“It all comes back to mentality,” Anthony Gordon has warned — which is not an encouraging appraisal of what is arguably Newcastle United’s strongest XI in the days ahead of the Wear-Tyne derby.
Sunday at the Stadium of Light is not the arena for weak, tired or muddled minds, yet Newcastle’s recurring deficiencies risk becoming systemic and self-perpetuating. They appear ripe for exploition by Sunderland, Newcastle’s great rivals.
A point at Bayer Leverkusen is a positive result and, for most of the final hour, Newcastle delivered a positive performance too, continuing a (non-linear) trend of general improvement since the November international break.
But Newcastle also suffered yet another set-piece concession, before shipping another late goal — and the lead in the process — to throw away two points, having turned the game around and been on course to all-but guarantee progression to the play-off round of the Champions League as a minimum. A top-eight spot would have been eminently achievable had Newcastle won in Germany.
Instead, while Newcastle should advance regardless, especially if they win their next Champions League game — their final home match of the league phase, which is against PSV Eindhoven — automatic qualification for the last-16 appears unlikely. This 2-2 draw in Leverkusen could lead to an additional two matches thrust into Newcastle’s already hectic schedule. There’s a potential two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final to be inserted somewhere into that, too, should the holders overcome Fulham at St James’ Park next Wednesday.
For Newcastle to still be competing on three fronts come mid-December is encouraging. A home tie in the FA Cup third round against Bournemouth next month also presents an opportunity to ignite another cup run. But they must address the fundamental shortcomings which are afflicting them if they are to develop the consistency necessary to once again qualify for the Champions League via the Premier League.
Grimaldo scoring Leverkusen’s equaliser (Lars Baron/Getty Images)
“Rather than focus on the lateness of the goal, it’s more the way we’re conceding currently,” Howe told reporters afterwards. “The timing for me is irrelevant. The first goal in particular really gets me because we’ve worked hard on set pieces and then we’ve given ourselves a mountain to climb.”
Bruno Guimaraes’ own-goal opener was the sixth goal Newcastle have conceded from a dead-ball situation across the Premier League and Champions League this season.
Alarmingly, the hapless nature of Newcastle’s attempt to defend Leverkusen’s first corner of the match did not correlate with Howe’s pre-match assertion that set-play defending had been the focus of bespoke training sessions recently. Aaron Ramsdale did not leave his line, Sandro Tonali turned away from the ball and allowed Robert Andrich to nod it back across the goal. Guimaraes, who was facing in the opposite direction, then inadvertently diverted the ball beyond Ramsdale via his lower back.
That typified a very poor opening half-hour from Newcastle, and Howe relayed to his players at half-time that the performance was not acceptable.
“I wasn’t happy,” Howe said. “We didn’t play with enough belief in both phases, and we weren’t incisive enough.”
His message provoked a response, with Newcastle far more aggressive after the break. Nick Woltemade pressed Mark Flekken, who panicked and inexplicably upended the German to give away a penalty, before Lewis Miley arrived off the bench to nod Newcastle in front.
Anthony Gordon played a crucial role in both goals. He scored decisively from the spot for the third game in succession, netting for the fifth time in the Champions League this season, before rinsing Jarell Quansah and providing an inviting cross for Miley. Gordon exemplified Newcastle’s general upping of intensity and performance.
Gordon also rattled the post with a fine left-footed effort, before Jacob Murphy smacked the other with a right-footed shot, but Newcastle were unable to find the third goal they needed to settle the match. The longer they went without adding to their tally, the more visibly nervous Newcastle became.
They dropped deeper and deeper, whether by accident or design, and Alex Grimaldo far too easily dummied Tonali, before ghosting into the area via a one-two and scoring under Ramsdale.
That 88th-minute concession followed those in added time of the draw with Tottenham Hotspur and the victory over Burnley. And, as much as Howe may try to claim otherwise, the timing of the leveller is not irrelevant.
Newcastle have yet to concede a goal in the opening half-hour of a Premier League game this season, underlining how strong they are defensively early in games. But 11 of the occasions when their goal has been breached have been from the 76th minute onwards.
There could not be a worse side to be facing if you have a problem with late-goal concessions, either. Of Sunderland’s 18 Premier League goals this season, 13 have been during the second half — and 33 per cent (six) have come from the 76th minute onwards.
That is why Gordon was adamant afterwards that a change in mindset is required. “It’s happened too many times to be honest,” he told TNT Sport. “We’re letting in too many goals late on in games.”
Gordon said Newcastle’s mentality had to change (Pau Barrena/AFP via Getty Images)
What is concerning about that assessment of the mindset of the players who started in the BayArena is that, of those available, Howe sent out what is arguably his strongest XI. Rather than rotate with the derby in mind, Howe seemed to be sending out largely the team he will be selecting for the derby, in the hope they would play themselves into form.
But once again, the midfield three of Joelinton, Tonali and Guimaraes struggled on their travels. Nick Woltemade laboured up top as his touch deserted him. Even the previously unflappable Malick Thiaw endured testing moments.
That cannot be repeated on Wearside.
If concentration levels drop at the Stadium of Light, if Newcastle get drawn into a physical battle and if they fail to defend set pieces, then a damaging defeat awaits.
If Newcastle are to beat Sunderland in the Premier League for the first time since 2011, then their collective and individual mentality simply cannot be up for debate — they have to stand up in those critical moments and make all of the difference they can.