Newcastle v Wigan - Match Preview

Newcastle return to action this weekend after the enforced international break with a home game against second from bottom Wigan Athletic.

With Saturday’s game being followed with another against fellow strugglers Burton Albion in a St James’ Park double-header, you would think they are two bankers, with the Magpies strengthening their grip on the promotion race.

But this is Newcastle United, and logic goes out of the window where they are concerned.

After years of being perennial under-performers away from home – who could forget the 29 consecutive London trips without a win in the late 1990s early 2000s – they have now completely reversed the trend.

Newcastle have the best away record in all ten tiers of the English football pyramid, having picked up 43 points from their 20 away games, losing just three times in the process.

Yet at home, despite having the backing of over 50,000 fans every week, their tally of 35 points from 18 games, is only good enough for the seventh best record in the Championship.

That home record is cause for concern, and needs to be put right – starting this weekend.

Granted, teams coming to Tyneside are treating the game as their ‘Cup Final’, with visiting sides bringing greater numbers of fans, raising their game, and using defensive, counter-attacking formations. But with the quality of squad Newcastle have, they should be able to find a way to win.

Most fans up and down the country – myself included – despise the international breaks. They interrupt the weekly routine, and generally lead to a weekend of boredom.

But this one came at the perfect time for Newcastle. The break has given Isaac Hayden time to recover from his injury, which may see him restored to the midfield sooner rather than later.

It has given the players a rest, which will, hopefully, have recharged their batteries for the crucial run-in.

But most of all, it has given Rafa Benitez time to work with his players, formulate strategies to draw a line in the sand of previous home performances, and make sure that the team make the most of their remaining home games by picking up results.

While it is fair to assume that, having been out for a number of weeks, Saturday will be unlikely to see Hayden start, it is to be hoped that he will at least be on the bench and – should Newcastle be in a comfortable enough position midway through the second half – he can get some minutes on the pitch.

It cannot be emphasised enough just how much Hayden’s absence has affected Newcastle’s dynamic.

He is one of those players that you do not appreciate how important he is to the team, until he is not there.

Without Hayden alongside him, Shelvey has looked a shadow of the player he was in the first half of the season.

The midfield as a whole has not been dominating games while he has been out, with most fingers being pointed towards Jack Colback by fans looking for reasons why.

The problem is that Colback does not seem to fit into Rafa’s formation like Hayden does.

Hayden is faster on the ball, and faster to use it. Colback’s slow, methodical and largely ‘sideways and backwards’ passing approach does not complement Newcastle’s game, which usually leads to the ball being played to the back four or goalkeeper Karl Darlow, resulting in a punt up-field.

This is not the way Newcastle were playing before Christmas. They were passing the ball out of defence, with Shelvey’s vision creating chances.

Long-balls immediately take Shelvey out of the game, and Newcastle struggle as a consequence.

Of course, Dwight Gayle’s injury did not help either, but certainly with a fully fit Gayle and Hayden in the side, fans can expect to see the whole team performing at a higher tempo and a higher level.

While Saturday’s game against Wigan will not be an easy one – the visitors will almost certainly be playing for a point, given their current predicament – Newcastle should get back to winning ways at St James’ Park.

And while the pressure of expectation will be on the home side, it would be a major surprise if they did not add an extra six points to their total by the end of Wednesday.