Toon Takeaways from Newcastle’s scoreless draw vs. Oxford

Newcastle United will need to play a replay to decide their FA Cup fourth round fate.

In front of a packed house at St. James’ Park, Newcastle United could not score against League One’s Oxford United and the clubs will be forced to play a replay after today’s match ended 0-0.

FA Cup Replay Pt. 2

With another draw against a lower division side, Newcastle United will play a replay for the second straight round. These replays would be a more welcome sight if the Magpies had played heavily rotated squads including young players in the first match of the round. But, they leave much to be desired when Steve Bruce has played his best squad and can’t get a result vs. a League One side.

He Who Hesitates Is Lost

Despite playing against a club in the lower division, Newcastle United’s attacking players still seemed cautious about shooting the ball. In the first half, there were positive moves into the final third, but then too many passes would either lead to a turnover or a poor effort beyond the original moment. Allan Saint-Maximin was the main player involved in this and while his dribbling opened things up, he needed to play the first ball quicker, a pass or shot.

Nabil’s Newcastle Debut

The new midfielder showcased his all-around ability today in an 80-minute appearance. He put in a solid work rate defensively and was confident playing a quick pass forward or out wide. While his passing accuracy was decent, it will continue to improve as he gets a rhythm in the lineup. He also had a quality effort from distance early in the second half that forced a save.

Quick Kicks

• A strong squad and a lot of possession for Newcastle, but it just wasn’t a good enough performance overall. They lacked a connection in the attack and the needed assertiveness. A huge crowd at St. James’ Park went home massively disappointed.
• Jamaal Lascelles absolutely needed to put his first-half header on-frame and likely bury it. It was a glaring miss in a match that Newcastle needed just one big finish. Joelinton had his chance in the final ten minutes and LAUNCHED his effort well over the bar.
• Miguel Almiron did well to force two yellow card challenges in the second half as he raced towards goal.
• The lack of goalscoring threat on the bench for NUFC didn’t give Steve Bruce much choice with the club needing a goal. No Andy Carroll, no Dwight Gayle, no Yoshinori Muto, and only an inexperienced Elias Sorensen as an option up top.
• Speaking of a substitute, Christian Atsu is far too predictable. He will try a step over or two and just always try to quickly burst towards to end line. He can win corners or throw-ins when his passes are deflected, but they rarely end in goals or assists.

Okay, What’s Next?

Next Saturday, Newcastle United will host Norwich City in Premier League action. The Canaries currently occupy the bottom position on the table with only 17 points on the season.