JOHNGIBSON Can Magpies deliver a bolt from the blue?
UNITED OVERDUE SOME LUCK AT BRIDGE – BUT IT DEPENDS ON WHICH TEAM TURNS UP
facebook.com/NewcastleChronicle WE’RE about to enter football’s reality show.
Having basked in victory over a once-mighty Manchester United for the duration of the international break Newcastle United will emerge into the white hot heat of another PL challenge at Chelsea tomorrow.
And we all know how sobering that could be!
Having defeated Spurs – another big scalp – by the same 1-0 scoreline a little while back United blew it big time rather than build upon soaring confidence.
They were knocked out of the league cup at home days later and drew 1-1 again up here with Watford who had lost all their league games to complete a deflating week.
Those two setbacks were followed by a 3-1 defeat at Liverpool (understandable), 0-0 draw home to Brighton (not understandable), and 5-0 reverse at Leicester (humiliation).
So will Chelsea be in a similar pattern – or will it confirm hope can beat in every Geordie heart?
We will find out in an hour and a half of combat. White-flag capitulation or defiant resistance.
Geordies live in such an instant world of confusion that after the five-goal thrashing at the King Power Stadium we were doomed to relegation, but following victory over Man U hope soared and safety was within the grasp!
If United will have their superkids on show at Chelsea – the Longstaff lads – then Frank Lampard will range his rapidly emerging young stars like Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori against them.
Needs must, and if Newcastle have elevated Matty and Sean this year almost by necessity rather than planned development then a transfer embargo has made it easier for Lampard to become the champion of the young.
The Longstaffs will find their midfield territory much more competitive than Fred provided last time out with Chelsea, injuries permitting, able to call upon N’Golo Kante, Ross Barkley, Jorginho and Mount. However, it could still be an L of a show!
What we require is more potency up top and while United must go into battle without a recognised goal threat we have to hope that the Longstaffs put the midfield in a forward gear and get up the park quickly enough to support the target man and two wide players.
The tendency in the past is for a huge gap to exist between midfield and the centre front guy who has become isolated.
Jonjo Shelvey, unable to get round the park just like an increasingly disinterested Ki, used to sit on the toes of the central defenders. Now the pairing of Matty and Sean is at least more mobile. They will scrap and fight as well as drive forward. Miguel Almiron, Joelinton and Allan Saint-Maximin have in equal measure both the potential to excite and be a great letdown, possessing pace and ability but little goal power. Excuses can be made for all – Almiron playing on the right not the left where he initially impacted for Rafa, Joelinton being left to fend for himself, and the Saint hampered by persistent injury – but there comes a time when only delivering matters. All else goes by the wayside and we’re rapidly reaching that time. Stamford Bridge is not exactly a happy hunting ground for the Mags, who will be trying to avoid their seventh successive PL defeat in what is a blue heaven.
We have to go back to May 2012 – when Papiss Cisse gloriously notched a goal in each half, including an absolute screamer – to recall victory. Since then 20 goals have been conceded and just three scored.
Time to change history fellas? Dare we? Can we?
After the thrashing at the King Power we were doomed... but following victory over Man U safety was within the grasp!