to do with the ball.” “The trouble with Colback is that he’s much improved under Rafa but the weaknesses are still there. He’s slow to reach the ball, he’s rash and has limited awareness. He’s not fast, not strong and not good but can still put a shift in”, “He contributes so little that he gets hammered for every mistake.”  “We miss Isaac Hayden in the middle when he doesn’t play.” The 21-year-old spent last season on loan with Hull City from parent club Arsenal before moving to Tyneside. “He looks a player, calm, a good touch, he passes it well and his positioning is good too. He will be absolutely fine when we go up.” “If we have to play a holding midfielder, I want it to be someone like Hayden who can play a bit of football”, “He loves a solid challenge but I have been impresses with his bursts from the back and his passing”, “He wins a lot in the air, tackles solidly, plays off both feet and is assured in possession.” “For someone built like an ox, Mohamed Diame is so weak on the ball and as strong as Scandinavian flat-pack furniture.” The 29-year-old former West Ham and Hull man “has done nothing to deserve a place”, “He often makes the wrong decision near the box and he slows play by taking extra touches.” “Diame’s touch is so bad and his passing is worse”, “Should be dominating this league playing in the middle but is shell of a physical specimen, a nothing of a player”, “He’s not imposing aerially, lazy off the ball and he does not get on it enough”, “I’m completely exasperated watching him play.” Jonjo Shelvey“Shelvey really surveys what is going on up the pitch and he isn’t afraid to try passes others wouldn’t dream of pulling off. He’s doing it consistently and they aren’t just hopeful Hollywood balls”, “When he gets it right, they are a joy to behold. He will take us up on his own if he keeps playing like this.”  The 24-year-old former Swansea man “has been the driving force in every game, our one player who tries to open the play up”, “He makes everything tick and his fitness levels are much sharper. He is winning balls back that he has lost”, “He can go into sloppy mode but can totally run the show like.” “When the opposition give Shelvey space, he’s probably our best player. If he doesn’t return to his previous attitude, we will probably win the league”, “His head is right now. It makes a big difference as he is a waste of time when he is full of self-pity”, “Some of his passes are simply delicious.” Wide Midfielders“Yoan Gouffran isn’t the long-term answer, but it seems that Rafa is going to prefer him for now if only because he provides good defensive cover. The striker won’t get the service from him, but he fits into Rafa’s preferred formation”, “His work-rate is fantastic and he protects Dummett well.” “Go on Gouffran!” The 30-year-old former Bordeaux left winger “is a tenacious little player and surprisingly good in the air”, “The most improved player under Rafa”, “He hasn’t a clue how to get away from a marker with skill, pace or strength but he has been immense so far this season.” “Christian Atsu tormented Rotherham today.” The 24-year-old Ghana international is on a season-long loan from Chelsea. “It looks like he could continually take proverbial at this level”, “He has great close control and acceleration. He seems very agile but he is behind everyone in terms of fitness.” “Atsu finds pockets of space and runs off his marker with ease”, “He can do the unexpected if the opposition sit back”, “We lost our way when he went off at Rotherham”, “He is mint and has a lush change of pace”, “His goal at the Millers was exactly the type of goal I imagined him scoring.” Matt Ritchie“I absolutely love it when players receive a ball and kill it stone dead”, “Ritchie’s touch and delivery are just delightful. He’s pretty clever with his passing and movement too, which we knew already”, “He looks too good for this level, he is so confident with the ball and aware of what is around him.”  The 27-year-old ex-Bournemouth man “has not got much pace so he finds it difficult to get behind defenders. He does what he does best cutting inside, although his delivery when he gets in a good wide position is excellent”, “He is miles more involved and effective playing on the right wing.” Strikers“Ayoze Perez has been poor”, “For nearly two years”, “Aye, he clearly has big issues in his game.” The 23-year-old ex-Tenerife man “is totally ineffective. A few times his season I have seen him bottle out of challenges and just plainly not chasing the ball down or showing for it”, “Far too lightweight.” “It’s starting to look like Perez doesn’t have what it takes in English football”, “Put a man on him and he fades out of the game”, “He was unknown when he arrived and got far more space. Teams know that they just need to man-mark him now”, “He looks woeful and can be sneezed off the ball.” “Aleksander Mitrovic makes space, wins headers and makes centre-backs’ lives as miserable as he can for 90 minutes.” The 22-year-old former Anderlecht striker has featured as a substitute. “If he plays, you want him kicking lumps out of defenders but he won’t be first choice while Rafa is here.” “Mitrovic’s commitment is a great asset but he needs to temper that infectious passion with proper decision-making and composure”, “His positional sense is generally excellent which makes up for his arthritic lack of pace. This is why he always seems to get so much of the ball when he comes on.” Daryl Murphy“A real head-scratcher, this one”, “Is it an inspired signing? No. Is it a decent back-up? Yes”, “Would any of the better names be willing to sit on the bench for us in the Championship?”, “One the face of it, it seems a panic buy”, “It’s actually quite good, Murphy is the best target man in the division.”  Magpies were bemused at the late transfer window arrival of the 33-year-old from Portman Road but many can see the sense in the move. “Rafa has been talking about signing an experienced Championship striker for ages”, “He’s a fine squad player in the same way that Grant Hanley and Ciaran Clark are.” “It’s worth repeating, not every signing needs to be amazing”, “Murphy has played 200-odd games at this level and Mitrovic has played none”, “A 33-year-old who has played well for a team no one gives a damn about. Anytime he played for a team people actually watch he has been poor.” Ouch. Dwight Gayle“Gayle is awesome. He’s such a dangerous finisher.” The 25-year-old one-time Peterborough and Crystal Palace striker “gets into great positions and that’s the key. He’s missing some chances but he’s putting away some difficult ones, a quality striker”, “So who is writing Dwight Gayle off now?”  “He looks to me an instinctive striker as opposed to a clinical finisher. His misses happened when he has had thinking time whereas some of his goals have been pure instinct”, “His ability to bring the ball down has massively surprised me. He reminds me of Shane Long in the way he uses his body.” “Gayle has excellent work-rate and movement, and I have been impressed by his link-up play”, “He is a goal machine at home”, “He seems to be a canny player. He can be quiet for the majority of a game but still bury the chances he gets”, “I love this number nine. He is doing the shirt justice.” Magpies’ Views on ITFC and the Game“I have a big soft spot for Ipswich and don't mind old Mick too much. He brings a lot of comedy value to football”, “I can't hate Big Mick, he's so likeable”, “Yep, despite his Mackem history, I always liked the bloke”, “I always liked him even at the Mackems”, “I always liked Mick, he's alreet.” Geordies have plenty of affection for our manager, even if some of their comments this week have been a little patronising. There is a widespread expectation among a majority of Tynesiders that Saturday’s game will yield the same two-goal winning margin as their last two league games. “I'm very confident. Ipswich can't seem to score goals”, “Just let's keep going, keep it professional, get another three points”, “As someone who works in Ipswich, their fans in my office are still reeling from seeing not one but two goals go in last night. It's completely destabilised them.” “I really hope Rafa at least goes attacking-minded in this game but Ipswich are better at defensive football than we are. We must keep the ball on the ground and play to our strengths so I understand not playing Mitrovic in this game”, “We need to score an early goal to bring them out of their shell.” “This time we need a good performance. We need to turn up, play well, get a result and put to bed this non-performance rubbish once and for all.” Our solid defensive record coupled with two poor home defeats this season have left some Geordies worried that they are due a substandard game. “I have a bad feeling about this. My heart says 2-0 but my head says maybe a 0-1 defeat. Ipswich don't score a lot but they have conceded the joint-fewest in the league. They will be tough to beat and I fear a 1-0 smash and grab”, “This won’t go well if they get the first goal.” WebsitesThere are plenty of busy and informative Magpie websites. I found Newcastle Online to be both very knowledgeable and easy to navigate given the volume of contributors. Additional comment can also be found on Toon Forum.  In case you missed it, here is my summary of some wonderful Magpies’ thoughts about Sir Bobby which was posted earlier on the week on the TWTD Forum.
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