Since we beat Burton Albion 2-1 to get our third win in a row on 17th December we have played four games and lost two games in the Championship 1-0 to both Sheffield Wednesday and 3rd bottom Blackburn.
We did beat Nottingham Forest 3-1 at home, but were helped with a sending off of defender Matt Mills after 60 minutes when the score was 1-1.
At Birmingham City yesterday, who are not doing very well this season – we could only draw 1-1 in the 3rd round of the FA Cup and the second half was boring and Newcastle seemed to lack urgency.
Jonjo Shelvey – is poor form completely due to this player being missing?
So it’s been a lapse in form that has seen Brighton overtake us at the top of the Championship and Reading close the gap in 3rd place.
Of course all of this coincides with Jonjo Shelvey being out of the side through suspension and he has only one more game to serve in his five game suspension – the game at Brentford next Saturday and then he’s back.
The general wisdom is Newcastle’s bad form is totally down to Jonjo not playing and we have looked very slow in our build up with the sweeping passes all over the filed that Shelvey can provide simply not there.
If it is due to Shelvey being missing and we do have an uptick in form and results when he returns, it does mean that Rafa Benitez needs to bring in another central midfielder who can do the job when Jonjo Shelvey is not playing.
Certainly we have had nobody who can do that over the last four games.
Heaven help us now if Jonjo picks up an injury and is out for any length of time – and that has to be a real worry for Benitez.
As well as being slow in the build up in attack Newcastle have also missed chances.
We should have had the Blackburn game won at half time, but missed too many of our chances and even yesterday in that first 20 minutes after Daryl Murphy had put us 1-0 up we still should have scored more goals.
But we didn’t and Birmingham came back into the game and they could have even won it yesterday.
With Newcastle missing so many chances, the conventional wisdom is that we must bring in another striker who can put the ball in the back of the net when a chance arises.
If we cannot get any reinforcements in this month then our chances of promotion would seem to be a little dodgy and too dependent on players like Shelvey and Gayle staying fit and being available for the rest of the season.
It’s been a down turn in form for Newcastle since Shelvey has been out and we have looked an ordinary team and certainly the results have been ordinary too.
Hopefully Benitez can fix the problem this month by getting at least two players in – a playmaker and a striker.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
16 comments so far
sparky55
Jan 8, 2017 at 11:45 AM
Comment #1Ed…SFA mate…nowt wrong with anything…it’s called a temporary dip in form…you’ve been banging on about this all over xmas and the new year…give it a rest man and come up with something more interesting to talk about
toonarmydownsouth
Jan 8, 2017 at 11:47 AM
Comment #2Ed
Come off it man
It’s a dip in form and happens to every club at every level calm down man
toonarmydownsouth
January 8, 2017
WWSBRD
Agree, can’t imagine the majority of football fans would be complaining about having Rafa at the helm in the second division
It’s also worth remembering that Rafa has not only come in, reassembled a competitive squad and got us nestled top of the league for 90% of the season, he has also taken over full control of the everyday football business of the club
He’s not just stepped in and carried on in the same mould
He’s building a club, a legacy, not just a starting 11 to fumble through a season
He’s taken full control, he’s rejuvenated our coaching and medical team
He actively involved himself in the youth squad
He’s lifted the media ban
Most importantly and impressively he’s done what seem impossible and has reconnected the club with city and the fans
And i for absolutely love the bloke for it!
posada
Jan 8, 2017 at 11:48 AM
Comment #3So, Benitez has worked miracles has he.
Well since the first of October we have 33 points from 15 games.
Derby County have 31 from the same number of games.
Who’s there manager again ?
They were in dire straits when we beat them 2-0 earlier in the season.
sparky55
Jan 8, 2017 at 11:54 AM
Comment #4Posada…just cos that useless tw@t Maclaren has gone to Derby and put them on a good run does not mean rafa is all of sudden useless FFS…Where were you with this pathetic rhetoric when we were murdering all in front of us and running away with things.
Yes we’re experiencing a dip in form but it’s same players who took us to the top of the table and it’s the same players will drag us back to top slot by the Middle of March and it’s the same squad that get us over the line in May.
WWSBRD
Jan 8, 2017 at 11:54 AM
Comment #5toonarmy
Yeah I’ve few gripes with Rafa personally
toonarmydownsouth
Jan 8, 2017 at 11:55 AM
Comment #6Derby’s manager built that squad, failed, got us relegated, and took over the squad he knew inside out in a league where he’s regularly plied his trade
He didn’t have to undone 6 years of squad neglect whilst learning a new league and getting a new team to gel in one pre season
Don’t let the facts get in the way of a good rant though
southerngeordie
Jan 8, 2017 at 11:57 AM
Comment #7What’s Exactly Wrong With Newcastle? Ridiculous articles such as this for starters!
toonarmydownsouth
Jan 8, 2017 at 11:59 AM
Comment #8WWSBRD
Any major particulars?
Personally think he’s done more for us as a club since any manager since Robson
Also Rafa’s record, in all leagues through most his career is nothing short of phenomenal in the second half of the season so expecting a strong finish
Might not be the most flashy brand of football but for me he’s effective, we look more defensively sound than we’ve been for years
Can’t think of many who’d we’d be better off with in current situation
posada
Jan 8, 2017 at 12:01 PM
Comment #9Sparky
Calm down calm down.
It’s not rhetoric it’s just a few simple facts.
Toonarmy, he didn’t have north of 30 million to spend on players either. Another fact.
toonarmydownsouth
Jan 8, 2017 at 12:04 PM
Comment #10Posanda
Spent a fortune before coming to us and, as pointed out several times, he didn’t have to rebuild an entire squad, £30 mil doesn’t go far when you’ve got to bring in £12 players
posada
Jan 8, 2017 at 12:08 PM
Comment #1130 million does not go far when you waste a lot of it on signing players like Sels and Gamez.
jimmygscot
Jan 8, 2017 at 12:14 PM
Comment #12Whats Wrong?
It’s easy to see, no drive from midfield and no pace in the team.
When Shelvey plays he compensates for these shortcomings.
toonarmydownsouth
Jan 8, 2017 at 12:15 PM
Comment #13Posanda
Not every transfer can be a win, that’s 2 players, out of 12…
Jib
Jan 8, 2017 at 12:30 PM
Comment #14posada
Your own facts are making you look foolish
33 points from 15 games gives you 102 at seasons end
posada
Jan 8, 2017 at 12:34 PM
Comment #15Jib
It’s not my fact. It’s just a fact. Check it out with the table.
magspuggy
Jan 8, 2017 at 12:49 PM
Comment #16I sometimes wonder why half the bloggers (and there alter egos) bother to support nufc .