Millwall 0-1 Newcastle: The frustrating issue that will concern Matthias Jaissle, why Nico Gonzalez needs patience - and the real value of the Carabao Cup to the Magpies

If at first you don’t succeed. At the 21st attempt, Joe Willock finally did, scoring the goal to put Newcastle into the fourth round of a competition in which they have become the country’s specialists.

Not that there was much else special about this performance, save for Lewis Hall’s cross and the cute, flicked finish from Willock in the 81st minute.

Aesthetics matter not in cup football, Matthias Jaissle may well argue, but there was enough here to concern the new head coach, especially at the top end of the pitch.

LION’S DEN?

Ever since the draw was made two weeks ago, Jaissle has been told of the hostile atmosphere that awaited in East London. 

The Lion’s Den, and all that. Perhaps memories are coloured by Newcastle’s last visit to Millwall in 1992/93, when the Old Den really did rock and roar.

This time, the sight of row upon row of empty seats - ‘They’re here, they’re there…’ chorused the away end - made for something far less intimidating.

Buoyed by the noise from the Toon Army, the visitors set about attacking from the off. 

So wayward was that offensive effort, however, the home crowd slowly drew encouragement and belatedly found their voice. Newcastle only had themselves to blame.

FORWARD CONCERNS

Come half-time, Newcastle had hit the target with just one of their 14 shots. It was just as well those seats behind the goal were unoccupied, because folk would have been scrambling for cover. 

Jacob Murphy, Willock and Harvey Barnes were all guilty of wild executions in front of the posts. 

And that speaks to a point I raised at the weekend following Newcastle’s 2-2 draw with Bournemouth - too many of their attacking options remain short when it comes to consistency of quality. 

The four goals from their previous four shots on target in the Premier League was never sustainable. Here, the numbers pointed to a more likely trend that could undermine their season.

Even when £51million Matias Fernandez-Pardo and Anthony Elanga were introduced midway through the second half, there was no immediate improvement to the fluency or conviction of Newcastle’s attack.

Indeed, it was Millwall who came closest to opening the scoring when substitute Tairyk Arconte smashed the base of the post. 

But, from that, Newcastle raced up the other end. Fernandez-Pardo found Hall with a clever reverse pass and he drew back for Willock, turning in from eight yards.

NICO NEEDS TIME

Nico Gonzalez will need games before he finds the fitness and rhythm his new team needs. 

There has been plenty of evidence of the midfielder’s pedigree in his three matches since arriving from Manchester City for £50m, but the Spaniard has gone from supporting cast to main man.

That has showed and Gonzalez looked laboured as this game wore on, much like he did against Bournemouth before being replaced. 

He does not need to come out of the side, though, he has to stay in there and rebuild a confidence and robustness that was perhaps lost during his time in reserve at City.

EURO INCENTIVE

Newcastle’s chief financial officer, Simon Capper, as good as put a price on the value of the Carabao Cup when he declared at the weekend that qualifying for the Conference League is worth a minimum of £20m to the club. 

Capper was clear in stating the importance of European football in a world of financial restrictions.

So, in a season without it, that is one of the reasons why we have seen Jaissle name strong XIs in this competition. 

Not only does the new boss want to build a winning habit, there is a balance-sheet pressure, too. Every penny counts, be that prize money, commercial gains or gate receipts and TV revenue from the extra matches.

Only time will tell just how much Willock’s goal was worth.