The Opposition View: Everton vs Newcastle | Confident Magpies arrive on Merseyside
Today at 12:38 AM
Newcastle wants to make a ruckus at Goodison Park for all three points, but the Blues will have other plans
Everton supporters are happier after taking three points last weekend than they were in the prior weeks; after all, getting a win from going behind is better than giving up a victory from a leading position.
Surely, Newcastle - playing much better to start this campaign than they were able to for large stretches of last season - will be looking to put Toffees back in a dour mood. But new boys like Orel Mangala, Iliman Ndiaye, Jesper Lindstrom, and more will be looking to keep the good feelings rolling at home; will they be able to?
Ahead of Saturday's match, we spoke to Antonio Losada and Elijah Newsome, Magpies fans and writers for SB Nation's dedicated Newcastle site, Coming Home Newcastle:
RBM: First off, how are Newcastle and their supporters feeling after a positive start to this season?
AL: Positive, yes. Realistic, not quite. It's true that Newcastle were toying with the EPL lead for a minute, but for most supporters, the results were not really on par with the product delivered on the pitch. Now, it's been just one win in the last three matches across all competitions, and the lack of firepower is showing, even if it has a lot to do with a banged-up forward line and a questionable squad construction.
EN: You would honestly be surprised at how disappointed Newcastle fans are right now. It feels weird saying that, given just a few seasons ago, we would have loved to be nowhere near a relegation battle after the first few matches, but overall, the sentiment online is that the team has not performed well despite getting results. The familiar high-energy pressing style that Newcastle typically plays with was not displayed this season until the Manchester City match. I think many fans are grateful that Newcastle have gotten lucky to have only lost once so far and are hoping we see the same version of Newcastle we saw against Manchester City. That version of Newcastle could go toe to toe with anyone in the Premier League.
RBM: What does this Newcastle side do well, and what does it still need to improve upon at this early stage of the 2024-25 Premier League campaign?
EN: So far, they have just shown an ability to remain in matches even when the performance shows that they should be down multiple goals. There have been great individual efforts from Nick Pope to keep Newcastle in matches, and the same can be said for some of the defenders in the squad. The main issue for Newcastle has been offense. They have not been able to generate consistent offense and get their strikers any sort of service.
In the past, the club could fall back on their excellent pressing to win them easy chances, but when the press is not effective, then the team has nothing to fall back on. Another issue that is slightly less concerning is that the midfield can't control matches. With Tonali being integrated into the squad more and more this feels like less of a concern because ideally, he would improve the midfield. That being said, it still is a problem, but fortunately for Newcastle, they held their own against a very strong midfield in the City match, where they rolled out a midfield of Joelinton, Bruno, and Tonali.
AL: One thing that most supporters noticed was missing at the start of the year that had little to do with injured players on the shelves is the lack of pressing efforts and sharp offensive football. The game against Man City seemed to spark something among the lads but then things weren't quite pleasing (albeit using a much-changed XI) in the Carabao Cup earlier this week. Let's see were things go, as a high-tempo, high-pressing approach is one of the blueprints of Eddie Howe's Newcastle.
RBM: Talk to us about the summer window and the team's finances, please.
AL: Do I need to bring back all of the disastrous memories, really? I don't want to get into many details because there are not many details to get into, actually. Supporters thought everything was going to be rosy under the leadership of PIF and its deep pockets. Alas. The club found itself in trouble and facing a guaranteed point deduction because of PSR reasons, and they were forced to get more than €70 million in sales somehow in a matter of hours.
It was all a mess, the team ended up with five goalkeepers, losing two super promising players including a homegrown one, and no, Marc Guehi didn't arrive in Tyneside because he was probably never going to do anyway, but the lads were so incredibly stubborn and kept hitting Crystal Palace's wall on and on... Yikes.
EN: This is a loaded question Trent! I'll try to be concise, but there are essentially 3 storylines that happened this summer and the combination of these storylines killed the vibes at the start of this season.
In the beginning of the summer, the face of the ownership group and one of the loudest voices on the board Amanda Staveley stepped down alongside her husband Mehrdad. Behind the scenes, it was rumored that Amanda was who most of the club leadership reported directly to because the other board members were the Reuben brothers, who have their own successful businesses to run, and members of the PIF, who were, of course, in Saudi Arabia. Amanda's stepping down understandably brought a shift in how the club was being run. Newcastle did actually make signings at the beginning of the window as well, but they were pretty expected signings that were not needle movers. Lewis Hall's loan was made permanent, and Lloyd Kelly was signed on a free. Hall's move was expected because it was rumored that he met the terms for his loan to be permanent earlier on in the season. Lloyd Kelly was another expected signing by the time the window opened. He played under Eddie Howe and was linked to the club in previous windows. Reports out of Newcastle on his potential signing started appearing as early as January, and that is how the window started. Newcastle adding to their depth was expected, and I think the larger issue was that many fans believed they would do more than just make some bench signings.
The first major storyline was the PSR issue that saw Newcastle and many other clubs outside of the Big 6 have to sell players to balance the books. I obviously don't need to explain the controversial PSR system to Evertonians, but just know this somehow resulted in Newcastle unexpectedly losing two young exciting players in Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson. The alternative would have been to sell more important players for the club like Anthony Gordon or Bruno Guimarães. Either way, it kind of screwed up the window early on because now Newcastle and other teams lost depth. In the past, Newcastle would have been able to offload players like Almiron or Murphy and be able to develop their exciting young talent, but with PSR, it becomes a bit more difficult to offload players for pennies and remain compliant.
This leads us to the second storyline of the summer: the public battle over Marc Guéhi. To make a long story short Newcastle wanted Guéhi and abandoned all other targets. This led to a very public back and forth with Palace that resulted in Newcastle walking away from the deal/ They did not want to pay above market value for Guéhi, and they felt 70mm was much more than the player was worth. Due to these negotiations taking until the deadline day before Newcastle walked away, they had no other options to bring to Tyneside, and the window finished with them not making a marquee signing like fans were hoping for.
The final storyline is the "rift" between new Sporting Director Paul Mitchell and Eddie Howe. Paul Mitchell publicly criticized Newcastle's recruiting process and revealed that Howe wanted Guéhi and only Guéhi as his center back target. The media ran with a narrative that there was tension between the two. It is now evident that if there was tension, it has since gone, but the questions about their relationship were a huge distraction for the team through the first few weeks of the season.
RBM: What are the expectations for the Magpies this season? Do you think Eddie Howe is correct in his recent comments about the state of the club going forward? What has to happen for it to be so?
EN: It seems like the club and fans are looking for a cup run and to be in the mix for a European spot. If Newcastle get back to playing their brand of football, you imagine that they will improve, especially as they get Isak, Wilson, and Botman back. You also imagine that players like Tonali, Hall, and Livramento will improve with another season in Howe's system. A lot of this also hinges on if Howe can continue to improve as a manager. He has rightfully earned the respect of some of his peers, he just got another shoutout from Pep, and with that comes people adjusting for your system/tactics etc.
In the past, Howe has struggled to adjust his game plan on the fly, but he has shown moments of pure brilliance with some of his adjustments throughout his time at Newcastle, so if that can happen more consistently, he will be a good manager at Newcastle for a while.
AL: I think after making it to the UCL so quickly but then realizing it was never going to be so easily, fans have taken on a softer demanding level this season. Personally, I think the Europa League is where this team are at this point in their growth toward supposedly becoming the "No. 1 team in the world" in the next few years, as PIF told folks.
Anything from fifth to seventh isn't bad in my eyes, but some fanatics won't be happy with anything outside of a top-3 finish and a cup title. Now that I mention that, advancing to a domestic cup final, even if it's the Carabao Cup, would be something on the club's checklist these days as it's much more feasible than assaulting the top of the league table.
RBM: What - or who - is this side missing this season? Do you see any January business transpiring?
AL: As shocking as it might sound, there have been reports this week about NUFC trying to find loan opportunities for third-string striker William Osula. That tells you all you need to know, considering the first- and second-string men (Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson) have been (and currently are) out for a while with different injuries and look to be made out of glass.
The lack of true strikers is glaring and something the club must address in January and no later than that. Center-back reinforcements would be cool too, but there are a few players expected back in the next few weeks/months and barring a catastrophic string of injuries that should be enough to at least navigate the season.
EN: It still feels like Newcastle needs an upgrade at the RW position. Murphy and Almiron are only getting older, and at this point, they are not going to make another leap. Neither of them has proven to be a good starting option, and many thought that would be the upgrade Newcastle would make in the last couple of windows.
Right now the team has been experimenting with starting Gordon and Barnes together but that has not yielded great results. Additionally, it is clear Newcastle are looking at younger center-back options, and with health concerns regarding Callum Wilson, they are likely going to be looking for a rotation-level striker.
It is really tough to do January business, and Newcastle only have had one massive January window in recent memory which only occurred to save the team from relegation. There is a possibility they get a deal done for the right price, one example of this is Anthony Gordon's signing with the club. I don't think anything will happen in January unless it is a replacement for some outgoing players like Callum Wilson or Kieran Trippier.
RBM: Who should Everton supporters be watching for Newcastle that perhaps hasn't gotten the proper recognition so far?
EN: Honestly, nobody has been under-recognized so far. I think Dan Burn has quietly had a solid season so far. But the more interesting players to watch would be Bruno and Tonali. Tonali seems to be looking better and better with each match. He's intriguing just because he's only played ten or so matches with the club. So, I think we are still learning what kind of player he will be and what his role will be in the side.
I think Bruno is an underrated midfielder, and if you are a footy nerd he is one to pay attention to. He does a lot of little things well. He obviously is known for the fouls and "gamesmanship" but I think that undersells the things he does really well. He's one of the best in the world against the press, he's a really solid passer, and his work rate is insane.
AL: Anthony Gordon. No, seriously, it must be Harvey Barnes. I think he deserves so many flowers (and minutes) than he's getting, but sadly, he occupies the same position on the pitch that Gordon excels at, so it's been hard for him to get proper playing time.
The injuries up front will force Gordon to play the no. 9 once again so that should give Barnes another crack at making the XI and bag a full match of playing time. Watch out for his rockets, he's a true menace from distance.
RBM: Who can you see giving Everton some trouble on Saturday on Merseyside, and how might Newcastle trouble the Toffees on home soil?
AL: I must admit I haven't watched Everton that much this season, but the midfield trio is so incredibly great for Newcastle and everybody on that zone of the pitch is available, ready to go, and fully healthy. Sandro Tonali is finally starting games. Bruno is in a bit of a slump but still classy. Joelinton is a bulldozer.
The problem at times has been the lack of creativity and verticality, but if the midfield clicks and with Barnes and Gordon both on the pitch, watch out once the Magpies get the ball into the final third on quick transitions.
EN: You won't like this answer, but it is Anthony Gordon. He has been one of the offensive engines for the team, and his performance as a false nine against City was his best so far. It is worth mentioning that he looked really good in that same role last season, and a good amount of his goals from open play came as a result of him playing as a false 9. If you want a bonus player to watch out for, it would be Harvey Barnes, who is just always looking to score. Barnes leads the team in expected goals and shots taken despite him not starting every match.
RBM: Finally, what's your prediction for Saturday's affair?
AL: No disrespect, but Everton has allowed 15 goals already (the second-most in the EPL through MD7) and scored seven. See, Newcastle isn't putting up any flashy numbers (eight scored, seven allowed), but they seem to hit the net at least once with ease on a weekly basis, and Everton's lack of defensive chops tells me the Geordies could stumble upon a couple of clear-cut goalscoring chances this weekend.
Let's go with a balanced 1-2 in favor of Newcastle on the road.
EN: I think Everton are feeling a bit more confident, and given where they are in the table I think Dyche has to coach his ass off. They NEED a result and will play like they need a result. I think it is going to be an exciting 2-2 draw with tons of drama.
Our thanks to Antonio and Elijah for their time.
