BBC Sport pundit with his new Newcastle United analysis – Getting it right?


 
 
 
 
 
 

Some interesting comments from this BBC Sport pundit on Newcastle United.

Chris Sutton speaking ahead of Saturday’s game at the City Ground.

A chance for Eddie Howe and his players to try and get a valuable win, or at the very least make it four in a row (in all competitions) unbeaten.

Pointing out to BBC Sport what he sees as the relevant situations of the two clubs, is Chris Sutton getting it right this time?

Chris Sutton talking to BBC Sport – 8 February 2024:

“I really don’t know how to judge Newcastle at the moment, good or bad.

“They got such an impressive result away from home against Aston Villa but ended up having to fight back for a point at home to Luton a few days later.

“Eddie Howe’s side are conceding a lot of goals – including when Chris Wood scored a hat-trick for Nottingham Forest against them at St James’ Park a few weeks ago – and they are another team where I just don’t know what we are going to get.

“Forest needed penalties to get past Bristol City in the FA Cup this week and they are still waiting for their first win of 2024.

“The obvious result here is a draw, so I am going to go with that.

“Prediction: Nottingham Forest 2 Newcastle 2”

So what to make of what the BBC Sport man has said?

Chris Sutton is half right when he says Nottingham Forest haven’t won a match in 2024, they haven’t in the Premier League but do have two victories this calendar year in the FA Cup.

In seven games (all competitions), Forest haven’t won any of them in the 90 minutes. After only drawing against them initially, Forest needed extra time to beat League One Blackpool in the third round of the FA Cup. Then similar against Championship side Bristol City, a draw in the first match and then just last night, Forest needing extra time and penalties to finally go into the fifth round.

Chris Sutton predicts a draw for Forest v Newcastle and certainly Eddie Howe must be thinking that if Forest haven’t managed to win any of their last seven games in 90 minutes, including four times against lower league opposition, then a point must be the very least NUFC will hope for.

The BBC Sport man fails to mention quite a few things, such as Forest top scorer Chris Sutton out with a hamstring injury and the fact that Forest have had two tough games to play since Newcastle played on Saturday. Last night well over two hours of football plus penalties, so soon before NUFC on Saturday. In eight days Forest star man Gibbs-White has played every minute of three tough games against Arsenal, Bournemouth and Bristol City, difficult to think he will be anything like 100 per cent and available to start against Newcastle.

Chris Sutton also omits to mention that Newcastle United are actually on a run of three away wins in a row, 3-0 at Sunderland in the FA Cup and 2-0 at Fulham in the same competition, then that 3-1 at Villa in the Premier League.

These last five matches (all competitions) seeing three wins, a draw and one defeat for Eddie Howe’s side.

Leading 2-1 against Man City until the 74th minute and so unlucky not to get even a point with a Man City goal in added time. Then whilst the draw against Luton was disappointing, the fact they had lost only one of their last eight games and their most recent two matches had seen a 2-1 win away at Everton and a 4-0 thrashing of Brighton, are surely worth mentioning!

As is the fact that Eddie Howe’s team had the character to come back from 4-2 down to get a draw in the final quarter of the match.

Conceding four at home against Luton is obviously noteworthy and not great to see, however, plenty positives in these last five and a half weeks for Newcastle United, eight goals conceded in five games but with 14 scored, NUFC will be keen to make it four away wins in a row at the City Ground and I’m feeling very positive that this will be the outcome.