Newcastle did not have a shot on target at St. Mary’s Stadium yesterday but some resolute defending – especially from goalkeeper Martin Dubravka – got us a 0-0 draw.
That was one point, and we moved off the bottom of the league table and above Huddersfield.
We now have 3 draws this season, and they are the only times we have kept a clean sheet, and all were away from home – at Cardiff City, Crystal Palace, and Southampton.
This was a terrible game to watch, and Newcastle can play much better than this, and we must be more attacking in the two home games that are next up – against Watford and Bournemouth.
Goal difference could well see us be better than the bottom clubs again this season and we very rarely get taken to the cleaners – at least not as far as the results go.
Martin Dubravka made some great save yesterday
Mike Ashley was again in the stands for the fifth successive game.
Newcastle had an excellent 25000 brave fans at the game and Southampton had their chances in the first half, and Martin Dubravka is now quickly showing he can become one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League.
It was 0-0 at halftime mainly due to Martin Dubravka’s saves in that first half when the Saints were the better side.
Newcastle couldn’t get any grip on the game with Shelvey and Diame being overrun in midfield and it was
Mario Lemina who went closest to scoring in the first half when he hit the post.
In the second half the home side upped their game and had more chances to win, but good defending and goalkeeper Martin Dubravka were able to keep them out.
And right at the end, Shane Long, who had come on as a sub, had a decent chance to win it but put his shot wide.
Apart from being a terrible display, it was a decent result for Newcastle, and we also drew last season in this fixture 2-2.
But it was also a worrying performance from Newcastle becasue of the lack of penetration we had in the final third of the pitch.
And we will have to bring in another striker in January – the team somehow have to start some scoring some goals if we are to start winning some games.
Rafa has lots of work to do on this team based on this poor performance to get us to be a lot more attack minded.
We played poorly but got a point – that was one good thing yesterday.
Southampton: McCarthy; Cedric, Stephens, Hoedt, Bertrand; Redmond, Romeu (Ward-Prowse, 78), Lemina, Elyounoussi (Long, 78); Ings, Austin (Gabbiadini, 63).
Subs not used: Gunn, Yoshida, Vestergaard, Armstrong. Booking: Atsu 90
Newcastle: Dubravka; Yedlin, Lascelles, Fernandez, Dummett; Shelvey, Diame (Ki, 76); Ritchie, Perez (Rondon, 68), Kenedy; Muto (Atsu, 80).
Subs not used: Darlow, Manquillo, Schar, Joselu.
Referee: Chris Kavanagh (Manchester)
Comments welcome.
8 comments so far
Jib
Oct 28, 2018 at 7:37 AM
Comment #1Micky
Ashley can be as notorious as he likes for his contracts
By offering a 5 year deal to a man who has just gone 10 games
without a win shows how desperate he is to keep Rafa.
Rafa’s lawyers will have great fun tying Ashley in knots.
A timetable for changes at Benton and in the Academy
and a financial schedule for player purchase.
He’ll squeeze until Ashley’s pips squeak.
Geremi's Prosthetic Leg Fund
Oct 28, 2018 at 7:38 AM
Comment #2Re the previous article – you have to ask the question, why now? Why would you suddenly start looking to agree to demands now, when you wouldn’t in the summer when everything was set up perfectly to do so.
It’s because everything this club does is centred around PR and spending as much time and energy as possible promoting the message they want people to believe, rather than actually just get on with it and getting it done in the right manner.
It’s yet another media leaked ‘exclusive’ and it will be a complete fabrication.
Rafa, stick to your guns. If you get the backing in Jan and you can make it work and keep us up, and then they give you cast iron contractual guarantees of the things you want then sign.
These types of leaks will not quell the unrest and the planned protests. That card has been played too many times now and people have had enough.
welshgeordie9
Oct 28, 2018 at 7:50 AM
Comment #3kimbo
Oct 28, 2018 at 7:28 AM
Comment #7
5 more years of football like yesterday ,I hope not. Perez up front for the next 5 years as well ahhh-hhhhh!!!!!!
Thats very true.
jarra mick
Oct 28, 2018 at 7:50 AM
Comment #4Worst performance I’ve ever seen from a Newcastle team. We are getting worse by the week and what makes it worse is that the majority of our fans have lowered their expectation levels so low that they’re happy with a point at a team that has won once at home in 11 months. Rafa out before it’s too late!
Jib
Oct 28, 2018 at 7:54 AM
Comment #5football web pages final table forecast
lesh
Oct 28, 2018 at 7:57 AM
Comment #6Jib
Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha was by all accounts a very popular owner who invested in Leicester City FC, was involved in the community, made great efforts to relate to the clubs fans and his helicopter crashed. Shame.
Ashley, however………
Fate works in strange ways.
welshgeordie9
Oct 28, 2018 at 8:00 AM
Comment #7If we get hammered next week, hes a gonna anyway.
DubaiMicky
Oct 28, 2018 at 8:42 AM
Comment #8Jib, that table’s rubbish, both us and ‘udders going through the season without a single win???