Newcastle’s inspired response, Callum Wilson’s high standards and the Graeme Jones moment – 5 things

Newcastle United ended their 11-game winless run with an impressive 2-0 victory against Everton at Goodison Park.

Man of the match Callum Wilson scored two goals in the second half to ease the pressure on Steve Bruce and give the black-and-whites their first win since December 12.

Here are five things we learned from the game.

Callum Wilson is worth his weight in gold

Where would Newcastle be without Callum Wilson? The striker ended his seven-game goal drought in style against Everton with a brilliant header in the 73rd minute.

Jonjo Shelvey could not beat the first man from a corner kick not so long ago but the midfielder’s floated delivery teed up Wilson at the near post and the 28-year-old, somehow, steered his header into the bottom corner from 10 yards out. It was just reward for a fine display up front.

Video Loading

Video Unavailable

Click to play Tap to play

The video will auto-play soon8Cancel

Play now

Wilson had 24 touches in the first half – double the amount opposite number Dominic Calvert-Lewis had for Everton – and the lively striker did not look anywhere near as isolated as he has in recent weeks.

As well as forcing Jordan Pickford into a fine save with a bullet header in the first half, Wilson had a glorious opportunity to break the deadlock on 53 minutes but the Coventry native rolled his first-time effort wide of the goal.

Tellingly, though, Wilson’s head did not drop as the summer signing popped up with, arguably, his most important Newcastle goal yet before adding a second late on to seal all three points.

Wilson has already scored 10 goals for Newcastle but it says it all about the striker’s high standards that he was ‘disappointed’ not to have grabbed his first hat-trick for the club at Goodison Park.

Now *that’s* a response

You used to be able to rely on this spirited group to bounce back but we have been waiting for a proper response from Newcastle for some time now.

Yes, Steve Bruce took a lot of encouragement from the Magpies’ second-half display against Leeds but Newcastle needed to deliver a performance over the course of 90 minutes to stop the rot and claim their first points of 2021.

Read More Related Articles Read More Related Articles

We saw that at Goodison Park. Newcastle were more aggressive off the ball – Jamaal Lascelles and Jonjo Shelvey, tellingly, both went into the book within the first 20 minutes – and Isaac Hayden patrolled the midfield expertly.

Crucially, too, Newcastle players pressed higher – Miguel Almiron was unleashed in a free role through the middle – and Callum Wilson certainly benefited from having team-mates in support as the striker and Ryan Fraser stretched Everton’s defence.

When it came to distance covered, of the 20 outfield players on the field, only one Everton player was in the top five, which summed up the effort the visitors put in as Jamal Lewis, Isaac Hayden, Jeff Hendrick and Almiron worked tirelessly.

Everton skipper Seamus Coleman even admitted post-match that Newcastle ‘wanted it more’ and that the Toffees ‘weren’t up for the fight as much’ as the visitors were.

Graeme Jones already making presence felt

Graeme Jones has only been working as Newcastle’s new assistant manager for a few days but Steve Bruce has confirmed his No 2 has already brought some ‘fresh ideas’ to the club. Well, the new arrival certainly made his presence felt on his return to Goodison Park.

Jones was one of four coaches involved in Newcastle’s warm-up and it was noticeable how the 50-year-old briefly took Callum Wilson aside for a quiet word before the players were put through their paces.

New assistant head coach Graeme Jones shouts instructions during Newcastle United’s Premier League match at Everton

While Jones has an emotional link to his boyhood club, clearly, the Gateshead native is not here to make up the numbers and the assistant stepped forward on the touchline to applaud Newcastle players’ effort and to bark out orders.

At one point, on 16 minutes, as Steve Bruce and Steve Agnew were in discussion on the touchline, Jones passed on some individual instructions before dropping back to speak to Agnew.

The trio later walked back to the away dressing room together at half-time and having a new voice in the camp can only help the Magpies as the pressure eases on Bruce.

Steve Bruce has something to build on

Steve Bruce may have received a pile of letters from Newcastle supporters, urging him to keep bashing away, but the Magpies’ head coach was the first to acknowledge that he is not ‘bulletproof’.

Bruce, more than anyone, knew Newcastle’s run could not continue and the challenge now for the 60-year-old is to build on such an encouraging display at Gooidson Park after he got it so right at Everton.

Newcastle only claimed back-to-back league wins on just two occasions in 2020 and Tuesday’s game against Crystal Palace is a real chance to pull away from the relegation zone.

Bruce has a blueprint to take into that game and deserves immense credit for his decision to field Fraser, Almiron and Wilson as a fluid front three.

It could yet be an interesting deadline day for Newcastle

With just two days to go until the transfer window closes, Matt Ritchie and DeAndre Yedlin were both left out of Newcastle’s match day squad although Bruce stressed that did not ‘necessarily’ mean they were leaving.

Bournemouth are interested in a reunion with Ritchie, who only signed a lucrative new contract with Newcastle last March, while Galatasaray would like to buy Yedlin, who has entered the final months of his deal with the Magpies.

Bruce said that it would take a ‘hell of an offer’ to sell Ritchie but if the Newcastle head coach wants to bring in any new faces, the black-and-whites are going to have to make room in their 25-man squad.

There could yet be some movement before Monday’s 11pm deadline.