It has become quite evident that Steve Bruce has to make some drastic changes to this system. Newcastle just have nothing to offer in the final third.
When you combine that with a weak midfield and a defense that has become far too open, you get thoroughly outplayed by a team that hadn’t won in eight games.
This was another performance that was lacking in all areas, and it falls directly on the shoulders of the head coach to find some solutions.
Steve Bruce spoke after the dismal 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace. The Chronicle have published much of his post-match comments.
Bruce may have finally come to the conclusion that a change may be necessary. He said the following about possibly making a change after seeing his team be second-best all afternoon:
“The better team won, we have had decent possession, but we gave the ball away too cheaply, especially when in good areas.
“We didn’t ask questions, maybe it is a time to change – we have to score to win a game.
“It was difficult with the conditions, but we have no complaints saying the better team won.”
This was a match that Newcastle needed a result from. They also needed to show a reaction from last week’s performance against Arsenal in the second half.
That didn’t happen, and once again, Newcastle came out of the break and were dominated by their opponents. It was another game that ended in a whimper with no rousing charge for an equalizer to end the game.
Bruce spoke about a couple of areas where he was most disappointed in the lads. For anyone who watched the game, it’s not hard to figure out what that was.
“We are disappointed that the big Achilles heel was obvious, giving the ball away so cheaply, especially in the final third.
“We never really asked their defenders to defend properly, and maybe it is time to change and look at something different. Our final ball and our final cross has been lacking.”
Newcastle were sloppy in possession and bereft of quality in the final third. But for Martin Dubravka and Crystal Palace also being wayward in front of goal, this could have been another onslaught.
The head coach did commend his team for not giving up, which they didn’t. However, that does little good when you can’t score a goal. Newcastle had just two shots on target, and both were from long range.
Bruce spoke about the trouble creating quality chances and how that was such a problem today.
“The one thing they didn’t do was give up, and that’s not a problem. But we have to have more of a threat to win matches in the Premier League.
“Arsenal and Palace away, both are not easy games, but we didn’t cause enough problems in the final third, and that’s what we have got to try and address.”
It was like a broken record watching Newcastle this afternoon. They were sloppy in possession and created nothing in front of goal. At least Steve Bruce recognizes that. Now it’s up to him to get it sorted out before we drift further into trouble.
Who Was Newcastle's Best Player At Crystal Palace?
- Martin Dubravka (79%, 1,121 )
- A. Saint-Maximin (9%, 133 )
- Valentino Lazaro (3%, 45 )
- Joelinton (2%, 30 )
- Dwight Gayle (1%, 19 )
- Fabian Schar (1%, 15 )
- Miguel Almiron (1%, 13 )
- Sean Longstaff (1%, 10 )
- Federico Fernandez (1%, 9 )
- Matt Ritchie (1%, 9 )
- Nabil Bentaleb (0%, 6 )
- Danny Rose (0%, 5 )
- Jamaal Lascelles (0%, 4 )
Total Voters: 1,419
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112 comments so far
droppy in Wallsend
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:03 PM
Comment #41Anglo
I think he gets some kind of twisted joy out of it, oh and great advertising for his empire of utter sh*te.
Actually, Steve Bruce is probably the Sports Direct of managers.
geordietom
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:04 PM
Comment #42#thatfrogdontflush#
toon22
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:04 PM
Comment #43You think maybe if i stopped knocking Jabba the team would magically start playing like RM ?
Will the league somehow ?
#theturdthatwontflush
toon kk
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:04 PM
Comment #44Anglo Saxon @33
As long as fans are happy paying for the privilege of watching dross why change?
I
Big Bruce Stars.
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:05 PM
Comment #45Go on gt crank out that hilarious line again go on…
toon22
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:05 PM
Comment #46The real problem jabba has is someone has met his valuation of the club who he cant pretend hasnt got the money somehow
Cant pretend they are tyre kickers like normal
#theturdthatwontflush
Anglo Saxon
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:05 PM
Comment #47Jib that’s spurs init.
Big Bruce Stars.
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:06 PM
Comment #48SB is the odd sock in the three for £1 bin.
Big Bruce Stars.
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:07 PM
Comment #49Happily for Steve Mike can’t really sack him as it’s not like he’s picking the team……
Nufc-83
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:07 PM
Comment #50Toon you must be the most persistent person to walk the planet. You write the same garbage over and over all day every day with pretty much 95% of the people not engaging with anything and ignoring your posts. I really do admire that.
captainmarvel
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:07 PM
Comment #51Three things that matter 100%, Support 22 sack Bruce and F…k Ashley….
Nufc-83
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:08 PM
Comment #52Big Bruce stars I must admit you had it bang on from day 1 well done.
droppy in Wallsend
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:08 PM
Comment #53Tsunki
If I have to put up with much more of this shameless mismanagement of the club you can have both of my kidneys, Hell you can even cut them out with a rusty spoon.
It’s just horrific.
Anglo Saxon
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:08 PM
Comment #54KK not the slightest idea how this season will finish, think next season there will be a big push to change the way the club is run.
Big Bruce Stars.
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:08 PM
Comment #55So he apparently said “I want Bentaleb off”? Is that like all the times he said “I can’t play Joelinton again”?
kimbo
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:08 PM
Comment #56If Joelinton starts on Saturday then the fans need to verbally abuse Bruce.
toon22
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:09 PM
Comment #57You can see by this blog alone people have simply had enough
nobody was surprised by today
The usual people try and defend it
All the while more people give up and just go do something else
He is literally ending the club as we watch
Toon Tang
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:09 PM
Comment #58I swear dubz wins blog motm every game ahahaha
bettyswallocks
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:10 PM
Comment #59To those that come on here suggesting that this was only a blip and a one nil defeat that wasn’t worth dwelling on , it wasn’t. If they also say that Brucie is doing an alright job under the circumstances , he isn’t.
Our lack of goals from our attacking players and our lack of any consistent plan of action to score any will inevitably prove our downfall sooner rather than later.
Admittedly football is a results business and our results haven’t been too bad , but nobody with any modicum of understanding for the game of football could seriously think that this set up and haphazard methodology to try and create goals is anything other than a complete shambles.
Big Bruce Stars.
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:11 PM
Comment #60Nufc-83 I’m not claiming credit, lots of people knew it. I’m just angry that this has been cynically played out in derision of this clubs fans. I’m still banking on us keeping out of the drop zone, there’s nothing satisfying about all this.
nufcursed
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:11 PM
Comment #61Maybe it’s time to change? It was time a few months ago. Joelinton isn’t a natural goalscorer.. That’s why we signed him to be our new nr 9?!
Seriously, anyone that still goes to the games IS NO REAL NUFC FAN!
We must do something that matters! Ashley doesn’t care about protests.. We need to stop going to games and spend money that ends up in his pocket.
STAY AWAY. We do not deserve this cr*p. Takeover aint happening. Transfer budget aint gonna be 80M..
We’re stuck with a 40M player that’s not even worth 5M..
toon22
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:12 PM
Comment #62Its a slow motion train wreck
Where the owner hasnt the slightest interest in what damage hes going to do
The manager so utterly out of his depth the team would probably play better simply left to their own devices
The PR is overdrive trying to polish the turd we have become
All in the name of keeping SD afloat
Ron Knee
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:12 PM
Comment #63Who scored the Citeh goal? I missed it.
toon22
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:13 PM
Comment #64If we spend 80 you can be sure 60 of it will end up in some deal that benefits Jabba
Essex Geordie Bill
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:13 PM
Comment #65The first picture I saw of Rose during his medical I said he looks a bit on the chubby side and his performances are confirming that, be glad when Dummett is back.
Essex Geordie Bill
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:15 PM
Comment #66Wonder if Mikem was getting a bit miffed with all of the JD Sports adverts! 🙂
JackBall
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:15 PM
Comment #67We are back to the mentality that success is met with just cling on with enough points to avoid relegation. Three years running since our championship season in the Championship. First year out, avoiding relegation was a joy. But don’t you see the problem if that is continually our only hope. Imagine an owner he had authorized just a 40 mil net spend for each of the three years since promotion. We would have a “fairly” successful manager who could have build a team, still on a relatively modest budget, that would be comfortably fighting amongst the top ten. The true Newcastle fan does not expect perfection, but too many are satisfied with just survival. A new owner is the only hope and I truly believe we need a few years in the Championship is the only hope. I’d rather get excited about fighting to get out than then being lucky to just stay in.
droppy in Wallsend
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:16 PM
Comment #68Ron
Jesus scored about 2 mins after replacing Aguero
nufcursed
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:17 PM
Comment #69next transfer window proceedings:
– “we tried to sell Joelinton but couldn’t find a club to take him”
– “the takeover was very real but in the end they never showed any interest”
– “we bid 60M for an unknown, unproven player in a terrible league but he wouldn’t want to come”
– “we tried to resign Armstrong but our offer of 2M wasn’t accepted”
LIES LIES LIES
Essex Geordie Bill
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:17 PM
Comment #70I didn’t think that J had a bad game today looked better than he has been all season.
toon22
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:17 PM
Comment #71Is Joe Kinear still kicking about ?
Maybe we could get him back a 3rd time to take over ?
toon22
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:18 PM
Comment #72Isnt Messi out of contract in the summer ?
Maybe we could make him our top target
Ron Knee
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:19 PM
Comment #73Thanks, droppy.
Munster Mag
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:20 PM
Comment #74Tsunki, you and a bunch of others were all over Bruce from day 1. Same with your friend Hail, who hilariously tried to take a moral highground by saying he wudnt slag off his football. He just slagged everything else. Then you have old farts like Lesh telling us Bruce isn’t as good as Benitez. No sh11t sherlock.
Anglo Saxon
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:21 PM
Comment #75Essex beg to differ mate Linton was woeful.
droppy in Wallsend
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:24 PM
Comment #76Can we get a VAR review on the last 13 years, it looks like pretending to be a football club from this angle.
#cans
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:24 PM
Comment #77Linton had a decent shot on target so thats better than most of his games to be fair
Essex Geordie Bill
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:25 PM
Comment #78Are people saying that Bentelab WAS playing today, I must have missed something!
Essex Geordie Bill
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:27 PM
Comment #79AS
He also did his fair share of work on the pitch, which is more than can be said for at least two other players so I stand by my comment!
Anglo Saxon
Feb 22, 2020 at 7:27 PM
Comment #80droppy think Var would explode trying to make any sense out of NUFC and it’s hierarchy mate.