North East football review: Cup clashes and promotion hopes
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00At St James' Park, Newcastle were looking to put a struggling Leicester side to the sword.
00:05This they managed with relative ease in the end, winning by 4-0 in what was a dominant display against a Leicester team who fell apart as the game went on.
00:14The Foxes had started brightly, but soon Newcastle were knocking on the door.
00:18Their first goal came via a well-worked corner routine, which saw Jacob Murphy finish into the bottom corner from the edge of the box, having already missed a couple of chances prior to his goal.
00:29In the second half, Bruno Guimaraes headed home a second early on, before Alexander Isak then guided a header of his own past substitute keeper Danny Ward.
00:39Both of those goals were assisted by Lewis Hall. Newcastle then rounded things off with Murphy second.
00:45He was played in by Isak before drilling a shot hard and low through Ward's legs to seal an important three points for the Magpies ahead of a league cup clash on Wednesday against Brentford.
00:57Sunderland were hopeful of a first away win since October, with their visitor Swansea on Saturday.
01:03The first goal is a bit of an aberration really. It's just a complete lapse in communication.
01:10A corner comes out, gets put back into the box and there just seems to be a breakdown in communication between the goalkeeper and the back four.
01:17It's basically just left for Vipotnik to volley home from a few yards.
01:20As I mentioned, a sloppy giveaway. Job kind of forced back himself into a corner and has to make a foul on the edge of the area.
01:27Fair play. It's a fantastic free kick from Cullen.
01:31Dan Ballard obviously gives Sunderland a lifeline when a good free kick from Trey Hulme is something that's definitely been missing over the last few games.
01:39It is some really good set-piece delivery. Good desire from Ballard to get on the end of it.
01:43As soon as Sunderland start to wrestle a bit of control in midfield and get that back four high up towards the halfway line,
01:49all of a sudden you see Robertson at the end really start to trouble their full backs and cause some problems.
01:54I think first and foremost you've got to praise the character of the team.
01:58I think a 2-0 down, we were all fearing it was going to be a bit of a shocker of a day.
02:03But I thought there was a lot of determination in Sunderland's ranks and some real quality as well.
02:08Obviously that's a stunning strike from Dan Neal.
02:11Finally, Middlesbrough are wanting to bounce back from a disappointing defeat to Leeds in midweek.
02:20And like Newcastle, Borough were able to win on home soil with a 1-0 victory over Millwall at the Riversides.
02:26Millwall had missed a big chance early on through locally born Macaulay Langstaff,
02:30which was soon punished by the hosts who took the lead after 10 minutes through Emmanuel Laté-Lath.
02:36His clever interchange with the in-form Finn Azaz bought him enough time and space to finish low through the keeper.
02:43No more goals came after that, allowing for Borough to hold on to another important win,
02:48which has kept them inside the play-off places, albeit level on points with Watford,
02:52who sit a place below them in the Championship table.
02:56Accusations of staleness at Newcastle United had circulated for a few weeks due to poor form in the Premier League.
03:03It was something which head coach Eddie Howe was aware of, and made clear his attempts to combat it.
03:09The win against Leicester on Saturday was the perfect remedy, but those at the club know it has to be built on.
03:16Newcastle now have the ideal opportunity to do this, with a win against Leicester on Saturday.
03:22Howe made clear that the inconsistency Newcastle have exhibited this season has been a frustration to everyone at the club,
03:29adding that they do not want to take two steps back every time they win a game.
03:34Given the importance of the cup clash on Saturday, it is clear that Newcastle will not be taking two steps back.
03:40Howe said that he would like to see more of Newcastle's performance in the Premier League.
03:44He said that he would like to see more of Newcastle's performance in the Premier League.
03:50Given the importance of the cup clash on Wednesday, Howe recognised that this was the time to turn a corner.
03:58Lifting a major trophy at Newcastle United is something that has evaded those at the club since the InterCities Fairs Cup win in the 1960s
04:07under their then manager Joe Harvey and his captain Bob Moncur.
04:11Newcastle have had good players and good teams since then, but all have ultimately fallen short of that one goal.
04:17This is something that Howe has been keen to change ever since he took charge at the club,
04:22and ahead of the Brentford fixture made clear that he and his crop of players want to be the ones who get over the line and achieve something special.
04:30They came close in the League Cup in 2023 reaching the final, but now they want to go one step further.
04:39Of course, Howe outlined that he knows just how difficult achieving something of that nature is
04:44and will never take anything for granted, but was bullish when he stated that his side can be a match for anyone on their day
04:50and that despite the issues regarding PSR and APT rules, he believes that the impossible is possible with his players.
04:58One player who Howe has been without for some time now is Sven Bottmann.
05:02The Dutch central defender has been out since the spring, having torn his anterior cruciate ligament, which required surgery and rehabilitation.
05:10Bottmann made his playing return on Monday for Newcastle's under-21s against Chelsea's youth team.
05:19Bottmann played 60 minutes and was lauded for his composure on his return as Newcastle's young side won 3-2.
05:25Howe highlighted just how much Newcastle have missed Bottmann during his time out and praised his movement on the pitch,
05:31despite it being his first game back in several months.
05:35Howe made clear though that Bottmann will not be available for selection for the first team until at least the end of December or even the start of January
05:45and that the club are easing him back into action in accordance with a plan that they set out for his return to competitive action in the Premier League and the Cup.
05:57For Dale Fry, playing for Middlesbrough means more.
06:00As someone who hails from Teesside, representing his hometown club for nearly all of his playing career is the stuff that dreams are made of.
06:08With Borough currently in the hunt for a play-off spot in the Championship this season, there is a real chance he could play for them in the Premier League.
06:16The idea of wearing the Middlesbrough red in England's top division certainly seemed a long way off for Fry,
06:23as he recovered from a pelvic injury which kept him sidelined for around nine months this year.
06:29Having made his return to playing recently, he made clear what the aim is for the rest of the season.
06:36This he did at the annual Middlesbrough Christmas party for champion children at the Riverside Stadium, adorning some rather festive headwear for the occasion.
06:49You know, everybody knows the main goal is promotion, whether it's a play-off or going up from the top two,
06:54but it's important as well not to get carried away with that, as you always take one game as it comes,
06:58because you can get caught looking at the end goal, but really what matters is the next game.
07:02You know, the lads are focused, every game is hard in the Championship, so we're just trying to chip away,
07:07especially over this Christmas period, there's a lot of games and you can really kick on from then.
07:11Fry added that his teammates were fully aware of who they represent in the stands.
07:17You know, I don't think they need reminding. I think they see the support that we get on the weekend,
07:22and also I've mentioned before that I spoke to one of the lads in the dressing room before we came here
07:27and he said he'd seen on Instagram that he'd sold out on Boxing Day and he was absolutely over the moon,
07:32and he's from Brazil, do you know what I mean, so that just shows that the lads don't need extra motivation,
07:36we already see it and we get a lot of support from the fans as well.
07:39On Michael Carrick, Fry was full of praise and talked of the detail.
07:44He incorporates Inter Borough's tactics and set-up.
07:48Yeah, you know, the gaffer's top. On the training pitch, you know, a lot of information goes into it,
07:54a lot of attention to detail, all of his backroom staff as well, and it's crazy because you wouldn't think
07:59that he's actually been in the dressing rooms of the players that he has done, because he's so down to earth
08:03and he never brings up his career, but no, he's excellent at work with a very calm approach
08:09and when we go out on the pitch, everybody knows what they're doing.
08:13Middlesbrough have the opportunity to achieve something special this season,
08:17which will be forefront in Fry's mind. There is certainly a good feeling amongst the squad
08:22in terms of what they are capable of, despite the quality of the teams around them in the Championship.
08:30Does this season, does this squad feel special to you, just sort of where you are in the league,
08:34some of the games you're winning, some of the goals you're scoring,
08:36does it feel like things are really coming together this season?
08:38Yeah, it does. Like I say, we've got players all over the place who can do a job.
08:42We've probably got lads who have been on the bench who could probably get any side in the Championship really.
08:47Like I say, we've had a few illnesses, a few injuries, but the lads who have come in, they've done really well
08:53and I think we've given the manager a bit of a headache at times with his start in XI, which is good problems to have.
09:00Sunderland's dramatic comeback win away at Swansea last weekend showed just how far they've come under Rajis Libris.
09:07A 2-0 down, previous Sunderland sides may well have crumbled, but not Libris' Sunderland.
09:12A victory inspired by captain Dan Neill and those around him showed their fight and determination.
09:20Several of the squad who entered last season so poorly are part of this revival under Libris now.
09:25The Frenchmen came in back in the summer with fresh ideas which have worked for Sunderland and revitalised the club.
09:31This will not have been an easy task, but Libris' plan is paying off for the Black Cats.
09:38When asked what his first impressions of the squad were upon his arrival and whether he had a goal for them,
09:44Libris was open with his answer.
09:48Yes, it was clear in my mind and it didn't change, I think.
09:53So we defined some five or six ideas in and out of position and we say that is the way we want to play.
10:05Even if we will struggle because, for example, the man for man is very risky, but it's the way we want to defend at home and away.
10:14And probably we will concede big chances, even goals, but if we master that phase, it will be a very strong strength for our team.
10:26For me it was clear that the potential of the team was important, but it was important as well to define clear ideas
10:36and to keep the consistency as a staff and as a coach, to keep believing that is the way we want to play and we will improve with experiences.
10:46So I'm not really surprised, I should say, and I am happy with the way they are playing now, really happy.
10:54With half a year now under his belt at the club, it is apparent that Libris has built a strong bond with his players.
11:03Yes, I think it's a part of the style of the identity of the club and the identity of the players.
11:12My job is to understand what they are able to do and to keep the identity until the end, even with problems or difficult periods.
11:24So my style is more to understand what is the strength of the club, the identity of the club and the strength of the players.
11:37And on the subject of himself, Libris gave a short and simple response as to what motivates him as a head coach.
11:45I like football. I like football, first of all. I like the game and I like the connection with people who like football.