Newcastle ‘superstar’ was the only player to do himself justice vs Forest, he was exceptional again

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When the Newcastle United players look back on their performance against Nottingham Forest, not many will be proud of how they played.

Miguel Almiron had an afternoon to forget, while Dan Burn seriously struggled as the Magpies fell to an embarrassing defeat at St James’ Park.

There were plenty of disappointing performances in black and white, but there were at least a couple of positives from what was a pretty appalling display.

Alexander Isak looked decent on his return to the starting XI, scoring his 10th goal of the season in all competitions. He was lively, and looked much sharper than he did before his recent groin injury.

But the one player who really did do himself justice against Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day was Lewis Miley.

Newcastle United teenager Lewis Miley played brilliantly against Nottingham Forest

The 17-year-old retained his place in the starting XI against Forest, despite Joelinton returning to the squad after injury. He was deployed on the right of Newcastle’s midfield three, tasked with combing with Kieran Trippier and Almiron.

The Magpies’ midfield really did not function well on Boxing Day. Sean Longstaff was poor while Bruno Guimaraes lost his way in the second half, but for Miley it was another strong display.

He played a key role in Newcastle’s only goal of the game, producing a clever pass to give Isak a chance in the area. The Swede was then fouled, which led to him converting a penalty.

It was great vision from Miley, as he continues to be decisive in the final third despite being so young and inexperienced.

The teenager is growing in confidence, which is only resulting in better performances.

When he first came into the team, he did the simple things brilliantly. Miley always played it safe, protecting the ball at all costs.

But he is becoming braver on the ball, and is starting to take more responsibility when he is in possession. Time and time again against Forest we saw him dribble past red shirts, looking to be the one to make the difference in attack.

Newcastle’s future is so bright with Miley in the middle

While it did not result in Newcastle getting the result they wanted, Miley can be proud of how he played. Others crumbled under the pressure, but he certainly did himself justice. That just sums up how incredible a player he is, and how lucky we are that he is ours.

Sean Longstaff called Miley a ‘little superstar’ after just one appearance earlier this year, and that is already proving to be the case. No matter the stage or the situation, Miley is always standing up and delivering.

It has been a tough end to 2023 for Newcastle United, but the future is incredibly bright – especially with Lewis Miley in the middle of the park.