It used to be Newcastle United who put men behind the ball, even at St James' Park, but now the opposition do it. In a way, that is the ultimate compliment - even if it did not feel like it for Eddie Howe after a frustrating 1-1 draw against Bournemouth.
There were some boos at the final whistle on Saturday, but it is easy to forget how far Newcastle have come and, indeed, how far the Magpies still have to go despite £210m of investment in 2022. This is a side, after all, who have lost just one match all season, but who have also only won a single Premier League game so far in the current campaign.
In the first seven league fixtures of the season, which included fixtures against Man City and Liverpool, Newcastle have averaged 17 shots per match, 56% possession and eight corners yet only have eight points to show for it. Newcastle are struggling to break down teams who sit back but if the black-and-whites maintain those sorts of numbers, particularly when the influential Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson return, some of those draws will inevitably start turning into wins again.
