Newcastle United look out of gas, tired and in need of some recuperation. The defeat to Everton reaffirmed just how hard the squad has been working, and just how high the bar has been set by Eddie Howe.
The run of form since the FA Cup exit to Cambridge has been nothing short of miraculous - 20 points from a possible 30. A nine-game unbeaten run has taken United away from the drop zone when at the turn of the year, many could only see a drop into The Championship.
It’s for that very reason that the defeat to Everton is frustrating but not devastating. Newcastle lie eight points from the drop zone and as 2022 came into play, the majority of fans would have taken even a point as a buffer zone.
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It’s important to accept that Newcastle’s unbeaten run was always going to come to an end but that when it did, the performances in defeat were not a total collapse. Against Chelsea, they played well and arguably without the ineptitude of VAR would have won that game.
Against, Everton the performance wasn’t good but neither was it an outing to start mass panic - it was just one of those days. Even with the helping hand of VAR, United failed to beat Everton but the defeat needs to be put into context.
As mentioned United are comfortably above the drop zone, and a run of three games in 7 days has stretched them. Newcastle’s great run of form has been done without their number nine, Callum Wilson, while Kieran Trippier has missed the last six games - yet United still picked up 10 points.
After illness and injury-hit their squad just hours before the game at Chelsea, such a hard-fought game against the Champions of Europe was always going to have a knock-on effect on the game at Goodison. Eddie Howe welcomed back Joelinton and Joe Willock to the XI but given their previous absence, and the importance of the game to Everton - it was always felt things were against Newcastle.
Of course, Howe went into the game with the aim to win. Afterwards, he stated in no uncertain terms that Newcastle are not safe ‘yet’ and the result ‘hurt’ because of that very fact. His frustrations at the drop in level of performance was clear.
“The game was there for us,” Howe told reporters after the game. “We made some poor decisions by our high standards with the ball.”
And that’s the key part of the context needed. Howe has set such a high standard at Newcastle that it will be impossible to match every game. Defeats will come, and his meticulous nature will see him analyse every movement, and look to improve his team.
Howe will not dish out any excuses but instead focus on what his side did badly. That in itself is refreshing.
Previous managers would have used the quick turnaround in games, the loss of Jonjo Shelvey, or the delay by the protester who tied himself to a goalpost, as excuses. But for Howe, the fault lies inhouse, and only his coaching staff and he can remedy it - the warm-weather camp in Dubai will help.
It’s the standard he has set at Newcastle. The standard players week-in and week-out have to try and match and of course any new arrivals too.
Importantly, the players are on board. Fabian Schar who captained United against Everton noted after the game: "We have to be at our highest level to get something in this league. We weren‘t yesterday, now is time to work even harder."
The expectation Howe has will keep rising, and it’s that chase that is exciting. The players fell short against Everton but after two months of just about bursting through it, it shows just how far they’ve come.
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