Matt Ritchie put a positive spin on Newcastle ’s inconsistencies and mistakes, as his boss Eddie Howe had moments earlier.
The corner flag-booting supersub had clawed back a point in injury time and pulled up a question asking why the Toon had a problem at home. “Steady on, it’s five wins in seven, isn’t it?…” Ritchie said. True, it’s four in seven in all competitions, hardly a disaster.
But other Premier League stats show a malaise that Howe has yet to solve - and that includes the glaringly obvious of Dan Burn being ruthlessly targeted by opponents using quick right wingers. It’s three wins in 11 league games, taking 11 points, which is not top seven form, which is the par for the course finish this season.
Newcastle have also conceded at an alarming rate - 19 in their last seven league games, and it’s a trip to rampant Arsenal next. Ritchie said: “With the cup included, the form is fine. Yes, we’re not playing as well as we have done in the last two years but there’s no straight road in football. There are always ups and downs.
“Yes, it’s not going as swimmingly and as perfectly as it had for the first 18 months, two years since the change of ownership. We’ve had challenges off the pitch, everyone knows. If you actually look at where we’re at, with the challenges we’ve had, it’s an absolute credit to all involved.”
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This is true. Freak injuries and having no centre forward, has been damaging and unavoidable. What is avoidable is allowing opponents to rip down the left side, run at Burn, who only recently recovered from three broken bones in his back. Forest, Luton and now Antoine Semenyo have all cashed in.
Add in the fact Burn’s always hooked AFTER the damage is done for Tino Livramento, and Newcastle are committed to spend a mad £30m on loanee Chelsea left back Lewis Hall in the summer who can’t get near the pitch, and it’s all a bit confusing for Toon fans.
Matt Ritchie celebrates his goal against former side Bournemouth (Getty Images)What has gone wrong for Newcastle this season? Share your thoughts in the comments below
Ritchie sought to calm any panic. “We have clear sight, and a clear goal internally of what we want to achieve. That’s still well within our reach so we’ll continue to strive for that.
“We’ve got a fantastic group. I don’t say that lightly. We’ve been growing on and off the pitch. This is an unbelievable football club only going in one direction.
“If we lost, confidence would be knocked. You have to respect a point in this league. For us, a point is massive because it keeps that momentum. We move onto the next. It’s never going to be a straight road, there are always going to be challenges.
Boss Howe concedes the Toon are not at “full power” and says he is searching for defensive solutions. He says a goal is never one person's fault adding: “I can watch it and usually see three or four errors.”
Martin Dubravka could have done better saving Semenyo’s shot, and also slipped to allow Dominic Solanke ’s opener. Ritchie hoofed the corner flag celebrating and joked: “I probably shouldn't have celebrated like that! But I've been thinking about that for a long time.
“Emotion really took over. To give the lads something after watching them - and enjoying watching - from the bench for the last two years playing a bit-part role - has been an absolute pleasure.”
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