Wigan 0-2 Newcastle - Match Reaction

Newcastle jumped back to the top of the EFL Championship table with a 2-0 win over Wigan last night. It was far from a classic performance from Rafa Benitez’s men, but on nights like this it is the result, rather than the display that comes first.

Newcastle lacked cohesion at times at the DW Stadium, but to expect jaw-dropping performances every game would be greedy.

However, what the Magpies did show yesterday, is a quality that is far more likely to see them bounce back into the Premier League come May – steely determination.

A few pundits had begun to question Newcastle’s appetite for the fight following – what they have described as – the mini-slump.

Let’s destroy this ‘slump’ myth before we go any further.

Newcastle slipped up at home to Blackburn, there’s no doubt about that. But every team, in every league, throughout the world has days where the unexpected happens, and a surprise result occurs.

Then came the EFL Cup exit at Hull. Firstly, at least we had reached the quarter-final stage. Secondly, it was away at a Premier League side – no matter what status of Premier League team it is. Finally, we comprehensively outplayed that Premier League side for 110 of 120 minutes. But for one minute’s momentary lapse of concentration, and we would have been in the semi-final.

Finally, there was the City Ground debacle against Nottingham Forest. A game that we were more than cruising in, with a goal or two being inevitable as the game went on. In fact, even when we went (ridiculously) down to ten-men, there was hardly a fan – whether one with a vested interest, or a neutral – watching that didn’t think Newcastle were still going to win.

The rest in that game is history now, but in none of those three breakdowns of games did you sense that Newcastle had lost their desire for winning.

There was no slump.

Proof of that came in the last two games, and in two completely different ways.

Newcastle were at their sumptuous best against Birmingham on Saturday. Yes, City were awful, but do not forget, a lot of that was because Newcastle made them look awful.

By contrast, on a cold December night in Wigan, if ever there was going to be a time that a team that wasn’t really up for the fight, then a night like this was going to be the perfect opportunity to prove that.

Yet, the resulting display was the exact opposite.

Newcastle were definitely not at their best. But they rolled their sleeves up, and got on with the job at hand.

If we’re honest, and this is in no way meant to be disrespectful to the Latics, but they never really had a sniff. They did have a couple of chances in the game, but never looked like they were capable of nicking a point.

You always had the feeling that Newcastle were in second gear – more because it was stuck in that gear as oppose to intentionally being on cruise-control – and that, had Wigan sneaked a goal, then our players would have been given a wake-up call, and stepped their game up accordingly.

The fact that the team are winning when not playing at their best bodes well for the months to come, and this gritty type of performance is as rewarding a win, as those when we play football to drool at.

At the end of the day, you get no less points for winning ugly than you do for winning with flair.

Many more of these wins will be as welcome as any other, and long may they keep coming.

The slump is well and truly over – were it ever there in the first place!

Next up is Burton Albion on Saturday, and a chance to go four points clear of Brighton – even if only for a couple of hours – but will certainly guarantee Newcastle being top for Christmas.

So I am hoping for a win. What shape or form it comes in? I don't care, not one jot!