Because family was out I had the chance to sit and watch the Newcastle match properly. They’ve gone right off the boil, so much that I think a top 4 finish is a tough ask and the Cup Final in two weeks should be where all their eggs go.
They look tired, and the urgency of the running both in and out of possession, and movement off the ball when attacking seems to have gone. Small squad, a lot of games, predictable I guess.
It flashed briefly for the goal, and in a couple of other places but otherwise they are looking very leggy right now. And there’s a lot of the season to go.
Five draws in last six, and you’d have expected really them to have got more out of at least three of them (draw vs Arsenal is a decent result, Palace away is tricky, but Leeds / WHam / Bournemouth are all winnable) but if they’d got 9 io 3 in those three games they’d be second and 4 points off top.
Lovely to see the reception Eddie Howe got after the game too. They think a lot of him down there.
Meanwhile the mighty Reading’s slide towards a relegation scrap continues……