Post Fulham - Picking over the bones
Newcastle began their new life in the Championship in disappointing fashion – losing 1-0 to Fulham. As has been written numerous times since, defeat in the opening game signals the difficulty Newcastle will have in this division, and the consequences they will face should they fail to take the league seriously. I didn’t watch the game as I was on vacation, but I’ve read enough to know that Newcastle were deficient largely because of complacency and lack of application rather than anything else.
There is an alternative story: one that suggests Benitez chose the wrong team, set up too cautiously, and played too defensively. It is claimed that Newcastle played with a “every point is precious” mentality, suited for a mid-table aim in the Premier League but not for a title push in the Championship. There is clearly something to this argument, and Benitez himself knows Newcastle are still devoid of attacking options, hence his well documented pursuits of forward players in the last few weeks of the transfer window. Indeed, every Newcastle fan grimaces at the sight of Vurnon Anita on the right-wing – and nobody would begrudge extra scoring options.
That said, I am not necessarily on board with the assertion that in order to be successful in the Championship, teams ought to go permanently gung-ho. Without question, there will be many times during the season where starting and remaining on the front foot will be essential to victory (in most or perhaps all home games, for example).
But to say that Newcastle are packed with the talent to blow away all opposition in their wake (and thus, have the right to dominate all games all the time), smacks of the arrogant belief that Newcastle somehow don’t belong in the Championship. There is an undercurrent which Benitez has to simmer, which positions Newcastle as a Premier League club in Championship skin.
It is out of this assumption that the demand for permanent attacking all the time arrives. Benitez knows this. And he knows that he cannot approach every game all guns blazing. Newcastle are where they are because they are a Championship team. To win this league, you don’t need to be a Premier League team – and believing that you are will be your downfall.
I had thought this as I read the many articles calling for Newcastle to be more ‘cutthroat’ post-Fulham. But as I reflected on the 09/10 season, and how much of a breeze that was, part of me was inclined to believe that, in fact, Newcastle had adopted an attitude of supreme confidence, allowing them to blow away opposition with little trouble. And, true, at home Newcastle were often able to do just that.
But as I dug deeper, paying particular attention to away results, it became clear that Newcastle frequently adopted a defense first mentality. Very few times did Newcastle score more than 2 goals away from home. And, indeed, when I think about the games I watched seven years ago, I remember the hard, defensive work done by the likes of Gutierrez, Smith, and Guthrie in midfield.
Under Chris Hughton, Newcastle were hard to beat. They were well organised. They were successful. Any repeat of history seven years on ought perhaps take note of this rather than the knee-jerk reactions after an opening day loss. Thankfully, with Rafa, you feel like he will.