Steve Bruce did not get the team selection right whatsoever this afternoon. The midfield pairing of Sean Longstaff and Nabil Bentaleb was non-existent and Bruce failed to address the situation until late in the game.
He eventually moved Fabian Schar further forward but both Longstaff and Bentaleb were overrun today. We’re not sure if Bruce feels pressure to start the loan lads but all three started today and both Bentaleb and Danny Rose did not play very well.
We’d like to see both Matt Ritchie and Isaac Hayden back in the team next week against Burnley. Unfortunately, Valentino Lazaro will miss that match after receiving a straight red card for taking Wilfried Zaha down from behind when he was through on goal.
There is just one threat in this team and that is Allan Saint-Maximin. The Frenchman was the only one showing urgency to level the score. Joelinton had another Joelinton-like performance in which he worked hard but offered nothing in front of goal.
It is just so frustrating watching this team gift possession back to the opposition time and time again. We are second to every loose ball and are completely bereft of ideas when we manage to keep it.
Once again, it’s Martin Dubravka who kept this game from being another lopsided defeat. Newcastle would easily be in the bottom three without him.
We have dropped to 14th but the three teams now below us failed to win. However, the bottom three have yet to play. This club is now in a fight for survival with little to indicate that any improvement is on the horizon.
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
100 comments so far
ChicoUSA
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:25 PM
Comment #1Under Rafa the team by the second half of each season began to gel, and the squad improved match by match. As he drilled the team week in and week out, slowly the lessons took hold. By the end of each of Rafa’s 3 full seasons the team was rolling!
But under Bruce it is all helter-skelter, throw 11 lads out on the pitch and hope to get lucky. No improvement as a squad, looking each week like a team resembling a chicken with its head cut off. Clueless.
Bruce is surely a nice man! The players like him, maybe much more than Rafa. But he looks way out of his depth. But this is the type of “manager” that Ashley prefers! Ashley Out!!! Bruce Out!!! New owner in!!!
TomaKaThor
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:29 PM
Comment #2Just to add to how poor we was, despite the fact they could of won by 4 or 5.. It was there first win in 9 lol did we create one clear chance haha we are awful and make awful teams look good.. Which tbh will give them confidence.. If we created as much as them today we would be praising how its our best performance since West Ham first half
lochinvar
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:30 PM
Comment #3In other seasons the coach would be gone by now.
Just who takes over ?
Reilly
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:31 PM
Comment #4Steve Bruce: “Not many positives. I couldn’t fault their effort and their attitude for it. We’ve had enough possession but, in the final third again, the final ball – we’ve found it a big struggle again.”
toon22
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:31 PM
Comment #5Yeh let’s blame the manager
It’s never Jabbas fault
toon22
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:32 PM
Comment #6Who would want to manager a club like ours ?
Rafa proved beyond doubt the owner is poison
Without ambition
An utter liar
Just a Fat Neil Warnock
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:33 PM
Comment #7right now bruce is the immediate danger. hes the one that could take us down. going down means we will never get rid of ashley. we cant let bruce hide behind ashley.
Ron Knee
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:33 PM
Comment #8Under Ashley, Bruce has a job for life if he wants it. Whether we survive in the PL this season or get relegated Ashley will keep him on.
Just a Fat Neil Warnock
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:34 PM
Comment #9Ben Arfa had to play for Bruce and Pardew. Poor lad.
IrishRob
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:36 PM
Comment #10Poch would never accept the Newcastle job unless we had new owners. So were probably stuck with Bruce until the end of the season, who has the quality to change our fortunes right now only Poch.
Just a Fat Neil Warnock
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:36 PM
Comment #11if they sack bruce theyll look for a safe pair of hands which is spin for dinosaur.
Mag :P
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:37 PM
Comment #12Bruce:
“maybe it’s time for a change” (reffering to tactics)
No wait, really?
What a shocking revelation that the average fan hasnt sussed since last year.
TomaKaThor
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:37 PM
Comment #13Toon22 shut up you jobless single wonder, everyone knows Ashley is the problem, doesn’t change the fact Bruce is an abysmal manager
Just a Fat Neil Warnock
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:37 PM
Comment #14or we could get a young hungry unproven talent like alex bruce.
Bambams
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:38 PM
Comment #15Geordiemark (previous)
I am so close to just giving in with Newcastle United, I still think Ash does this with intent – nobody can keep making this many mistakes accidentally.
He hates us, I read EVERYTHING I CAN RE TAKEOVER…. and speak to those who may know stuff…
But still he stays.
No other owner in PL would of given Steve Bruce the job.
But he was desperate, as was Bruce to get back to the PL
It’s the fans that suffer.
Off now to the Pav to have a great night, mates birthday.
Twickenham tomorrow !!!!!
IrishRob
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:38 PM
Comment #16Ooh god could u just imagine Bruce got sacked for Alex Bruce, I’d genuinely cry.
investinyouthtoon
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:39 PM
Comment #17Voted for dubs without him it really could have been embarrassing. The majority don’t even deserve a mention, the away fans deserve so so much better than the pile of MA they were served up today and for most of the season. They deserve a club that tries and gives the fans some hope.
We will get our club back one day however like some I fear the state it will be in should that day arrive. In its current plight I assume the next owner will require very very deep pockets to bring us back to where we were before the cancer that is MA took us over. Very poor squad, shocking training and academy facilities and a stadium in need of some tlc
Just a Fat Neil Warnock
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:39 PM
Comment #18id love to read his murder mysteries. detective Brucie on the case, kebab in hand.
Ron Knee
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:39 PM
Comment #19Just a Fat…
They won’t sack him. The Championship is his level.
Jib
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:40 PM
Comment #20lochinvar
In other seasons the coach would be gone by now.
Not at this club
Look how long they dithered with McClaren
bettyswallocks
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:40 PM
Comment #21That was a woeful performance. This bunch of players can not be as bad as Steve Bruce’s lackadaisical , disjointed management is making them look.
As most of us agreed he should never have been appointed in the first place but the luck has run out and things do not look like getting any better before they get much much worse .
With this incompetent loser setting the team up every week without any obvious structure or any plan to score goals then it’s blatantly obvious in which direction we’re heading.
Just a Fat Neil Warnock
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:40 PM
Comment #22bruce is a rabbit in the headlights.
droppy in Wallsend
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:42 PM
Comment #23Didn’t get to see the game at all today, sounds like I got lucky.
Very worrying how absolutely awful we seem to be, have given Bruce a chance but it’s increasingly obvious that his coaching is on a par with his writing, completely and utterly pathetic.
The only positive is the gap that we still have to the bottom 3.
Time for a change, new owner, new manager and finally some new hope.
TomaKaThor
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:43 PM
Comment #24I think we have all given Bruce time, even though we genuinely didn’t want him here, I actually resented him for taking it as selfish and stupid.. But he did it. And he has had time now.. And he hasn’t even remotely put a stamp on the team.. And then when it comes to even basic decisions like subs even from early on he leaves it far to late to the point evey fan and impartial commentators questions why he hasn’t made changes
Mag :P
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:44 PM
Comment #25Is anyone really surprised though?
We went out of our way to buy a manager out of a championship team.
The worst part being that the manager wasn’t even top 5 in the second division.
Our hierarchy is a joke.
Charlie in the Gallowgate
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:47 PM
Comment #26I gave Bruce a chance and thought he had done ok with a decent striker if not a bit lucky at times
But now my patience has run out as he has moaned on about playing to deep wanting to play further up the field brings in Bentlegs ‘a box to box player’ who under him is playing deeper than Shelvey who I complained about game after game- Longstaff who has been hopeless all season Rose is carrying to much timber and waits like Rafa who I complained about brings subs on 70 minutes and this idiot does exactly the same.
What team next week got to change the whole of the midfield
He is going to get grief next week if we do not change
West Lancs Geordie
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:47 PM
Comment #27Landmark game for Bruce the Clueless today – His 300th the league defeat!
If we’re looking for a Bruce to replace him, what about Robert the Bruce. Now he would have had a bit of fight about him. This fella never plays to win just goes out to not get beat but inevitably always does.
ramboreilly
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:47 PM
Comment #2829% win rate now with Bruce,same as his win rate at Sunderland. He will be,by the end of the season,the worst premier league manager ever,statistically. All Charnley had to do was look on Wiki,to see he was hopeless at this level.But he is cheap and does what he’s told.
ChicoUSA
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:47 PM
Comment #29Ashley and Charnley also stuck with Carver beyond any reasonable length of time…
Ashley is right, he should never own a football club!
Zele
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:49 PM
Comment #30I’m wondering whether Bentleg and Rose are fit.
They look slow and hesitant, in contrast to Lazaro who looks quality.
Having three central defenders does not compensate for having only two midfielders.
We invite teams onto our defence as we don’t compete in midfield. Perhaps we should have only two centre backs and three in midfield.
fairscup
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:52 PM
Comment #31Now I’ve calmed down a bit – we are sh1te
Longstaff, Bentaleb, Rose, Joelinton were all crap, drop them all.
No tactics.
Far too late to get Gayle on
then leaves Joelinton on and takes Miggy off? – FFS
The only decent loan signing is now banned.
Dubs – Maxi – Ritchie doing their best.
GOING DOWN IF NOTHING CHANGES.
Anglo Saxon
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:54 PM
Comment #32Looking forward to bills analysis going to be riveting.
IrishRob
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:54 PM
Comment #33Bruce is long since past being a rabbit in the headlights, hes bloody roadkill at this stage.
How does such a clueless person earn millions every year, how????
hibbit
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:54 PM
Comment #34Really don’t know how folk are so surprised the way things are heading with Ashley and Bruce running the club ?????
IrishRob
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:56 PM
Comment #35Gayle got 20 minutes and touched the ball twice, and you still think the problem is Joelinton.
toon22
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:56 PM
Comment #36The problem is who replaces him ?
We are a shambles
Anyone who takes the job knows he will have to toe the party line and will be royalty shafted by Jabba
Who’s going to step into the job ?
Anglo Saxon
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:56 PM
Comment #37Straight red for Lazaro is that 3 game ban.
jimmygscot
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:56 PM
Comment #38Easy to blame Bruce. I am not a Bruce fan but there is little pride being shown by the players
Ketsbaia9
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:57 PM
Comment #39Mikel Merino’s just scored.
West Lancs Geordie
Feb 22, 2020 at 5:58 PM
Comment #40This may well turn out to be a similar season to when sold AC to Liverpool and never brought in a replacement. If you remember we just manager to stagger over the line and stay up.Ashlie is an armadillo who will never shed his thick skin. Gamble, in January by not spending anything. Why should he as he’s confident we will finished 17th or above. Reap all the TV revenue and League money. He couldn’t give a shiny one for the supporters/fans as long as he can line his back pocket with brass. There is no ambition for the Club. His own financial gain is the driver behind all this. Having said that I feel the Saudi fake-over, not progressing may well have something to do with what has happened at Man City. Do they think that the Premiership Management committee may well look at them as a consortium they do not wish to become involved with another league club. Just a thought. I know the main thought is that Ashley does not really want to sell.