Season 3 - Rotation Is Key

What we are learning pretty early on in this season is the difference it's going to make having two competitive teams to rotate between for European and cup competitions separate to the league is keeping the team much fresher and able to compete on all fronts. We've got 10 matches to go through in various competitions this time across the September and October period of the season so it would be nice to start getting some early season momentum going without it falling apart mid season this year! I should point out that we have also tied down a few of our younger players to new contracts as well in this stage, with Salia, Nypan, Miley and Fitzpatrick all signing new longer term contracts.

The Matches

Newcastle 1 - 0 Brentford

We get started with a well deserved victory although there was moments where it didn't look like it was going to happen. We were dominant throughout the match but our poor finishing wasn't helping matters and despite having 19 efforts, only 6 of them were on target in the end. We had to avoid an early scare when Harrison played it through for Wissa who beat Vicario but fortunately the flag went up and disallowed it. We continued our pressure and got our first major chance just before half time when Pino played it through for Wirtz in the box but he dragged his effort wide. In the second half we kept trying to add pressure and thought we had the breakthrough on the 70th minute when Wirtz hit the post from a free kick. As the game looked like it was going to fade out to a 0-0 result, Hall and Miley played a one two with each other before Hall gets it into the box for Gordon who is brought down and we are awarded a penalty. Sesko steps up and finds the top corner to make it 1-0 in the last few minutes of the 90. In the end a deserved win but we almost wasted the opportunity but I would say in previous seasons we wouldn't have got that goal at the end so we can take some positive from it.

Luton 1 - 0 Newcastle

Next up was newly promoted Luton and it would appear the curse of last season reared its head again and we drop more points to the new teams in the league. Again it was more poor finishing that cost us as we more than had enough efforts on goal but only 4 on target is disappointing. They got their goal in the 27th minute against the run of play when they managed to get in behind Hall and get in the cross which was tapped in at close range. We thought we had the equaliser in the second half when Diomande sends it out wide to Frimpong and he's able to play an early cross for Sesko but the flag went up and Sesko was deemed offside. In the 94th minute as we were pushing for an equaliser Tonali sends in a corner and it's met by Sesko who's header goes over and the full time whistle gets blown as we reflect on a bunch of wasted chances and another poor loss.

Rotherham 1 - 3 Newcastle (Carabao Cup Third Round)

The idea for the Carabao Cup this year is to use a lot more of the rotation players and even some of the third choice players. In this game against Rotherham we managed to get starts for Moore, Salia, Nypan and Doukoure whilst still having a strong team in there including Miley, Barnes, Klemens, Livramento and Sildillia so we were going to get a mixture of a team. It showed that they wasn't used to playing with each other when Rotherham took the lead when Livramento was beaten at the far post in the air and they were able to scramble it in when it dropped into the 6 yard box. However we got back on level terms when Livramento released Moore down the left hand side who's low cross was tapped in by Salia on his debut. Moments later Barnes takes a corner and it's headed back out to him, and he's able to bring it in to the edge of the area and fires it into the bottom corner from range to give us a 2-1 lead at half time. Just as the hour mark was coming up Nypan angles the ball around the defenders and Salia runs through on to it and slots it under the keeper to add his second of the day and give us a 3-1 lead. We then make a bunch of changes which break up the flow of the game and it remains 3-1 at the full time whistle setting up a Fourth Round match against Liverpool, a repeat of last seasons final.

Newcastle 0 - 1 Man City

Back to the league and we have the current league leaders in Man City, so we're expecting a tough game. We were however hoping the team would want to react to the Luton loss to give us a chance at least. To begin with it seemed to be working as the first half was a very lively half with chances for both teams but neither team able to finish any of them. However the second half our momentum within the game vanished and Man City took control. We wasn't helped when 5 minutes into the half Isak had to come off injured but he hadn't been playing too well anyway, but a big loss regardless. It was the hour mark when City finally took the lead as they whipped in a corner and Haaland was able to meet it and give them the 1-0 lead. After this it became all Man City and we weren't able to create anything, but to be positive we also stopped them and didn't concede any more either but a narrow defeat for us.

Newcastle 6 - 0 LASK (Europa Conference League - League Stage)

Our second string team are not having any problems with performances currently however and got us off to a really dominating start in the Conference League and a statement win to show how dangerous we are within this tournament this year. It took us just 3 minutes to take the lead when Harwood-Bellis is able to head home the corner from Hall which was far too simple. The second came from Barnes getting through on goal but taking a heavy touch which meant he lost his chance, but he was able to tackle the ball back and play it across to Bueno who could tap in from close range. Two minutes later Bueno adds his second when Sildillia plays it through to him in the middle of their half, and he expertly turns his defender and runs into the box then applies the finish himself. Shortly afterwards Barnes gets the ball on the left wing and runs to the corner of the box before curling it into the far top corner to make it 4-0. Finally the fifth comes before half time when Barnes whips in a ball centrally from deep and it lands perfectly for Sesko to hit first time from the edge of the box and gives the keeper no chance to give us a 5-0 lead at half time. We've been in this position a few times where the second half then has nothing happen and for the most part it was a repeat of this. However in the 71st minute we did add a sixth goal when Pino plays the ball through for Isak who goes round the keeper and then places it into the open goal to see off the match.

Spurs 0 - 2 Newcastle

Back to the league and we had Spurs who have always been a good team for us to gain points from so far this save and this time was no different. Despite playing poorly and them having the far better of the chances, we were able to come away with a 2-0 win and back on winning terms in the Premier League. We took the lead early in the first half when Bruno wins the ball back and releases Isak down the middle of the pitch, however Isak gets brought down and Gordon comes from nowhere to take over the run, goes straight down the middle and bends it round the keeper for a nice finish. They had their best chance of the game shortly afterwards when they get a shot away from close range but Guehi is there to block it and keeps our lead for half time. Vicario seemed out to prove a point against his old team and made a string of good saves in the second half to maintain our lead. We then took advantage and Bruno again plays the ball through the middle of the pitch, this time for Sesko to run on to and hits it from the edge of the area to double our lead and the hit and run result is completed.

Newcastle 7 - 1 Fulham

That win against Spurs seems to have sorted out the first team and we suddenly get the best result of the save we've had so far in the Premier League. Total domination and control and the three points was never in question. We got started nice and quickly as in 2 minutes Isak is able to win the ball back high up the pitch and releases Kuol who plays it under the keeper for 1-0. The second came when Wirtz played a short free kick and Gordon had all the space in the world to run into the box and smash it past the keeper completely unchallenged. They did manage to get one when they cut the ball back from the left to Smith-Rowe and he's able to beat Vicario but that was their only moment in the game. We recovered our two goal lead shortly after when Isak tries to send it through for Kuol but as he's brought down, Wirtz comes from behind and gets on the ball and then is able to beat the keeper. Kuol then continued to have the beating of his defender when he turned him inside and out, before playing the ball centrally for Bruno who lays it over once more to Hall who gets into the box and finds the far corner for 4-1. Just as half time is coming they start struggling to clear the ball out their box and Wirtz is able to get to the ball and hacked down for a penalty. Isak steps up and sends the keeper the wrong way to make it 5-1 at half time. The sixth comes in the 75th minute when Miley plays it into Gordon inside the box and he's able to curl it into the far top corner for another wonderful goal. We think we have our seventh when Pino gets the ball out wide and slides it centrally for Sesko who beats the keeper but the offside flag goes up and rules it out. Eventually it did come through when Hall and Gordon link up down the left wing and Gordon plays it back to Wirtz on the edge of the box who is able to find the net again to round off a brilliant performance.

Bologna 1 - 2 Newcastle (Europa Conference League - League Stage)

Up next was the Europa Conference League where we were up against what I predicted to be our toughest opponent in the league stage and the match proved to be a very close game with plenty of opportunities for both teams. We did take the lead on the half hour mark when Klemens finds the pass that sends Livramento on his way and he cuts it back for Pino who is able to place it under the keeper. However that lead was short lived when a cross from the right is won at the back post and headed home for the equaliser. We go into the break 1-1 and in the second half on the hour mark we make a bunch of changes to try liven it up as the breakthrough just doesn't seem to be coming. However they took the opportunity from the changes and cleverly play it through the midfield and get the goal, but the offside flag goes up and rules it out to keep things level. In the end we get the winner late on when Bruno finds Moore in the box and he's able to beat his man and get a shot away from close range that the keeper was unable to keep out.

West Ham 1 - 1 Newcastle

Back to the league and another game where we have been punished for poor finishing. In a game where the opposition has 3 shots and 1 on target whilst we have 17 shots but only 5 on target you start to see why we're disappointed with the finishing so far this season. We thought we took the lead when Pino breaks away with the ball and gives it out left to Gordon who plays a first time cross into Isak who scores but the offside flag goes up again and gets disallowed. They then take the lead as Kudus gets some space on the edge of the box and he's able to whip it into the top corner. We go in 1-0 down at the break but very quickly get the equaliser in the second half when Wirtz wins the ball back from a poor clearance and gives it out to Pino, who gives it him back on the edge of the box and Wirtz is able to finish under the keeper to level it up. We had the chance for the winner when Isak got the ball in the 6 yard box but he misses an absolute sitter and the chances didn't get any better after this and the game played out to 1-1 and a disappointing draw.

Newcastle 1 - 0 Liverpool (Carabao Cup Fourth Round)

Next up in the Carabao Cup was the repeat of last years final and once again we have managed to edge it to go through. We stuck with our rotated lineup as well which makes it more impressive for us as Liverpool had a strong team out themselves. They nearly had the fast start when we tried to clear it up the line and they were able to intercept and play it behind our defence for Bissouma to score, but the flag went up and ruled it out as he had gone too early. Our best chance of the first half was Livramento broke down the right wing and gets a cross in to the back post where Moore is able to win his header but it goes just over and it's 0-0 at half time. In the 75th minute Lewis-Skelly plays it through for Moore who gets brought down just inside the area and we win a penalty, Pino steps up and the keeper guesses the right way and is able to save it. It took until the 92nd minute for the teams to be separated and it came from Wirtz turning his defender and then releasing it out wide for Frimpong, who makes a run for it into the box and just hit it low and hard and the keeper was unable to stop it and we take the lead. We almost added a second straight after when Pino gets into the box and hits the post. The main thing is we go through to the next round and we are up against Man City in the Quarter Finals.

Competitions

Premier League

It has been a decent start to the league this year despite a couple of results not going our way, but 17 points from the opening 9 games isn't too bad of a return if we're aiming for Champions League places this season. Wolves have had a really good start and are currently up in 3rd place just a point off Arsenal in 2nd, although Man City are yet to drop a single point this season and have an early lead at the top of the league. In terms of relegation places it is once again filled with 2 out of 3 newly promoted sides and Luton are sitting just above it as well. Although Man U are only on 9 points so far from 9 games so they have not got started at all this season.

Europa Conference League

We are one of seven teams who have won their opening games so far and are sitting in the automatic qualification places which is what we're aiming for so we can be happy with that. I can also be happy with the fact that one of our games was against a team we deemed to be one of the toughest fixtures we had so it should only get easier for us now. Although Ludogorets are also unbeaten and they're one of our other fixtures to come up.

Carabao Cup

With the Quarter Finals up next the big teams are beginning to disappear, although we do have the toughest game possible next in Man City. The other big teams left are Chelsea and Arsenal whilst we're joined by Brighton, Southampton, Wolves and Forest who have all done well to get this far so if we can get past City then this is potentially another winnable trophy again.

Next Time

Next time the fixtures start to come thick and fast again, as we cram in a minimum of 14 games in November and December and take ourselves up towards the mid point of the season. It was in this spell last year where we started dropping points and cost ourselves at the end of the season, so it'll be interesting to see if the rotation of players for the other cup competitions helps up stay competitive on all fronts this time.