It wasn’t a great display or the win we could’ve done with, but it was a solid test against Champions League opposition, as Eddie Howe’s Newcastle in need of new signings lost 2-0 to Atletico Madrid.
Here are my player ratings from today’s game at St James’ Park:
Starting 11
Pope (6) – Made a couple of decent saves but was the least impressive of the two keepers over both games.
Trippier (7) – Some decent set pieces and had a fine free kick saved. Calming presence on the ball and linked nicely with Elanga in patches, but his output in attack from open play is becoming less effective.
Lascelles (5) – About to be relegated to fifth choice centre back with the arrival of Thiaw. Dominant in the air and showed his power, but backed off far too much for secon goal. His leadership role in the club should only be limited to the training ground and dressing room.
Botman (6) – Great to see him back and a valuable 45 minutes into the legs before the start of the season. Defence looked a lot shakier when he went off. Passing and skill on the ball is a delight
Livramento (5.5) – Fortunate not to be punished for a poor header which summed up an average performance. Loons likely to get the nod at left back against Villa with Hall being eased back to fitness.
Ashby (5.5) – Surprise selection in midfield and didn’t especially do anything wrong, aside from a few soft giveaways early on. However, he was caught out of position a lot which is to be expected in an unfamiliar role. Looks like a loan out is on the cards again
Tonali (6.5) – Influence faded in the second half but was one of the better performers on the day. Imperative we can keep him fit this season as there’s no natural replacement
Joelinton (6.5) – Had about four header opportunities in the first half and really should’ve had a goal to his name. Typically robust in midfield but sloppy in possession on more than one occasion
Elanga (6.5) – Dynamic in the first half on the counter where he can use his pace. Also beat his man two or three times with blistring pace, but lacked the end product, with too many crosses hitting the first man. Real test comes when playing against a low block and he can’t rely on his speed
Barnes (5.5) – Spurned a good attacking opportunity in the first half but faded out the game in the second half as all attacking cohesion went by the wayside
Gordon (6) – All energy performance with every blade of grass covered but in true Newcastle style he was injured with a few minutes to go with a soft tissue injury leaving him in severe doubt for the start of the season.
Subs:
Murphy (5) – Looks good enough on the ball but was exposed on a few occasions in defence. Another who will likely be loaned out
Harrison (5) – Didn’t grab the opportunity today to really showcase what he can do. Tidy enough but did nothing to stand out from the pack
Shahar (NR)
Interesting to see your comment on Joelinton being sloppy in possession. Like many of our players he appears to have taken a leaf out of Bruno’s playbook and insists on trying those little flick turns and more often than not, like Bruno ends up being dispossessed. Eddie needs to have a word.
Davey’s **** Mate(Quote)
Joelinton a 6.5 is pretty incredible.
I’d have given him a 2.5. His first touch was constantly awful, couldn’t pass to save his life. Even his ‘successful’ passes were tricky to control.
Missed a simple header.
Was an awful performance.
Hazz(Quote)
You would have thought that being bought as a centre forward Joelinton could step into that position in an emergency, however he can’t head a ball properly or shoot straight to save his life. I wonder what he actually does with his coaches in training.
He does excel in giving unnecessary free kicks away, rugby tackling players and getting booked for the verbals.
Some footballer!
Joseph(Quote)