To say Sunday was as welcome as it was unexpected would be an understatement.
A mere 83 days after being announced as Eddie Howe’s replacement, knives were being sharpened and pointed squarely in the direction of Matthias Jaissle - and I don’t only mean by the press. There was plenty of evidence – albeit online – that some fans were already questioning his suitability to guide Newcastle United 2.0 through what was always going to be a headfuck of a season.
I’m honest enough to admit that those doubts had also started to creep in with me - however those doubts were at least partially banished at c.12:45pm on Sunday when a team sheet that saw Botman, Thiaw and Wissa unceremoniously dropped from the starting eleven was released. I’d go as far to say that I saw Sunday’s team sheet as a statement of intent from our suave Gorman - “Lads, If you are not pervormink, you VILL be dropt” – an approach that our fanbase has long since demanded, no?
Make no bones about it though, after his charges spent the opening 45 minutes posing as human traffic cones at Restricted View F.C, Jaissle needed that second half performance and the result / points it delivered.
Onto the Hill Dickinson then, where the lads will be supported by the small matter of 8,000 travelling Mags.
Now, let that sink in for a moment...EIGHT FUCKING THOUSAND. I’m sorry, but that is an obscene away following for a 350-mile round trip for a televised League Cup game. The next time Elon’s Rwandan Red Devils or Ghanaian Gooners try and tell us we’re not a big club, point them in the direction of Everton’s North Stand on Thursday evening.
That said, that level of away support will expect, demand and deserve a performance similar to the one that saw us walk away from the same stadium 4-1 victors a little over a year ago.
It is being reported that Moyes – the human equivalent of a wet Thursday in Glasgow – will have only 15 senior players to call on with Branthwaite, Grealish and Mykolenko all apparently doubtful. Not ideal for a squad that was universally seen as understocked when the transfer window ‘Slammed Shut’ (© Sky Sports) back on 1st September.
Add to this the fact that Brennan Johnson is misfiring – their fans want him dropped / replaced by Tyler Dibling (remember him?) – and the prospect that Moyes may feel it’s too big a risk to play his only recognised centre forward (Barry) in a last 16 League Cup fixture, and you could be forgiven for thinking that this is a huge opportunity for us to reach our fifth quarter final in the past seven seasons – a truly astonishing record when you compare our feeble efforts in the 10 seasons prior to 20-21.
Jaissle’s presser yesterday was very much par for the course – with his customary can of ‘Berry Currant’ Knox in front of him, he once again gave the NE press pack few column inches to feed on whilst sharply swatting away any question that he felt he’d already been asked.
One exchange however – specifically in relation to the improvement seen in the back four on Sunday - did see him suggest that “it is time to bring more stability in more matches to try to have consecutive wins...so you cannot expect too many changes” – this suggests to me that Burn, Schär and Dedić will rightly retain their places and that any changes made will be in the midfield / forward positions with Wissa, Ramsey, Steur, Touré, Bamba and MFP / Miley (if fit) all likely to be his preferred choices for any rotation.
As a fanbase, it’d be folly to suggest we’re anything other than reactive – post Villa there was a lot of talk about relegation scraps and no little questioning of the manager’s position / credentials. However Sunday’s win at least temporarily halted the doom spiral that threatened to engulf all connected with Newcastle United in recent days / weeks. Should we win tomorrow, however, we’d head into the weekend with another quarter final in the bag whilst sitting only 2 points off 5th placed Chelsea, with Moyes’ depleted charges still to come to Barrack Road on Monday night.
Should we secure two victories over the scouse Mackems tomorrow / Monday, we will undoubtedly have gone from relegation candidates to European / Trophy chasing challengers in the space of 8 days, and Jaissle’s pre-Fulham presser will be all about managing ‘fan expectation’.
Honestly, man, has there ever been a more bi-polar football club?
Into these, United.
Lee Forster @LeeDForster