Florian Thauvin is unlikely to forget his home debut in a hurry. Not content with volleying Newcastle United’s opening goal, the young winger captured hearts and minds by creating their next three.
It left Steve McClaren celebrating his first win as the club’s manager – and the Gallowgate end optimistic about their chances of watching some highly entertaining football this season.
Admittedly Newcastle will face somewhat tougher hurdles than Northampton, of League Two, in the coming months, but McClaren is suitably encouraged. “Florian’s a big asset for us, he’s got great delivery,” said the manager, who also saw Siem de Jong impress on his first start after 12 injury-stricken months.
A breathless, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it beginning had three goals inside the first 10 minutes. Thauvin certainly wasted no time in showing his new Tyneside public precisely what he is capable of. When Massadio Haidara, cleverly cued up by Rolando Aarons, crossed from the left, Newcastle’s £13m acquisition from Marseille was perfectly placed to hook the ball beyond Ryan Clarke.
For their second, Thauvin’s delicately floated free-kick was diverted past Clarke by De Jong’s glancing header.
McClaren made nine changes from the side which drew at Manchester United on Saturday but still, judging by the look on his face, Northampton’s manager, Chris Wilder, sensed impending humiliation.
Then, almost imperceptibly, Northampton steadied themselves and began realising that Newcastle’s defence were most definitely mortal after all. It helped that they enjoyed a bit of luck when Cheick Tioté handled in the area and Marc Richards scored from the ensuing penalty. Wilder might even have managed a smile had Nicky Adams not shot slightly too high when well placed.
Certain players wearing black and white had temporarily come over a little slapdash but one was exempt from criticism. Thauvin, who disappointed in France last season, is supposed to be less effective on the right than the left but you would never have guessed it. Virtually every time he touched the ball Northampton, and their left-back, David Buchanan, in particular, were left bewildered and St James’ was bewitched. Encouragingly, the shimmies and stepovers were underpinned by real incision. With the bulk of their chances created by the young Frenchman, De Jong twice came close to extending the lead.
Considering that Ayoze Pérez also led Wilder’s defence quite a dance at times, Northampton were fully stretched. They did at least have Adams, a creator of their own and he strove to keep the tie alive. Thauvin, though, simply refused to be upstaged, something he emphasised by creating the third goal for the overlapping Daryl Janmaat whose right-foot shot effectively extinguished visiting hope.
Thauvin – who else? – created the fourth, headed in by Mike Williamson from another free-kick before receiving a standing ovation as he was replaced by Aleksandar Mitrovic. “A professional job,” reflected McClaren, who can only hope a winger once coveted by Arsène Wenger will prove similarly troublesome to Arsenal here on Saturday.
