Lee Ryder's review as Newcastle thrash Leicester
Newcastle United star Lewis Hall fizzed 85 passes around St James' Park in a sparkling display that almost makes a mockery of the £28million fee paid to Chelsea for his services last summer.
Having had to wait patiently for his chance and work quietly behind the scenes with Newcastle's backroom staff, the procedures, once deemed too cautious by some, are paying dividends. As Hall earned himself man of the match with a near faultless display one man who knows exactly what he can do purred at every swashbuckling moment from the ex-Blues youth product as he chalked up to assists.
It was the man who recently handed Hall his first two England caps but what was clear after this display was that Lee Carsley's FA report will surely be directing the left-back straight into Thomas Tuchel's senior squad in March for the visit of Albania and Latvia at Wembley for the World Cup qualifiers.
Carsley may dream of using Hall again with the Under-21s, but his pathway to the Three Lions first team is set and he now seems like a permanent fixture for years to come. Hall is playing with a confidence bordering on arrogance for Newcastle on days like this.
After the game, Howe said of Hall: "I've seen Lewis working with the coaches last week on his final ball, I think, two out of the five days that we had to prepare the game, and I believe players don't get lucky, they get what they deserve for their work. Lewis ended up with two assists today off the back of that work, so congratulations to him."
Ironically, Chelsea's leading talent spotter sat in the stands at Wembley for Hall's home debut with England last month during the 5-0 win over the Republic of Ireland in the UEFA Nations League. As he watched Hall, Tino Livramento and former Blues target Anthony Gordon, he could only rue what Chelsea have let slip through their fingers.
Chelsea's loss is very much Newcastle's gain!
What was said at half-time during rout of the Foxes
Bruno Guimaraes has revealed what Eddie Howe told his players after the first half against Leicester on Saturday afternoon. Having bombarded the City goal with chances but only having a solitary advantage after Jacob Murphy's goal, there was a chance that the visitors could creep back into it.
Leicester had already won the toss and made Newcastle shoot towards the Gallowgate in the first half. But any hopes of a second half onslaught were quickly dashed.
Bruno admitting afterwards: "Our message in the changing room during half-time was to try to score the second goal as quick as possible for the confidence, I think we deserved to win the game and played much better than against Brentford."
Have Newcastle solved their midfield issue?
Much has been made about United's midfield problems this season with Bruno's form dipping after becoming captain and uncertainty on where Sandro Tonali plays best. Well after Saturday's rout of Leicester, surely there can be no doubt about who plays where in the next few games.
Tonali bossed the midfield as the number 6, while Bruno clearly revelled in flying forward and getting on the scoresheet for his first goal of the season. It may well have been long overdue for Bruno but he could be off and running after a tough start to the season.
Summing up his midfield, Howe reflected: "Sandro obviously plays the position of the number six very differently to Bruno, but equally as effectively. You have two different ways of playing the position, but I think both are very, very efficient and very good in different ways."