I can think of worse ways to sign off your summer than beating Spurs…

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·2 September 2024

I can think of worse ways to sign off your summer than beating Spurs…

I said earlier in the week, this game could prove to be a massive catalyst for the enormous season ahead.

There was an undoubted cloud over the place after the transfer window proved to be so uninspiring, so Sunday’s result would surely serve to exaggerate feelings either way after recent weeks.

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See, there’s a couple of ways of looking at what’s gone on, with either a positive or negative tint.

Yes we’ve failed to add any notable quality to the squad, but with everyone retained and the return of those who missed so much of last season, we still have a very good squad.

Yes, all performances this season to date have been underwhelming to a degree but we had a solid four points and progress in the League Cup to show for it.

Lean too hard to one direction and you’ll be labelled a happy clapper, go the opposite way and you’re a pants wetter. There’s a degree of truth to both, as some semblance of balance is needed.

As I said, the visit of Tottenham would likely shape which way this narrative veers, heading into an international break that so often serves as a reset for the season. It feels early for a must win but when you have lofty ambitions they come along much more regularly.

The question of backfilling the suspended Schar was again answered by the makeshift pairing of Krafth and Burn, with Kelly coming in at left back to add a bit of defensive steel to the back line. With Solanke and Richarlison both missing for Spurs, the task was made slightly less challenging, with recent signing Odobert leading the line between Maddison and Son.

From the perspective of United’s forward line, it would have been encouraging to see Isak get off the mark against one of his favourite opponents. He almost did this in style after five minutes, dispossessing Son in the corner before floating over what first appeared to be a cross, but was clearly a cheeky attempt at dinking a shot at goal, with the Gallowgate crossbar denying him a fabulous opener.

Wait a minute, Gallowgate?

Yes, for the second home game in a row we were kicking the wrong way and if Bruno is to continue as captain he’s going to have to sort out his coin toss game. The fact that Forest won both tosses for the penalty shoot out (in front of their fans and choice of first kick) highlights an appalling record and I have heard as yet unconfirmed reports that when the ref says “heads or tails?” Bruno keeps replying “I think it’ll land on its side.” Something to work on during the break perhaps.

United destroyed Spurs last season by exploiting their attempts to play out with hard pressing and counter attacking and this almost worked magnificently as Gordon steamed through to play in Barnes, who had space to cut in and pick his shot, but fired narrowly wide. Moments later, a corner fell to Krafth whose shot was deflected narrowly wide. Unlike previous seasons we weren’t ahead by this point but there was definite ascendancy.

It felt like a slight turn of the tide in one of those peculiar circumstances, as the play was broken up for an injured assistant referee to be replaced by the fourth official.

The period immediately after saw a few half chances for Tottenham. Pope had to pull off a couple of saves to deny Sarr and Maddison once again got the crowd’s back up with his workie ticket antics, but most of the visitors threatening play was blocked or crowded out, by a solid back line.

Krafth’s no-nonsense, safety first defence is a real settler and once again he didn’t let anyone down in his secondary position, but Livramento, Kelly and Burn all played fine roles in a firm defensive effort. I was surprised to see online snipes calling out some of them for being below par and I’m not sure if you get a slightly different overview when at the match (off the ball positioning etc the camera may not see), or if people are just a bit daft and reactionary on the whole.

Anyway, United rode the storm and the breakthrough was made after 37 minutes. Kelly found himself in an advanced position and did brilliantly, collecting the ball from Burn’s throw in before outmuscling Maddison and firing a cross over that Barnes met on the run to direct neatly into the opposite corner. Incisive stuff and I’m not sure quite what the Tottenham keeper was doing his nut about, although Harvey did have a fair amount of space to be fair.

So 1-0 at half time and we’d have to make that slender advantage count while going up the hill. FFS Bruno man.

The question of exactly when Tonali would be making a much anticipated appearance was on everyone’s minds, with my thoughts in particular turning to whether Joelinton’s might be withdrawn for the Italian before he brayed someone, J7 very much turning in a trademark “full-blooded” performance. The game might have been settled right down early on when Isak latched onto Livramento’s slick ball forward but Dragusin’s tackle looked perfectly timed to deny him. On second inspection, I actually think he took Isak’s leg first, but not a word from VAR.

Spurs’ equaliser was not our finest moment, as Maddison’s speculative effort from distance looked easy for Pope, who looked to panic and parried the ball away when he could surely have held it. It broke neatly to Johnson, who fluffed his effort slightly but steered it on target, where Pope actually atoned for his error slightly by palming the ball away, only to wrong foot Burn who biffed it into the roof of the net in a bizarre attempt at a clearance.

The first substitution had not been Tonali as it turned out, with Barnes giving way to Murphy and Gordon looking good on his preferred left side slot. It was an uninspiring return from Murphy at first, as he seemed to lose possession poorly with each of his first three or four touches. He was there to get on the end of a mazy Gordon run, only to be denied by Vicario.

Murphy would complete a mini redemptive arc worthy of Anakin Skywalker as he played a key role in the winner. As I said, I was advocating taking Joelinton off before the red card came out, but Joe seemed to settle and by the time Tonali entered the fray, United’s whole midfield was on a booking anyway, so it was Longstaff that got hooked.

Tonali provided a settling effect (and lift for the crowd) but it was Big Joe that found the space and composure to play a delightful through ball from well inside his own half for Murphy to latch onto. He outpaced the two defenders chasing him and still had the presence of mind to draw the keeper and square for Isak to get off the mark with a simple tap in. Teamwork.

This came late on enough to get the sense that United could tough it out. I will absolutely swear though, that this is the sort of game we’d have lost without Nick Pope in goal, as he atoned for his earlier hiccup with a brilliant full length save from Maddison amongst competently dealing with Spurs more speculative (but on target) efforts.

The relative rearguard action will doubtless see statistics nerds pointing out pointless irrelevancies in the stats that do nothing to change the outcome of the match. This felt good in a different way to the last two years cuffing of these opponents, another grind to go with our opening day win.

Seven points, progress in the cup and fifth place in the (very) early table, feels more than acceptable going into the break.

A quick glance at Wolverhampton’s performances to date would suggest it’s not a bad place to go searching for a first Premier League away win of the season and the return of Schar from suspension could well be augmented by the resurfacing of Wilson and Willock as well.

With Wimbledon following on from the trip to Molineux, there is potential to add a bit of form to the ability to get results, albeit the latter factor remains the number one target.

Hopefully, this result has the positive impact I’d hoped it might affect pre-match. The transfer window closing might prove to be a settler for the squad and the main hope for the uninspiring Nations League matches ahead has to be a clean bill of health to attack the season ahead (or at least the three week period before the next international break).

Time will tell how important this win proves to be but either way I can think of worse ways to sign off your summer than beating Spurs.

Newcastle 2 Tottenham 1 – Sunday 1 September 1.30pm

(Stats via BBC Sport)

Goals:

Newcastle United:

Barnes 37, Isak 78

Spurs:

Burn OG 56

Possession was Newcastle 34% Spurs 66%

Total shots were Newcastle 9 Spurs 20

Shots on target were Newcastle 3 Spurs 6

Corners were Newcastle 7 Spurs 12