Newcastle bench, Howe tactical admission & transfer priority

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe – like Kevin Keegan – is stubborn when it comes to changing philosophy

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has already made it clear that he wants to emulate Kevin Keegan in terms of the entertainment stakes.

But as his team got within touching distance of what would have been a respectable point, was he too stubborn when it comes to his principles? Make no mistake, Newcastle spent the majority of the second half sitting back and absorbing pressure from City before finally crumbling to an injury time strike from Oscar Bobb.

With his midfield running on empty – having already been undone by a single defence-splitting pass from Rodri – the game was crying out for change of some sort. A glance at the bench showed no midfielders available to freshen it up in the middle of the park.

Howe’s other option would have been Jamaal Lascelles to throw into the backline and help nod away the wave of attacks frequently coming at Martin Dubravka’s goal. In the end, his only change was Lewis Hall who was fielded as an attacker to replace Anthony Gordon.

Howe admitted afterwards he did not want to think negatively and said: “I’m in a difficult position where I’m thinking, do I bring a defender on, which can potentially be viewed as a negative substitution. It’s generally a negative move when you take off an attacking player, and I didn’t really want to do that.”

Guardiola had fidgeted around the technical area all evening as he became frustrated with his own players after Newcastle kept unlocking the door in the first half. As the night wore on he moved on to fourth official Tim Robinson as he stared at the referee from just a few inches in what could have been a late night square up in the Bigg Market.

But as the landscape of the game began to change in his team’s favour, and Kevin De Bruyne showed his world class qualities, Pep’s mood sweetened. That said, with Newcastle’s bench making a few remarks about Guardiola’s constant badgering of the officials, there seemed to be a tiny bit of venom in the way he leapt up at the final whistle with a double fist pump.

Newcastle had rattled City’s cage again but fell short right at the death.

For all the talk of Martin Dubravka not being an able deputy to injured Nick Pope, he has arguably proved his class in the last couple of months. Against Liverpool, he made save after save to deny the Reds before finally being exposed by his defence. And it was a similar story against Man City.

The Slovakia international denied City in the second half with fine saves to keep out Rodri, Julian Alvarez and Phil Foden. At 2-1 with Dubravka in fine form the narrative was a Newcastle win and the man of the match award going to the ex-Sparta Prague stopper.

For all the talk of Newcastle’s needs in the January window, a new keeper is not the priority. United are lacking energy in midfielder desperately and are in trouble if they suffer more striker problems.