After Storm Amy came the lull of a sleepy Sunday at St James’ Park – and then Bruno Guimaraes found one top corner and Nick Woltemade the other. Come the end, Nottingham Forest were barricaded in and pleading for the gales to pass.
For the best part of an hour this game had the feel of a post Champions League plod for Newcastle. They were the better team but had allowed a fragile Forest to grow in confidence of leaving with a result, and that might even had been a win had they a player capable of producing what Guimaraes did for the hosts.
The captain has a habit of donning his cape when his team need it most, and they most certainly needed it here. After 58 minutes of home frustration, the Brazilian took some of that out on Morgan Gibbs-White when barging the Forest playmaker out of possession. Seconds later and he was sizing a 20-yard curler beyond Matz Sels.
There was only one winner from that point and Woltemade made it four goals from five starts when lifting an 84th-minute penalty into the stanchion of the Gallowgate End goal. Guimaraes had won the spot-kick, the skipper and his cape swooping to nick the ball from Elliot Anderson, who recklessly chopped down his assailant.
There is work to do for Newcastle, but even a somewhat laboured victory will be welcome after a testing start that leaves them 11th in the Premier League.
Captain Bruno Guimaraes scored the opener as Newcastle won 2-0 over Nottingham Forest
Guimaraes curled in a fine effort in the second half to set Newcastle on route to victory
NICK’S MISSES MEAN MORE!
So elegantly dispatched was Woltemade’s penalty, you could see why he wanted to take the ball from Anthony Gordon ahead of his two conversions during the 4-0 win at Union SG in midweek.
In scoring, the German became only the third Newcastle player to net in his first three Premier League home games. The others? Alan Shearer and Les Ferdinand! Only 203 goals to go before he surpasses Shearer’s club-record tally…
But what was most pleasing for Eddie Howe, in a perverse way, was the sight of Woltemade missing chances. So far, he has been scoring with every opportunity that comes his way. So, for him to hit the crossbar with one snap strike and see a close-range volley blocked by a defender in the goalmouth, was encouraging – the best strikers have a knack of getting chances, regardless of whether they all go in.
Still, Newcastle need to play closer to the 6ft 6ins frontman, who was too isolated for much of this game. That he is scoring so freely despite the work-in-progress nature of his introduction is a huge boost for Howe.
‘I was just pleased he was getting chances and he was involved in that phase of play,’ said the head coach. ‘It sounds obvious, but goalscorers will miss chances. You just back them that if they keep getting a lot, they will score a lot.
‘I loved the way he wanted to take the penalty in the way that he did. It wasn’t just “I’m taking it”. It was, “I want to take it because I believe I can score and make a difference for the team”.’
Nick Woltemade scored from the penalty spot to net for the third Premier League home game
Misses from Woltemade were also a positive sign, as it showed Newcastle created chances
CASE FOR DEFENCE
One area where Howe has no worries is defence, and especially in the middle of it. Since Sven Botman and Malick Thiaw came into the side, they have kept three clean sheets out of five, while it is now six from 10 for the season. At 25 and 24 years old respectively, they could be the foundation of the team for the next five seasons and more.
I likened Botman to a military commando last week – together, they are a special-forces unit. Chris Wood was bounced between them before taking cover in the dugout late on. It is early days, but they have the makings of one of the best partnerships Newcastle have ever had. The irony is that the pair they have to surpass is perhaps team-mates Dan Burn and Fabian Schar – how about that for succession planning?!
Malick Thiaw, alongside Sven Botman, has helped Newcastle keep three clean sheets in five
SPARE A THOUGHT FOR DAN
When Burn was moved to left-back recently, it felt like a ploy to keep him in the team, given the brilliant form of Botman at left-sided centre-back. In the space of just seven days, however, it has become a matter of necessity. Both Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall are now facing a period of absence because of injury and Burn is needed to deputise.
You feel for him, to a degree. At centre-back, he is international class. At left-back, he does a job for the team, but he is not the same player. It is testament to his character that he does not moan and, no matter where on the field, Newcastle are always better off for his presence and leadership.
Dan Burn is not the same player when forced to play left back, but he is doing a job for the team
NOT THE FASTEST START FOR ANT
If Anthony Elanga was going to pick a game to break his goals and assists duck in a Newcastle shirt, then you would assume he would not be short of motivation against his former club. It did not really work out and he was replaced in the 70th minute after a performance symptomatic of his team’s need for better execution in the final third.
‘He’s different to players we’ve had in that position previously,’ said Howe. ‘When someone plays the role differently, you have to get used to how they play it. He’s a threat. Every opposition team we’ve played against will have felt his threat in the game. In some respects, that helps us in other ways, and maybe ways we don’t really realise yet.
‘He can get better and improve, which is no surprise because there’s so much more to come. I’m very pleased with how he’s interacting with his team-mates, how he’s helping the team. I see the best yet to come.’
The same could well be said for Newcastle as a whole.
