How things have changed over the past month and a half.
We signed brilliantly well last week, bringing in players with proven quality at Premier League level, and followed that up with back to back wins in league and cup against West Ham and Blackburn respectively.
Our performance in the latter was awful – albeit it via wholesale changes and a side full of right-backs, fringe men or new signings building back to full fitness – however we were brilliant at West Ham and things couldn’t have gone better so far for our five new signings, with Wilson, Hendrick and Fraser all scoring on their debuts and Gillsepie and Lewis banking clean sheets.
Next up, a Brighton side who’ve tended to frustrate us in recent years.
Believe it or not, we’ve scored ONCE in our six meetings with Brighton since we were both promoted back to the Premier League in the summer of 2017.
I remember them coming to Tyneside last season and having about 70% of the ball. They played us off the park in just about every single department, but couldn’t apply that killer touch in the final third.
Hopefully it’s a very different game this time around and it’s our new-look attack that can do damage this time around to end our streak of not scoring against the stubborn Seagulls at St James’ Park!
Team news
Thankfully, Bruce has confirmed that Saint-Maximin is ‘fine’ despite limping off in midweek after twisting his knee late on against Blackburn.
That said, the gaffer has named FIVE others who’ll remain sidelined for Sunday’s visit of Brighton, with this one set to come too soon for Paul Dummett, Matty Longstaff, Fabian Schar, Martin Dubravka and Dwight Gayle.
Predicted line up
Predicted NUFC XI (4-4-2): Darlow – Manquillo, Lascelles, Fernandez, Lewis – Hendrick, Hayden, Shelvey, Saint-Maximin – Carroll, Wilson.
With Bruce confirming that we’ve picked up no new injuries, I struggle to see us making any changes from the side that won so well at West Ham.
We looked strong at the back, won the midfield battle via solid displays from Hayden and Shelvey and a constant threat in attack, with Saint-Maximin and Hendrick both elusive, Carroll a constant handful and Wilson’s movement causing all sorts of problems.
Ryan Fraser will be in our best 11 before long, but with him still building up his match fitness and tiring early on Tuesday, it’s fair to say he’s still a week or two away from starting.
Joelinton didn’t impress on Tuesday and looked leggy after next to no pre-season, however Miguel Almiron was one of the highlights in an otherwise dull affair and will be pushing for a start after two assists in two and a sublime ball to set up Fraser’s winner.
That said, I Bruce sticking with Carroll and Wilson, meaning the electric Paraguayan may have to settle for another cameo appearance from the bench.
Ciaran Clark was arguably our best player in midweek and barely put a foot wrong, however I don’t see Lascelles and Fernandez’s partnership being broken up anytime soon.
The opposition
Here’s a few ones to watch in Graham Potters’ Seagulls side:
Tariq Lamptey – The former Chelsea right-back burst onto the season after lockdown and looks a serious talent. Has bags of pace and energy, bombs forward and isn’t shy in the tackle. It’ll be VERY interesting to see who wins the battle between him and Saint-Maximin on Sunday!
Ben White – Another new name in this Brighton side, but a big talent who looked like a Rolls Royce of a centre-back during his outstanding loan spell at Leeds last season. Carries the ball out of defence well, can pick a pass and reads the game very well too. How he copes with Wilson’s movement and Carroll’s aerial prowess will be one to watch!
Adam Lallana – A shrewd free agent signing from Liverpool who should start here if he passes a late fitness test. He’ll bring that experience and quality in the final third that Brighton have often lacked in recent seasons.
Yves Bissouma – He’s not talked about much, but he looks a player with real potential. A holding midfielder and breaker up of play, however he’s also quite explosive, possessing the ability to dribble past a man and fire a stinging shot on goal from range.
Predicted Brighton XI (3-5-2): Ryan – White, Webster, Dunk (c) – Lamptey, Lallana, Bissouma, Alzate, March – Trossard, Maupay.
Prediction
I’ve seen quite a few back Brighton to go down this season, however they’re a good footballing side who we’ve struggled to get to grips with in recent meetings – and the emergence of Lamptey and White combined with Lallana’s arrival should only improve them.
That said, we arrive into this one full of confidence and on the back of two wins, so there’s no reason why we can’t make it three is ASM is on song, Wilson has his shooting boots on and Carroll can repeat the dominant display he put in at West Ham!
For once, I think there’ll be more than one goal in this one, however I can see it ending all square.
Prediction: Newcastle 1-1 Brighton
HWTL!
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At least the commentators have not said 2 nil is the most dangerous score YET. I would say 5 nil down is more dangerous.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Trying not be too critical but Shelvey is **** at corners. You would think with his ability he would be better. Have Fraser take them.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
At least Darlow has had a good game so I wont be able to complain about that 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
When does Lamptey get his driver’s license? He looks about 6.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Good dive by Miggy but he was pulled back. If he was playing for Man U…
Eric Sykes(Quote)
A loss, is a loss, is a loss. But we are playing much better. 64mins.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Fck.
The Toon Slayer is warming up.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Get Shelvey off. He is having one of his bad days.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Must be in Joe’s contract that he has to play every game.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
When Wilson misses a sitter then you know it’s not your day. And now we have big Joe on to save the day 🙄
kimtoon(Quote)
Fraser is taking corners now Jonjo is off. Thanks Brucie, you listened.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Lallana always plays well against us. Only got 12 mins though.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Have we had a shot on target other than the missed sitter for Wilson ?
kimtoon(Quote)
Last week the commentators were waxing lyrical saying we won’t be in any trouble this season , now they are looking at our next 4 or 5 games and saying they don’t see where our next points are coming from !!!
And there’s the 3rd
Clueless rubbish
kimtoon(Quote)
This feels like a nil nil but they got 2 lucky goals and also hit the post twice. Now 3 nil.
Coming back down to earth with a giant thud 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Just have to be thanksful that West Ham are shyte. And Fulham and West Brom.
Bloody hell jamal!! If the game wasnt bad enough already you get kicked by a donkey.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Red for Bissoma, it was accidental but dangerous so he has to go.
kimtoon(Quote)
Funny i thought it would be one of ours that saw red
kimtoon(Quote)
OK. My game summary. We were pretty **** apart from about 10 minutes after half time. Made an average team look good.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
So Wilson has been getting shooting tips from Joelinton then … what a sh.ite game from start to finish. We couldn’t even get an advantage from their red canard as Lewis had to go off too and we already played 3 subs…
Only 3 mins extra time? ??. Not sure what timing this tw.at ref is working on… however, if it was 20 mins extra we wouldn’t have scored…
Did Joelinton even touch the ball ?
Gilly Toon(Quote)
Dreadful performance. Nobody played well. In fact they were all awful. Nothing like a week’s training with Bruce.
georgio(Quote)
MOTM Lamptey
kimtoon(Quote)
PLUS.!!!!
Whenever you have 90% on Ed’s predicting a win you can guarantee a loss.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
2-0 down after 7 mins meant we were always chasing the game and very hard to play too attacking style, (not that we know what that is)… ??
Gilly Toon(Quote)
not that i saw, reckon it’s in his contract that he has to play tbh
kimtoon(Quote)
The Fat Man was there as well. Wondering if he wants his 80 mil back? (Wilson, Joe, Miggy 🙂 )
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Wilson did nothing today. Still think he is a good buy but we were pretty ****. Only bright spot was Darlow not having a ‘mare.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Brighton didnt even need to get out of second gear.
It was Brighton FFS. Famous for rock, a more lavish and oriental version of the Sapnish City and a pier, Not football.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Never a penalty that like – how VAR missed ASM touched the ball is beyond me – what’s the fecking point.
Also, the ref was looking directly at that donkey kick and started with a yellow card – what the hell was he seeing???
Those 2 incidents aside we were awful. Can’t pick a single positive at all. We didn’t look up for it from the get go – they put ran us, worked harder and wanted it more.
Doesn’t matter how much you improve the squad, if the players can’t be bothered it doesn’t matter.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Lee Ryder
@lee_ryder
Allan Saint-Maximin now struggling with an ankle injury, Steve Bruce: “He had the ankle knock and in hindsight, I maybe should have taken him off earlier but we’ll see how he is.
Yeah you should of Steve .
kimtoon(Quote)
Shows us we cannot get ahead of ourselves. Bruce is a poor manager and we all knew that. One good game against a **** West Ham team managed by The Sith does not make a summer.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sharpy mate, Bruce is just not a good manager. When he was appointed I slightly defended him because people were using stats to say he was shyte. He is not shyte. His is bottom 5 PL top 5 Championship.
If we want to kick on we need better than Bruce.
You could give him Man U with Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez as the front line and he would still finish 10th.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
As frustrated as I was with the decisions we really didn’t deserve anything else.
On that performance we’ve not got any better.
Why did he pick the same team as last week? Just because they won? It’s really not very clever.
Stuart79(Quote)