Isaac Hayden’s three-match ban did little to alter his persistence in Newcastle’s midfield. He came right back into the side and was his usual tenacious self as he tormented West Ham with his ball-winning skills and tough tackling.
Isaac was the perfect foil to Jonjo Shelvey’s adventurous display. He did the dirty work winning back the ball and putting in the challenges. Isaac even got in on the fun himself with a long ball over the West Ham defense that Allan Saint-Maximin obligingly sprinted onto.
Hayden had a run of 28 consecutive Premier League starts for Newcastle snapped by his suspension, but he looks set to start another stretch of games. While his time away from the pitch was frustrating, Isaac maintained a positive frame of mind and continued to work hard.
Speaking to NUFC TV on Tuesday evening, this is what Isaac had to say about his approach to the suspension:
“It was frustrating, but these things happen in football. They happen in life. You’re going to have ups and downs. You’re going to have bad periods, and you’re going to have good periods.
“It’s about staying in a happy medium. Realizing where you are. We’re lucky to play football and do it as a job.
“Obviously, I want to be playing every single week. It wasn’t possible for those three games.
“I just made sure I was in a fit enough position to be able to come back in the team whenever the manager picked me.
“Thankfully for me, it was the first game back and I just try to do my job like I always do.”
Steve Bruce had mentioned last week that Isaac would walk straight back into the team for West Ham. With Sean Longstaff being suspended, Bruce said suggested that it was an obvious decision.
Isaac was asked if his straight red card would change his approach at all. This is what the 24-year-old had to say about that:
“I think you could see on Saturday I’m still playing the same way that I played before. I think sometimes in some instances, I have to change my game slightly.
“I think football has changed a lot with VAR and a lot with the physicalities of the game. I learned from the tackle.
“I think, in my opinion, he (Dennis Praet) pulled out of the tackle, and I went in 100%. When you do that, there’s always going to be someone getting injured or the tackle looks worse than it was.
“I have to take it on the chin. I’ve learned from it. But as you could see on Saturday, I’m still my usual self.”
Isaac definitely didn’t seem to change his game in the slightest at West Ham this past Saturday. He was as combative as ever in midfield and will have done himself no harm for this week against Bournemouth.
We would expect to see both Isaac and Jonjo as the midfield pairing again at St James Park this Saturday. Hopefully, they can put in another top display, and Newcastle can win two consecutive games for the first time this season.
23 comments so far
dougie
Nov 7, 2019 at 12:39 AM
Comment #1What a sorry state of affairs,I like Hayden’s attitude.He’s a good pro with a great desire to do the best he can with his limited ability and he’s hit the jackpot ending up at Sports Direct FC under these circumstances.He is where he belongs which is at a bottom 3 club fighting relegation every season in the premier League.Its scandalous that a club of our stature are even entertaining a player of this calibre never mind relying on him to help drag us to 17th to line a parasites pockets.Its a zombie club with no ambition and only exists to line a billionaire parasites pockets and advertise his tat shops.
Online Guy
Nov 7, 2019 at 1:12 AM
Comment #2Haydens ball from the edge of our box to St Max to put him in on goal was like Gary Player chipping on to the green and holing it from a bunker with his sand wedge ..the sort of Passing that Alex Ferguson seen from Micheal Carrick when at West Ham .
Sublime.
Unused Substitute
Nov 7, 2019 at 2:36 AM
Comment #3On several occasions this season I thought inability to retain and regain the ball and delivering crosses are the major shortcomings of our offense. Stats (statsbomb.com/2019/08/newcastle-united-2019-20-season-preview/) seem to corroborate. The coaching staff are likely to be aware of what is obvious to a dabbler; hope the issues they can fix them before it’s too late. After all they are dealing with players, who are still young(-ish).
Assassins Inc
Nov 7, 2019 at 2:53 AM
Comment #4Bills Son Is Back
Nov 6, 2019 at 1:52 PM
Comment #18
Assassin – It’s amazing the players that Ashley thought were not good enough for the club, Modric he thought was to lightweight and Salah he didn’t rate.
And who told you it was Ashley that didn’t rate them???
Another pie in the sky post.
Well BSIB, let me start with the answer to your question, Kevin Keegan.
Tony Jimenez said this directly to Modrics agent, if you didn’t know, Jimenez worked for Ashley and reported all his findings directly to Ashley, with this news Ashley agreed with Jimenez not to purchase Modric.
Hope that answers your question, now go eat some humble pie. Jog on Son!!!!
The Wife
Nov 7, 2019 at 3:36 AM
Comment #5Another quiet one on the Night Shift, eh?
Buenas noches, mis amigos. 🙂
Nufc-83
Nov 7, 2019 at 7:06 AM
Comment #6Bleatin as I have said previously what makes you think the club is a selling club looking to offload our best players for profits at every opportunity? Do you class Leicester and Liverpool as selling clubs (yes I know they re-invest the money back into the team but that’s not the question).
Do you think we will start investing any money made back into the team as the club makes about 50-60m a season depending on its position in the PL and has said it will re-invest in the squad now going forward. With player sales we should have about 30m for the January window so if they spend that what will your opinion be then?
DubaiMicky
Nov 7, 2019 at 7:07 AM
Comment #7Buenos días a todos
I’m a cunning linguist me….
bettyswallocks
Nov 7, 2019 at 8:07 AM
Comment #8Bills Son is Back………… Your explanation of the horrific typing error you made yesterday is as I and most people on here hoped it would be. However whether you like it or not , you are personally responsible for the movement of your fingers on the keypad and the subsequent result that then gets transmitted on to this blog.
If you have larger than normal fingers then these mistakes can easily happen but it was without question your mistake so perhaps you ought to look at the response you made which was full of aggression and insults and decide whether that was appropriate .
Bills Son Is Back
Nov 7, 2019 at 8:14 AM
Comment #9bettyswallocks,
What a load of bollocks.
It’s patronising snowflake numpties like you who need a kick up the ar$e not me.
Apology for a typo that clearly had absolutely no relevance to the mistyped word in the sentence??
You need therapy.
bettyswallocks
Nov 7, 2019 at 8:28 AM
Comment #10Bills Son………. I could carry this on for a good while but other posters particularly the less gullible ones would probably find it boring so I’ll just say GOTCHA!! Back of the net woooo woooo.
Bills Son Is Back
Nov 7, 2019 at 8:39 AM
Comment #11bettyswallocks…
Gotcha for a typo??
You are one really sad person.
If my typo brings such a response and impact on your pea brain then the therapy I suggested would be a waste.
Go back to knocking on doors for the Snowflake Party.
Jail for Ashley
Nov 7, 2019 at 8:42 AM
Comment #12Nufc-83,
Does the fact that second top scorer and player of the season wasn’t signed because he had no sell on value not give a little bit of a clue to the fact we are indeed a selling club looking to make a few quid on every signing.
Bleatin' n Bruced
Nov 7, 2019 at 8:50 AM
Comment #13Nufc83 I think what’s needed is clarification of the term “selling club”. I imagine a “normal” competitive club model would be mindful of its finance but always with a view to improvement and winning out over its rivals in contest. Such clubs either retain their best players or sell them for a high price but to reinvest immediately in improvements and even bolster with their own cash, in order to not just retain but increase their competitive edge. The visible effects are tangible, European places, cups, titles.
A “selling club” would be one that generally spends low on a wide spread of players with a percentage aim to score on individuals who increase in value. Their model would not include “wasteful” investment in speculative high-value player purchases as a rule. They would invest minimally and typically ride out transfer windows if they feel spending will not be required to guarantee staying in or thereabouts the highest earning league. Heavy investment would be done selectively, sparingly, and only in order to prevent disaster of relegation. There would be no player attrition causes by needless stretching of resources by competitions or needless cup runs. Over a sustained period, their would be a flat line on spending and the pattern would be that this was a deliberately mid to low table target club.
Which one is nufc?
martoon
Nov 7, 2019 at 9:00 AM
Comment #14As it is only 2 days until we play again I’m going to do something radical and talk about the forthcoming game 😉 I’d be pretty surprised if Bruce doesn’t start the same team as against West Ham.
G
Nov 7, 2019 at 9:06 AM
Comment #15Agreed Martoon. Madness not to
Jail for Ashley
Nov 7, 2019 at 9:08 AM
Comment #16martoon,
Do we not play quarter backs at home and full backs away or am I getting mixed up 😮
bettyswallocks
Nov 7, 2019 at 9:35 AM
Comment #17Bills Son………….. A typo is a typo, who gives a toss about a typo? The point is you’ve been kippered and you’re still wriggling you buffoon.
martoon
Nov 7, 2019 at 9:38 AM
Comment #18Jail – I think your getting mixed up with the rotating captains 😀
Actually what’s happened to Jesper – I haven’t seen him post for donkeys (showing my age with that expression).
Bleatin' n Bruced
Nov 7, 2019 at 9:45 AM
Comment #19Oof careful with that match related stuff martoon it’s a heady potion 🙂
Bleatin' n Bruced
Nov 7, 2019 at 9:47 AM
Comment #20Betty instead of calling him Bills Son maybe you should lead with ” ‘sup dawwwg?”
😀
Bleatin' n Bruced
Nov 7, 2019 at 9:49 AM
Comment #21I think this one against Bournmouthton-upon-Sea is the pivotal game, the one that gives us an idea of how our chrimbo fixtures will go, and by extension the probable outcome of this season.
Bleatin' n Bruced
Nov 7, 2019 at 9:52 AM
Comment #22Jesper caught caught in a circular argument and his head went into a spin until he whirled off the blog. In a roundabout way I’m sure many miss his all-round banter and we can only hope he is still circling the blog and looking in on it from time to time.
Bills Son Is Back
Nov 7, 2019 at 9:52 AM
Comment #23bettyswallocks,
With a name like yours using a deliberate typo to disguise the real meaning…
Who the hell are you to make deranged accusations on a real typo?
For posters unaware of what this is all about I meant to type ‘bigger’ in a sentence ‘buying a bigger and better house’ and hit the n instead of b for bigger.
The deranged bettyswallocks reckons I should issue a grovelling apology for this dastardly deed as the typo word is not one that should ever be used in it’s true context.
Not a chance I will issue any apology – any normal fair minded person would see that for what it is – a typo.
Bleatin even commented on the mistake immediately after I originally posted and called me Bills Sin – another typo!
The only reason why bettyb is having a go is because he/she disagrees with my NUFC opinions.
Simple as.