Source: Northern_Echo
Nervousness returns to Newcastle
AFTER furtive talk of Europe, a top-half finish and an impending summer spending spree, Saturday was the day when nervousness returned to Newcastle.[LNB] It wasn't so much that Alan Pardew's side lost at home to a team below them in the table, or even that the eventual margin of defeat could easily have been two or three goals greater than it was. It was more a nagging sense that reality was gradually starting to bite.[LNB] The reality that, in the absence of the departed Andy Carroll, Newcastle were forced to finish a game with Shefki Kuqi and Mike Williamson forming part of a three-man attack. The reality that, with Jose Enrique suffering a first-half injury that could rule him out of this month's trip to Stoke, the Magpies' only left-back cover is provided by untried 19-year-old Shane Ferguson. And the reality that, on paper at least, the current starting line-up is surely no better than the side that was relegated two seasons ago.[LNB] The situation is markedly different to the relegation campaign, with the levels of motivation, commitment and effort within the current squad far in excess of what was apparent two years ago.[LNB] But with West Ham and West Brom both winning at the weekend, the gap to the relegation zone is suddenly just six points. Breathing space still exists, but the same could be said of a number of clubs and there is clearly not going to be enough air to go around.[LNB] "It is only people outside the club who have ever assumed that we would be okay from relegation," said Steve Harper, who was in the starting line-up at Villa Park when Newcastle tumbled out of the top-flight two seasons ago. "We the players take nothing for granted at this football club, and we've got nine games left to get as many points as possible.[LNB] "It is what happens at this club whenever we win a few games, people start talking about Europe. That's the way it always has been and it's the way it always will be. But at the start of the year, our aim was to stay up and that still remains the case. The sooner we can do that, the better."[LNB] To that end, Saturday's game was an opportunity missed. Neither side started particularly brightly, but Newcastle claimed the lead from their first meaningful attack midway through the first half.[LNB] Kevin Nolan's close-range shot was saved by Tim Howard, but Leon Best was on hand to head home the rebound. It was the Irishman's sixth goal in ten matches, and for all that his all-round play is hardly that of a polished Premier League performer, it is impossible to argue against his scoring record since Carroll departed at the end of January.[LNB] Nolan missed a headed opportunity to extend Newcastle's lead, but for the second game in succession, the hosts were unable to hold on to their advantage. And unlike the Bolton game seven days earlier, this time they were even unable to retain parity at the break.[LNB] From an Everton perspective, the turnaround owed much to the mercurial Mikel Arteta, who was by far the most composed, accomplished and creative player on the pitch. From Newcastle's point of view, however, questions must be asked of the defending that led to the game being turned on its head.[LNB] With Danny Simpson pushed into midfield, a move that surely confirms Pardew's mistrust of Danny Guthrie, Steven Taylor was asked to fill in at right-back. He appeared uncomfortable in the position, either recklessly charging forward or tucking much too close to the centre-half, and Arteta was afforded the freedom of the left-hand side as he squared for Leon Osman to equalise shortly after the half-hour mark.[LNB] Five minutes later and the laxness was transferred to the opposite flank, with Enrique losing Phil Jagielka entirely as he stabbed home Leighton Baines' free-kick via the underside of the crossbar.[LNB] Best had a header rightly disallowed for a push with 12 minutes left, but with Newcastle's attacking becoming increasingly desperate and unstructured, Louis Saha, Victor Anichebe and Seamus Coleman all wasted inviting late opportunities to extend Everton's lead.[LNB] "We knew at the start of the season there would be highs and lows and difficult patches," said Harper. "People said at the start of the year it would be our home form that would keep us up, but in fact it's not worked out like that. We've improved our away form immensely and got a lot of points on our travels.[LNB] "It's so close this season and that's why this was a big opportunity for us. We could have been sitting on 39 points in that top bracket, but we've always known what could happen until we're mathematically safe. The job's still there to be done. The bottom three are a little bit closer to us, so there's still a lot of work to be done in the last nine games."[LNB]
