Season 2 - Settling In Stage?

So after a successful preseason and transfer window, we would be expecting a bit of a settling in stage with that amount of new players. This is the part of the season where we will be looking to get some early form but also form some partnerships between our new players and get everyone working together as we plan to move forward with. We've also got the start of our Champions League and Carabao Cup campaigns in this section so a lot of football to be played. Let's jump right into it and find out how we've got on.

The Matches

Newcastle 1 - 2 Aston Villa

We start off by losing our 20 game unbeaten streak at home with a loss to Villa which also had a significant injury to us and reinforces the idea we had to improve our options. Isak got injured in the 6th minute of the game and is going to miss 6 weeks of football, meaning he isn't due back until the international break in mid October. Fortunately however his replacement Sesko gets straight up to speed, and pounces on a back pass from Tielemans and finishes into the near corner to give us the lead in the first half. In the last 5 minutes of the half, Cash got the ball out wide and played it to Renato Sanches who scores his first Villa goal from the edge of the box. a pretty even first half and we go in level. The second half was also pretty even with both teams creating chances, but we weren't able to take any of ours and in the 74th minute they play the ball over the top of our defence and Watkins times his run and finishes under Pope to give them the win.

Bodo/Glimt 0 - 2 Newcastle (Champions League Group)

Up next was the start of our Champions League campaign where we've been treated to an away game to the north of Norway against the champions of Norway Bodo/Glimt. We started early in the 5th minute when Bueno gets to the edge of the box on the right hand side, and he puts it across for Sesko to finish first time into the bottom corner. Shortly afterwards Bueno plays it over the top for Pino to run on to, who gets on to it and slides it under the keeper but was deemed to have been offside so it didn't count. No real major chances for the rest of the first half and we go in with a 1-0 lead and turning into quite a cagey match. In the second half Bueno continues his good game when he intercepts a poor clearance and plays it through for Pino again, this time he is onside and his smart finish to the far corner gives us a 2-0 lead. We kept the pressure up and thought we were going to make it comfortable when Tonali's corner was met by the hand of a defender and the penalty given. However Gordon stepped up with a really weak effort and made an easy save for the keeper. It wasn't the most exciting game in the world but we will take a comfortable 2-0 victory to start off the Champions League.

Leeds 2 - 2 Newcastle

Back to the Premier League and we come up against one of the newly promoted teams where we have somehow come out of this game with a draw. We were completely dominant yet gave up a couple of efforts which Pope wasn't able to save either of them to cost us. All the early pressure came from us and it seemed only a matter of time until we took the lead, only for in the 25th minute they score from a corner and go up 1-0 themselves. A few moments later Kuol flicks it into Wirtz who flicks it over once more to Sesko who places it into the near post to score a lovely equaliser. We weren't able to get the lead before half time and went in level, but it didn't take too long into the second half for us to finally get the lead. Frimpong comes through from deep and goes wide with it, knocks it back to the penalty spot for Wirtz to smash in and make it 2-1. Unfortunately their equaliser comes from a simple cross to the back post where Man wins his header and Pope gets nowhere near it. We thought we had won it deservingly in the 93rd minute when Sesko knocked it out wide to Pino, who smashed it across the box and Le Bris applied the finish but it got disallowed for offside. Easily a game we should have won and I come away scratching my head wondering how we've dropped points here.

Blackburn 2 - 3 Newcastle (Carabao Cup 3rd Round)

As we have been doing previously we used a very rotated team for the Carabao Cup and we almost paid the price for it in our first game in the tournament. It was a quiet game in terms of chances but plenty of goals still came about. It started when Miley's cross to the back post is met by Moerstedt who heads home his first for the club. They then got their equaliser from a low cross from the left hand side which was met at the near post to be tapped in. However just before half time Bueno's corner was met by Moerstedt who gets his second headed goal of the game and gives us the lead for the break. The second half had nothing happening so we made some changes and brought on a few of the more experienced players and it paid off, when Bruno threaded the ball through the defence for Gordon to run on to and curl into the far corner to make it 3-1. We did get a little scare when they get a late one back from a corner but it was too little too late in the end. We go through where we will be facing Chelsea in the fourth round.

Newcastle 5 - 1 Brentford

I'm sure it was Brentford we had a game with last season where we played them off the park in the first half to the point the game was over and then a very quiet second half, and we've done the same again today. Which was great news as we had another Champions League match afterwards to deal with so being able to rest some players for it in the second half will be a huge advantage. We started the scoring in the 2nd minute when Klemens plays the ball through for Pino to cut in off the right and slot into the bottom corner for 1-0, which was quickly followed in the 9th minute when Joelinton finds some space and crosses it over for Pino to head home his second of the game. Wirtz then created a bit of individual magic, when he received the ball off Gordon, beats his defender and then breaks into the box and finishes it for our third. Joelinton then turned provider again as he slides it through for Gordon to slot into the far corner to make it 4-0 in half hour. However not done there, in the 40th minute Wirtz corner is headed in at the near post by Sesko to make it 5-0. Just when it looks like the damage is done and half time is coming, Gordon threads it through for Sesko to run on to and he smashes it in for a 6th but the offside flag goes up and rules it out. 5-0 at half time and it's game over already. In the second half they get a quick goal back from a corner which the initial effort is brilliantly saved by Caprile, but the rebound falls to a Brentford player who taps it home for the only highlight of a very quiet second half. A very comfortable win and as we said, players got some rest with the busy schedule coming up.

PSV 0 - 6 Newcastle (Champions League Group)

Up next in the Champions League was our second away game of the league stage, however it was a very rewarding trip to Netherlands for us. We put all the early pressure on to get the opener and although we was made to wait until the 20th minute to finally get it. It came from Bruno playing a looping ball out wide for Pino who volleys in a cross first time which lands perfectly for Sesko to head home for 1-0. They then attempt to play through our press and Tonali wins the ball back, gives it to Bruno who releases Sesko but his finish is disallowed for offside. We do get our second however when Frimpong plays a short free kick to Wirtz who see's a gap and plays it through for Pino to get into the box and slide it under the keeper. A few moments later another free kick routine ends up with Gordon having the ball on the edge of the box and he curls it into the far top corner for an incredible third. We go into the break 3-0 up and we do not let up for the second half. Just three minutes into the second half the press works again, and Wirtz plays it through to Gordon who plays a low cross to be met by Sesko to get his second of the game and a 4-0 lead for us. Flekken spends the entire second half determined to stop Sesko getting his hat trick and he makes a handful of saves from Sesko efforts. We do finally break him down again however when 16 year old Ferreira from our youth academy plays a cross to the back post where Barnes gets on to the end of it and hits it home for a 5th. Then in the 91st minute Sesko finally got his hat trick, when Livramento plays the ball through for him to run on to and he smashes it past the keeper and into the near post. A very big win away in Europe and a very strong performance from Sesko.

Man City 1 - 2 Newcastle

A very tough away game next against a Man City team who have a few new signings themselves this year. It was the new signings that thought they had given City the lead when Tierney linked up with Haaland and then played a cross for Thuram to slot home, but the goal gets disallowed for offside and it remains level. Bruno plays the ball out wide to Frimpong who charges towards the box and plays it under Ederson to give us the lead against the run of play. We then have a short spell where we are in control and get rewarded when Hall gives it into Gordon, who see's Sesko open in the box and he continues his run of goal scoring form and makes it 2-0. The second half becomes a bit more one sided as we seem to be content with our 2 goals and just try hold it out. We do get punished when a corner is headed home by Haaland to make it 2-1 but we do manage to see it through and get a big win.

Newcastle 4 - 0 Tottenham

An easier game this time and the return of Isak from injury, who has scored a hat trick for Sweden on the international break so he's ready to go up and running from the start. We take a nice early lead when Gordon plays the ball across and Joelinton hits the post, but the rebound falls to Barnes who is able to tap into an open net to make it 1-0. We created plenty of other chances but weren't able to take any and almost got punished just before the end of the half when Son was played through and he scores from near the penalty spot, but he had gone early and disallowed for offside. The start of the second half was filled with more pressure but with no results so on the hour mark we took Isak off for Sesko considering his form currently. What a decision that was. Suddenly the goals started to flow again, when Joelinton plays a through ball for Sesko to get on to and he beats the keeper to make it 2-0. We then had to wait until extra time for the other goals, with the third coming when Harwood-Bellis frees Livramento down the left hand side, and his cross finds Sesko in the box to score his second. Sesko then tried to turn creator when he breaks past his defender and tries to cut it back for Le Bris to finish, but Le Bris is brought down by the defender and a penalty is given. Only one man was going to step up here and Sesko duly sent the keeper the wrong way and finishes off his hat trick in half hour. What a performance and his second hat trick in 3 games! Isak is seriously under pressure now for that starting role.

Newcastle 3 - 1 Barcelona (Champions League Group)

The first out the European giants for us to contend with in the Champions League and we felt right at home with it. Isak missed an absolute sitter in the 13th minute when he somehow his the bar from 6 yards out. In the 36th minute Bruno has a long range effort which hits the post and at half time we go in 0-0 feeling very unlucky to not be leading. However in the 60th minute we're quickly reminded about the level of these clubs, when Wirtz is caught on the ball and Olmo instantly plays it to Ansu Fati who volleys it in from the edge of the box first time to give them the lead from nothing. However 10 minutes later Wirtz makes up for his error, when he sees the pass which releases Joelinton into the box who curls it into the far corner to make it 1-1. It was then looking like the game was going to see out as a draw, but in the 90th minute Sildillia crosses to the far post and Joelinton is there again to head home and give us the win. The subs had really made their difference today when they came on, and they wasn't finished just yet either. They had a 94th minute corner and their keeper came up for it thinking they could get something, but it's headed clear by Botman and Livramento runs away from the box with it, gets to the half way line and then launches it into the open goal to make it 3-1.

Norwich 1 - 1 Newcastle

I have to accept part of the blame for this result as I potentially underestimated bottom of the league Norwich and rotated too many players. In fairness I did think the team we had out were still good enough to win this match and it was on the back of the Barcelona match with the next round of the Carabao Cup up next so felt like the right opportunity to bring some other players in. The first half was poor all round, with neither team creating anything and it being a very dull affair. They then took the lead in the second half when Rowe played a deep cross, and with a few headers and failed clearances it fell back to where it came from and Rowe was able to finish. It then turned to all us after the goal as we went in search of an equaliser and we thought we'd got it in the 85th minute when Tonali played a smart ball that found Barnes in the box and he put it underneath the keeper, only to be thwarted by the offside flag again. However we did finally get it in the 92nd minute which meant it was too late to add anything else to it, when we countered from their corner, Barnes was played through and he released the ball back to the edge of the box for Bruno to hit it, which deflected off Sesko and in. A very poor result based on current form and with Norwich being bottom of the table with only 1 point to their name at this point.

Newcastle 4 - 0 Chelsea (Carabao Cup 4th Round)

As usual with the Carabao Cup there are a few rotations to the team for this game, however not as many due to level of Chelsea that we're up against. The main differences being Miley, Kuol, Sildillia and Caprile starting in this one. We get a very early lead when Kuol's cross finds Sesko unmarked and able to tap home for 1-0 in the 2nd minute. Sesko very nearly added his second just a minute later to really emphasise how much pressure we were putting on them from the beginning. Instead his second did come in the 12th minute when Chelsea try play it out from the back, we get some instant pressure on them in midfield and Tonali wins it back then plays it straight through for Sesko to hit it into the top corner from the edge of the box. A very comfortable lead at half time. We made a few changes as the second half went on so the game became a bit bitty, but we got a third when Wirtz was played through into the box, he loses the ball but makes a tackle to win it back, and that tackle falls to Isak who smashes it in from close range to make it 3-0. Wirtz and Miley then link up before Wirtz plays it out wide for Pino who runs directly into the box and scores into the far corner to make it 4-0. This game never looked in question for us and a very comfortable result, setting up a quarter final with Norwich where we should be able to do far better than we did in the previous game.

Competitions

Premier League

So at the end of November and 10 games into the season, we sit top of the league with a 3 point gap already. So much better than I was expecting when you consider our form at this point last season plus a lot of signings to try gel together. Big results against Arsenal and Man City have helped the cause so far and our players seem to be in top form so it'll be interesting to see if we can keep this going. Surprises for me so far would be Leeds up in 7th doing far better than you'd expect a promoted team to do, whilst on the other side of it Everton and Bournemouth both in the relegation zone with 3 and 4 points respectively is a very poor start. Norwich being bottom is what you'd expect really, but to only have 3 points themselves makes it look like a tough season ahead for them.

Champions League

We're also doing very well in the Champions League, with 3 wins from 3 makes us 1 of only 3 teams to do that, the other 2 being Man City and Celtic. There are a few teams surprisingly outside of the qualifying places at the moment in AC Milan (Cascavit), Lyon, Bayern Leverkusen and Benfica. The other 2 teams in the league that didn't fit on the screen are Qarabag and Bodo/Glimt who are both having a bit of a rough time with results.

New Signings Impact

I quickly wanted to just make note of how well our new signings are doing, especially those in terms of scoring goals. Our current two top goal scorers this season are Sesko and Pino, who have hit the ground running for us and Sesko in particular has really stepped up when Isak got injured. The money we have spent is quickly being repaid and I have to say we haven't had a single signing be less than we wanted from them when we signed so far.

Next Time

Next time we have another very busy schedule to get through as we start to make our way to the half way point of the season and ready for the January transfer window to start. We've got big games in the league against Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal, whilst also having our quarter final of the Carabao Cup with Norwich in mid December. Champions League fixtures will be away to Arsenal and home to Antwerp and Feyenoord which means 6 of the 8 games will be played by the end of this sequence. Can we keep the form going or will the schedule start to catch up with our players and we drop off a little bit? How are we doing in comparison to what you thought we'd do at the start of the season and has there been anything that stands out to you?