Southampton 2-2 Newcastle: Gabbiadini double denies NUFC a deserved win

Olly Hawkins

It says a lot about our start to the season when we’re coming away from Southampton feeling like that was two points dropped. A hard fought point nonetheless, but after being in control for most of the game, it’s a real shame for the lads to come away with just a point.

As you’d expect, Southampton saw a lot of the ball in the early stages but rarely moved it quick enough into areas that could hurt us. Partly down the their apparent lack of ideas and confidence and partly due to our organised set up and disciplined two banks of four – with Joselu and Perez also working tirelessly to make it difficult for the talented Van Dijk to play out from the back.

We then started to impose ourselves on the game and nicked a goal in the form of Isaac Hayden. Great technique, leaving Fraser Forster rooted to the spot. An unlikely scorer and an unlikely first half away goal – with it being our first on the road in the first half of a Premier League match since November 2015 at Crystal Palace.

On that day in 2015 (the last time we scored a first half goal in an away Premier League game) we ended up losing 5-1 to Pardew’s Palace, but even though we threw away the lead twice here, we never looked like folding in this one.

They were level just 5 minutes into the second half. Gabbiadini shot on the half turn wasn’t closed down quickly enough by Manquillo and looked like an effort Elliot should’ve done better with.

It was Perez who lost possession all too easily in the build up to the goal, but it was the same man who would atone for his error less than 2 minutes later. After some neat play from the restart, Perez saw his shot parried by Forster, only to react to the rebound and squeeze it in from a tight angle.

From that point onwards I was hopeful we’d weather any Southampton storm to come, with us looking solid and steady and the back and them looking a little short on ideas offensively.

Unfortunately, we shot ourselves in the foot once again. Lejeune – who hadn’t put a foot wrong all game – got it horribly wrong as he clattered into Long in a challenge he did not need to make and Gabbiadini made it 2-2 from the spot with an emphatic finish.

In the 15 minutes that remained, we looked the more likely side and Florian Lejeune almost won it at the death, seeing his goal-bound header cleared off the line.

It ended 2 goals apiece. Lessons to be learned, but even more positives to take. We were supremely organised once again and put in a performance that would’ve mustered a win on another day. Yet more evidence that we can compete at this level and another point in the bag.

(Via BBC Sport)

Newcastle United XI – (4-2-3-1) – Elliot – Yedlin, Lascelles, Lejeune, Manquillo – Hayden, Shelvey – Ritchie, Perez , Atsu – Joselu. (SUBS- Darlow, Gamez, Merino*, Diame, Clark, Murphy*, Gayle*) 

Southampton XI (4-2-3-1) – Forster – Cedric, van Dijk, Yoshida, Bertrand –  Lemina, Romeu – Tadic, Gabbiadini, Redmond – Long.

(Fancy writing for us? Send any articles/ideas over to us at [email protected] & we’ll get back to you!)

About Olly Hawkins

As a Junior Magpie since birth and season ticket holder, I eat, sleep and breathe all things NUFC! Here at the blog, I aim to bring you news, views, match reports and transfer exclusives as and when I get them.

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113 thoughts on “Southampton 2-2 Newcastle: Gabbiadini double denies NUFC a deserved win”

  1. shamrock:
    So IF he sells the club, is the buyer going to lay off the debt owed to Ashley – and will that be at the zero percent? Or is it going to hang around like a bad smell at some silly interest rate? Interesting to see what happens there.

    My guess is the club will NOT be sold – and Ashley will use that as an excuse to not spend in January. He will say he had not planned for the window because we cant afford it on his minimum wage and a buyer let him down… He will milk us for all he is worth for as long as possible.

    Unless the filthy rich Arabs buy us, wipe out his debts and release his SD grip on our advertising boards, he could well have any new buyer doubled over with his fist up their backside for a long time, with this club struggling to generate funds for the academy or new players whilst it is held to ransom with his interest rates and obligation to flog his tat for an extended period of time.

    I assume his asking price is inclusive of the debt. So a buyer will be buying a debt free club. (Eric read this carefully).

    However, Sham, the devil will be in the detail. If someone wants to pay on tick then I assume it comes with caveats. Interest on the loan, free advertising or Sports Direct involved in the sales of kit ect…Either way I wouldn’t trust anybody who wants to buy it on tick.

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  2. Stuart79: I assume his asking price is inclusive of the debt. So a buyer will be buying a debt free club. (Eric read this carefully).

    However, Sham, the devil will be in the detail. If someone wants to pay on tick then I assume it comes with caveats. Interest on the loan, free advertising or Sports Direct involved in the sales of kit ect…Either way I wouldn’t trust anybody who wants to buy it on tick.

    Same here mate. But if he has w offers, one on tick and one a clean buy (that is not a silly offer) then who is he going to chose? My money is on tick.

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  3. So it’s started. Turkish billionaire interested in buying the club. Anybody who publicly throws their hat in the ring can be totally dismissed as publicity seekers.

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  4. Stuart: all I was saying is that the number that Douglas picked up on was a Sheffield University professor’s estimate of what NUFC is worth. I looked for the Northen Echo article but couldn’t find it. If Fat Man sells NUFC for 200 million plus debts of 130 million then the real price is 330 million. From what I have read (Telegraph) Ashley still has a figure of around 400 million in his head and that would be inclusive of debt to him.

    I am guessing he wants some cash up front and would want installments to pay off the debt to him but I haven’t seen anybody discuss the structure or specifics of any deal.

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  5. Stuart79:
    So it’s started. Turkish billionaire interested in buying the club. Anybody who publicly throws their hat in the ring can be totally dismissed as publicity seekers.

    I was trying to think of whether the Glaziers went public with Man U or Fenway Sports Group with Liverpool before bidding but can’t remember. I seem to remember the Glaziers buying shares from those Irish horse trainers was in the public domain before they acquired Man U but can’t be certain. I know there are disclosure rules for public companies that mean potential buyers have to disclose their ownership once it reaches a certain level. So, a lot of buyouts are in the public domain before they occur. With Ashley who knows? But I get your point about publicity seekers. I said yesterday I was waiting for the new Barry Mort and consortium of local businessmen to surface with a BS offer.

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  9. If anybody thinks that Ashley is going to accept anything less than the amount he paid plus the loan they are living in cloud cuckoo land. That’s roughly 300 million, but I would also expect him to want to make a profit so my Uneducated guess is 350 million minimum. I sort of agree with Stuart that the Turkish “biscuit king” is not yet serious but the offer may be a shot over the bough.

    If he does buy us, I for one would find it funny to see him referred to as “biscuit king” in every article. I have no idea why. And I will write the headline if it goes through “Geordie Turkish Delight”.

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  12. God it’s gonna be like the bloody transfer window, only with buyers now. And in the end they just won’t be able to get the sell over the line 🙄
    Believe nothing until you see his lardy **** in front of SSN cameras confirming it.

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  13. kimtoon:
    God it’s gonna be like the bloody transfer window, only with buyers now. And in the end they just won’t be able to get the sell over the line
    Believe nothing until you see his lardy **** in front of SSN cameras confirming it.

    i have a feeling its a sham from jabba so once again he can say i tried to sell but nobody wants to take it on,no you sly pig you priced it well above the market price,it wont be the first time hes pulled this ploy,then he come with i cannot put any more money into the club as we have the tax problem to deal with,the guy is a total rat bag

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  14. If Ashley sells before Christmas I will platt fog on Facebook live. In fact I’ll be surprised if he finds a buyer at all given his price and caveats

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  17. Ice, absolutely mate, totally agree. Don’t believe a word out of the mans mouth tbh.
    If Luke Edwards is any where near right with those asking prices Jabba hasn’t a cat in hells chance of landing a serious buyer and what’s more he knows it.
    We are seemingly forever stuck with the bloke, it’s enough to make you weep.

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  18. On both occasions, buyers backed off amid rumours that Ashley was difficult to deal with. The goalposts were moved so many times, according to one source, that they must have been on wheels.

    Think that says it all…

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  19. What I will say is, no journalist on the planet will have a clue who is interested. Only Ashley and his lawyers will know and the potential buyer themselves. What’s obvious is Ashley has nobody really far down the line.

    I am, however very cynical. When I see things like “deferred payments” and lawyers giving interviews to Sky Sports it just looks amateurish and yet another game on Ashley’s part.

    I’ve maintained for the last few months he wants out and I think he does but only on his terms – which will be the hardest part of any sale to agree on.

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  22. Sky Sports referred to Charlie Nicholas as an Arsenal LEGEND.
    The same Champaigne Charlie who scored only 1 in 5 and served 2 drink driving bans whilst under contract at the club. And he would go on to wear bloody earrings on TV at age 50 in some bizarre attempt to look cool and relevant whilst talking absolute *****.

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  23. Icedog: He will be the last reporter to know anything,he will as normal copy and paste another reporters storey

    That was breaking news about a month ago..

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  24. Not just any earrings, but sparkly diamond ones. I mean come on man..you are a fully grown Scot ffs. What are you doing?!

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  25. Almost as bad as fecking Cabella turning up and swanning around like a proud peacock, the beautiful star of the show before he had even kicked a ball. What a pansy he turned out to be. And Thauvin. So they play well in France. Doesnt change the fact they were shellshocked by English footy and could not handle it.

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  32. shamrock:
    Welcome to the loony bin time. Mark Zuckerburg’s latest name to be thrown in. Hahaha.

    Well he does like to throw billions at charity cases…

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  34. Ice Given’s book extracts are stinging. Got to feel for him. Now he is a club legend. Not fecking Charlie Nicholas! Cant trust Ashley as far as you could throw him. No faith in the club being sold in a clean manner promptly.

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  35. shamrock:
    Sky Sports referred to Charlie Nicholas as an Arsenal LEGEND.
    The same Champaigne Charlie who scored only 1 in 5 and served 2 drink driving bans whilst under contract at the club. And he would go on to wear bloody earrings on TV at age 50 in some bizarre attempt to look cool and relevant whilst talking absolute *****.

    😆

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  36. It seems Amanda Staveley is offering £304million plus £150m for players over next 2 years… reported by Reuters. Seems a tad skimpy, particularly the player investment.

    Next…

    Russian billionaire sounds canny like!

    We will now be linked with every billionaire and multi millionaire under the sun now. ??

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  37. Dubai Toon:
    It seems Amanda Staveley is offering £304million plus £150m for players over next 2 years… reported by Reuters. Seems a tad skimpy, particularly the player investment.

    Next…

    Russian billionaire sounds canny like!

    We will now be linked with every billionaire and multi millionaire under the sun now.

    Don’t know how anyone would know those figures if NDA’s have been signed. Pinch of salt I reckon mate, as you say seems a tad skimpy going off the transfer market as it is now.

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