Chelsea never got out of third gear, but we never got off the drive. Considering we had nothing to lose and everything to gain, it was a performance lacking in fight, desire or any sort of urgency to get at a beatable looking Chelsea side.
They looked edgy in the opening stages but the chances they handed us just exposed our total lack of quality and confidence in front of goal. Another striking example of why Rafa Benitez MUST be backed in the final few days of the window.
In the first half, both defences made mistakes – the difference being that Chelsea punished both of ours, while an isolated Matt Ritchie and Dwight Gayle rarely looked likely when they were gifted opening by an edgy looking Chelsea defence.
You are just not going to trouble a team like Chelsea when you’re toothless up top and error prone at the back. It perhaps sums it up when, despite conceding three goals, Karl Darlow was quite possibly our best performer.
Here’s what Rafa’s had to say post-match:
? POST-MATCH AUDIO: Rafa Benítez spoke to @bbcnewcastle, @talkSPORT and @5liveSport after the Magpies exited the @EmiratesFACup at the hands of @ChelseaFC. #NUFC #EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/QeOqaIkHZI
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) January 28, 2018
We’re yet to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup under Mike Ashley’s tenure, and although today’s trip to Chelsea was never going to be easy, it would’ve been nice to see us play with much more urgency. We fielded a decent enough side, with several players who had a real point to prove, however so many just failed to deliver today.
We went through the motions. I didn’t expect a win, it’s Chelsea away, but I’d have expected us to make much more of a game of it – especially when Chelsea were well below their best yet still strolled to victory.
NUFC’s Man of the Match: The travelling Toon Army – they were the only ones who kept going from first minute to last and deserved so much more.
A huge few days ahead, off and on the pitch. A win against Burnley and the signing of a new striker by Wednesday’s deadline feels essential, but I’m getting less and less confident as time goes on.
Swansea offering £18m for Ayew from West Ham. ?
Stuart79(Quote)
I think we can discount WBA from the relegation battle now to be honest. Sturridge will score that goals to keep them up unless he gets injured.
Swansea also looking at splashing the cash. Palace and West Ham have squads too good so that doesn’t leave much left.
Stuart79(Quote)
Watford sign striker from Barca
Icedog(Quote)
Llorente is available for £17m from Spurs apparently…
Stuart79(Quote)
nope I read £25m is what they want and he’s more likely to go to top 6 team like Chelsea.
We are done this window, the 12 game loan of Kenedy is our lot sadly but not unsurprisingly. I have accepted it long time back .
kimtoon(Quote)
So from what I read the deal was all done. Rafa spoke with Sturridge and the loan becoming a permanent move was even positively discuss. The expectation was then that Sturridge travels to Newcastle – only he didn’t turn up. Instead he decided to travel to West Brom. So whatever he’s said to Rafa, whatever impression he’s left him with – it was all a lie – or he’s that fickle that his mind can be swayed as easy as that. **** him.
Personally, I worried that he was another Michael Owen signing. Someone more interested in his international career than his club career. He’s only going on loan to try and make the England squad & I can imagine him picking and choosing which games he plays to protect his fitness for the summer.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Kim – I could see Mangala possibly coming on loan – but let’s be right, it’s not defenders (and particularly CB) that we need.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy, Mangala is awful, will be raging if we loan him, City can’t offload him quick enough and I would be seriously concerned that Fatty might cash in on Lascelles if we got him too. I also worry that some of our better players will be seriously considering their futures come the summer if this window ends like it looks it will. Players won’t want to hang around a sinking ship.
kimtoon(Quote)
What are they doing? It is so obvious what we need.
24 games and our top scorer has 3, or 4? That has relegation written all over it.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Look at what is happening around us. We are going to be by far the worst performing club in this window and that will result in relegation. But I am now of the view that Ashley actually wants us to get relegated. Why else would he continue to act like this in every window we have?
Stuart79(Quote)
So the press know there was a verbal agreement between Raffa and Sturridge ???
I am sorry, what a load of ****!
So he goes to other club. .. cue winding up the gulible Geordies. . Where is the proof of this so called agreement? Oh wait, there is none.. ffs this is like ground hog day. .
Aussie(Quote)
We do need to loosen the purse strings tho.. been painful to sit through this **** every transfer window. We need a bit of wind in our sails and a signing or two would help..
Aussie(Quote)
NEW THREAD
https://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2018/01/30/top-targets-missed-again-48-hours-left-for-business-despite-benitez-warning/
What a joke..
Olly Hawkins(Quote)