Could it now be that Newcastle are better suited to playing away from home?
After back-to-back defeats at St James’ Park and boos for the first time at the weekend, this away day felt liberating.
Playing with freedom, purpose and aggression, Eddie Howe’s side produced a performance when their head coach needed it most.
After goals from Malick Thiaw and Jacob Ramsey secured just a third away win of the season – and halted a run of six without victory – Howe was serenaded by the travelling fans on full-time, their roar silencing some of the noise around their manager’s future.
Here, Craig Hope looks at how Newcastle achieved a deserved three points…
Howe’s gamble pays off
For the second Premier League away game running, Howe started with his three strikers on the bench in Nick Woltemade, Yoane Wissa and Will Osula. A controversial call for some, given they’d never won with Anthony Gordon at centre-forward. Yet, it was the right call.
Jacob Ramsey scored the winner as Newcastle won 2-1 at Tottenham on Tuesday
Forget the £140m striker duo – Anthony Gordon is the club’s best forward right now
When asked about the striker situation on the eve of the game, Howe hinted at what was to follow. ‘I’ve got to be honest, it’s not quite functioned fully yet, with the players mentioned,’ he said.
Wissa is not fit and Woltemade is not the right fit, especially away from home. Gordon offers mobility and a nuisance factor, like he did at Liverpool last month. And so he did here. His role in Newcastle’s winning goal, scurrying into the area and teeing up Jacob Ramsey, proved his value and direct threat from central areas.
Yes, it may seem a mystery as to why £140m’s worth of centre-forward is not being used at a time when Howe admits they’re struggling for goals, but here was the justification – winger Gordon is the club’s best striker right now.
Bloodthirsty Toon get their reward
Saying that, it felt like Newcastle had arrived in Doc Brown’s DeLorean and were back in August for most of the first half – playing very well without a recognised frontman and unable to score. It had all the hallmarks of their opening day stalemate at Aston Villa. But then, in the 44th minute, Joe Willock scored what looked a well-earned opener, at least until VAR called him offside by his eyebrows, and Newcastle suddenly found belief.
The manner in which they went after Spurs in first-half stoppage-time with a bloodthirsty relish found its reward when Thiaw forced home in the 50th minute. Given Newcastle have been at their most vulnerable of late when scoring, perhaps this was a savvy ploy, netting just before the whistle.
Summer signing finally delivers
Match-winner Ramsey celebrated with great enthusiasm and so he might, after a first goal since his £40m summer arrival. His name has featured a lot in recent weeks during inspection of Newcastle’s close-season transfer activity, which has not impacted as Howe would have hoped. The head coach readily admits as much. But Ramsey was the box-to-box midfield turbo his manager wants and expects here – it was his best Premier League game for the club by a distance.
Ramsey has had his critics but he produced his best display since signing for the club
Eddie Howe’s gambles paid off as his side left the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with three points
Old boys deliver dogged display
Starting with Kieran Trippier, 35, and Dan Burn, 33, at right back and left back respectively felt like a gamble, given one of Tottenham’s few assets is pace in wide areas. Twice inside six minutes the hosts dropped balls into space behind Burn but their final execution was poor. The solution for Newcastle was in reversing the direction of play – aged full backs cannot be exposed if you don’t allow the opposition to attack and so, for the remainder of the opening half, they played on the front foot with energy and adventure.
The second-half equaliser they did concede came from a corner – and goalkeeper Nick Pope should have been stronger – but as a defensive display, this was Newcastle’s most dogged for a long time. The old boys led the way, resisting with the nastiness and know-how that was once Newcastle’s calling card. On so many levels, Howe must hope this was a victory that can help rediscover some good habits.
