Season 2 - Quiet Transfer Window

After what can only be considered a hectic 2 month period, you'd like to think we would start to get a bit of a break as the schedule eases up. Unfortunately this month isn't the one just yet as we have 9 games to fit in to January alone, whilst also dealing with ins and outs of players. On that front it was a bit quiet, as we had spent most of our budget in the summer but also moved on majority of what we wanted to get rid off too. So let's go have a look at what happened over the month of January, and what kind of a platform do we have for the second half of the season.

Transfers

Transfers Out

We will start with who we moved out, as I said majority of the ones we wanted rid off are now gone but we did manage to move on the last 2 we were looking at.

Callum Wilson £1,000,000 Cadiz

Joe Willock £22,000,000 Wolves (Initial Loan)

We have also loaned out Giacomo Faticanti to Oviedo in Spain to get some more game time as despite being our 3rd choice, he just wasn't able to get any time due to Klemens and Tonali getting a good balance and being available majority of the time so for his development this seems like the best option.

Players In

The only signing who has joined us immediately in January is youth Norwegian attacking midfielder Sverre Halseth Nypan for a tiny £2,700,000 from Rosenborg. He comes in initially as 3rd choice option for the attacking mid role behind Wirtz and Bueno but if we consider his value has already shot up over the £40,000,000 mark than we either have an excellent player in the future on our hands or we have an excellent bit of business ahead of ourselves. At just 18 years old he has plenty of time to leave his mark on this squad for us.

Then the other signing we have made who will join us at the end of the season when his contract runs out is Adrian Gill. A 19 year old centre midfielder option coming in on a free from Barcelona, will be there to provide competition to Bruno and Miley next year as Joelinton's contract is running out and he won't sign a new one so looks like he will be going for free from us. The idea is to step Miley up to second choice and Gill as third option but should anything not work out with him, it's pure profit due to him coming in for free and we can concentrate on that position in a future window.

The Matches

Man U 2 - 0 Newcastle

Not the best result to kick off January with against a Man U side who I consider to be quite a poor team overall still. It started badly when in the 6th minute they took a throw in on our left hand side of defence, and somehow had the time to play it all the way across the edge of our box uncontested before getting it to Rashford in the box to tap in for an early lead. In the closing part of the half Tonali then gives the ball away cheaply and they hit us on the counter, with their striker Konate able to finish to double their lead before half time. Unfortunately the second half was even worse than the first half but they decided to join us and the game just closed out with nothing happening at all in the second half. Poor performance by us all round and it's becoming clear that the fitness levels are becoming an issue.

Newcastle 4 - 3 Derby County (FA Cup 3rd Round)

Up next we got a break from the Premier League and started our FA Cup campaign. A very personal match for me being against Derby County, gave me even more incentive to win. However we did rotate the team quite a bit to try freshen up our players at the same time. Now whilst it worked in the end, we were very close to being punished for it however it did create a very exciting game to watch. We get the lead when Le Bris and Nypan play a few balls between them on a short corner routine which freed up Nypan in the box and he finds the bottom corner for his first goal for the club. Just before half time those pair link up again from another corner, and this time instead of letting Nypan get the shot away they bring him down and a penalty is given. Sesko steps up and smashes it into the top corner leaving the keeper with no chance. Second half looked like it was going to continue the same, when Miley drops it deep to Klemens who spreads it out to the opposite side for Kuol who's in space, breaks into the box and finds the corner to make it 3-0. Then the wobble happened. They get the first goal back when they take a corner and the header hits the post, but the rebound falls to their player to tap it in to make it 3-1, and shortly afterwards when they hit us on the counter from our corner and are able to run up the pitch and beat Caprile in goal for 3-2. Luckily in the 90th minute we take the pressure back off when Kuol pops up on the left wing and is able to make some space on the edge of the box and curl it into the far top corner to give us a 2 goal lead and what should be the winner. Only for 3 minutes later Miley tries to play it back to the keeper and it's a short pass, and essentially splits our defence for their striker to run on to and get his second of the game but it's too late and we finish 4-3. This sets up the rivalry match against Sunderland in the 4th round.

Aston Villa 1 - 0 Newcastle (Carabao Cup Semi Final 1st Leg)

Trying to right the wrongs of last season's semi final appearance, this year we have Aston Villa to contend with who have been a bit of a bogey team for us so far. Not too much happened in a very quiet first half, where chances were mainly going Villa's way but nothing threatening. Annoyingly just before the half time whistle Botman commits a foul on the half way line which is one too many and he gets his second yellow card and is sent off for the second half. Playing with 10 men for the half just meant Villa could increase the pressure on us but we were trying to hold out and we almost made it. Unfortunately in the 83rd minute they finally got the breakthrough when Sildillia stopped the ball on the line, but was too slow to clear it and essentially got tackled for the ball to roll in and give Villa the 1-0 win. However we're at home for the second leg, and only 1-0 down means we certainly have more of a chance this year compared to the 6-0 drubbing we got last year in the first leg.

Nottingham Forest 1 - 1 Newcastle

Up next in the league was high flying Nottingham Forest, who going into this game were now 2nd in the league. Fortunately for us we had Wirtz back for the first time in a while and was hoping he could make the difference to our form. Despite the better performance, we wasn't able to stop our defence leaking another goal again which is becoming a bit of a trend now regardless of who we play there. They get the goal when a corner finds its way to the edge of the box where Jota Silva is waiting to hit it into the far corner. Nothing much happened in the first half but it was all Forest and we were playing poorly again. We stepped up in the second half however and suddenly it became much more in our favour. Joelinton played the ball through for Sesko who beats the keeper, but the offside flag goes up and the goal gets disallowed. A few moments later Bueno flicks it over the top for Le Bris who has all the time in the world, but smashes his effort wide. It's starting to look like it might not happen for us. That is until the 77th minute when Bueno plays a ball into the box and Sesko muscles the defenders off the ball and is able to turn and play a low ball across the six yard box where Joelinton is able to meet it and tap home the deserved equaliser. A decent result in the end but it doesn't make our current form look any better with us now going 4 games in the league without a win.

Newcastle 1 - 0 Aston Villa (Carabao Cup Semi Final 2nd Leg) 7 - 6 On Penalties

As we want to try turn this round and make it to the final we go for a strong lineup for the second leg and that decision pays us back heavily as the team put in an excellent performance. We get our goal in the 35th minute when Wirtz plays it out wide to Frimpong who sends in a deep cross to be met by Gordon to head in and get us back on level terms on aggregate. In the second half we started strong and pushed on for that second goal but was unable to get it, the closest opportunity coming when Gordon takes on his defender and unleashes a shot that hits the bar. To give us more of an edge extra time, just as the 90 minutes are closing out Renato Sanches hacks down Kuol and gets himself a straight red card. Unfortunately it was more of the same in extra time too, with us creating chances but unable to finish, the closest again being stopped by the woodwork as Moerstedt pounces on a poor back pass but the effort hits the post. The game goes to penalties and someone has the chance to become a hero or a villain. It takes until the 4th penalty for either team before someone misses, when Bueno steps up and his effort is saved, but he is immediately recovered as Mycael saves Ramsey's penalty straight afterwards. The game comes down to sudden death penalties now, miss one and you have a good chance you've lost the game. Garcia, Kuol, Harwood-Bellis and Klemens all scored for us, and it was after the Klemens' penalty that Konsa stepped up for them and Mycael became the hero as the young keeper saved his second penalty of the shootout and sends us to the final to meet Liverpool.

Newcastle 4 - 0 West Ham

Getting ourselves to the final seemed to be the lift the team needed and we took that performance and continued it into the following game in the league against West Ham. We get the opener when Wirtz steps up for a free kick and looks like he's going to shoot, however he tricks everyone and plays a short one to Harwood-Bellis on the edge of the box and he curls it into the corner to fool everyone. We had plenty more chances but were unable to add a second before half time. In the second half we gave ourselves a great chance for the second, when Kuol plays the ball through for Moerstedt who hits the post, however we recycle the ball as they try to clear it and Le Bris gets it centrally to Wirtz who finds the bottom corner from the edge of the box to double the lead. The third is then added as Hall takes a free kick from wide out left and it's met by Moerstedt who heads home another goal for the young striker. The fourth goes down as an own goal, however it was all about Kuol in this one, Wirtz plays a precision pass through the defence and Kuol uses his speed to beat the offside trap and get on to it, takes a shot and unfortunately hits the post but it bounces back and then hits the back of the keeper and in for the own goal. A very comfortable result and a great performance to go with it.

Borussia Dortmund 3 - 1 Newcastle (Champions League Group)

Our away form comes back to haunt us here and we revert back to struggling to score goals despite creating plenty of efforts whilst our defence costs us again. Pope comes back in for this one due to Mycael not being registered for the Champions League, what a mistake as he drops another awful performance. The first goal comes from a complete mess up in our defence as we're trying to play it out from the back, and the pass goes straight to their striker who is able to tap home an easy opener nice and early. It didn't take them long to double their lead as Adeyemi gets brought down as the ball is going out and the penalty sends Pope the wrong way and 2-0 to Dortmund in 15 minutes. The game started to even out at that point and we grew back into it, we just needed to get the next goal. Unfortunately 5 minutes before half time we have some more poor defending and too much space is given in the box and they add their third with a simple finish past Pope. We immediately respond when Gordon takes a shot which gets blocked but the deflection takes it to Sesko in the box who volleys it first time to make it 3-1 at half time. Pope subbed off at half time and Dortmund's goals dried up for the second half. We unfortunately weren't able to create any major chances in the second half either though and the game finished 3-1.

Sunderland 2 - 4 Newcastle (FA Cup 4th Round)

The Tyneside derby gets its first showing in our save as we're drawn against each other in the FA Cup and the game lives up to the expectations. Another exciting FA Cup game and it's starting to look like our run in this competition is going to bring out some excellent games. We get the lead early when Wirtz takes a free kick from the edge of the box, straight over the wall and into the top corner, a moment of class from our star man. However the lead is short lived as 2 minutes later we're caught out by a corner which again leaves too much space on the edge of the box and they're able to fire in the shot that equalises. A minute later though our lead is restored, when they try the same corner routine and we're ready for it, we hit them on the counter and send Kuol off down the right wing with his pace. He is then able to look up and cut it back to Moerstedt who controls the ball, takes his time and waits for everyone around him to dive and slide then places the ball into the gap to score. Two minutes after that Wirtz is able to release Kuol down the right again and once again he is able to find Moerstedt in the box who applies the finish to make it 3-1. Just before half time Wirtz is forced off with injury but fortunately it's not for too long this time and will only miss a couple of games. They add their second of the game in the 75th minute when a poor ball trying to spread it out wide to Le Bris is intercepted, and it leaves a gap in our defence which they play through and are able to score. But in the 80th minute we restore the 2 goal cushion when Hackett plays it down the left wing for Le Bris who gets into the box and finds the far corner with his effort. Brilliant derby match and we're now in the next round where we will be facing Blackburn Rovers.

Newcastle 2 - 0 Shakhtar Donetsk (Champions League Group)

We finish off with the final game of the group stage of the Champions League, and we're in the position where if we win, we get automatic qualification, if we don't we have to go into the extra knock out round. We start strong and get rewarded early when Botman goes to meet a corner and is pushed to the floor and the penalty is given. Hall steps up for it and sends the keeper the wrong way to make it 1-0. A few moments later Bruno flicks the ball over the top for Gordon to run on to but he hits it first time and leaves the keeper stranded as he doubles our lead. Miley has had to come on early for Pino due to yet another injury to our team but it doesn't effect this game too much. In the second half Miley comes deep and plays it over the top for Sesko, who volleys it in from the edge of the box but the goal gets disallowed for offside. The rest of the game is pretty quiet and we have achieved ourselves a top 8 finish.

Competitions

Premier League

The Premier League has hit a turbulent time for us in terms of results and it shows in our position, however what that is ruling out is just how close the top of the league is this year. Forest are currently top after 24 games with 49 points, but all the way down to Brentford in 8th are only 6 points behind them with Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea and us all having a game in hand so if it stays this close we are in for an incredible title chase. At the other end of the table it is Everton who are starting to get separated from the rest of the league as they're now 5 points behind 19th place Norwich, but with Wolves, Leeds and Burnley all just lingering outside the relegation zone those final 2 places could go any way too.

Champions League

As we said at the end of the Shakhtar game, we finish in the top 8 and get automatic qualification and I think it's fair to say we are the most surprising team to do so based on the others in there all being Champions League regulars. We have managed to finish above teams such as PSG, Barcelona, Juventus and AC Milan. The biggest teams to miss out all together will be Benfica, Bayern Leverkusen and Ajax who all would have fancied their chances of progressing at the start of the season.

Next Time

Up next will be February and March where the games seem to still be coming thick and fast with 13 games in there so far. We could potentially have our first trophy of the save though! In terms of the league we have big games throughout it really, with Brentford, Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea all being in that top 8 group we mentioned, and then Spurs and Villa on top of that. We do get three of the relegation threatened sides out the way before they start fighting too much for survival but we've not been too great in those games this season so Leeds, Norwich and Bournemouth aren't looking a given either. How do you think we're doing this season so far? Want to try predict the winner of the league at this point?