LUCK AT MOLINEUX DOESN'T ERASE EXCELLENCE

There's no getting around it: Newcastle was incredibly lucky to escape with a 2-1 away win over Wolves on Saturday.

Alan Pardew admitted it. Pretty much every Newcastle fan on Twitter admitted it.

That shouldn't completely erase the fact that United controlled the game for 70 minutes. Or that it did so while putting together some passages of play that signalled that this hot start to the season might be more than, well, just a hot start. But it should serve as a reminder that Newcastle still has its share of concerns, even if it sits third in the Premier League table going into Sunday's games.

United is playing with more flair after a mini-transformation in the summer, which for the most part is a welcome change. But there has to be a balance between inventiveness and intelligence. There are times to play backheels; when you're in your own half and are protecting a lead on the road isn't one of them (raise your hand, Gabriel Obertan).

Fabricio Coloccini and Cheik Tiote were both guilty of bad giveaways deep in their own half as well. It wasn't the first time Tiote has played himself into trouble this season, either.

And despite Demba Ba scoring for the second straight week and a tireless performance from Leon Best - his hold-up play and unselfishness shouldn't go unnoticed - Newcastle appears to be lacking a killer instinct in attack, particularly when trying to finish teams off. Ba had several second-half chances to end any drama, but couldn't do it. Obertan continues to look dangerous on counter attacks until he gets within 20 yards of goal. Best doesn't quite have the pace to punish teams on the break. Maybe Hatem Ben Arfa is the answer to that problem. Or maybe a speedy striker is still required.

In general, Newcastle looks like a team that's still learning how to see out games, a lesson it will need to learn if it's to maintain this early-season pace. The grit and determination seem to be there; it's the composure that seems to be a bit lacking at times. Had United maintained its rate of possession in the final 15 minutes, then Kevin Doyle's would-be equalizer most likely would never have happened in the first place.

All that said, this performance shouldn't be viewed as a negative, even if good fortune donated Newcastle two free points in the table. Coloccini, apart from his giveaway, and Steven Taylor, apart from his silly foul on Jamie O'Hara that should have been a penalty, were rocks in the back. Tim Krul showed yet again that he's blossoming into a world-class goalkeeper in what might have been his best performance as a Newcastle player. Tiote and Yohan Cabaye owned the center of the midfield, while Jonas Gutierrez was on top of his game, terrorizing Wolves right back Richard Stearman and tracking back to help out Ryan Taylor.

So, yes, Newcastle was lucky on Saturday. But United was also pretty good at times, even if it will need to be better down the road.

Comments

[Magpie6699]

Good comment and very fair. It's also nice to think we have some decent subs available (Marveaux, Ben Arfa, Santon, even Sameobi) to challenge or replace.
One linguistic point - might be pedantic but I'm thinking about the title of the blog. No Geordie would ever use the singular verb about the team (actually no Brit would) - so it's "Newcastle WERE incredibly lucky ..." and "United ARE playing ..." - just one of those fascinating things that show we are two countries divided by a common language. But great to know The Toon HAVE such a keen following in the States (whereabouts are you?). I will watch for this blog in future! Cheers!

[geordie85]

Was it Sam Goldwyn who said, "the harder I work the luckier I get."?

[Bob]

Haha, Maggie, thanks, and sharp observation about the language. It's something Tom and I talked about in setting up the blog - do we use the implied plural that exists in King's English but not in American English? Do we say "pitch" or "field"? "Game" or "fixture"? We decided we want to sound American because that's the audience we created the site to serve; Newcastle supporters in England have a host of English blogs to follow but those in America have had none. We've gained a larger following in England than we anticipated, some of whom have told us they like our perspective, which is a step removed from the emotional rollercoaster of fans nearer the home base of the club. So the blog has become not just a site for the growing Toon following in the U.S. but also a bridge between the English and American supporters. Thanks for crossing over, glad to have you!

p.s. We're in Wisconsin.

[Magpie6699]

Respect, Bob!
I visited Madison - very briefly - over 20 years ago.
Magpie

[Rob Moyer]

Good win and the Champions League ringtone stays for at least another 2 weeks! Jonas and Krul looked great and our defense may set a blocked shots record this year at this pace. Nearly had a heart attack the final 15 minutes of the match but I don't care how it happens just get me 3 points. See you at Highbury for the match v. Spurs?

[M]

One of Pardew's strengths to date this season has been in making mid-game tactical adjustments - we've been better in the 2nd half of every game so far... except on Saturday.

His use of substitutes in this game was poor and particularly disappointing considering the wealth of options he has on our current bench

Lovenkrands for Ba????? At this point, Ba was knackered and it was certainly time to sub him. However, in order to roughly replace his contribution to the team we needed someone capable of retaining the possession won in defence, linking play between midfield and attack. For me, it should have been Marveaux. I'd say Lovenkrands' biggest flaw is his propensity to give away possession cheaply - exactly what we didn't need at that stage in the game.

In the last 15-20mins or so, it became evident that Wolves were getting a lot of joy going at Simpson down their left/our right. Answer? Take off Obertan and replace him with Guthrie or.... why not Santon?? Santon could have provided an extra body to deal with Adam Hammill/Matt Jarvis, not to mention a pacey outlet when breaking in possession

Why did he bring on Lovenkrands? I think we can make an educated guess at this based on his comments after the Forest LC tie and also after last week's spanking of Blackburn - Pardew felt he owed Loven a chance in the Prem as a result of his 2 goal performance at the City Ground

Woolly logic if u ask me and we were lucky to get away with it

[Tom]

I agree with you, M. I feel like I'm one of the few NUFC fans who thinks Lovenkrands is underrated, but a possession-oriented player like Marveaux would have been a better move.

I'm guessing Pardew's thinking was Lovenkrands is a bit more seasoned when it comes to the EPL and, like you said, he was coming off a good performance in the Carling Cup.

Rob - Not sure about the Spurs match yet.