Newcastle had Bruno Guimaraes back in the lineup for today’s 1-1 draw against Bournemouth. However, it was too soon for Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson. Their omission along with the surprise absence of Elliot Anderson handed Eddie Howe limited options up front.
Newcastle needed a spark as ideas in the final third were hard to come by. Anderson would have provided something different from the bench and his youthful determination was sorely missing this afternoon.
Anderson, who was not spotted in Wednesday’s training images, missed the game with what Howe described as a ‘very minor niggle’. Howe stated Elliot would be fit for the October 1st trip to Fulham. We’ll find out if his niggle impacts his availability for the Scotland U21s next week.
Howe also revealed that Wilson is very close to a return. He was not risked today but should be ready to go at Craven Cottage in two weeks. However, the situation with Saint-Maximin is a little murkier as the winger has suffered a setback.
This is what Howe said about his dynamic duo as published in The Northern Echo:
“Callum’s doing very well, we’re really pleased with his progress. He was close for today, but I think we made an early decision that it would have been too big a risk.
“So, we hope that with a bit more time, there’s a chance that the next game could be good for him.
“With Allan, it’s slightly different. He’s had a very minor setback with the physios, so whether or not he’ll be fit after the international break is slightly unclear.
“It’s certainly not long-term, but it’s not clear whether he’ll be fit for our next game yet.”
The injuries to Guimaraes, Wilson, and Saint-Maximin have shown that Newcastle lack strength in depth. Their absences have likely cost valuable points at St. James’ Park. Though they should all be ready to go for the packed October schedule.
180 comments so far
Tyran21
Sep 18, 2022 at 10:04 AM
Comment #161The Prince’s Mate
ASM’s body build is quite top heavy which put strain on his leg. Even worst for footballer who sprints a lot. I always feel ASM is bit overweight, not sure is muscle mass or mix of both fats and muscle?
Bills Son Is Back
Sep 18, 2022 at 10:05 AM
Comment #162Forgot to make this point…
After Bruno went off Willock moved into the middle, and did very well, far better than when he plays out wide where he goes missing far too often.
He was demanding the ball, playing one two’s and looking for the defence splitting pass. With his ability to score goals he has seriously got me wondering if his best position might be as a 10.
I’ve given the lad stick previously, but some players need to see plenty of the ball to be at their best. As a 10 Willock would get that and he might, just might, be a real player in that position.
The Mighty Quinn
Sep 18, 2022 at 10:06 AM
Comment #163Apologies if my last comment caused any offence to anybody last night. It wasn’t aimed at anyone on here, I’m a doorman and there was a group of lads came in who were just looking for trouble. I should have worded my post better but rushed it. Apologies once again.
Nijmegen-toon
Sep 18, 2022 at 10:07 AM
Comment #164Bills Son Is Back,
They came for a point and a point alone. Their goal surprised them more than us. Had one of those woodwork chances gone in they would have had to come and look for a goal, the floodgates may well have opened. Mark my words though, Brentford, Everton and Villa will all come to us with the same tactic and we have to be prepared.
Bills Son Is Back
Sep 18, 2022 at 10:12 AM
Comment #165Nijmegen-toon – Mark my words though, Brentford, Everton and Villa will all come to us with the same tactic and we have to be prepared.
Correct, and the point I’ve made.
Last season teams thought they could smash us and dominate possession from the start. Once Eddie got us sorted and Bruno arrived we took teams totally by surprise.
That won’t happen this season. We are now considered a real threat and, as we’ve both said, Eddie needs to suss out how we deal with that and get results against defensive set ups.
lochinvar
Sep 18, 2022 at 10:13 AM
Comment #166Talk of Rogers being fired from Leicester seems plausible and they’re linked with Frank from Brentford. Doubt he’d take the Leicester job, that seems like a downward spiral. They lost their mojo after the tragic death of their owner and not having Schmicheal as an authoritive influence on the team. Vardy in his twilight years. Leicester could go down.
Ponchitino seems to be the manager waiting in the wings for a so called big club. Maybe he’s got his eyes on Everton if Lampard doesn’t hack it there.
The Prince's Mate
Sep 18, 2022 at 10:13 AM
Comment #167Just watching Maddison v spuds…WHY didn’t we just break the bank and get him?
lochinvar
Sep 18, 2022 at 10:19 AM
Comment #168If Rodgers goes from Leicester irrespective of any new Magager Maddison wants out and hopefully to us. He’ll have see the decions Trippier and Target made, and Boatman and Bruno.
He’s not daft.
He could make the difference at NUFC
Ruddy Marveaux-lous
Sep 18, 2022 at 10:19 AM
Comment #169Morning after the day before and my thoughts on this season remain largely the same. We’re transitioning into the side we want to be and Wor Eddie is trying to set us up to be more dominant on the ball: great.
However, weaker sides coming to SJP know they won’t get much of the ball so sit deep and counter, which is what happened yesterday. We currently lack the squad depth and quality to unlock such teams especially if carrying a few injury issues, so these frustrating home draws may become more frequent.
I think we can absolutely dispell any mythical delusions about finishing top 6, as they were fanciful before the season started and seem absolutely crackers right now. Arguably 8th-12th is where we’ll be and based on performances this season against comparable teams (Palace, Brighton, Wolves etc) it’s about where we deserve to be.
Creating more chances and looking after the ball better will be the metrics upon which Eddie will be judged, not where we finish in the league. New commercial deals will allow us to splash more cash after which more concrete objectives are likely to be in place for next season and beyond.
The neglect of Ashley can’t be undone in one transfer window so patience is needed I suppose but one thing is for sure, Wor Eddie is not to blame. Keep the faith lads and lasses.
lochinvar
Sep 18, 2022 at 10:22 AM
Comment #170The Princes’ Mate
If we didn’t move on Maddison do we have ambition for a stellar signing in waiting from abroad?
Guess we’ll know soon enough.
Well in 3 months
Brussels
Sep 18, 2022 at 10:23 AM
Comment #171The Prince’s Mate
#120
It will take time.
Everyone could see that we’re missing those 3 ‘special players’ in the last third to make the difference.
Since we were bought the average price of a player has quadrupled- we may need to be patient a little longer than expected.
CLINT FLICK
Sep 18, 2022 at 10:26 AM
Comment #172BR running on empty at Leicester now.
Rats will jump the ship, do we want that type?
Tyran21
Sep 18, 2022 at 10:29 AM
Comment #173Mathematically still possible for top 6, just 2 points harder for now. Are people writing Liverpool and Chelsea off too?
CLINT FLICK
Sep 18, 2022 at 10:31 AM
Comment #174Until we really sort out midfield, we’re an ok team.
Get the missing link/s and we’re quality.
If we’re gonna complain about cal being injured, maxi’s 5 years younger!!!
Musclebound?
Ruddy Marveaux-lous
Sep 18, 2022 at 10:31 AM
Comment #175Tyran
As much as we may like to think Newcastle United is the best club on the planet and no one is better than us, there’s a seismic chasm in terms of the difference in quality between our squad and either Liverpool or Chelsea. Both of those sides will finish top 6, whereas we most certainly won’t.
Nijmegen-toon
Sep 18, 2022 at 10:32 AM
Comment #176The Prince’s Mate,
“WHY didn’t we just break the bank and get him?”
Because some very shrewd individuals running the club understand that we’ll most likely get him at OUR value in January, he alone wouldn’t make the difference between a top half finish and a CL place. It’s a long game being played.
The Prince's Mate
Sep 18, 2022 at 10:37 AM
Comment #177Brussels@171
That’s fair enough..BUT..we KNEW fine well we needed a game changer during..not after…the previous transfer window
The Prince's Mate
Sep 18, 2022 at 10:39 AM
Comment #178I have a feeling in my not so clear water that Maddison is gonna be a geordie in January
Ace50
Sep 18, 2022 at 10:52 AM
Comment #179Some excellent posts with special mentions to Bills, Simon, and Charlie.
To add to Bill’s point about Burn. He was excellent again yesterday and I can understand Eddie starting him over Botman for this match. In the brief time I have seen Botman though, I think he will gradually become the mainstay in that position. He does everything Burn does, but Botman is also much more progressive with the ball and he is much more a threat at set-pieces. These two added abilities could have been the difference yesterday against a team camped in/around their box yesterday.
Ace50
Sep 18, 2022 at 10:55 AM
Comment #180Other notable points:
– Trippier being exposed – this is because he was trying to force things to happen as Miggy is useless there. I also think Schar does not provide the defensive equivalent that Burn does down the other side. Not a priority but Schar will likely get replaced next summer. He is adequate for now though
– Targett – loved what he has done for the club since coming in. We have not had a stable, defensive LB for a long time. The team has evolved quite quickly though. His attacking contribution and crosses need to improve or we could see someone else coming in that gives us that (Lewis?)