The dazzling Frenchman was always meant to be this good – now he’s in command and carrying his side’s survival hopesOK, new attacking plan. Actually it’s the same as the old one. Basically, just give it to Allan.With 87 minutes gone at St James’ Park and Newcastle already 3-1 up Allan Saint-Maximin did what he seemed to have been doing all night, taking the ball in his own half, shrugging away a doomed Everton lunge, then gliding into space, head up, drawing every other element on the pitch into his energy field, blue shirts scattered, another Newcastle attack called into being around this single point of pure attacking will. Continue reading...
FA Cup humiliation at hands of Cambridge shows Eddie Howe and long-suffering fans how far the Toon are from successLife comes fast at supporters of Newcastle United. No sooner were they prancing around in Arab headpieces while contemplating the appearance of Kylian Mbappé in the cafes of Jesmond than they had to swallow an FA Cup exit at the hands of a club whose previous claim to fame was the completion of 31 matches without a win.Before we go any further, it should be noted that followers of Sunderland have no cause to chortle; their own run towards competitive irrelevance is such that Cambridge United provide routine opposition. Elsewhere, though, the laughing has been audible. Cambridge’s 1-0 win was a...
FA Cup draw finally delivered for my beloved U’s and revives memories of when Newcastle (briefly) lived in our shadowFor lower-league supporters the FA Cup third-round draw is often more exciting than many of your actual games. I naturally yearn for the 80s simplicity of a velvet bag, Graham Kelly, Ted Croker and Bert Millichip broadcasting from a broom cupboard in total silence. But even on the One Show, with fans awkwardly moved on and off set in some sort of Weekend At Bernie’s zombie tribute it still offers hopes and dreams you just can’t get from Gillingham away.This season it was a scaled-down affair in a Wembley corporate box with Seema Jaswal in charge of the FA Cup winners...
Potential upsets, Premier League clubs needing to take it seriously and old foes meeting after taking diverging pathsSwindon and Manchester City were regular combatants in the 1990s, meeting in the second tier and during Swindon’s one season in the Premier League, 1993-94. Friday’s visit to the County Ground will be a first meeting in 20 years. On 5 January 2002, former Swindon man Kevin Horlock scored the second in a 2-0 home win at Maine Road. The years since have seen the clubs move in radically different trajectories, and they now operate on different planets. Swindon arrested a slump with a 5-2 defeat of Northampton on New Year’s Day, and lie in the League Two play-off positions. The club have...
Arsenal should stay positive, Potter shows Benítez a trick and VAR makes refereeing harderOn the first Sunday of 2021, a first-half Chelsea capitulation against Manchester City hastened Frank Lampard’s exit and deepened a despondent mood. Twelve months on, Liverpool’s two early goals at Stamford Bridge could have induced Groundhog Day feelings. Instead, Thomas Tuchel’s side roared back and showed that, whatever other problems have recently beset the Chelsea manager on and off the field, this is a team that plays for him. Though they did so in a rather un-Tuchel-like manner. The intense atmosphere generated by the Premier League debut of safe standing was met with the kind of front-foot, high-tempo performance more associated with a Jürgen Klopp side. Chelsea...