“Last weekend’s shambolic and shameful defeat at the dark place won’t be forgotten about any time soon, so there is added pressure to get a result here,” writes Newcastle fan Chris Paraskevas.
“We’ve been waiting for a semblance of consistency from this team but too often it has been one step forward followed by two steps back. As much as there have been injuries, isn’t that to be expected of ‘big’ clubs playing in all the ‘big’ competitions?
“There’s a noticeable leadership vacuum on the pitch right now and Bruno cannot be expected to constantly lift the team off the canvas and drive us on. Some of the big players ought to look at the example set by Lewis Miley: quietly consistent, adaptable and always calm under pressure.”
One interesting trend this season – partly caused by injuries – has been the revival of utility players. Like Dominik Szoboszlai, Lewis Miley is dropping in to right-back from midfield effectively, while Reece James has moved the other way for Chelsea. At Manchester City, Pep Guardiola – who was shifting players around before it was cool – has settled on Nico O’Reilly and Matheus Nunes as his starting full-backs. Anyone I’m missing? And who are your favourite everymen from down the years?
