In a game that was hyped by the players and head coach as a must-win, Newcastle were second best for much of the evening. From the opening whistle, Brighton bossed the game at St James Park with Newcastle clueless as to how to stem the tide.
A positive that we can take away is that not many players dropped their heads in a very frustrating atmosphere. They continued to try even when their efforts were not yielding the desired results.
One player who represented the desire to get something from the match most was our Swiss defender Fabian Schar. Fabian’s heart was on full display as he cleared an Aaron Connolly shot from the goal line with an incredible overhead kick and with only millimeters to spare.
Fabian Schar has spoken with the Chronicle, and he’s not minced his words about how the lads played. This is Fabian’s take on the dreadful performance:
“We played a sh*t game – what can I say? We were lucky to get a point. But we played a bad game, that’s it.
“We move on to the next game but we have to improve on this.
“It’s a positive that the fans stayed with us. But we need to do more for them in the home games.
“We need to play much better. Today was a really bad game for ourselves and that’s all I can really say.”
That’s a blunt but honest reflection of Saturday’s performance. Fabian doesn’t feel the need to sugarcoat it in the slightest.
In the end, a point was salvaged, but it was an opportunity lost for Newcastle. Not only to climb the table but also to show that there is a sense of direction for this team. Unfortunately, they failed to give the fans any sense of ease that they are on the right track under Bruce.
But it’s time to move on to Leicester City where the players should be itching to put in an improved performance. Hopefully, they can do just that to get them moving back in the right direction.
24 comments so far
Geordie-john
Sep 23, 2019 at 10:19 AM
Comment #1Fabian Schar, Top bloke, Tell it as it is. It’s a pity that the top end can’t do the same then the supporters would be half as pissed off
Jail for Ashley
Sep 23, 2019 at 10:25 AM
Comment #2Leicester is just going to be a repeat of Spurs tactically but Rodgers will be well prepared for it.
hibbit
Sep 23, 2019 at 10:30 AM
Comment #3hibbit
Sep 23, 2019 at 10:29 AM
Comment #35
Thanks martoon
i honestly just don’t get how we played it was so poor all over the park as if we really didn’t know what to expect from them,
Re Andy Carroll still looks a handful if they can just keep him fit his sharpness will come ,he’s had such a very long layoff he’s going to need time to get back up to some kind of match fitness not just the physical kind big ask of the lad !!!
Charlie in the Gallowgate
Sep 23, 2019 at 10:35 AM
Comment #4Saturday
Can anyone tell me where Willems and Atsu were playing Saturday and as for Shelvey – seems to want to play as a third centre half and slows the play down to a snails pace when he gets the ball.
geordietom
Sep 23, 2019 at 10:39 AM
Comment #5jail …
it would be good if we get the same result against Leicester as we did against spurs but as you said Rodgers will be ready for it …
geordietom
Sep 23, 2019 at 10:41 AM
Comment #6Charlie …
Willems was all over the place looked lost as we all saw mate …
Jib
Sep 23, 2019 at 10:42 AM
Comment #7I wonder if it will be pay back time for Hamza Choudhury at the Kingpower ?
geordietom
Sep 23, 2019 at 10:45 AM
Comment #8jib …
doubt it mate Ritchie wont be playing mate , if he was yeah …
TikiTakaAcca
Sep 23, 2019 at 10:46 AM
Comment #9It was Willems fault he looked lost.
He started off LWB, got moved into the middle and then moved back out to LB again later.
Dubs Left Glove
Sep 23, 2019 at 10:49 AM
Comment #10I thought Bruce was a mistake when he got given the job but “give him a chance” they said.
Some fans were content with the signings of ASM and Joelinton thinking everything will be ok.
Everything is not OK, this season will turn into a disaster unless Bruce goes, ideally Ashlie can go with him.
Mindshaft
Sep 23, 2019 at 10:49 AM
Comment #11Jib, remember you laughed at me when I suggested Willems and Krafth were average defenders … You were right , I overstated their ability – they are definitely not as good as average EPL defenders
martoon
Sep 23, 2019 at 10:58 AM
Comment #12On Willems his first couple of games I put it down to not being completely fit and being new to the team but as others say on Saturday he just looked lost. Maybe it was just a bad day at the office as even the improving Atsu had a poor game by his standards or maybe that’s the reason why his parent team wanted to loan him out?
martoon
Sep 23, 2019 at 11:01 AM
Comment #13Also I like Schar’s summing up of the game – “We played a sh*t game”.
Direct and to the point 😀
hibbit
Sep 23, 2019 at 11:03 AM
Comment #14martoon
and very true !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jib
Sep 23, 2019 at 11:07 AM
Comment #15Mindshaft
I laugh at your comment soften
I’m laughing now – Krafth was an unused sub on Saturday
Jib
Sep 23, 2019 at 11:08 AM
Comment #16soften = often
hibbit
Sep 23, 2019 at 11:09 AM
Comment #17away ticket problems,
https://www.themag.co.uk/2019/09/club-refuse-to-sell-chelsea-away-tickets-to-newcastle-united-fans-who-arent-members/
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Sep 23, 2019 at 11:10 AM
Comment #18So when we played Leicester away last season they couldn’t get near us and if we had better finishing would have won by a bigger score!
Now they have one of our best players from last season in their team and if we play anything like the Brighton game we will be skelped live on Sky Sports…..
Or maybe the players will get their act together like against Spurs!!?
Rotonda heights
Sep 23, 2019 at 11:16 AM
Comment #19If Thomas Cook can go under I hope SD is next in line. I’m sad for the TC employees but the poor sods on zero hour contracts and sweatshops at SD, not so much. I know toon 22 is a bit naive but can’t help hoping some of his diatribe comes to fruition.
It just feels like we are on the edge of an abyss and totally rudderless. If Ash and SD fold like a pack of cards and takes NUFC with him is it worth the price of that to get rid of Ash? We live in interesting times.
No one but Ashley and possibly Charnley, both of whom apparently have a miniscule amount of footballing knowledge would consider replacing an elite manager (who had offered his services) with the deluded ”it’s never my fault” chump in charge (loosely) that we have now. It is so a re-run of the previous McCardew car crashes.
Rotonda heights
Sep 23, 2019 at 11:19 AM
Comment #20I think shar has realised very quickly we now have a pygmy where once stood a giant. Think he’ll be off very soon.
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Sep 23, 2019 at 11:23 AM
Comment #21Schar is the kind of player we should be building a team around hes a proper leader and he adds some flair and entertainment value !
He will be away in January if this mess isn’t rectified!
In a way the likes of Bruce , Pardew etc have it easy at Newcastle all they have to do is coach players and the “club” takes care of the rest!? How difficult is it to coach players some drills about pressing as a team etc?
Just a fan
Sep 23, 2019 at 11:37 AM
Comment #22Don’t know if schar is a natural leader he has a bit of a short fuse a bit like shelvey.
Never thought he would be here for the long haul. Hope I’m wrong.
Yes shelvey was poor yesterday but he is still a class player who actually a wants to be here.
Maybe the system didn’t fit him..as for Brighton they were like Barca unfortunately none of there forwards are a Messi.
Jail for Ashley
Sep 23, 2019 at 11:38 AM
Comment #23As Rotonda said earlier, we all knew that Bruce’s only remit was to save us from the drop, his admission that we’re “one under par” with five points from six games only confirms it and was obviously discussed with Churnley when he took the job. So basically, again, as we all knew he is just another stooge in Ashley’s drive to have us ran on fumes while he reaps the rewards. Not that I believed it possible anyway but Bruce’s one redeeming claim was that we were going to play more attacking football, today’s statements have thrown that out the window. As for the FA cup, if manage to stay “on par” and have 19 points in January, do you honestly think we’ll be taking that seriously, it will be interesting to hear his presser before our first tie, if of course he’s still here, which if we have 19 points, he will be.
ArtyH
Sep 23, 2019 at 1:43 PM
Comment #24It was a supposed give for 3 on Saturday against an average side, which in truth looked like they were playing at home and in a division above us. This has the Shteve McC playbook written all over it.