Improvements | OneFootball

Two weeks ago, before the international break, I had an article published that was titled ‘Lessons Have Been Learnt’.

It centred on the premise that last season’s Newcastle United injury crisis was to blame for our failure to qualify for Europe, that actually based on an Eddie Howe quote from earlier this year that “Mistakes have been made.”

That’s the reality of things. Players and management are not robots, they are human beings, they will inevitably get things wrong from time to time, but what I’m seeing is improvement on last season.

Actually, quite remarkable improvement.

During yesterday’s win over Wolves, a friend messaged me about our game. “We’re poor.”

As it had been when a similar update came my way during the Bournemouth game a few weeks ago. Yet in both games we found a way to make significant progress on last season.

Last season we lost down at Bournemouth and drew away at Wolves, this season we have turned that defeat on the south coast into a point and a point from the midlands into all three. Three points better off over just two games and AWAY from home at that.

We have already beat newly promoted Southampton at St James’ Park where we drew to promoted Luton Town last season. Another two points better off if you want to look at it that way and if you don’t, I would say you’re a glass half empty soul because these are barefaced facts. Positive facts.

“Oh but we’ve been terrible!” some will shout. So what?

I’ve seen plenty of good Newcastle United sides of years gone by NOT pick up points when playing well, to know not to be worried when we see one playing within themselves and actually taking points.

After four games last season we had three points. We now have ten. Seven points better off over four games is indeed that “remarkable” improvement.

People bemoaned our poor away form last season as to why we missed out on Europe. I blamed our home form. It’s all a matter of opinion but we’ve rectified the away form based over the corresponding fixtures last season and so early in the campaign. More positivity. How’s that half empty glass looking?

Now, in the interests of balance, there will come a point where we won’t “get away” with the current sort of performances. That’s also very true and it would be foolish to expect poor performances to reap rewards every time.

However, how many times have you seen down the years (older fans especially) where Newcastle United have gone away from home to a side they SHOULD be beating… and lost. Countless. Similarly, how many times has a poor side on paper come to St James’ and left with either a point… or all three?

I’ve mentioned recently that a tweak in style has been noticeable, compared to our high press of previous seasons. We seem to come out for 10/15 minutes with a flourish and a view to taking an early lead and then, regardless of the score, become deliberately more patient and stand-offish.

From what I’ve seen, this has had two effects.

Firstly, we make more passing errors like the one Sean Longstaff made in the build up to the Wolves goal.

Secondly, and more crucially, we will come on stronger later in games and should (touch wood) limit the amount of injuries we get. There’s only so much high intensity football you can get away with until players start dropping. Like I said, players are not robots.

I remarked in that previous article that the new Head Physio Jonny King and Performance Director James Bunce will have got together with Eddie Howe and his team and come up with a plan to limit our injuries and maximise fitness, allowing us to have something in reserve later in games.

That’s what I believe we are seeing in front of us. A change in playing style which, may not be easy on the eye at first, which may result in a bit more of a risk based game, but let’s be fair, no more of a risk than the high press intensity style we have seen in recent seasons. Either way, the improvements are there so far for all to see IF you want to see them.

Seven points better off than at the same stage last season, third in the table, a team playing within themselves with a couple of gears left to shift through?

I don’t know if your glass is half empty or half full, but this week mine will be completely empty, then quickly refilled again. Hopefully the players batteries are the same way by the time we play Fulham next Saturday.