Fear not—I’ve located it.
After this Newcastle United season opener, I had found it difficult to come up with the idea.
Just one word to sum everything up.
I finally figured it out when the last whistle blew against Fulham.
United lost 3-1 at Craven Cottage, but this article is about what we have observed thus far, notably today and the first half in particular.
The word for such is “lethargy” or “lethargic.”
Looking up the exact meaning(s) of the word, I found the following.
“Lethargy: An absence of vigor and excitement.”
A state of exhaustion and low energy is referred to as lethargy. A person who is feeling sluggish might not have the drive or energy to do the daily duties they need to. Lethargy can have many different causes, from underlying medical issues to infrequent overexertion.
The good news is that the ailment isn’t terminal, at least not in my perspective.
Doctor Edward John Frank Howe must, however, locate the remedy immediately.
I would argue that “lethargy” and a lack of vigor and excitement are distinct from just expressing that you are not trying.
Though I don’t think it is here, it may be in some circumstances.
If any of you have participated in a lot of football, regardless of level, you are aware that sometimes you show up for a game and nothing happens. It’s not happening for you; it has nothing to do with not trying.
In fact, when you’re in that type of attitude, the more you try, the worse things seem to get. when fatigue sets in.
You really see that in our Brazilian pair, I believe. even though it shows up in the two of them rather differently.
Joelinton like someone with one of those cartoon temperature gauges that is at its highest point and about to explode; in an attempt to push his best form to return, he becomes more and more muscular and starts to run about like something is wrong.
I believe Bruno Guimaraes has better internal containment. Yes, we are aware of his occasional emotional outbursts, but I think he simply becomes more intense and pushes himself harder when things aren’t going well for him on the field. We are aware that his relentless effort to motivate the squad around him with his skill and tenacity rather than his pace is what makes him stand out. Bruno gets harder on himself the more things don’t go his way.
I believe that Bruno Guimaraes’ “lethargy” is mostly caused by the absurd quantity of football he has played for clubs and his nation over the past few years, particularly the last 13 months or so. Sending him away for a few weeks with his family to give him some much-needed relaxation might be the best course of action, especially in the long run, even though I know he would find it quite tough to do. If not, at least sit him for the final 25 minutes or so against Man City, in the expectation that United will have at least settled their differences by then.
The other person who has probably seen too much football over the previous 15 or 16 months is Anthony Gordon.
Regarding the remaining players who have succumbed to a state of lethargicness, there might be a multitude of explanations.
Even still, I believe that, in its most basic form, this football-related lethargic behavior can be extremely contagious and swiftly spread.
Once more, I believe that attempting is quite different from not trying. It’s more often the result of one or two players who aren’t performing at all, particularly when it comes to their football brains not functioning at all. This may lead to misdirected passes, being caught in possession, making the incorrect pass, passing when you should shoot, and vice versa.
As seen by the four more adjustments performed today, which did little more than flatline the patient in the first half rather than serve as a miracle treatment, it is evident that Dr. Edward John Frank Howe is desperately searching for a cure.
In these kinds of situations, time is sometimes the greatest cure.
The patient just gets fired up by something, gets back up, and never looks back.
It has happened many times: a squad that has been horribly performing or producing outcomes all of a sudden.
In this field, Dr. Edward John Frank Howe has experience. For instance, how did he turn the Ashley/Bruce mess he took over in November 2021 into a team that had the third-best form in the Premier League for the entire 19 games in the second half of that 2021/22 PL season? All it took was six weeks or less after his first game in charge to turn a group of players who were certain to be relegated. Bruno Guimaraes only really became involved once Howe had done his magic.
I simply hope that Dr. Edward John Frank Howe makes the correct diagnosis as soon as possible. I have complete trust in him to discover the solution.
Fulham 3 Newcastle 1 – Saturday 21 September 3pm
(Source: BBC Sport stats)
Objectives:
Newcastle Eagles:
Barnes 46
Fulham:
Smith-Rowe 22, Jimenez 5, Nelson 90+2
(Statistics for the first half are in brackets.)
Newcastle had the ball 61% (60%) and Fulham 39% (40%)
Newcastle had 15 shots overall, 4 Fulham had 22 (13)
Newcastle 4 (1) Fulham 11 (7) shots on target
Newcastle 0 (0) Fulham 6 (3) corner kicks
Newcastle 22 (10) Fulham 37 (20) touches in the box
Fulham vs. Newcastle United team:
Barnes, Isak, Gordon (Osula 83), Bruno, Willock (Jacob Murphy 46), Joelinton (Tonali 74), Trippier, Schar, Burn, Kelly (Hall 46), and Pope
Underutilized subs
Longstaff, Dubravka, Krafth, and Almiron
(Match Report: Newcastle 1 vs. Fulham 3: A tale of two halves, but Newcastle United falters at crucial times – Read HERE)
(Read the immediate fan and writer response to Fulham 3 Newcastle 1 HERE.)
Newcastle United’s announced schedule of forthcoming matches through the end of November:
Newcastle against. AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, at 7:45 p.m. Sky Sports+
Newcastle vs. Man City on Saturday, September 28, 2024 (12.30 pm) TNT Sports
Newcastle vs. Everton on Saturday, October 5, at 5.30 p.m. Sky Sports
Saturday, October 19, 3 p.m.: Newcastle vs. Brighton
Sunday, October 27 at 2 p.m.: Chelsea vs. Newcastle Sky Sports
Newcastle vs. Arsenal on Saturday, November 2 (12.30pm) TNT Sports
Sunday, November 10 at 2 p.m.: Forest vs. Newcastle Sky Sports
Monday, November 25 at 8 p.m.: Newcastle vs. West Ham Sky Sports
Saturday, November 30: Newcastle vs. Crystal Palace
READ MORE ON:https://sportip.co.uk/