Why Newcastle’s record on TV could lead to a difficult January
Published:
Newcastle United’s surprise win over Tottenham Hotspur shouldn’t have come as a shock, with the north east side continually performing well when under the spotlight.
The Magpies have played out ten games in front of live TV cameras this season and have won four, drawn three and lost three.
Conversely, they are yet to win a match when they are not the subject of television coverage.
Furthermore, those four victories came against tough opposition, with Spurs and Liverpool falling victim to the Magpies’ telly prowess as well as Norwich City and Bournemouth.
The wins against Liverpool and Spurs also indicate another trend of Steve McClaren’s men, the ability to produce their best football against top opposition.
The Toon have only lost one of their nine games against teams in the top-half and also managed to earn a point against champions Chelsea.
On the other hand, they are the fifth worst team in the top flight when it comes to facing teams in the bottom half.
All this indicates that Ayoze Perez and company look to perform best when more eyes are on them and against teams that have a better standing than their current employers.
This could make for a difficult January for McClaren, with this trend suggesting that some of the stars on Tyneside could be looking for a move.
In his magnum opus ‘I am Zlatan’, Zlatan Ibrahimovic revealed that during his time at Ajax he and his teammates saw the Dutch side as a stepping stone to a bigger European club and would play harder in the Champions League to try and attract potential suitors.
Perez is the most heavily linked with a move away and if his goals against Spurs and Chelsea are anything to go by, he is seeking to impress some of the Premier League big boys.
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