.png)
5 hours ago
1
Newcastle’s new chief executive, David Hopkinson, is presiding over a “100-day review” of all areas of club operations.
It is the sort of management exercise beloved of senior executives across assorted companies but the reality at St James’ Partk is that almost every department is largely a hostage to first-team fortunes. In other words, if Eddie Howe’s team fail to qualify for the Champions League again next season everyone will suffer the consequences.
Given the odds are overwhelmingly against Newcastle lifting that trophy next spring, they desperately need to hit their Premier League stride and start clambering up the table.
That process began here with only their third League victory of the season. No matter that Howe’s team were not always exactly convincing and left it until the 90th minute before Bruno Guimarães secured all three points, Newcastle suggested that they might finally be mastering the art of winning twice a week.
With Howe’s players shadows of those who had deconstructed Benfica here in midweek, they needed a stroke of fortune. It arrived when an awful concentration lapse on Calvin Bassey’s part prefaced Jacob Murphy’s opening goal for Newcastle. As Bassey lingered on the ball, perhaps daydreaming, Howe’s right winger arrived on his blindside, stole possession and accelerated towards the area.
Not for nothing is Murphy known as the “assist king” on Tyneside but, all too often, his finishing lets him down. This though, proved a glorious exception with Silva’s goalkeeper Bernd Leno powerless to prevent Murphy’s ensuing angled shot arrowing into the bottom corner.
In July Newcastle signed Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest for £55m to supposedly serve as an “upgrade” on Murphy but the latter is deservedly keeping Elanga out of Howe’s starting XI.
Although Murphy neglected inviting invitations to polish off another couple of chances, Nick Woltemade sliced an early chance against a post and Anthony Gordon tortured Kenny Tete throughout, a sporadically slapdash Newcastle did not exactly have it all their own way.
Fulham had their moments, most notably when Adama Traoré escaped Dan Burn and delivered some dangerous right-wing crosses. Raúl Jiménez troubled Sven Botman at times, threatening to unhinge Howe’s rearguard and Nick Pope further reaffirmed his candidacy for England’s World Cup squad by saving smartly to deny Sander Berge.
Newcastle did not always make the most of Woltemade’s ability to link play and, instead, allowed Fulham to mount a convincing response to falling behind.
When Kevin, introduced at half-time by Marco Silva, crossed with menace from the left, Jiménez’s volley rebounded off the bar and Sasa Lukic bravely beat Botman to head beyond Pope.
after newsletter promotion
Botman’s attempt to prevent that equaliser left the Dutch defender nursing a gashed head and looking decidedly groggy. On came Fabian Schär as part of a triple home substitution also featuring the arrival of Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes. The lingering effects of a virus dictated Tonali had, unusually, started on the bench and the Italy midfielder’s liberation from it was greeted by one of the afternoon’s loudest cheers.
Howe’s problem was that his team were struggling to deal with Kevin. Despite a certain erraticism, the Brazilian winger, Fulham’s record £34.6m summer signing, had begun demonstrating why he was Shakhtar Donetsk’s player of the season last term by tormenting Kieran Trippier.
With Silva’s side now looking dangerous almost every time they attacked Newcastle needed to take their chances and could have done without an unmarked Guimarães heading over the crossbar after being cleverly cued up by Gordon.
Newcastle’s captain knew he should have done better but there was still time to make amends. No matter that Guimarães left it rather late, he delighted in sweeping a 90th-minute shot past Leno after connecting with the rebound when Fulham’s goalkeeper could only parry a shot from substitute Will Osula.
