Newcastle United lost to Arsenal 2-1 at St James’ Park on Sunday afternoon. It was a frustrating and gutting defeat but was probably deserved as United never really got to grips with the game, and Nick Pope kept the side in the game with a string of decent saves.
Nick Woltemade scored his second goal for the club, but it was cancelled out by two late headers from Mikel Merino and Gabriel.
A piece on my two positives from the match will be coming tomorrow, but these were my three ‘dislikes’ from another frustrating afternoon at St James’ Park:
Didn’t Like: Not playing to our strengths and being too worried about the opposition.
Many heads were scratched when the team sheet dropped on Sunday, with many a United fan wondering how the players were going to fit into one of Eddie Howe’s two preferred formations. Unfortunately, it was a hodgepodge of a 4-3-3/5-3-2, and at times it showed as the players didn’t really seem to know what they were doing.
It seemed like a formation designed around combating Arsenal’s strengths rather than playing to our own, and the substitutions followed along the same vein too. We’ve had success against Arsenal at SJP over the last few seasons by being aggressive and pressing with the intense crowd behind the lads (which I thought they were again), but the tactics seemed to be too much about containing them, which was borne out by the match statistics.
I just don’t think you win many football games when you are more worried about the opposition’s strengths than you are your own, and whilst you can’t always play your best, you should always try to play in your style, especially when the one Howe has crafted at United has been so successful in the main, and he came far too away from that against Arsenal.
Didn’t Like: More inexplicable refereeing
If the algorithm wasn’t so against swearing, that’s what the entirety of this section would be, honestly, but trying to be fair and constructive, United have once again been saddled with another referee in Jared Gillet, who through his performance showed that the game was too big for him, much like Simon Hooper for the Liverpool game.
Gillet himself was far too easily conned by snide pulls from Arsenal defenders and seemed to always award Arsenal the free kick in those situations. He gave a penalty when Pope got a touch on the ball, and only booked one Arsenal player when the fouling and grabbing was off the charts. Saka was particularly lucky not to get booked as he committed numerous fouls throughout the game.
And whilst VAR spared Gillet’s blushes with the non-penalty, it completely missed the off-the-ball punch to Nick Woltemade (which is not only cowardly by Gabriel, it’s violent conduct), and he should’ve seen red. For the Brazilian to then offer a sarcastic hand of apology is a joke and once again highlights how you have to be a snide team to get anywhere these days as the refs and VARs just won’t do anything about it against these types of sides.
United need to rediscover some of the housery we had in 2022/23 because we seem to have regressed to being too nice, and it’s costing us in the early weeks of the season.
Didn’t Like: Dan Burn back at left-back
This is not going to be a section hammering Burn; he was okay on Sunday, but this is more disappointment with Howe for putting Burn back at left-back in the first place. Burn at left-back worked for one excellent season when it was a surprise and sides couldn’t figure it out, but now everyone has figured it out, and a side with Arsenal’s quality was always going to figure it out quickly.
What’s more is that it nullifies any attacking threat we have down the left flank, and Burn often had to have Gordon helping him to double up on Saka/Martinelli anyway, so his positioning just took too much away from the side in an attacking sense.
I struggle with how Howe thought that this was the solution to a problem we haven’t really had as we’ve been defensively solid this season, and why was Lewis Hall left out completely, as surely he should’ve been playing there in his natural position? Yes, it came out post-game that Hall is just being managed but isn’t the stronger argument that Hall should’ve played fewer minutes against Bradford to be at least part available for this game?
And that says nothing for playing Tripper there (something he has done in a World Cup semi-final for England) or even playing Emil Krafth on the right, allowing Livramento to play there. It’s a baffling one and one that contributed to us having so little attacking threat in the game, and I really hope it’s the last time we see it this season.
Keep the faith. HWTL
Agree totally about Burn at Left back, the coaching staff should know by now surely.
You expect 💩 from referees and VAR now, not fit for purpose.
Game plan not at the races on this one Eddie.
Joseph(Quote)
I think Eddie has been truly lost in the first few games, for me Elangas pace alone would have kept Arsenal thinking, Dan Burn at left back isn’t an option, no pace and no attacking threat, and despite Arsenals dominance I feel we deserved at least a draw, but the poor reffing let both sides down.
Please play to our strengths Wddie and not playing people out of position.
Lee(Quote)
15th in the league says it all . Howe needs to buck up or go .
Tonyb5671(Quote)
Absolutely ridiculous comment.
Olly Hawkins(Quote)