Newcastle United’s return to the Champions League ended in defeat as the side lost 2-1 to Barcelona on Thursday evening. A thunderous atmosphere and a wonderful Wor Flags tifo greeted the two teams onto the pitch, but it ultimately couldn’t be sustained as the Catalans ran out deserved winners.
Two Marcus Rashford strikes did United in before Anthony Gordon scored his first-ever Champions League goal late on.
Here are 4 things I liked (and 1 I didn’t) from the game:
Didn’t Like: The Starting Eleven
Rumours started to swirl pretty early on Thursday that Howe was going to revert to the striker-less formation, with the gaffer opting for a front three of Harvey Barnes, Anthony Gordon, and Anthony Elanga, and whilst I wouldn’t say I thought the game was lost there and then, I felt it certainly reduced our chances.
United have never won a game when Gordon has started up front, and the gilt-edged chance the Liverpudlian missed in the first half, when United were well on top, was not only criminal, it highlighted why he shouldn’t be playing as a striker. Sure, the lad did an excellent job for the England U21s in the 2023 Euros, winning player of the tournament whilst playing up top, but it was two years ago, a completely different setup and level, and it’s time for Howe to bin Gordon playing up front.
Howe was certainly hamstrung by circumstance with Wissa’s injury robbing United of options up front, but writing this later than usual has allowed me to take in Eddie’s comments about protecting Woltemade and managing his fitness (him not being able to play three games in seven days is understandable), but it still rankles that the £69m striker sat the opening hour on the bench.
Considering the link-up play that eventually came for United’s late goal (a brilliant team move from back to front that involved Thiaw, Botman, Tonali, Bruno, Woltemade, Murphy, and Gordon), I do wonder whether Eddie (despite what he said post-match) regrets not starting with the German up front.
Liked: The Threat from the Right-Wing
Anthony Elanga has had a few critics of his early United career, and for someone who came with a hefty price tag and a reputation for delivering a decent statistical output at Forest last season, when he found himself relegated to the bench for the Leeds game, a few eyebrows were raised.
Howe has commented that the Swede is still learning what is expected of him at United (and that it is vastly different to what his former side asked him to do), but Thursday evening really highlighted just what a weapon his pace could be. He burned Gerard Martin for pace over and over during the opening 20-minute spell when United dominated, and if we’d had a striker on the pitch, he’d probably be walking off with two or three assists.
I thought it was a shame when Elanga was dragged off, but then his replacement, Jacob Murphy, grabbed back-to-back assists when he fed a lovely first-time cross into the box for Gordon’s goal. The threat from the RW was exceptional at times, but it needs to be sustained, and it’ll be interesting to see who gets the nod on Sunday.
Didn’t Like: Not replacing Schär immediately
Player welfare is a hot topic in football circles with the amount of games increasing exponentially and there being basically no room for rest in the football calendar, but the one area where clubs and players really fall down is with head injuries, and it’s something that’s eminently within their control.
It’s a bit of a joke among United fans that Fabian Schär picks up a head injury every game, but the one he suffered on Thursday was a particularly nasty one and there was no way he should’ve been allowed to continue. In fact, Schär’s concussion is a major factor in why Rashford is so free for his first goal.
It’s time for football to take a leaf out of rugby’s book and take the protocol out of players’ hands and mandate it for an extended period of time on the sidelines when head injuries happen.
Liked: Thiaw’s cameo
The flip side to Schär’s injury is that we got to see Malick Thiaw for an extended period, and he performed to a good level. He was sharp, turned out of trouble with the ball in tight spaces, and passed well into midfield—and he started the move that led to United’s goal.
It was a decent cameo from the German, but it wasn’t earth-shatteringly amazing, a ten out of ten, like I’ve seen from some outlets claim. It was 27 minutes from a centre-back with decent Champions League experience but who has it all to prove in the Premier League.
It was positive, but we have to be cautious with lavishing praise on the lad when he’s barely kicked a ball in anger for United. But the real challenge starts now, with Schär confirming he will miss the next few games. Thiaw will get his chance, as Howe will surely have to rotate with the number of games coming up.
Liked: Taking the game to one of the best sides in Europe
United’s return to the Champions League showcased everything we’ve come to love about Eddie’s side: exhilarating pace, power, and a relentless attacking threat, particularly down the right wing, as discussed above. For the opening 50 minutes or so, United’s energy and aggressive press unsettled the Catalan giants.
The midfield supported this attacking threat brilliantly, with some intelligent link-up play and combative challenges that kept Barcelona on the back foot and disrupted the visitors’ rhythm, leading to promising chances which really should’ve been taken, with the absence of a clinical striker to convert these opportunities keenly felt in the aftermath of the defeat.
However, sustaining such high-octane football for the full 90 minutes remains our next challenge. The intensity dipped after the hour mark, allowing Barcelona to regain control and exploit spaces left by our tiring legs. To truly compete at this elite level, United must evolve by learning to balance our explosive starts with composure, tactical discipline, and possession retention throughout the whole match.
Keep the faith. HWTL