Wednesday’s match ended Newcastle 3 West Brom 2.
Ahead of each game we ask one of our writers to come up with three positives and three negatives following the game.
Plenty to talk about after this West Brom one…
A match that saw Newcastle United bounce back from going a goal down and then late on concede another penalty, yet still win 3-2 against the Baggies and proceed to the Carabao Cup third round.
On this occasion it is ‘Matt Busby said to Joe Harvey…’:
POSITIVES
We’re in the hat
Well, we were, the draw having been made shortly after Bobby Madley (more on him later) brought a close to proceedings at St James’ Park.
A scene reminiscent from the Football Factory when Billy Bright learns that it’s Millwall away, the young lads peering through the window of The Lowther as I strolled down towards the High-Level Bridge, coming across all excited as the news was breaking.
Hmm, Millwall on a midweek night. Nevertheless, a win’s a win and we got across the line as Barnes tore them apart. Again.
New signings
Nico Gonzalez was paraded in front of the faithful before kick-off, not that I saw it, the clock had registered ten minutes of the match before I took my seat thanks to the chaotic scenes at the turnstiles under the West Stand.
That is a cracking signing but if you’re looking for more positives, what about those recent acquisitions that started last night?
I thought Sean Steur was terrific, as King Kev might have said. He looked calm and accomplished and if he gave the ball away, I didn’t see it.
Amar Dedic was also fantastic. Two assists and I’m not seeing Tino Livramento having an easy passage back into the starting eleven if the Bosnian keeps this up.
Bazoumana Touré was less impressive, but he nabbed the equaliser, a goal that incidentally, was made by Steur and Dedic.
A new era
The Matthias Jaissle era has started pretty well. We should have registered wins in both our opening fixtures, and would have done, but for the referee on Sunday playing over the five minutes that had been added on.
Notwithstanding, in both performances, the team looked energetic, there was the press, some decent link up play, and goals, the pick of them being Joe Willock’s on Sunday.
It seems the manager is willing to rotate, it seems he’s willing to give youngsters a chance and he seems to have a canny knack of knowing when to make changes. We go to Spurs with optimism, methinks.
Photo by Jamie Smith via The Mag
NEGATIVES
The man in the middle
Bobby Madley had an absolute stinker.
Not a surprise, it’s what we’ve come to expect from many of those officiating.
I thought we were overly penalised for soft challenges and right at the death, it beggared belief that Madley couldn’t see that foul being inflicted on Anthony Elanga.
I understand that the West Yorkshire whistler has made it onto the Professional Referee Group this season and can therefore be selected to take charge of Premier League fixtures, so he could be returning to SJP sooner than we would like, perish the thought.
What to do about Nick?
Left out of the starting eleven against Liverpool, Nick Woltemade was selected last night to lead the line.
I thought he was poor in the first half, admittedly much improved in the second, but hardly instilling confidence that he is going to cut it at this level.
Yet it had started brightly enough, the lanky German registering eight goals before Christmas last season, including goals on both his Premier League and Champions League debuts. Since then, a player low on confidence and low on energy.
I still think there is a player in there, but the question is whether the big man wants it.
The draw could have been kinder
Okay, we avoided those (so-called) elite Premier League clubs that don’t make an appearance until the third round, but Millwall away is a tough fixture, make no mistake.
If we are to extend our love affair with a competition that we famously won in 2025 and which has not seen us reach at least the quarter final stage for nearly five years, we are going to have to be on our game in Bermondsey.