Newcastle United: 3 things we learned against Huddersfield

Newcastle United defeated Huddersfield Town to earn three crucial points to move further away from the bottom three.

Yesterday’s match between Newcastle United and Huddersfield Town was far from entertaining, but the Magpies managed to claim three points by winning the match 1-0. Huddersfield truly dominated the match and created more chances, but it only took one strike from Salomon Rondon for Newcastle to seal the deal.

Before turning our attention to next weekend’s fixture against 20th-placed Fulham, here are some key observations from yesterday’s 1-0 victory over Huddersfield.

Show the Money for Rondon

Due to the fact that Newcastle cannot add another player on loan, the team must decide who between Kenedy and Rondon are worthy of a permanent contract. Based on his recent performances, especially with his game-winning goal yesterday, it is quite evident that Rondon deserves a permanent contract in January.

In addition to scoring the deciding goal, Rondon was a workhorse when it came to holding the ball up and applying pressure to defenders and the keeper. Rondon is a true number nine and the fact that he scored a game where Newcastle’s offense was nonexistent shows how valuable he is.

Defensive Composure

Winning is nice, but three points and a clean sheet is even nicer. Huddersfield played with plenty of urgency and forced Newcastle to defend for most of the match, but the back-line of Fabian Schar, Jamaal Lascelles, Ciaran Clark and Javier Manquillo never panicked.

All four defenders were quick on their feet and were aware of their surroundings. Schar was the muscle man for Newcastle with aggressive standing tackles, Lascelles was quick to recover the ball, Clark constantly intercepted passes and obstructed crosses while Manquillo served as a legitimate replacement for DeAndre Yedlin. Newcastle will need this type of solidity once again next weekend when they face Fulham.

Wing Play

Newcastle only created eight shot attempts against a weak Huddersfield side and a major reason for this low number is because the Magpies failed to utilize the wings. Christian Atsu was active and played well whenever the ball came his way, but Kenedy was a major disappointment. Newcastle should have spread the ball out wide on several more occasions as Rondon did not receive a single aerial cross during the game.

Newcastle must utilize their wingers more often when they face a vulnerable Fulham side at St. James’ Park. Another thing is also for certain – Matt Ritchie must start over Kenedy opposite of Christian Atsu for the next few matches.