Elliot Anderson hurts Newcastle as Toon's season limps on

GROUNDOG day again for Newcastle United, Elliot Anderson woe and Jacob Ramsey joy.

As the season limps to a close, the same issues persist - a lack of confidence in the side, an unwillingness to extend leads, and a leaky defence that hands away points from winning positions.

Sunday's (May 10) game against Nottingham Forest brought much of the same for Newcastle.

While the 1-1 draw, along with the weekend's other results, mathematically confirms Premier League safety, the Magpies spurned the opportunity to take the spoils and put themselves back in the European football conversation.

After a back-and-forth game that Eddie Howe's team had just about got a hold of, it was Harvey Barnes' 74th-minute strike that appeared to the neutral to be taking the points back to Tyneside.

I say neutral supporter, as of course all Newcastle fans will know, a lead this season - even a late one - has been rendered meaningless.

Just two minutes from time, the inevitable came when Whitley Bay's own Anderson poked home with a brilliant finish after a smart one-two with James McAtee.

The goal from the lifelong Toon fan, who moved to the City Ground in the summer of 2024 in a £35million transfer to satisfy PSR demands, whilst painful for Newcastle fans, was a profound moment for Anderson; essentially confirming Forest's survival, having just attended his mother's funeral on Friday.

Eddie Howe was full of despondence in his post match press conference, particularly with questions surrounding Anderson (Image: Mike Egerton/PA Wire)

Speaking to PA after the match, Howe said seeing Anderson scoring such an important goal "really hurt" and reiterated that his sale to Forest was "the most reluctant transfer I'll ever do".

"It was something we regretted when we were doing it," he said. "We knew that would be a very, very painful transfer, one that we had to do.

"We had no choice, but it was probably the most reluctant transfer I'll ever do, because we knew the quality of the player.

"We'd seen him close up for a number of years, training with us. He was beginning to break into the team and was really effective in a number of different positions.

"It really hurts to see him do that against us today. He's going to go and have a fantastic career, wherever he goes; wherever his career takes him.

"He's a great lad as well, so it's painful for us to take, but he's an outstanding player."

Anderson has impressed throughout the season as a diminutive number 8, as adept with the ball at his feet as he is at the dirty defensive work.

Dan Burn and several other Newcastle players and staff, embraced Anderson at the whistle (Image: Mike Egerton/PA Wire)

After 36 games, the seven-capped, established England international tops the Premier League outfield player table for ball recoveries with 291 - almost 100 ahead of Wolves' Andre in second place on 192.

Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal are all now sniffing around the 23-year-old, who is expected to leave for a large sum this summer. Not at the transfer table are Newcastle, who did not include a buyback clause in Anderson's contract and would have to pay full market value to re-sign him.

While it hurts seeing what Newcastle could have had in Anderson, one player growing more and more in the black and white is Jacob Ramsey.

The former boyhood Villain, sold to the Magpies in a similarly ludicrous PSR appeasing deal, looks to be growing in confidence with every game, providing an excellent assist for the goal in an all-around solid display.

After a year of bedding in and with Joelinton and Guimaraes not getting any younger, Ramsey is expected to take on more playing time and responsibility in the 26/27 season.

So, as the season fizzles out, there are some glimmers of hope in an otherwise drab and disappointing end to the campaign.