Mark Lawrenson, the one-time renowned Match of the Day pundit and former Liverpool defender, did his very best to wind Newcastle United fans up this week by claiming the Magpies are 'taking the fun out of football'.
This, according to former Newcastle coach Lawrenson, is because they're apparently using underhand methods and time-wasting tactics in their pursuit of Champions League football. Lawrenson isn't the only person to make such claims this season after Jurgen Klopp, Erik ten Hag and Thomas Frank all tried to level similar accusations at Eddie Howe's Newcastle at different stages of the campaign.
Maybe it was Howe who said it best when he labelled such claims 'nonsense' earlier this month following a hard-fought and utterly well-deserved 2-0 win over ten Hag's abject Manchester United. “I want to make one thing very clear - we want the ball in play. We want a quick game," Howe, visibly unhappy with the notion his side are somehow cheating, told reporters at St James' Park.
READ HERE: Mark Lawrenson hits out at Newcastle and claims they are ‘taking the fun away’ from football
"I don’t get where this time-wasting nonsense has come from because it’s not us and you saw today, we wanted the ball back in play as quickly as possible. High energy, high tempo."
Newcastle, admittedly, have only had the ball in play more than Leeds United this season. However, while the Magpies have a percentage of 52 per cent when it comes to the ball being in play, the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal only have 55 per cent, Manchester United have 57 and Liverpool have 58. A marginal difference in the grand scheme of an entire season.
Also, where was this level of furore at supposed anti-football in years gone by? When Sir Alex Ferguson was attempting to intimidate officials on the touchline? When Jose Mourinho's teams parked the bus at every opportunity in their pursuit of glory? Even this season when the 'Big Six' have attempted 'dark arts' of their own this season?
Manchester United, for one, were time-wasting from the very start of this month's St James' Park defeat despite Ten Hag spending the entire pre-match build-up moaning about Howe's side. Leeds came to St James' Park before the turn of the year and camped in their own third for the majority of the tie. Days later Newcastle were scrutinised and lambasted for a watered down version at Arsenal.
Newcastle are becoming more streetwise as they rapidly climb the Premier League table. But that doesn't mean they have sucked all the joy out of their football. Ask the entirety of the Newcastle fan base or the majority of neutral football fans who have watched one of Newcastle's many, many Sky Sports clashes this season and ask if they think the standard of football is poor.
Howe's side are the meanest pressing side in the division and have played some of the best football in the top flight this term. Miguel Almiron could enter a Goal of the Season competition all on his own, some set piece routines have been perfected on the training ground and replicated on the pitch, and a vast majority of Newcastle's regular XI could realistically walk into a Team of the Season based on their performances.
Lawrenson's comments have come under scrutiny and it is no surprise. Anyone who has watched even a fraction of Newcastle's performances this season no he is talking 'nonsense'... to quote Howe.
Newcastle skipper Kieran Trippier is another who speaks sense of the topic. "Some teams are not happy with us this season, but it's about being clever in that moment, about using your experience," he said earlier this year.
"Opposition fans are not going to like it either, because it's against their team. But as a neutral, I think it's good to see. I don't see why everyone's kicking off about it, it's good!"
In some ways it should be a positive that Newcastle have clearly rattled the Premier League's biggest sides. But this week's laughable comments prove some people simply don't understand Howe's Magpies at all.
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