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What we learned about Newcastle in the FA Cup

By Durim Halimi

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - JANUARY 05: Jonjo Shelvey of Newcastle United acknowledges the fans after the final whistle in the FA Cup Third Round match between Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers at St. James Park on January 5, 2019 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - JANUARY 05: Jonjo Shelvey of Newcastle United acknowledges the fans after the final whistle in the FA Cup Third Round match between Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers at St. James Park on January 5, 2019 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images) /
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Newcastle United played three matches in two rounds before being eliminated from the FA Cup yesterday at the hands of Watford.

Newcastle United ended their FA Cup journey yesterday after their 2-0 loss to Watford at St. James’ Park. Rafa Benitez did not want to juggle a Premier League relegation battle and FA Cup run, and now his wish came true. Many supporters wanted to see Newcastle advance to the next round for the first time in 13 years, but goals from Andre Gray and Isaac Success ruined all that.

We learned many things about the squad from their matches against Blackburn and Watford. Before diving into the key observations from those fixtures, here is a list of all three recaps for those of you who need a reminder of the details from each match:

Round 3: Newcastle United 1-1 Blackburn

Round 3: Blackburn 2-4 Newcastle United

Round 4: Newcastle United 0-2 Watford

Issues in Central Midfield

Newcastle looked horrible when it came to spreading the ball around from the middle of the park. The absence of Jonjo Shelvey and Ki Sung-yueng was noticeable as Isaac Hayden and Sean Longstaff could not emulate the team’s regular starters. Longstaff was decent, but we will talk about him in the next section. Newcastle’s wingers did a solid job in every match, but the lack of distribution from the center hindered the Magpies’ offensive efficiency.

The Youngsters

Of all the youngsters, Freddie Woodman and Sean Longstaff got the nod to start in all three matches and both players performed well. Woodman conceded five goals over the course of three matches, but he was exposed due to poor defending for most of those goals. Longstaff was not stellar in midfield, but he was consistent and his consistency in the FA Cup has now earned him playing time in the Top Flight.

The other two youngsters who made appearances for Newcastle were Jamie Sterry and Callum Roberts. Sterry started both matches against Blackburn, but he was bullied around far too easily, especially in the 1-1 draw at home. Roberts was a starter and a scorer against Blackburn at Ewood Park and he put in a decent showing, however, the midfielder is far from being a Premier League player.

Next. Toon Takeaways from the FA Cup loss vs. Watford. dark

Too Good for the Championship…

The Magpies may be in a relegation battle at the moment, but they do not belong in the second tier. Newcastle did not struggle against Blackburn, especially when some of the first team players were thrown in as substitutes. Blackburn, for example, are currently one win away from breaking into the top six of the EFL Championship and Newcastle’s youngsters were able to be competitive against them. The fact that it took a Premier League side to eliminate the Magpies is also respectable. In short, Benitez’s men handled business against inferior opponents and tried to be competitive against a top tier side.