Rafa Benitez must have been disappointed by only getting a draw but he can see the weaknesses of this Newcastle team.
We need two strikers this summer – who can put the ball into the back of the net – and when Perez went off with a sore hip in the first half we became a different side.
Kenedy came on for Perez and the Brazilian had a very poor game – let’s just leave it at that.
Where is that wonder kid we saw in the first half of last year?
Players congratulate Ayoze Perez after another great goal
If there was any chance that Newcastle would sign Kenedy in the summer it has completely gone now.
This is what Rafa said to BT Sport after the game when asked if it was a game of two halves:
“Yes – normally you would say it was a game of two halves.”
“In this case the first half we had the control, we were winning the balls quite well and we had the chance to score a second goal.”
“We didn’t do it and we were expecting the second half them to come pushing which they did.”
“Sometimes the set pieces you can’t control. They were aggressive and fighting against relegation, which was clear.”
“We needed to be a little bit better with the ball and didn’t do it. In the end we got a point – OK, it was a pity for us.”
“That after working so hard, but it’s a lesson and you must keep going in these games when the other team is playing for everything.”
Comments welcome.
79 comments so far
cyprus
Apr 27, 2019 at 8:21 PM
Comment #1Spectacular Alves goal
Dennis Twice
Apr 27, 2019 at 8:22 PM
Comment #2Attack Toon attack, attack!
Moonraker15
Apr 27, 2019 at 8:26 PM
Comment #3Rafa please send Kenedy back to Chelsea; he’s a liability never mind an asset!
jane
Apr 27, 2019 at 8:44 PM
Comment #4“Spectacular Alves goal”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXg–YxelSs
DaveD1000
Apr 27, 2019 at 8:51 PM
Comment #5Mitro would have scored that but better
jane
Apr 27, 2019 at 8:54 PM
Comment #6sarcasm? Mitro doesn’t score goals anymore.
Jail for Ashley
Apr 27, 2019 at 8:58 PM
Comment #7So much for my Kenedy against Lpool claim.
DaveD1000
Apr 27, 2019 at 8:59 PM
Comment #8purely in jest
Jail for Ashley
Apr 27, 2019 at 9:14 PM
Comment #9Seriously disappointed with Kenedy tonight, shite cross for Rondon and that shot was just brainless, maybe Rafa was hoping he’d come good for next week, won’t be too sad if I don’t ever see or hear from him again, was it a bullet dodged or stupid not to buy him outright after such a good season last year, we’ll never know.
Munster Mag
Apr 27, 2019 at 9:25 PM
Comment #10Turgid second half but that’s what happens when compact defence is the mantra against awful opposition. Kennedy? Shocker. And we wanted to pay 20m for him?
Munster Mag
Apr 27, 2019 at 9:28 PM
Comment #11Oh sorry I forgot, non positive analysis of the manager, also know as fair analysis, is forbidden.
Jail for Ashley
Apr 27, 2019 at 9:36 PM
Comment #12Munster,
If you want to slag the manager what’s stopping you, you’ve been constantly slating him for three years now, what makes you think it’s not allowed tonight?
Nostradamus the Geordie
Apr 27, 2019 at 9:44 PM
Comment #13I said a little while ago, if we go back to that defensive playing style it would hurt us.
First half perfect, second half defensive style that does not really work, we missed Florian and Jamaal badly today with all the height Brighton have.
Bloody Murray pain in Newcastle’s ass, 35 years old and plays like a 25 year old.
magpie22
Apr 27, 2019 at 9:50 PM
Comment #14A decent manager would of had us winning that game by 4 or 5 goals, not Mr Cautious though, he put us on the back foot by negative play again ( the only player playing the ball forward in the second half was Dubravka. As for bringing Kenedy on – he would have made the team stronger if we had played with 10 players (which in a way he did ) . I’ll probably get pelters for criticising Rafa but the facts don’t lie, he takes the credit when the team plays well, likewise he has to take the criticism when they don’t.
Paully
Apr 27, 2019 at 9:52 PM
Comment #15Munster is just a slyer version of Catchy.
Sad Frog II
Apr 27, 2019 at 9:53 PM
Comment #16It’s almost time for Thank You Rafa! Just 2 to go…and new era will begin without you.
carltoon
Apr 27, 2019 at 9:57 PM
Comment #17Great first half. Brighton fighting for their lives in the second. They weren’t going to sit back. Would have loved the 3 points. But happy enough with a point. Pleased for Chris Houghton. Why would you want to criticize Raffa. What a job he’s done this season. Sign him up now.
lochinvar
Apr 27, 2019 at 10:19 PM
Comment #18And other highlights from the day
Tim Krul back up with Norwich. Well deserved after a rough time caused if I recall by a dodgy foul causing injury
Sheffield United back up (99.99% sure) so if Leeds make it as well via the play offs then a few good northern derby style games to look for. Fulham, Huddersfield and probably Cardiff no great miss.
Mackems miss out on automatic promotion so play offs for them , probably against Doncaster who they may well beat but then again may not
Munster Mag
Apr 27, 2019 at 10:20 PM
Comment #19Wow a fan can’t criticise a manager. You must be the only set of supporters who can’t critique a performance for fear of upsetting other fans. Take a bow. Now, who was happy with our second half performance. Can we analyse it or is that off limits because we had terrible managers before rafa.
toon22
Apr 27, 2019 at 10:35 PM
Comment #20SadFrog
Hiya JIB
It must be boring spending 24/7 on here defending MA
😉
toon22
Apr 27, 2019 at 10:36 PM
Comment #21Munster
Are you and Catchy freinds ?
jane
Apr 27, 2019 at 10:39 PM
Comment #222 hours later and it’s going to pens, good come back by Rennes. 10 yellow and 1 red card!
jane
Apr 27, 2019 at 10:41 PM
Comment #23we were playing some second string players today, no Almiron and Perez made a big difference.
TikiTakaAcca
Apr 27, 2019 at 10:44 PM
Comment #24I find it hilarious how I posted how bad Kenedy is and was on here when you all thought he was a saviour because he scored 2 goals last season.
The abuse and delusional comments were fun.
I’m glad you can all see how hopeless he is now.
cyprus
Apr 27, 2019 at 10:45 PM
Comment #25Good game. Hope hba’s side wins 🙂
cyprus
Apr 27, 2019 at 10:54 PM
Comment #26Is anyone ever going to miss a penalty?
Nostradamus the Geordie
Apr 27, 2019 at 10:59 PM
Comment #27Well Lads and Lasses, another great result for Mike Dean, why is it every commentator said it was a penalty when Ronnie get clipped in the box but Deano the dinosaur just pulled that, I just sucked a sour sweet face and said no pen.
He has to be the worst Ref in the Prem, ferret rat faced little dikfcuker.
jimiley
Apr 27, 2019 at 11:01 PM
Comment #28Two more games and Rafa is gone.
Bring on Hoots or Pardew or Bid Sam..
Relegation beckons.
A crisis is only ever two games away at Toon Towers
jane
Apr 27, 2019 at 11:02 PM
Comment #29nice when the under-dogs win
jane
Apr 27, 2019 at 11:03 PM
Comment #30if Rafa goes they will bring in another top manager now they know the difference it makes.
jane
Apr 27, 2019 at 11:04 PM
Comment #31also to quell fan reaction.
JP...from The Rock
Apr 27, 2019 at 11:05 PM
Comment #32So happy for Hatem Ben Arfa winning the Coupe de France with Rennes. I wanted them to win for him. He deserved it.
Still gutted we pushed him out of our club. One of my all time favourite Newcastle players. We needed to allow him to be himself on the pitch and not force him to track back. He’s an exceptional talent and one similar to Ginola in that he was expected to be attack mind and not track back and defend.
Pardew tried to Pardew him and messed him up. Then in Hull his morale was at an all time low. So happy he has had some success in his career after so many ups and downs.
I miss you Hatem.
Hopefully Rafa will sign a new improved contract and he’s allowed to sign quality and exciting players like HBA in the near future.
jane
Apr 27, 2019 at 11:05 PM
Comment #33plenty would be interested.
davis_toons
Apr 27, 2019 at 11:10 PM
Comment #34Rafa should stay, even though we do not have the huge amount to compete, we are still able to make at least 2 good quality signing for the next 2 season with getting rid of some players and wages.
Tsunki
Apr 27, 2019 at 11:14 PM
Comment #35Munster you’ve had some decent opportunities to slag off Benitez but today wasn’t the best. Unless Rafa jumped onto the pitch himself with flippers on and shot our defenders dead I’m not feeling the critique here. Brighton had to charge it up second half the world and his dog (the dog that knows how football works that is) knew they’d need the points and they rode on perez coming off which broke our forward link up and Kenedy being a dead space again. Not the managers fault if the players don’t adapt. Well look what happened – we didn’t lose an away game. Why is that a tactical disaster?
Tsunki
Apr 27, 2019 at 11:15 PM
Comment #36What seems to have escaped “some” is that through injury we are back to the choices of players that had us in the bottom three.
martoon
Apr 27, 2019 at 11:23 PM
Comment #37Normally an away point is good but I’m disappointed because we should have been out of sight at half time. Also a mystifying decision by Rafa to replace Perez with Kenedy – not only was Muto a like for like relacement but Muto is our player so likely to be here next season whereas Kenedy will likely not be so give our player match time!
magpie22
Apr 27, 2019 at 11:25 PM
Comment #38Tsunki
Or is it back to the same tactics that had us in the bottom three.
Munster Mag
Apr 27, 2019 at 11:28 PM
Comment #39Tsunki you know I’m cautious in my deliberations. I just find it odd that a fanbase can’t analyse the manager both positively (hugely) and negatively (sometimes). I think the fans are so used to carver and Co that they are so grateful to rafa (fairly) that they cannot see a poor second half performance for what it is. I presume man u fans never said anything remotely negative re Fergie?
Munster Mag
Apr 27, 2019 at 11:28 PM
Comment #40Sorry martoon, but if I wrote what you wrote, I’d be stoned as a heretic.