What did we learn from Newcastle United U21 0-2 Carlisle United?

Let’s take a closer look…

1 WHO’S GOT THE X-FACTOR?

At a time Carlisle are still short of attacking numbers, the need for someone to inject pizzazz into their forward play is particularly important in these remaining friendlies.

No doubt Paul Simpson will bring in reinforcements soon. In the meantime, though, if United were starting their season tomorrow then surely there’d be a place in their XI for Jordan Gibson.

Jordan Gibson (Image: Barbara Abbott)

He has looked consistently their most creative influence in pre-season so far.

Granted, they have faced a mixed range of opponents in terms of levels. And few League One sides will resemble Newcastle’s kids in terms of size, inexperience and, to a degree, style.

Yet Gibson, playing in attack off Ryan Edmondson, is clearly in good nick, getting plenty of minutes under his belt and looks the player most likely to do something different in the final third.

It doesn’t always come off – and Gibson really should have had a goal on Saturday – but he set up their opener and, all in all, is surely giving Simmo plenty of good things to consider.

2 NO ILL EFFECTS

It was reassuring to see Owen Moxon’s name back in United’s line-up after a week of injury concern.

Carlisle’s midfield talisman missed their previous friendly against Livingston as Simpson described a “neural” issue which had been affecting his hip.

Assistant manager Gavin Skelton, though, went on to confirm that the Denton Holme star had only missed one training session during the squad’s week in St Andrews.

Owen Moxon takes a corner (Image: Barbara Abbott)

And Moxon showed enough of his quality against Newcastle to reassure us that he’s well on course again.

Against admittedly green opponents, Moxon did not take long to start dictating things in the first half, manoeuvring the ball well and unfurling his trademark passing range.

Then there was one dribble in the second half when the 25-year-old was simply too good for Newcastle’s chasing defenders.

In terms of feeling his way back in, it was a worthwhile and sound hour’s football for Moxon – his longest pre-season outing so far, a solid base on which to build.

3 DROPPING OFF

Carlisle were lively in the first half and displayed some of the hallmarks of their recent successes: energetic running, a persistent press, a high tempo on the ball, a willingness to go short and long and for certain players to overlap and overload.

In that spell they looked far too battle-hardened and punchy for Newcastle’s young players.

The second half…less so, and their dropping off from the above traits was a reminder of the work still needed over the remaining two weeks of pre-season.

Newcastle improved and Carlisle's game drifted in the second half (Image: Barbara Abbott)

To a reasonable extent that is to be expected. Simpson is a meticulous planner and will not have intended players to hit their peak in this particular game.

For many it was their first 90 minutes since last season. That is context for the underwhelming nature of what was on show for the second 45 (even though, early and late in it, Carlisle still carved out a couple of excellent chances).

Yet Simpson will not have been satisfied with it either and United still need to be better and brighter on the ball, and in their movement.

He is a demanding manager and will want them to sustain their better things for longer in the friendlies they have left.

4 WHAT’S IT WORTH?

This is where it comes down to how much you take from a game like this.

How many games in the third tier will look like this, exactly?

None, it’s fair to say. In that respect it is wrong to draw conclusions that are too deep about the footballing spectacle.

Alfie McCalmont takes on Newcastle (Image: Barbara Abbott)

First and foremost it was about players getting 90 or 60 minutes and certain principles of play being developed as things went along.

In those regards, Carlisle will have taken away enough from this encounter. They’ll also, as Gavin Skelton said, have had highlighted some of the sloppier aspects of their performance, in terms of distribution and collective interplay after the break, that they have to work on.

Again – no bad thing, if it sharpens them up. That’s precisely what friendlies are for.

As a building block towards the real stuff, you can bet Simpson will draw constructive things from it, however impressive/unimpressive things were at different stages.

5 MAGPIES WHO STOLE THE ATTENTION

You would be hard pushed, being brutally honest, to consider the Magpies’ first-half XI, at least, as a source of potential loan players from a market the Cumbrians and their peers have to scrutinise these days.

But it’s fair to say Newcastle did eventually impress to a better degree, and this came after the break when coach Ben Dawson had introduced some of his even younger guns.

Newcastle's Dylan Charlton, right, takes on Ben Barclay (Image: Barbara Abbott)

These emerged from the under-18 ranks and, in the left-sided Dylan Charlton, they have a bright and energetic young player who appears to leave nothing out on the pitch.

The 17-year-old helped galvanise their performance, lifted its pace. Others went with him and Newcastle gave Carlisle a much better examination from there.

As they grew into things, midfielder Lucas De Bolle started showing more of his quality on the ball, while credit can go to both goalkeepers the hosts used, Max Thompson and Will Brown, for a couple of outstanding saves.

One or two names to keep on the notepad, perhaps, if not necessarily for the Cumbrians’ immediate League One needs.