A lot of debate after the Newcastle United match against Everton on Saturday.
As you are no doubt aware, David Moyes’ team leaving with the three points.
A strange match in many ways, as Everton dominated the opening 20 minutes and took the lead.
Newcastle United having looked uncomfortable, a bit disorganised, confusion on who should be doing what, looking the wrong set up against this particular opposition.
Eddie Howe acting to change this, with Nick Woltemade moved up front from midfield, Anthony Gordon out left instead of up front, Joelinton into midfield instead of left side of the attack.
Newcastle United looked much better, looking the better and more threatening team over the remainder of the match, though struggling to break down a disciplined opposition sitting very deep.
Newcastle United scoring two well worked equalisers, only to give away each time a very soft goal to Everton due to poor self-inflicted moments.
Everton couldn’t believe their luck.
So what went wrong and why? Apart from those individual errors?
I want you to look at this.
Newcastle United Premier League starts this season (Out of maximum 28, as at 1 March 2026):
24 Sandro Tonali, Malick Thiaw
22 Bruno Guimaraes, Nick Pope
20 Anthony Gordon
19 Nick Woltemade, Dan Burn
18 Joelinton
16 Lewis Hall
15 Kieran Trippier
14 Harvey Barnes, Jacob Murphy
12 Sven Botman
11 Tino Livramento, Fabian Schar, Anthony Elanga, Lewis Miley
8 Jacob Ramsey
6 Joe Willock, Aaron Ramsdale
4 Yoane Wissa
1 Emil Krafth, Will Osula
Due to so many matches in other competitions (17 on top of 28 PL games, so far) and so many injuries, only three United outfield players have started more than 20 Premier League matches.
Then you compare that to Saturday’s opposition.
Everton starting 11 v Newcastle United, Premier League starts this season (Out of maximum 28, as at 1 March 2026):
28 Pickford, Tarkowski, Garner
25 O’Brien
23 Mykolenko
22 Ndiaye
20 Dewsbury-Hall
19 Gueye
9 Beto
8 McNeil
4 Branthwaite
The subs used against Newcastle United on Saturday, how many Everton Premier League starts they have made this season:
23 Keane
19 Barry
6 Armstrong
Other than the Everton players who got on the pitch against Newcastle United on Saturday, only two others have started more than six PL matches this season, Grealish has had 18 Premier League starts this season and Tim Iroegbunam 12.
What does this tell us?
Even if you leave aside all the extra matches Newcastle United are having to play this season compared to many other teams, such as Everton. The fact that Everton have been able to put out more or less the same team week after week, is a massive advantage.
Everton aren’t great but they have a set way of playing and the same players play Premier League after Premier League, all knowing their jobs.
I think this is especially important at the back. Everton on Saturday had Pickford who has started all 28 PL matches, then three of their back four who have started 23 or more PL games this season – Tarkowski, O’Brien and Mykolenko. Branthwaite was the odd one out, only making his fourth PL start so far due to injury, but he is arguably their very best player. Keane came off the bench against Newcastle and he had started 23 of their other 27 PL matches in Branthwaite’s absence.
Go compare
I couldn’t help but think back to the 2022/23 season.
I think this was easily the greatest ever season in living memory for NUFC when it came to how the defence performed. United and Man City conceded the join lowest number of PL goals that season, only 33 each.
That 2022/23 season, Trippier started all 38 PL matches, Pope 37, Schar 36, Burn 35, Botman 35.
That (2022/23 season), we also saw Bruno 32 PL starts, Willock 31, Joelinton 30, Almiron 29, Longstaff 28. Whilst Wilson (21) and Isak (17) almost exactly shared the starting duties as centre-forward (one or two PL matches they started together that season). Which is what Barry (19) and Beto (9) are doing this season for Everton, they both might be hopeless BUT they know their job in the team and what they are expected to do.
For Eddie Howe, I think it has been near mission impossible.
All the Isak nonsense that helped make the summer so difficult, five of the six new signings arriving so late that they had no pre-season at all with their new NUFC teammates. Then having the worst injury record of all Premier League clubs this season, simply topping it all off. If most/all of these things had happened differently then competing in four competitions would have proved more manageable for sure.
Eddie Howe faced a hugely chaotic summer/pre-season when he was badly let down by the Newcastle United owners.
Then to compound that, lined up to fill the Isak role we saw Wissa injured long-term before he played, then Ramsey picking up a bad injury (thanks to Longstaff!!) on his first NUFC PL start.
That has set the tone for the rest of the season, not able to properly prepare for the new season what was always going to be a much changed squad, then firefighting week after week, match by match, as the season has gone on.