Reasons To Be Cheerful - Newcastle Make Champions League Comeback In The San Siro
Eddie Howe's team drew 0-0 with AC Milan in their opening Champions League match. It wasn't perfect but there's still much to be happy - and grateful - for.
Seven hundred and eighteen.
Newcastle had already won before a ball was even kicked in the San Siro on Tuesday evening.
Newcastle had already won - despite drawing the match 0-0 in their first appearance in Europe’s elite cup competition in over 20 years.
Newcastle United had won because a meagre 718 days prior to this fixture against the 7-time European Champions, and last year’s semi finalists, AC Milan, the club lost a Premier League match 2-1 away to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That match was widely regarded by fans, especially the ones who were inside Molineux to witness a truly abject defeat, as the end of all hope. Steve Bruce was the manager, the team were toothless, hopeless and just completely lost. By full time United lay in 19th place with just 3 points from their opening 7 games and a goal difference of -8.
There’d been no investment by the owner Mike Ashley, the squad just didn’t feel like a Premier League level squad and had been flirting with relegation the previous season too. Add into the mix that the proposed takeover headed by the Saudi PIF had stalled months prior and even the most optimistic members of the Toon Army were resigning themselves to the fact it wasn’t going to happen. The entire situation and feel around the club was beyond grim.
And yet, some 718 days later (less than 2 years!) the same club took a team to the San Siro to play a match in the UEFA Champions League. And no, it wasn’t a dream.
So yes, in many respects Newcastle had won before a ball was kicked. To be there was a footballing miracle and there was something wonderfully poetic, or perhaps fateful, that our very first fixture back in the Champions League happened to be at the stadium we’d last played an away Champions League match in – the legendary San Siro.
Now, don’t get me wrong here, I’m not one of those fans who is just happy to be there. Now we are there, I want to see us compete. I want to see us win and I want to see us qualify from the group stages. Football moves quickly, as the story of Newcastle United proves over the past 2 years. So you have to move with it as a supporter too. Expectations should be adjusted accordingly. We cannot keep saying ‘but look where we were a year ago...’ forever.
However, as supporters, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with taking stock of how far the club has travelled - both metaphorically and literally - before such a huge moment in the clubs history as they kicked off against AC Milan. As supporters we were justified to allow ourselves a moment to be amazed and to take stock of what the new owners, Eddie Howe and his staff and the players have achieved.
To play Champions League football so soon after the near catastrophe of a 3rd relegation is such a brilliant story.
But now that first fixture has been played and the emotion of the occasion has passed, we must look ahead to the future.
Everyone connected with the club wants the same thing, prolonged success. We don’t want the visit to the San Siro to be the last for another 20 years. We want to be playing in that type of environment, rubbing shoulders with the best across Europe year after year.
And there is work to be done.
The game itself was an interesting one as the team battled heroically for a goalless draw. In possession the team generally looked pretty good. The players defended superbly, especially in the second half where Milan were really restricted to only 2 or 3 really good efforts. Pope in the first half undoubtedly saved the day with a flurry of great saves.
It was somewhat miraculous that United weren’t at least a goal down at half time.
And yet, there were large periods of the first half where we were able to match Milan. It just so happened that they were able to, every now and then, have a wave of attack which saw them take a lot of shots in a short period. It wasn’t sustained pressure for the full 45 minutes. We rode our luck when we had to, sure, but the players were battling hard to stay in it.
The main disappointment was that we didn’t create enough going forward ourselves. This has been a theme since the opening day thrashing of Aston Villa, we’ve lost our mojo in attack at the moment and we need it back. The issues around this are stemming from the midfield.
Milan are no pushovers. Champions League semi finalists last season and Serie A winners the year before. Not many teams going to the San Siro will beat them. They’re yet another top team we’ve had to face in what must be the trickiest start Newcastle United have ever faced in their history.
So bear that in mind as we discuss the midfield.
It’s not quite right at the moment. It’s not a criticism of any of the players either. The effort levels are there and the players are doing some good things, some of the time. But it’s a fact that for some reason we’re not quite seeing the joy in midfield we did for most of last season.
Is it because the likes of Joelinton and Joe Willock are missing? That could certainly be a factor.
Is it because we’ve simply come up against some of the best midfields in Europe so far? Again, yes this could be part of it.
Are we not pressing as intensely as we did last season? Hard to say at this stage but that could be something to note.
Or is it that Bruno and Tonali aren’t playing in the roles they favour with Howe’s current setup? Possibly.
There’s many, many questions, many possibilities and quite possibly many solutions too. This is something Eddie Howe needs to address quickly to bring confidence back to the team.
I believe if Howe can crack the midfield balance then as fans we’ll begin to feel more confident that we can control matches again, like we often did last season. Plus, this will bring more goals too.
In the Premier League the fixture list does now become easier, though not easy. So maybe the players can find their groove against less talented sides than we’ve faced so far. The added challenge of midweek games is a factor here though, so the old cliché of ‘no easy games’ definitely rings true.
But now has to be the time the team builds some momentum. If Newcastle are serious about wanting to be back at the top table of European football next season, the hard work and victories achieved now will become the foundations required to achieve the ultimate goal towards the end of the season. It can be done, but it won’t be easy. We have to beat the teams we’re expected to. It’s as simple as that.
For now though, Newcastle United can be very pleased with the 0-0 draw away to Milan to remain undefeated in the San Siro in the Champions League!
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Great post again Ian.
From what I can see Howe is trying to get us to play a possession based game.
The lack of goals comes down to three things for me.
1. Lower intensity in the press, we scored a vast majority of our goals last season by forcing errors and fast transitions not through possession
2. Technical ability - we need a creative midfielder. Our passing is terrible and I wonder if there is a training issue. Are the players being over coached and missing a creative outlet? Bruno looks like he has been Pardewed! We know Howe is great at helping average players become better. But can he help world class/creative players get better? ASM was better under Bruce. To coin Eddies term 'not a criticism, just an observation'
3. Inverted wingers against a low block. We caused Brentford most problems by getting crosses across the goal and forcing defenders to defend facing their goal. We need two attacking fullbacks if we are to play inverted wingers or two footed wingers.
Otherwise it's too easy to defend against.
Final thoughts are we are very predictable. Bruno, Botman and Isaac are no longer unknown quantities- Miggy and Joelinton no longer a laughing stock. Opposition coaches set up to nullify our threats.
Pep, Klopp and Dezerbi have all out coached Howe this season. No shame in that, but the reality is teams look at us differently now and are asking different questions.