Seconds before kick-off, Eddie Howe was seated, his chin slightly tilted to one side, his eyes downcast. The Newcastle United head coach is usually hyper-present, closely attuned to his team. Moments before his side faced visitors Brentford on Saturday evening, though, he was distant.
This was not negative body language but a man lost in thought; one you suspect might have spent the two-week international break frozen in that position — at the dinner table, sat bolt upright in bed or, in reality, glued to a chair facing the training-ground tactics board.
Though Howe needs no excuse for that habit, there was more reason than most this week. Newcastle’s performance against Brighton & Hove Albion in their final game before the international break was desperate, a 3-1 loss which perhaps does not reflect the paucity of their display. Goalkeeping, defence, midfield. All displayed major issues. A late capitulation at home to 10-man Liverpool the week before provided further concern.
The club’s return to the Champions League, against AC Milan at San Siro, awaits on Tuesday. Throw in a potential loss to Brentford allied with the pressure of Newcastle’s lowly league position — 14th of 20 going into the weekend — and it was clear why Howe appeared lost in thought.
He wanted answers. In the 1-0 Newcastle win that followed, he only got momentum.
The last time Howe made five changes from his previous starting XI, in March against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Newcastle ended a five-match winless run.
Yesterday did not have the same air of ripping things up — injuries and Tuesday’s game in Milan were front of mind for him here. What the midfield did need to show was cogency, having shown the containing ability of a colander at Brighton.
The trio who started then included two Brazil internationals and a £60million ($74.3m) new signing. On Saturday, Howe turned to two Geordies. And with Joelinton out for “a couple of weeks” because of a knee injury and Milan old boy Sandro Tonali nursing a thigh issue, at least one of Sean Longstaff and Elliot Anderson is likely to start that group opener in Italy.
But despite the changes, Newcastle’s midfield was once again second-best in the opening exchanges against Brentford. Mathias Jensen escaped the press with ease, with the Londoners creating the first major chances of the game — Aaron Hickey’s shot was well saved by Nick Pope after a slight deflection and Yoane Wissa was inches away from connecting with a Jensen cross.
Brentford’s optimism was on display when they won corners — all 10 players wandering into the home box, a move only stymied when Anthony Gordon noticed and sprinted towards halfway to await any potential clearance.
Gordon vents his frustration against Brentford (Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
In their own attacking play, Newcastle were once again stilted — often playing two initial build-up passes before finding an absence of options and instead flicking optimistic balls into the channels for the front three to chase.
It was all very un-Howe’s Newcastle at times, typified by Bruno Guimaraes hammering the ball long while under no pressure just 20 minutes in.
The tide only changed when Brentford full-back Rico Henry was forced off with a knee injury shortly before half-time.
Newcastle achieved most of their success when they progressed the ball through their full-backs — the passing network graphic below demonstrates the importance of Kieran Trippier (No 2) and Dan Burn (No 33).
Longstaff and Anderson were more peripheral figures. Alongside them, Guimaraes continued his curious early-season form — dictating the ball without dictating proceedings, being there yet leaving holes, missing a major chance in the first half. The unit was solid if not salvatory, a string of seven out of 10 performances.
Is Howe closer to this midfield truly gelling in a way it has failed to do since the opening day? No.
“I don’t think it was us at our free-flowing best,” Howe said after the match. “But there’s a lot to like about the resilience, the defensive mindset, the work rate and commitment. Preferably, you win beautifully; but if you can’t, you win ugly. I’ve got no issues with that.”
This is central. Under Howe, momentum is tangible; it is not just the St James’ Park roar, but cold, hard results. This side is streaky.
Last season, Newcastle variously had a six-match winless run and a five-match one, a six-match winning run and a five-match one. Each winning streak began with a scrappy, odd-goal victory where they did not play at their best.
“It was a strange game,” Howe said of yesterday. “There wasn’t too much going on.”
Set against that, Newcastle needed a spark. In the sight of Gordon’s blonde hair flashing towards the byline just past the hour, they found one.
The wiles which typified many of Newcastle’s wins last season had not been apparent until now; Gordon never aiming to do anything with the ball as it exited play but cleverly positioning his body so the only thing Mark Flekken could do was clip him. The Brentford goalkeeper took the bait. Penalty awarded — to Brentford coach Thomas Frank’s post-match fury.
In recent weeks, Newcastle’s journey has been filled with uncertainty. On Saturday, they were a side feeling their way back into contention, unconvincing yet unbending, fuzzy like static in their black and white stripes.
Callum Wilson’s ensuing goal from the spot was the emphatic end to that — an exclamation mark to the new contract he agreed this week.
His scoring record of 14 from his last 17 appearances (just seven of them starts) has gone under the radar — drawing Wilson level with Les Ferdinand in fifth place on Newcastle’s Premier League goals list is fitting recompense for a strike that felt far bigger than the player himself.
Wilson scores from the penalty spot (George Wood/Getty Images)
The stadium’s exhalation was tangible.
After Brighton, the singing was laced with the defiance of the sinking Titanic’s band. Here it was urgent, for now and for San Siro. On the final whistle, it was notable how quickly the stadium emptied. There are flights to Italy to catch and there is renewed optimism, as well as tickets for that game in pockets.
“We needed that,” said Howe afterwards, and sometimes it does not matter what “that” is, as long as it comes with three points attached.
Against Brentford, Newcastle were good enough. Will it be enough against Milan? Well, consider that at the exact same time events were unfolding at St James’ Park, Tuesday’s hosts were being routed 5-1 by city rivals Inter.
Newcastle may not be closer to solving some underlying problems, but in the context of Saturday’s respective results, sometimes momentum is more important.
(Top photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images)
