Newcastle United injuries have been a big talking point.
Eddie Howe's side going down by two goals on the south coast, to Bournemouth. < /p>
The post-match inquest then taking place. < /p>
Many comments from journalists, pundits, rival fans and so on, saying the Newcastle United injuries are no excuse for this defeat. < /p>
With then also a fair number of NUFC fans saying the same. < /p>
Of course, 'Newcastle United injuries is a cover all, referring in reality to all the players that Eddie Howe had unavailable for Saturday's match. < /p>
So what is a fair and reasonable evaluation of what Eddie Howe was facing at Bournemouth on Saturday? < /p>
In terms of the players he had (and hadn't) available to him. < /p>
Especially in light of having had such a busy and demanding schedule for the players who did end up available for this final match before the very welcome international break. < /p>
This is how I see it... < /p>
If you have three or four players injured (or missing for whatever reason), no matter who they are, you can't use it as any kind of an excuse. < /p>
If you have seven or eight players unavailable, then I think fair and reasonable you can point to it as a strong factor in terms of affecting your performance, especially if that includes a fair number of your better players. < /p>
If you have eleven or twelve players missing, well... < /p>
This is what Eddie Howe was faced with when looking at his unavailable list for Bournemouth: < /p>
Botman - Injured < /p>
Targett - Injured < /p>
Tonali - Banned < /p>
Burn - Injured < /p>
Bruno - Suspended < /p>
Isak - Injured < /p>
Anderson - Injured < /p>
Murphy - Injured < /p>
Barnes - Injured < /p>
Manquillo - Injured < /p>
Wilson - Injured < /p>
Then of course Miguel Almiron made it twelve missing players in total, when forced off through injury after half an hour. < /p>
I think to be honest, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. For me, it had been pretty even up to that point, Bournemouth the more threatening but not by much, but having to bring off one of our most energetic players to be replaced by 34 year old Matt Ritchie so early... I reckon slowly but surely it was downhill from there. Not Ritchie's fault, just an injury / missing player too far. < /p>
I can understand our enemies (pundits, journalists, rival fans) trotting out the Newcastle United injuries / missing players are no excuse line. However, I just can't understand any Newcastle fan doing the same. < /p>
It is crazy. < /p>
How can you not accept that when you end up with 11 or 12 players unavailable, it is something you have to take into account massively as a mitigating factor, when you're evaluating what you have just watched? < /p>
Newcastle United have a 25 man official Premier League senior squad, four goalkeepers and twenty one outfield players. < /p>
Once Miguel Almiron went off, it meant 11 of those 21 senior outfield players were unavailable. Of that missing list above, Elliot Anderson is additional as he is counted as an Under 21 player, who can be used as well as that 25 man official senior squad. < /p>
Eddie Howe ended up using another four of his under 21s at Bournemouth, with Miley (17) and Hall (19) starting, Livramento (20) and Parkinson (18) coming off the bench. < /p>
The mind boggles as to exactly who Eddie Howe would have had in his team if we didn't have young promising players such as these. Although fair to say that Ben Parkinson absolutely thrown into the deep end, as at this stage of his development quite clearly Eddie Howe would have had no intention of involving him. Yes, Lewis Miley is only 17, however, he is clearly no ordinary 17 year old! < /p>
It wasn't just the numbers either, it was who these numbers were. < /p>
Sven Botman is Newcastle's best defender, along with Dan Burn they have been two of arguably the Premier League's best back four these past 15 months until injury intervened. Then to lose Burn AND his obvious replacement Targett only three days apart, well, you have to laugh (manically). < /p>
Missing not one but both of our top quality strikers / goalscorers, brutal. < /p>
To be missing both Bruno and Tonali, crippling. < /p>
Barnes, Anderson, Murphy... < /p>
For anybody to say that these aren't extraordinary circumstances is just plain daft. < /p>
No Premier League squad can be expected to be at anywhere near the same levels when missing so many players, including key individuals. < /p>
You then get some Newcastle fans making out that the recruitment policy is to blame for not being able to cope with 11 or 12 missing players. Are they for real? < /p>
We can all play the hindsight game but for me this is the strongest Newcastle United squad I have ever seen, you can't just keep adding more and more players who might never get a game, especially taking into account FFP limitations. < /p>
I have seen a fair few saying it was a no brainer to bring in a young striker this summer, to have as well as Isak and Wilson. So who is this mystery quality young striker who would have been happy to come in with zero promises of getting any football as third choice behind those two? Also, how could Newcastle have paid the PS40m, PS50m, whatever, for such a quality young striker? < /p>
Clearly the plan was to have Anthony Gordon as that emergency third striker option if needed, after excelling for the England Under 21s in that position and doing more than ok for Newcastle, such as getting the winner against Arsenal not so long ago... < /p>
The problem then of course is that we have also seen Barnes, Anderson, Murphy and now Almiron all struck down as well, who can plan to be missing so many wide attacking players??? < /p>
Maybe you can point to another central defender should have been brought in but when building a high quality squad, you can't do it all at once. Plus, the reality has been that Jamaal Lascelles has came in and surprised a lot of people, including / especially me. He is no Sven Botman but I think he has been very good since coming in, Eddie Howe has improved him immeasurably, especially on the ball. Still nowhere near what Schar and Botman can do BUT the NUFC Captain now far more confident and willing to play football and find a man, keep the ball until doing so, rather than a Steve Bruce approved hoof pretty much every time. < /p>
We are all disappointed as fans, that this was a Premier League match too far, ahead of crawling into this international break. < /p>
As somebody once said, quite regularly, we just have to all dust worselves doon and go again, when proper football resumes in two weeks time. Hopefully with a rested and recuperated set of players, including some off yesterday's missing list, with Bruno back from suspension and every chance that Alexander Isak plus maybe one or two others can also be released from the treatment room. < /p>
Then we go again. < /p>
Stats via BBC Sport: < /p>
Bournemouth 2 Newcastle 0 - Saturday 11 November 5.30pm < /p>
Newcastle United: < /p>
Possession was Bournemouth 48% Newcastle 52% < /p>
Total shots were Bournemouth 19 Newcastle 8 < /p>
Shots on target were Bournemouth 10 Newcastle 5 < /p>
Corners were Bournemouth 6 Newcastle 5 < /p>
Referee: Chris Kavanagh < /p>
Attendance: 11,201 (Newcastle 1,100 < /p>
Newcastle team v Bournemouth: < /p>
Pope, Trippier, Lascelles, Schar, Hall (Livramento 45), Longstaff, Lewis Miley (Parkinson 66), Willock (Krafth 90+5), Almiron (Ritchie 31), Gordon, Joelinton < /p>
Dubravka, Gillespie, Dummett, Alex Murphy, Diallo < /p>
Newcastle United confirmed matches to mid-January 2024: < /p>
Saturday 25 November 2023 - Newcastle v Chelsea (3pm) < /p>
Tuesday 28 November 2023 - PSG v Newcastle (8pm) TNT Sports < /p>
Saturday 2 December 2023 - Newcastle United v Man U (8pm) TNT Sports < /p>
Thursday 7 December 2023 - Everton v Newcastle (7.30pm) Amazon < /p>
Sunday 10 December 2023 - Tottenham v Newcastle (4.30pm) Sky Sports < /p>
Wednesday 13 December 2023 - Newcastle v AC Milan (8pm) TNT Sports < /p>
Saturday 16 December 2023 - Newcastle v Fulham (3pm) < /p>
Tuesday 18 December 2023 - Chelsea v Newcastle (8pm) Sky Sports < /p>
Saturday 23 December 2023 - Luton v Newcastle (3pm) < /p>
Tuesday 26 December 2023 - Newcastle v Forest (12.30pm) Amazon < /p>
Monday 1 January 2024 - Liverpool v Newcastle (8pm) Sky Sports < /p>
(Weekend of Saturday 6 January 2024 - FA Cup third round matches) < /p>
Saturday 13 January 2024 - Newcastle v Man City (5.30pm) TNT Sports < /p> < /span> < form onsubmit = "commentSubmit(event);" > < div class = "likes-comments-news main-news-comment" > < input type = "hidden" name = "type" class = "type" value = "news" > < input type = "hidden" name = "identity" class = "identity" value = "75831" > < input type = "text" class = "comment" name = "comment" placeholder = "Your thoughts?" id = "" > < button class = "post-news" type = "submit" > Post < /button> < /div> < /form> < div class = "cbn_news_comments_container" > < div class = "cbn_news_comments_wrap" > < /div> < /div> < /div> < /div> < /div> < div class = "nextnews-wrap" > < a href = "http://www.social442.com/england/newcastle-united/news/75620/newcastle-united-star-out-for-a-number-of-weeks-after-fresh-injury-blow-doubt-for-chelsea-38-man-utd" > < div class = "next-news-parent" > < div class = "naxt-news-text-wrap" > < p class = "nextnews" > Next news < /p> < h3 class = "best-goals" > Newcastle United star out for 'a number of weeks' after fresh injury blow - doubt for Chelsea & Man Utd < /h3> < a href = "http://www.social442.com/england/newcastle-united/news/75620/newcastle-united-star-out-for-a-number-of-weeks-after-fresh-injury-blow-doubt-for-chelsea-38-man-utd" class = "arrow-down" > Read more < /a> < div class = "image-wrap" > < /div> < /div> < /div> < /a> < div class = "big-dark-blue-wave" > < /div> < /div> < !--news - cb - end-- >
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