Newcastle 1-3 Forest: Shocking Toon end 2023 with a whimper as Wood runs riot
Another game, another damaging defeat for Eddie Howe's Newcastle, as we end 2023 with what's undoubtedly our most concerning performance of the year.
We started well and took a deserved lead through Alexander Isak, but failed to capitalise on our early dominance, shot ourselves in the foot just before the break and completely collapsed in a frankly appalling second half display full of awful decision-making, mistakes and a lack of plan B as Forest sat deep.
We've talked about fatigue, injuries and the busy schedule - 10 games in the last 30 days has not helped - but the team looked void of all confidence, character or belief in that final 45 minutes. It's as if disappointment after disappointment over the past few weeks has totally taken the stuffing out of the group.
The result is damaging on so many levels and leave us in a really tough position ahead of a brutal run of January fixtures, with Liverpool, Sunderland, Man City and Aston Villa to come next month. Three of those are away games and we're now seven behind Spurs having played a game less.
It's easy to say after the event, but the first mistake of the day was from Eddie Howe. Dan Burn at left-back didn't make sense for several reasons. Forest aren't a big side, they have bags of pace in wide areas and they were their to be got at down the flanks, so it was baffling that Livramento was benched again after a rest at Luton.
There was an early chance for the visitors just two minutes in, as Gibbs-White thankfully fired just wide after robbing Miley of possession. At the other end, we capitalised on a period of pressure and high pressing as Isak converted the penalty he won with a cool finish at the Gallowgate. A special mention must also go to Miley, who played an eye of the needle pass into the Swede befote he was brought down.
They couldn’t cope with our high press yet continued to play out from the back. We could and should have made it 2-0 before the break, but ended up going in all square as former Mag Chris Wood tapped in at the end of a Forest counter. The warning signs had been there in patches - we gave the ball away far too many in our half - but this was such an awful goal to concede, which all started with Almiron’s giveaway from a brilliant position to make it 2-0.
15 seconds into the restart they should’ve gone 2-1 up, as Elanga left Burn for dead and set up Gibbs-White, who glanced a golden chance wide. A big let off, but we didn't learn from it and continued to give Forest bags of space from simple balls in behind.
After scoring a first-half tap-in, Wood made the most of our calamitous defending not once but twice in a shambolic second half. The former Toon striker scored five in 39 games during his time on Tyneside and today he bullied Botman, burst past our back four far too easily and made Dubravka look silly on a few occasions to score a St James' Park hat-trick.
Bruno was a joy to watch in the first half, Miley impressed again before we imploded and it was nice to see Botman and Isak back, but the Dutchman looked off the pace, Trippier continued his slump with such a poor display (on and off the ball), Miggy came up short once again in the final third and Longstaff didn't offer enough; a theme since his return from injury.
We know these lads are a band of brothers and a great group, but costly errors, missed chances and collapsing when it gets tough has happened far too often over the past few weeks, resulting in damaging results in the league, cup and Champions League.
One to forget but a worrying display, lacking in quality, fight, organisation or ideas. 2023 has generally been a magical year for us Toon fans, but this is without doubt the toughest period of Eddie Howe's tenure and we must react; starting at Liverpool on New Year's Day.
STARTING 11: Dubravka – Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn- Miley, Bruno, Longstaff – Almiron, Isak, Gordon.
SUBS: Karius, Hall, Murphy, Livramento, Dummett, Joelinton, Wilson, Ritchie, Krafth.
