For Newcastle, one of those nights is threatening to become one of those seasons
Mid-May in the Premier League, when the margins are so tight and the room for error so minimal that one of those nights threatens to morph into one of those seasons. So it was at Old Trafford, where the freeze-frame images for Newcastle Unitedwill be Anthony Gordon’s shredded sock, Dan Burn’s header arcing towards goal, and then all those instances of self-harm. The 21 shots, the flaccid defending, the sense of certainty dissipating into mist.
The leaks, this time, not in the stadium roofbut in Newcastle’s back line. Drip, drip and damaging drip.
One of those nights. It leaves Newcastle kicking themselves (they would probably miss, given their form), with European football wriggling from their grasp and spinning away from their fingertips. It means an epic season that already feels like three combined is destined to stretch until the final day and, possibly, beyond their active participation. They have dreamt of FA Cupfinals, but not like this.
One of those nights following one of those days against Brighton & Hove Albion at St James’ Park last weekend when Newcastle could only draw, throwing more pressure on an away record that was already brittle. Now seventh in the Premier League, they trail sixth-placed Chelseaby three points and are ahead of Manchester Unitedthanks to a superior goal difference. They have had chances and, at the crucial moment, faltered.
Chelsea are at home to Bournemouth this Sunday, Newcastle travel to Brentford and Manchester United go to Brighton, all the Bs to follow one very big one: BOLLOCKS. If Chelsea lose and Newcastle win, they can still finish sixth, but this now feels unlikely. To get into the Conference League, they must equal or better Manchester United’s result and then hope Manchester Citybeat their local rivals at Wembley. None of which is impossible, but is needlessly difficult.
“I’ve been saying for weeks I think it will go to the end,” Howe said afterwards, not that he wished for it. It is worth remembering that, all too recently, this was a moribund month for Newcastle, a loveless exercise in ticking over or a slow draining towards the Premier League’s plughole. To be here and straining for something (other than avoiding relegation) is the existence supporters yearned for but, ouch, it is also tense and painful. Is this what success feels like?
Newcastle have nobody to blame but themselves. Correction, they can also blame the cack-handed mess of the VAR system and the collective failure of the match officials to award a penalty when Sofyan Amrabatstepped down on Gordon’s heel when Manchester United were leading 1-0. “A clear penalty,” said Gordon. “Absolute stonewall,” said Howe, yet it was not a groping for excuses. It couldn’t be when their own decision-making was so suspect.
The head coach did not shirk from it. “The thing that cost us the game is how we defended,” he said. “I don’t think we were under huge pressure tonight. I don’t think our goal felt at risk, but we’ve conceded three goals. And the manner of those goals is hugely frustrating for us. Each one, we’ll look back and sort of hang our heads because we should have done better. When you score two away from home, you expect something from the match.”
It was, Howe added, “too similar to other away games where we left feeling frustrated with ourselves”. In an Unchained Melody kind of season, this has been a theme. Their games have brought 141 goals — 81 scored and 60 given up — the fourth-most of any side across a season in the Premier League era, but it has been haphazard rather than intentional and away from Tyneside, they have lost 11 league matches. With just five wins and two draws from 18 games, their away record is the sixth-worst in the Premier League this season.
“Last season, we were great away from home defensively, a lot of clean sheets, maybe not true classic performances, but 1-0 wins,” Howe said. “We’ve missed that this year. We haven’t delivered anywhere near as many of those types of performances that you need on the road and we have to look at why, we have to look at the personnel of the team, we have to look at the mentality of the group, because we should be delivering better than that.”
For Howe, those comments were unusually forthright, but that softness will be what does for them, the gaping yards bequeathed to Kobbie Mainoo, who was played onside by a creaking Kieran Trippierin the 31st minute, more of the same for Amad from a Manchester United corner and a weak clearing header by Jacob Murphyand an effort from substitute Rasmus Hojlundthat fizzed beneath Martin Dubravka, who offers little in the way of security. Nick Popewill surely return on Sunday.
At the other end, Gordon got one back to make it 1-1 and Lewis Hallmade it interesting at 3-2 for a fluttering, fleeting, forlorn moment, but the real story here was of near misses coupled with waste; Burn’s header nodded from the line with inches to spare by Casemiro, Sean Longstaffand Alexander Isakspurning one-on-ones, Joelintongoing close, Miguel Almironnarrowly falling to connect at the far post and plenty more.
Howe was right; the pressure and risk were all self-inflicted. Manchester United were ripe for the plucking, but Newcastle plucked it up. They have still only won a single league game at Old Trafford since 1972.
“The control we have is our performance and result against Brentford, but in regards to Europe, I think that’s now out of our hands,” Howe said. “We have to accept that. It doesn’t mean there’s no hope. There is hope and we’ll give everything we can to the last minute of the season.”
If only that control was so easy to mould, but it has been one of those nights a few nights too many. This one felt particularly damaging.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5497319/2024/05/16/newcastle-defeat-manchester-united/
For Newcastle, one of those nights is threatening to become one of those seasons
Mid-May in the Premier League, when the margins are so tight and the room for error so minimal that one of those nights threatens to morph into one of those seasons. So it was at Old Trafford, where the freeze-frame images for Newcastle Unitedwill be Anthony Gordon’s shredded sock, Dan Burn’s header arcing towards goal, and then all those instances of self-harm. The 21 shots, the flaccid defending, the sense of certainty dissipating into mist.
The leaks, this time, not in the stadium roofbut in Newcastle’s back line. Drip, drip and damaging drip.
One of those nights. It leaves Newcastle kicking themselves (they would probably miss, given their form), with European football wriggling from their grasp and spinning away from their fingertips. It means an epic season that already feels like three combined is destined to stretch until the final day and, possibly, beyond their active participation. They have dreamt of FA Cupfinals, but not like this.
One of those nights following one of those days against Brighton & Hove Albion at St James’ Park last weekend when Newcastle could only draw, throwing more pressure on an away record that was already brittle. Now seventh in the Premier League, they trail sixth-placed Chelseaby three points and are ahead of Manchester Unitedthanks to a superior goal difference. They have had chances and, at the crucial moment, faltered.
Chelsea are at home to Bournemouth this Sunday, Newcastle travel to Brentford and Manchester United go to Brighton, all the Bs to follow one very big one: BOLLOCKS. If Chelsea lose and Newcastle win, they can still finish sixth, but this now feels unlikely. To get into the Conference League, they must equal or better Manchester United’s result and then hope Manchester Citybeat their local rivals at Wembley. None of which is impossible, but is needlessly difficult.
“I’ve been saying for weeks I think it will go to the end,” Howe said afterwards, not that he wished for it. It is worth remembering that, all too recently, this was a moribund month for Newcastle, a loveless exercise in ticking over or a slow draining towards the Premier League’s plughole. To be here and straining for something (other than avoiding relegation) is the existence supporters yearned for but, ouch, it is also tense and painful. Is this what success feels like?
Newcastle have nobody to blame but themselves. Correction, they can also blame the cack-handed mess of the VAR system and the collective failure of the match officials to award a penalty when Sofyan Amrabatstepped down on Gordon’s heel when Manchester United were leading 1-0. “A clear penalty,” said Gordon. “Absolute stonewall,” said Howe, yet it was not a groping for excuses. It couldn’t be when their own decision-making was so suspect.
The head coach did not shirk from it. “The thing that cost us the game is how we defended,” he said. “I don’t think we were under huge pressure tonight. I don’t think our goal felt at risk, but we’ve conceded three goals. And the manner of those goals is hugely frustrating for us. Each one, we’ll look back and sort of hang our heads because we should have done better. When you score two away from home, you expect something from the match.”
It was, Howe added, “too similar to other away games where we left feeling frustrated with ourselves”. In an Unchained Melody kind of season, this has been a theme. Their games have brought 141 goals — 81 scored and 60 given up — the fourth-most of any side across a season in the Premier League era, but it has been haphazard rather than intentional and away from Tyneside, they have lost 11 league matches. With just five wins and two draws from 18 games, their away record is the sixth-worst in the Premier League this season.
“Last season, we were great away from home defensively, a lot of clean sheets, maybe not true classic performances, but 1-0 wins,” Howe said. “We’ve missed that this year. We haven’t delivered anywhere near as many of those types of performances that you need on the road and we have to look at why, we have to look at the personnel of the team, we have to look at the mentality of the group, because we should be delivering better than that.”
For Howe, those comments were unusually forthright, but that softness will be what does for them, the gaping yards bequeathed to Kobbie Mainoo, who was played onside by a creaking Kieran Trippierin the 31st minute, more of the same for Amad from a Manchester United corner and a weak clearing header by Jacob Murphyand an effort from substitute Rasmus Hojlundthat fizzed beneath Martin Dubravka, who offers little in the way of security. Nick Popewill surely return on Sunday.
At the other end, Gordon got one back to make it 1-1 and Lewis Hallmade it interesting at 3-2 for a fluttering, fleeting, forlorn moment, but the real story here was of near misses coupled with waste; Burn’s header nodded from the line with inches to spare by Casemiro, Sean Longstaffand Alexander Isakspurning one-on-ones, Joelintongoing close, Miguel Almironnarrowly falling to connect at the far post and plenty more.
Howe was right; the pressure and risk were all self-inflicted. Manchester United were ripe for the plucking, but Newcastle plucked it up. They have still only won a single league game at Old Trafford since 1972.
“The control we have is our performance and result against Brentford, but in regards to Europe, I think that’s now out of our hands,” Howe said. “We have to accept that. It doesn’t mean there’s no hope. There is hope and we’ll give everything we can to the last minute of the season.”
If only that control was so easy to mould, but it has been one of those nights a few nights too many. This one felt particularly damaging.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5497319/2024/05/16/newcastle-defeat-manchester-united/
