What a team – What a manager – What a time to be a Newcastle United fan | OneFootball

I have a mental problem. I know it because, by trade, I am a psychologist.

For the past 30 years, I have experienced mood swings, burnout, and extreme anxiety. My life has been filled with unfounded anger and exasperation, and I could not care less about what happened to the outside world.

There have been more lows than highs, with mood swings that shift from soaring confidence to utter despair in a short span of time.

I live my life in trepidation, submitting myself to the torture of false hope that things will get better soon.

How many times have I subjected myself to ridicule, dismissed as insignificant, an afterthought? Fans all over the world, not related by birth or geography, have a wide array of successful teams to choose as their adopted Premier League club, often depending on the cups and championships they’ve won. Yet, I chose Newcastle United.

Then December came. And what a December it has been. The monsoon season and flooding in Malaysia could not hold back my joy. It feels as though I can hear Jimmy Cliff singing “I Can See Clearly Now” in my ear every morning.

That, in a nutshell, is how I feel as a Newcastle United fan at this moment.

Some might advise me not to get carried away, given our history, and rightly so. But just as you can’t stop yourself from sneezing, I can’t stop myself from smiling ear to ear. When you’ve suffered through 30 years of supporting Newcastle United, you grab whatever happiness you can get. But yes, I do get the point, just absorb this feeling one game at a time.

But this team feels different this time. We are more confident in possession, defending and attacking as a cohesive unit. The breathtaking patterns of attack are direct, with no signs of walking the ball into the net. It’s as if Eddie Howe has put a condition of no longer than five seconds on the ball in the opponent’s half.

The Midfield Trio.

It’s often remarked that a slight change in personnel can make a world of difference. With Sandro Tonali as the central six and Bruno Guimaraes shifted to the right, the dynamics of our team have completely transformed. Bruno’s positioning on the right has allowed Jacob Murphy to flourish, reminiscent of the chemistry between Bruno, Miguel Almiron and Kieran Trippier two seasons ago.

The success isn’t just down to formation. The intelligence and creative freedom in their roles have allowed us to dominate the midfield.

Are we playing Sandro as a single pivot or a double pivot with Bruno? Is Bruno a fixed right central midfielder?

The freedom given to Tonali and Bruno to interpret their roles has led to fluid control of the midfield, opening up chances for our forwards. For instance, Bruno was on the left when he assisted Anthony Gordon at Spurs, while Tonali was in an advanced position when he passed to Murphy for the second goal.

Game Management.

It was common for pundits to praise Ruben Amorim for making tactical changes after the 30th minute against Newcastle United, or Ange Postecoglou in our match against Spurs. As usual, it supposedly wasn’t because we looked good but because the opposition manager didn’t adjust their formation early enough. Thus, the opposition looked better in the second half. What’s not apparent to the pundits is that we sat back to protect our lead and shield our players from injury. By doing so, we managed the game effectively, letting the opponents pass sideways without making any real threat to our goal.

Eddie Howe implemented this approach much earlier in the season. However, with many players out of form and Tonali’s role not yet settled, we didn’t look as convincing as we do now.

Alexander Isak.

There’s no doubt that Alexander Isak’s return to form is the icing on our December cake.

I don’t know whether to be offended or proud when so-called “football experts” link him with other clubs. But it’s clear there’s a certain amount of disrespect toward our club.

How much do Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah, Cole Palmer, and Bukayo Saka cost? Why place a £150 million price tag on Isak alone while no value exists for the others? This feels more like an attempt to pressure us under the guise of financial sustainability regulations.

The mark of a great striker isn’t just the goals they score but also the quality of their opponents. Isak has scored against all the current top six teams, bar Manchester City, as he was injured for that game. Meanwhile, Salah, with a similar record, failed to score against Nottingham Forest.

Sandro Tonali.

When Eddie Howe was asked if Tonali played like Andrea Pirlo, he reasonably pointed out some similarities, though their hairstyles are definitely alike. For me, Tonali’s style and importance to the team as a six are more reminiscent of N’Golo Kante during his Chelsea days. Our team looks more fluid and press-resistant with Tonali in that position. Some might have different views regarding Kante, but there’s no doubt that Tonali’s presence has made us a more balanced and cohesive unit.

The Newcastle Way.

There are many good players in every team linked to us.

Jack Grealish? Not a chance. He may be talented, but he lacks the ingredients Eddie Howe values most: attitude. Manchester United may be united in name, but not in deed. For every Marcus Rashford, I’ll take Almiron any day. Big-headed players have no place in Eddie Howe’s team, or they’ll find themselves “Frasered.”

Our team has a professional look about them. Score one goal and their body language says, “Let’s get back and score another.”