Newcastle United got their season back on track with a much-needed 2-0 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Matthias Jaissle changed things up, bringing in Dan Burn and Fabian Schär and those changes paid off, with the team looking more comfortable defensively. But there are still problems at the other end of the pitch.

Here are three talking points from the game.

Experience Made All the Difference

Jaissle’s decision to drop Sven Botman and Malick Thiaw was a good one, because Burn and Schär steadied the ship, which certainly away from home, tended to sink.

Both played brilliantly, as proved by their stats. Burn made nine defensive contributions, including two interceptions and seven clearances, while Schär excelled, making 15 defensive contributions, including ten clearances and three blocked shots (stats via Sofascore).

Jaissle admitted he selected the pair because of their “capacity to coach others and communicate on the pitch.”

That is something that Newcastle’s youthful team have lacked, and there was definitely more cohesion on the pitch. The players worked hard for each other, on and off the ball.

This was a game when the experienced players showed up in the right moments. Jacob Murphy has had some poor performances this season, and it was more of the same yesterday until he pinged over an inch perfect cross for Will Osula to score the first goal.

Joe Willock was only marginally offside for his disallowed goal, and Harvey Barnes carried on the good form he has shown this season.

Jaissle wanted more experience in his team, and that decision paid off. Willock, Harvey Barnes, Burn, and Schär showed the young ‘uns how its done.

It is unlikely that Burn and Schär will both play against Everton in the Carabao Cup on Thursday night, but could we see them again in the league meeting against the Toffees on Monday night?

When “Vertical Football” Works, It Works…

Newcastle had a rather stale first half and barely laid a glove on Palace, but whatever Jaissle said at halftime had an effect because they came roaring out of the blocks at the start of the second half.

In the 47^th minute, Osula poked Murphy’s pinpoint cross past Walter Benitez in the Palace goal, and it felt like a dam had burst.

Suddenly, Newcastle were popping the ball about with energy and purpose, pinning Palace back in their own half, and we saw the “vertical football” that Jaissle wants.

We have only seen it in fits and starts this season, but when it works, it really works. Palace couldn’t handle Newcastle after they scored the opener, and would have been 2-0 down almost immediately, had Willock not strayed offside.

But Newcastle kept up the pressure and Barnes did make it 2-0 in the 58^th minute when some quick passes around Palace’s area led to Amar Dedić feeding Barnes, who made no mistake with a powerful shot past Benitez.

Palace tried to get back into it, but Newcastle stood firm. A sign of progress, for sure, but they need to start producing that kind of form consistently.

But Problems Remain in the Final Third

As I mentioned above, Newcastle were flat in the first half and, as the game ended 0-0 after the first 45 minutes, many fans would have had a familiar sinking feeling.

Yes, they improved in the second half, but there are still problems in the final third. They are still crying out for a natural 10, because Joe Willock is not the answer.

Neither is Jacob Murphy on the right. He got his assist, but he didn’t produce much else. Anthony Elanga came off the bench for his first minutes since his injury, but the jury is still out on him.

Osula seems to be a “moments” player – he can be anonymous throughout a match and then suddenly pop up with a goal. Yesterday was no exception – he only managed two shots (one was his goal) during his 77 minutes on the pitch.

He needs the service, yes, but he also has to start being more consistent if he wants to be known as more than a “purple patch” player and nail that centre-forward role long-term.