Newcastle fans will still be buzzing off of their 1-0 win away at Tottenham on the weekend, but with the games starting to come thick and fast it’s time for the Magpies to get down to business and prepare for their next clash, a Carabao Cup tie against Leicester City.
Steve Bruce, though, needs to keep his priorities in mind and remember that in the club’s current state, survival has to be the goal. Losing to Leicester and getting a win on the weekend against Watford would be a much better outcome than the opposite.
Making it into the hat for the third round draw should not be what the Geordies are after tonight, and whilst losing to Leicester is far less embarrassing than last year’s 2nd round loss to Nottingham Forest, it’s not something that the fans should be too fussed about.
After Rafa Benitez’s departure at the end of last season, the expectations for the 2019/20 season dropped, and now it seems the Magpies are being tipped to go down, with Forbes predicting that the Northeast side will finish 18th this season.
Steve Bruce can prove the doubters wrong by keeping the Magpies up, but that may have to be at the expense of the cup competitions, and tonight is hardly a game that the fans will be desperate to win, although the clash with winless Watford is far more important.
The Hornets travel to St. James’ Park without a point to their name in the Premier League this season, although they secured their place in the next round of the Carabao Cup with a win over Coventry, and Bruce’s side would do well to rotate and go into that weekend clash the fresher side.