Have Newcastle gone stale? – Issues to fix and major weakness exposed

Watching Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Brighton, two things became obvious as we showed no sign of mounting a comeback in what can only be described as a miserable second half display.

1. Are we becoming too predictable and 2. why on earth have we not signed a new right-winger when it’s been a glaring weakness in our side for far too long.

 Fabian Hürzeler threw everyone for a loop when the team sheets were published. Mitoma benched, Minteh absent and the team set up in a 4-4-2 with the rarely-seen-through-injury Evan Ferguson starting up front with the in-form Danny Welbeck.  

The German also made the first substitution of the match on 60 minutes in a proactive move to try and change the game. When Welbeck departed via injury, he sent on a central defender and shifted to a three at the back with four wingers/attackers playing across the frontline instead of a striker. 

When Eddie Howe made a double change on 65 minutes (Willock and Barnes for Tonali and Murphy) it all felt so stale, so predictable, like those changes would’ve been made no matter what the game situation. Isak couldn’t hit a barn door with a horse’s **** on Saturday afternoon, but he played the full 90 and Osula only got five minutes in another predictable move. Stop Gordon cutting inside onto his right foot = no threat.

I’m pleased that Eddie didn’t get the England job and I’m desperate for him to do well for Newcastle, but we seem, from the outside looking in, to be so easily found out by the opposition. It’s worrying. Too many of our star players aren’t performing, we’re still working to find balance in midfield, we’re struggling to fit Gordon and Barnes into the same side, we’re working with one fit striker – who looks short on confidence – and we’re facing the after effects of a summer that saw us stand still. 

Then to the right-wing and Jacob Murphy. This point is going to try to be as constructive as possible, but he was atrocious yesterday and I struggle to see what he brings to a game when he refuses to use one of his positive attributes, his pace, and take his fullback on.

Every time the ball went out to the right-wing Murphy would cut inside into traffic and either lose the ball or give it away.  This was hardly the worst offence of this season – he struggled to get by 39-year-old Ashley Young against Everton too. 

Murphy condenses the pitch and makes it so clear to the opposition where we are going to mainly focus our play (the left), making United so predictable and easy to defend against. Unfortunately, Almiron only got back from international duty on Friday (by the way- why?!?) so he was never in contention to start despite a fairly positive outing in the cup and for his country.

Three years removed from the takeover and the right-wing position is still occupied by Murphy and Almiron, both can be considered brilliant squad players, rotational players even, but for any team that wants to be finishing in the top four; they shouldn’t be starting week-in, week-out.