A reality check? A game too far? Either way, Saturday’s 4-1 thumping at Villa Park exposed some of the shortcomings that have been skilfully disguised for much of the season, but that still need to be addressed if Newcastle are to achieve their long-term aim of permanently establishing themselves as members of the European elite.
Aston Villa are on the same journey, but have reached a different point. Two years ago, Newcastle were unable to combine the challenges of a Champions League campaign with the demands of targeting a top-four finish in the Premier League. Villa have made a much better fist of things this season, reaching the quarter-finals in Europe while still remaining extremely competitive domestically. How? Largely thanks to the depth of their squad.
Newcastle’s squad wasn’t strong enough to cope two seasons ago, and the same would almost certainly be true if the current group were to find themselves back in the Champions League next season. Yes, they would hope to be more fortunate with injuries this time around. But avoiding fatigue would almost certainly be an issue given the options for squad rotation still do not really exist.
Jason Tindall’s starting line-up at Villa Park was unchanged for the seventh game in a row. In part, that was a reflection of how well his side have been playing. Why change a winning team? But it also highlighted the lack of viable options on the substitutes’ bench and the shallowness of the pool from which both Tindall and Eddie Howe have been selecting this season.
Anthony Gordon and Joe Willock are genuine first-team players currently sitting on the bench, but Callum Wilson is surely finished given his injury issues and the fact he recently turned 33, while William Osula remains a completely unproven prospect, which is something of a worry given that he has been on Newcastle’s books for almost a year now. Matt Targett and Emil Krafth are reliable squad players, but no more than that, while Lewis Miley is in danger of seeing his career stagnate after eight months in which he has barely started a game.
Compare that to Villa, whose boss, Unai Emery, was able to make five changes from the side that pushed Paris St Germain so close on Tuesday night recalling the likes of England striker Ollie Watkins and Spain international Marco Asensio to his starting side. Villa’s bench on Saturday contained the likes of Marcus Rashford, Donyell Malen, Amadou Onana and Jacob Ramsey, players that are of a high enough quality to ensure there is not really a drop-off when Emery feels the need to rotate.
Take five or six players out of Villa’s first-choice line-up, and you’ll have a top-class starting side. Do the same with Newcastle, and you’re scratching around for players capable of holding their own at Premier League level, let alone being able to compete in the Champions League.
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The return of Sven Botman and Lewis Hall will help strengthen the defensive ranks, but as Newcastle look ahead to the summer transfer window, they must surely acknowledge the need to widen the pool of players at Howe’s disposal. As the last few months have proven, Newcastle’s best XI is a match for anyone in England. They can’t play every game though, and once you start making a change or two, the drop-off is massive.
“You look at their (Aston Villa’s) squad, and they’ve got a fantastic squad, but so have we,” said Tindall, who continues to deputise for Howe, who has been receiving treatment for pneumonia in hospital. “We’ve got a great squad, but as a football club, I’m sure we’ll always look to try to improve the squad.
“Villa’s certainly a club that’s got a great team and a great squad, and I think you could see that with the players they had on their bench. But I’m sure, come the summer, we’ll analyse what we’ve got, and we’ll look to see where the future lies.”
The immediate future will see Newcastle attempt to secure the top-five finish that would secure a return to the Champions League next season, and while Saturday’s defeat was undoubtedly a setback, it still sees the Magpies with a two-point cushion over sixth-placed Villa.
Things started horrendously yesterday, with Watkins opening the scoring after just 33 seconds, and while Fabian Schar equalised when he headed home Harvey Barnes’ cross at the back post, Villa deservedly reclaimed their lead when Ian Maatsen hammered home from the left-hand side of the area shortly after the hour mark.
The hosts claimed a third goal when Dan Burn deflected Ramsey’s low cross into his own net, and two minutes later, Onana completed the scoring when he hammered a fine effort into the top corner from the edge of the 18-yard box.
