Newcastle United were knocked out of the FA Cup on Saturday night, but there were some positives in the latter stages against Manchester City.
They came when Eddie Howe made a flurry of substitutions in the second half, when it looked all but inevitable that the Magpies were going to be knocked out of the FA Cup.
Howe brought on some youngsters, with Elliot Anderson, Lewis Miley and Lewis Hall all getting minutes at the Etihad Stadium. It was particularly good to see Hall, as he had not featured since Newcastle’s last game against Manchester City back in January.
The 19-year-old came on for his 12th Toon appearance, and was very positive at left wing-back. He showed some nice touches, and Howe was really happy with what he saw from the teenager.
It has been a tough first season at St James’ Park for Hall. He has really struggled for minutes, with fans questioning why the club have agreed to pay £28million for him. On top of that, there have been plenty questions about if the club even still will sign him, given how little he has played. The truth is that they will, as the obligation of his loan depends on how Newcastle perform, rather than Hall himself.
He is going to become a permanent Newcastle United player this summer, and the club still have confidence that they are buying a player with a lot of potential.
What George Caulkin has heard about Lewis Hall
That is according to the Athletic’s George Caulkin, who has spoke about how Newcastle feel internally about Hall on the latest episode of Pod On The Tyne.
“They’ve always thought there is a player in there,” he said.
“He is young. People don’t necessarily adapt at the same rate of pace. There’s a real talent there, and they are confident they can get it out of him.
“It’s been very frustrating, I’m sure for him, certainly for fans and for people on the coaching staff that it’s not happened quicker. But there’s a good player there.”
Newcastle United fans must be patient with Lewis Hall
Hall should not be written off just yet. Yes, this season has been tough for him, but he is still an incredibly young player. As Caulkin says, players do not all develop at the same rate. While Miley is thriving at 17, Hall is not quite at the same level despite being two years older.
He was bought because of his potential, and fans must remember that. It is potential that he will not realise overnight – it might even take a few years for him to really thrive in a black and white shirt.
But when he does, the club will be glad they bought him now rather than waiting until he was the finished article.
Patience is required, but that can often be hard to come by when you are having a season as difficult as Newcastle United’s.
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