Newcastle 3-0 Ipswich - Match Reaction
Newcastle coasted to a 3-0 victory against Ipswich Town on Saturday afternoon. Matt Richie’s third goal of the season capped off the win after Ayoze Perez notched a brace to put the Magpies on the front foot. Like our previous home win, this was a canter, enabled by an unambitious and inferior opposition seemingly content to keep the score as low as possible. There was a return for Leon Best, and he nearly marked it in style when hit the crossbar in the first half. But apart from that, Newcastle were hardly threatened, dominating the game from start to finish.
Perez in particular will be pleased with his outing. Scoring two goals would impress your manager at any time, but scoring from a position up for grabs thanks to poor performances from Mo Diame will likely place the Spaniard ahead of him in the pecking order. Rafa rotates, but he doesn’t rotate players he believes are invaluable to the team. Shelvey, Lascelles, Gayle, Clark and Gouffran are testaments to this policy. This is shrewd management from Benitez. Players are unlikely to complain about their non-selection when they understand it as part of a rotatory scheme. But they also know that stellar performances lead to extended inclusions. Maintaining dressing room harmony while keeping players incentivised. It’s almost like Rafa knows what he’s doing.
Not too much more can be said about the game, but at this point perhaps it’s worth a comparison. How does this team rank to the one previously promoted? More generally, how does the Championship compare to seven years ago? To answer the former, Newcastle seem a more capable offensive team. There is arguably more pace and dynamism in midfield, and more goal scorers further up the pitch. However, our array of offensive talent is perhaps obscuring Newcastle’s defensive frailties. Pundit John Anderson reminded fans that Newcastle still don’t seem assured at the back, with vulnerability at set pieces still a serious issue. This contrasts with the 09/10 season, where it was arguably Newcastle’s solidity at the back which secured them a swift return to the top flight. So as long as Newcastle continue to score goals – surely they will be fine. But an injury to Gayle might place the defence under greater scrutiny, and the frailties yet to be exploited might need to be more firmly addressed.
After the first two months of the season, pundits and fans alike generally agreed that the Championship was vastly improved. But this assessment was possibly affected by the fixture list that pitted Newcastle against a series of stronger teams in quick succession. Now we have got through September, and we’ve played the likes of Barnsley, Brentford and Ipswich, it seems our fears were perhaps a little premature. Yes, there’s no easy games. Yes, you can’t just turn up and expect to win. And, yes, there are harder tests to come. But the Championship is still what it was: a league full of graft, heart and energy, but not much else. If Newcastle continue to outwork teams, they will continue to outplay them.
Next up, a double-header against Preston, who helpfully toppled Norwich this afternoon. It’ll be interesting to see Benitez’s selection for the cup tie on Tuesday, given a place in the quarter final and a potentially showcase fixture against a top side on the cards. Will Newcastle’s breathing room at the top encourage Rafa to go all guns blazing? Or will head over heart prevail? Either way, it could be an exciting week.
