Who are this Newcastle United side?
Exciting, swashbuckling goal scorers for sure, with 63 goals the third best in the Premier League on Saturday night alongside Manchester City. Leaky and sloppy defensively too, vulnerable to quick counter attacks through the middle. Only seven rivals have conceded more than their 51 goals against.
The Entertainers? Most definitely, especially after this classic 13 minute comeback that injected life and belief back into Tyneside’s Euro hopes. Just don’t call them that in front of boss Eddie Howe. Respectfully, he says that famous tag should only be reserved for Kevin Keegan’s 1990s vintage.
Prone to dips in confidence and spirit? That too, witnessed the state of Howe’s side on the hour, jittering to a 1-3 defeat that would have seen questions asked of the head coach and players. But full of spirit and character too. Witness the way super sub Harvey Barnes came on to net twice in the last seven minutes. Or the relentless battling of Bruno Guimaraes. Or the fight and poise Alexander Isak showed in netting two penalties.
The contradictions keep coming.
Newcastle have some class players worthy of a Champions League team, and who may have ambitions elsewhere this summer. But they are also injury ravaged for Tuesday’s clash with Everton, and an imbalanced squad of pre and post takeover players that can’t rival the elite just yet.
This season you don’t quite know what you’re going to get from Newcastle. The brilliance of the PSG game in October, or the chaos of going down at home to West Ham… before rescuing it.
Howe said: “I want a proactive team, we want to attack. You have to accept you may be more open than a pragmatic team. But I believe it is our best chance for long term success.
“Entertainers? I prefer another word. Kevin’s team were the Entertainers that is their tag. We want our own.”
It’s been a rollercoaster season for Howe and his team, partly self inflicted, partly due to the bad luck of injuries. Lessons will be learned. Despite dipping from fourth place last season, if they can finish seventh this term, it can be rated as a very creditable success for a club trying to rebuild.
That is the incentive now, and star striker Isak, who has 18 goals this season, says their first come from behind win of the campaign is a boost.
He said: “We kept our belief. We played well offensively. Our attitude after being 3-1 down was amazing. Great feeling. We have players coming off injured but the subs made a big difference.
“This can do a lot for us. We know we can turn games around, that;s positive. I like winning like this, more than winning 4-0. They are moments you remember.
“We go against Everton and now we can use this energy and confidence, momentum for the rest of the season.”
Howe celebrated with some Jurgen Klopp style fist pumps to the Gallowgate End and added: “The chaos we had made the game open. You want chaos when you are chasing a game but not if you are ahead.
"We play high intensity, and physical. When we look at our injuries, we have analysed and re-analysed them, and many can be put down to bad luck even if I don’t believe in bad luck.”