Newcastle United must break out of their shell and play some bold football against Tottenham in London.
Newcastle United need to bounce back from their embarrassing defeat to Brighton last weekend. Steve Bruce, more than anyone, needs his men to wake up and perform at the best level they can.
The blowout win (7-0) over Morecambe in the Carabao Cup was great to see, and it should improve some players’ confidence levels, but it was a League Two outfit at the end of the day.
The Magpies need to bounce back in a big way against a notable opponent in the Premier League. Tottenham are coming off an impressive 5-2 victory against Southampton, and they also defeated North Macedonian club Shkëndija in the Europa League last night.
Spurs were heavy favorites to win that game, but their overall performance did not reflect the 3-1 outcome. Up until the 70th minute, Spurs were on level terms with the Balkan minnows in Skopje, and Mourinho needed to call on Harry Kane and Lucas Moura from the bench to get his team over the line.
So, what does that mean for Newcastle United? Well, the fact that the Special One had to play his key players – Son Heung-Min, Dele Alli, Harry Kane, and Lucas Moura, to name a few – bodes well for the Magpies as fatigue will certainly play a factor in this game.
The fact that some of Mourinho’s main men struggled to find any rhythm last night could also give him another reason to rotate his lineup. That being said, Newcastle United need to show some courage and take the game to their hosts.
That suggestion does not mean the Magpies should abandon their defensive duties and solely attack, no. It promoted the idea of not inviting the attack against a tired team for 75 minutes. Instead, go after them for a good 40 minutes with some meaningful attacks.
Allan Saint-Maximin will be ready fit for action, but he has already been dealing with some injury problems. Spurs will assume that most attacks will flow through him, so more defensive attention will go his way.
That is why the dynamic Frenchman should primarily serve as a decoy like Scottie Pippen for the Chicago Bulls in game six of the 1998 NBA Finals. With that tactic in mind, the Toon should coordinate most of their attacks through Miguel Almiron and Callum Wilson up the middle.
Despite their fatigue and minimal time to prepare for this clash, Tottenham are still the favorites to win. The talent they have in their squad deserves respect and maximum effort, especially defensively.
However, the current circumstances present Newcastle United with a golden opportunity to take some cheap shots and possibly take something from this game. If Ryan Fraser is thrown into the mix from the start as well, Callum Wilson could be in line for a big game.