Encouraging signs for Newcastle United following season opener

Encouraging signs for Newcastle United following season opener

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On Sunday, the much talked about ‘new era’ began for Newcastle United with a 2-2 draw against Southampton at St James’ Park.

Despite letting their second half lead slip, there were plenty of positives for the Magpies to take from the clash and reason for optimism for those in black and white.

Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum has a lot of expectation on his shoulders following his big money arrival from PSV in the offseason, and the early signs suggest Gini will be a hit on Tyneside. Wijnaldum was pulling the strings in midfield throughout the first half, often being the link between defence and attack and he can count himself unlucky he did not find the back of the net after seven minutes when a goal-bound shot from inside the penalty area was blocked by Southampton midfielder Steven Davis. Eventually, Wijnaldum got his goal shortly after the interval when a cross from Gabriel Obertan found the dutchman and a bullet header flew straight past Southampton shot stopper Martin Stekelenburg, sending St James’ Park into raptures. Wijnaldum was substituted after 77 minutes due to fatigue and even though his debut was impressive, you get the feeling he can only get better as his fitness improves and more Premier League experience is gained.

Another player who will get better with more experience at this level is fellow new signing Chancel Mbemba. The Congolese defender, who made an impact before a ball was kicked by arriving at St James Park in a tuxedo, was solid at the back alongside club captain and stalwart Fabricio Coloccini.

Between the two central defenders, Mbemba was arguably the stronger of the two, disrupting several Southampton attacks by making vital interceptions and he also looked more than comfortable on the ball the longer the match went on. The only blight on what was an astute debut was his lack of marking on Graziano Pelle when he scored, but other than that, the 21-year-old did not put a foot wrong. Worth noting is that the two centre-halves have had little time together in training and did not play any of the preseason friendlies alongside each other. Given enough time, they could build a strong defensive partnership that would give headaches to many top strikers in the Premier League.

Sunday also gave Newcastle fans a first glimpse of new head coach Steve McClaren and what they can expect for the season ahead in terms of tactics. It was only one game but already there was a vast improvement in comparison to some of the deplorable performances last season. One thing which caught the eye about McClaren’s game plan was the transition from defence to attack. On Sunday, the Magpies moved the ball quickly whereas last season their build-up play and intensity was slow. Intriguing, too, was the viewpoint McClaren took. For the first 20 minutes of each half, he would watch the game from the stands, passing down instructions to assistant coach Paul Simpson via the phone. Following these first 20 minutes, McClaren would revert to the dugout. It seems McClaren wants to get a clear tactical layout of how both teams have lined up (which is easier to observe from the stands) before passing his own instructions directly from the players.

Another positive Newcastle can take is not from the match, but on the transfer front. Queens Park Rangers have dropped the asking price of sought after striker Charlie Austin from £15million to £13million. The board are still reluctant to pay full price; it is believed that they do not want to bid any more than £12.5million, but there is hope for Newcastle fans that a compromise can be reached between the two clubs. Another player who could be on his way to Tyneside is Dutch left back Jetro Willems. The 20-year-old has 20 caps for his national side, and was at St James’ Park on Sunday watching his best friend Wijnaldum in action. Three days before the match, Willems uploaded a photo of him on a plane to Instagram with the caption “Fly to the future”. A post ominously written in English whereas all his other postings have been in Dutch, indicating this his future may very well lie in England.

Fly to the future✈️?? A photo posted by Jetro Willems (@jwillems15) on

With Wijnaldum seeming to be enjoying his new surroundings, he might tempt his friend to join him. Willems would be a handy addition to the Geordies. Both goals Newcastle conceded on Sunday came from crosses from their left-hand side with Massadio Haidara failing to get a block in.

For the first time in a while, there is a positive vibe around most things Newcastle and Saturday’s tricky test away at Swansea is a clash that all Toon Army fans are eagerly looking forward to.

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