Re-energise and believe again | OneFootball

A terrible draw was handed to Newcastle United on Wednesday night.

Manchester City away, the fixture no team wants drawn out in the cup competitions.

It is what it is though and as Newcastle United fans and team, we have to take the hand that’s been dealt and get on with it.

Do I fancy us away from home against Man City? If we had a full side fit and raring to go I’d give us a chance against anyone. We don’t, even though on paper we are only maybe three or four players away from having a full complement of players available.

I’m not so much worried about the players we don’t have, or who we are up against. I’m more concerned about the lack of cohesion, consistency, no momentum.

We look short of confidence, a lack of belief, nowhere near firing on all cylinders.

The injuries have played a big part in that, we have players who’ve played through the pain barrier, some rushed back because we have been desperately short in areas. There have been too many players playing who haven’t had the time to recover properly because of the knock-on effect and vicious circle we have seen ourselves caught up in for around four months or so.

I have complained enough times about the midfield three of Bruno, Sean Longstaff and Lewis Miley. Not about them directly, rather, it is the balance of them that just doesn’t work. Thankfully and hopefully, Joe Willock, a player I rate very highly, can give us a big impact in the last dozen or so games. I haven’t forgotten Elliot Anderson either. He was coming on strong before he did his back in earlier in the season.

Lewis Miley has had his praises sung and he’s done exceptionally well given his age, the circumstances etc . For me though Lewis needs to be rotated if possible due to his age and conditioning. He may play like a seasoned pro but he’s still a kid at the end of the day, that’s still developing and growing into a man. He could well be a proper unit in a few years. So I think he needs more nurturing for his own sake and for his own benefit. I’m not saying he shouldn’t start again for us this season, as he’s earned his place in the squad and shown what he could be all about in time.

So while the two returning players in Joe Willock and Elliot Anderson are big players in our run in, they are not necessarily gonna directly help shore up the defensive side of it for us, but they will offer Newcastle United something we have lacked for months. Energy, drive, pace.

They are players capable of helping us get us on the front foot more again, get them firing along with the rusty Harvey Barnes, Alexander Isak, there’s time to turn things around and salvage something in this season.

Newcastle United have got two more Premier League games to play against Wolves and Chelsea, before we play our now biggest game of the season, away to Man City in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, our last chance of ending the long hoodoo of trophyless seasons for another season at least.

Can we beat Man City? Yes we can.

Regardless how strong they are, the best team in world football for me, anyone can beat anyone on their given day.  We may not be fancied to win there and it is very difficult to see a way past past them if I’m honest. However, the players, the coaches, the fans have to believe we can do it, they have to be fired up, go there and play their game and give it all hell for leather.

Show them no respect, show no fear. We may get beat, we may get hammered by a top team, but go and believe we can beat them, don’t lay down for them or anyone. We want to win things and make history, you can’t have it on a plate. They need to go and earn it and make it theirs.

While most of us were dreaming of Coventry City (no disrespect to them) at home,  if as Newcastle United fans and players we allow ourselves to just obsess about how harsh the actual draw was, then  I think we will never get anywhere and win nothing.