NEWCASTLE'S SECRET INGREDIENT: INSPIRABILITY

If you'd opened a reverse time capsule last fall and found the lineup Newcastle United sent out yesterday, you'd have had little hope of a result against a club the likes of Manchester United. Not even a tired Manchester United.

Yesterday's entertaining scoreless tie - yes, America, there is such a thing - was no illusion either. While Manchester United had a slight edge in the official match statistics, the clubs finished even in the unofficial areas that often decide matches, such as missed wide-open nets and sketchy penalty denials. Newcastle had the better of the first 30, Man U the better of the last 30, and neither the better of the middle 30. A fair draw all around.

How did it happen? For that matter, how have all the league's traditional bluebloods - Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Man U - now failed to leave Newcastle this season with better than a draw in league play? Against a team that's been losing key players all year?

It likely has something to do with what ESPN2's superb commentator Ian Darke termed yesterday as the "tingling atmosphere" in St. James' Park, in synergy with players who respond to such an atmosphere. Not all players do, such as one who was received with notable hostility yesterday when he came on for the opponent. I think the presence of inspire-able players up and down the Newcastle roster is a critical and overlooked ingredient in the club having played above its talent and luck level for much of the season.

At the top of the inspirability chart lies one Joseph Barton, whose grit seems to rise with the decibel level, at home or away. I'm glad my job description doesn't include dribbling past him. For better or worse, he's the heart of this club. Which is why I disagree with my co-author of this site, who believes United should "think long and hard" about re-signing him. Barton's volatility makes him a risk, no doubt. But reward doesn't come without risk. Inspirability may be the flip side of volatility, and if that's the risk, I'd take it. Especially as Barton shows ever surer signs of being able to channel his emotion into his play rather than his behavior.

You can tick the names off: Barton, Nolan, Tiote, Gutierrez - even players who haven't yet emerged, like Shane Ferguson - the inspirability factor is palpable for Newcastle United. And nowhere in the Premier League is inspiration more readily available than St. James' Park. Add in £35 million or so of new talent and there's no telling where this club might go, from its already surprising and increasingly solid perch in the top half of the best league on the planet.

Comments

[Sean Berry]

You had to use the word "Perch" in your last sentence....

[Ryan]

Sean,

Hahaha, great comment. I am not a Perch fan either. As Tom and I had commented previously, I do hope Barton stays. I think he may finally be at the age where he has changed permanently. Let's hope so. I would also say that Nolan is at the heart of the team as well. I wouldn't want to think where we would be this year without Joey and Kevin.

[Bob]

I too LOL'd at Sean's Perch comment, and Tom texted me a haha when he saw it. You'll notice I was careful not to capitalize it in the post, however.

The only perch I dig is the fried kind.