Our roller coaster ride start to this season continued on Saturday against Manchester United. After a brilliant win over Burnley before the international break, Newcastle were second best at home once again as the Red Devils stormed to a 4-1 win which included 3 very late goals.
Newcastle were amazingly still in the game when Bruno Fernandes scored in the 86th minute, only to be carved open for two more late goals for the lopsided result.
The match was only close so late because of the heroics of Karl Darlow. The 30-year-old was outstanding once again making crucial saves to keep the match level until late. His exploits included a terrific save on a Bruno Fernandes penalty in the second half.
It was Karl’s performance that has him winning our poll for Newcastle’s best player. It wasn’t even remotely close as Darlow has picked up close to 85% of the vote to capture his second poll of the season.
We anxiously await news on the injury Darlow suffered when he collided with Marcus Rashford in the second half. Karl was visibly hobbled for the remainder of the game and probably should have been taken off for Mark Gillespie.
Hopefully, it’s just a minor knock and he’ll be ready to go at Wolves on Sunday. It certainly seems like we are going to be needing him.
71 comments so far
BlacknWhiteBarmy
Oct 19, 2020 at 11:04 AM
Comment #1love it – shipped in 4 and goalkeeper gets MOTM
Says a lot for the rest!
onmeedsun
Oct 19, 2020 at 11:06 AM
Comment #2The players love Bruce as he’s a good communicator, makes training fun and is getting them improved deals.
But he is incapable of picking the right players in the right formation against the opposition. Good managers tweak all of this depending on who they’re playing, unless their teams are that good that their formation blows other teams away. Our goal is pummelled due to a static midfield, and as we sit back the other team can afford to throw bodies forward. The only risk to them is ASM breaking so they just nibble him before he gets into space. We need pace on both wings and at 10. The balance would then shift. Hendricks should either play with Hayden in the middle or be on bench, but never right wing. Problem is Bruce’s primary thought is how do we stop them, not how do we hurt them. Too negative and old school.
Toon Tang
Oct 19, 2020 at 11:06 AM
Comment #3From the previous story…
Just goes to show Bruce’s ‘defend defend defend and try and stay in the game at all costs’ tactic is only occasionally working due to heroic goal keeping and a lot of good luck.
I said this on here last season, if you are to utilise the defend and counter philosophy effectively it has to be controlled defending with a solid shape keeping shots, through balls into the box and crosses to an absolute minimum.
What we see is last ditched panic defending, hardly any headers won in our own box and 20 or more shots smashed toward goal every game pretty much.
The ultra-defending tactic i.e. bruceball can only work with a proper gameplan that we the fans can actually see taking place as the game progresses.
Does anyone remember the old 1nil arsenal team from the late 80’s early 90’s? That was controlled defending done properly with an actual visual plan in place.
Can Bruce not see that it’s not working and we should try another approach. If he cant see it, what the bloody hell is he doing as head coach of a premier club?
Optimistic prime
Oct 19, 2020 at 11:08 AM
Comment #4https://www.themag.co.uk/2020/10/the-really-concerning-thing-about-newcastle-united-1-manchester-united-4/
Definitely worth reading.
Theres a comment with stats at the bottom of the article which makes things very worrying.
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Oct 19, 2020 at 11:10 AM
Comment #5For Bruce’s formation to work you need players with pace and work rate guys who can carry the ball forward but also track back and win tackles
Almiron and Fraser are both very good at this in fact Almiron’s work rate is so good it can almost make it seem like there are 2 players as he puts such a shift in
This also would mean ASM has other quality players to pass too rather than having to beat 3 or 4 guys to get it to Wilson or Shelvey as they are the only decent options
It does seem very strange why Bruce hasn’t even tried to fit them all into a 3 behind Wilson surely if you were someone who wanted to play on the “front foot” as he claims too this would be your first choice for every game?
Rafa wanted Wilson and Fraser here while signing Almiron so he would have had at least those 3 playing together at some point
onmeedsun
Oct 19, 2020 at 11:11 AM
Comment #6With no fans at SJP the worry is we will sleep walk towards relegation, and completely rule out any potential takeovers. Having good players is important and our squad is better than it was under Rafa, but we need a competent manager to get a tune out of them. We just don’t have one. We are relying on finishing above Burnley this season to stay up. Best we’ll do is 4th bottom. All the other teams have better managers.
Optimistic prime
Oct 19, 2020 at 11:12 AM
Comment #7This is the comment from The Mag.
Paul Patterson
26 minutes ago
West Ham 2-0 (3-2)
Brighton 0-3 (0-0)
Tottenham 1-1 (1-0)
Burnley 3-1 (0-0)
Manchester United 1-4 (1-0)
7 points this season vs 11 points last season over the same fixtures. -2 goals vs +3 last season.
We’re going backwards under this buffoon.
Rotonda heights
Oct 19, 2020 at 11:13 AM
Comment #8onmmeedson.
Spot on. He’s always looking to avoid defeat rather than go for the win. Aim to win you may draw, aim to draw and 9 out of 10 you’ll lose. So many of our failed / failing managers don’t get the 3 points for a win mentality. Probably why sbr and KK were so revered. As you say, let other teams worry about us.
Optimistic prime
Oct 19, 2020 at 11:14 AM
Comment #9Looks like our days of robbing points is over.
Can I re do my predictions this year please?
Rotonda heights
Oct 19, 2020 at 11:15 AM
Comment #10not saying dropping almiron for hendrick is akin to gullit dropping shearer…but WTF !!!!!!
Adamn_92
Oct 19, 2020 at 11:17 AM
Comment #11We simply do not have a good enough team defensively to play defensive football. Our defence isn’t bad, but it isn’t good enough to be battered for 90 minutes straight. When you look at our squad, you would say that our attack is probably our best asset in terms of players. Wilson, ASM, Almiron, Fraser, Longstaff on his day and Shelvey with the potential to pick those players out. We should be playing fast attacking football. That’s where the strength is in the squad, fast attacking players. It makes no sense to just sit everyone behind the ball and hoof it long in the hope we get something.
Bruce has had over a year to try and stamp his ‘attacking football’ into the squad, been given funds to bring in players he wants….when are we going to see this attacking football? How many times do we need to rely on luck and flukey results? It’s a complete embarrassment and I don’t know how anyone can defend Bruce from a tactical point of view. He is absolutely clueless and never sets us up in a tactically sound way depending on the opposition.
Optimistic prime
Oct 19, 2020 at 11:17 AM
Comment #12Rotonda
Why isn’t Shearer pointing out what his mate is doing wrong?
He’s doing the the fans the club and Bruce no favours by not saying whats blatantly obvious.
If Bruce wasn’t his pal he’d be ripping him to shreads.
Australian Pie
Oct 19, 2020 at 11:17 AM
Comment #13Any idea why Manquillo wasn’t starting? We always look so much worse with Krafth at RB
Optimistic prime
Oct 19, 2020 at 11:19 AM
Comment #14Australian
Is he not carrying a knock?
He played nearly every game and was subbed injured if memory serves.
Australian Pie
Oct 19, 2020 at 11:22 AM
Comment #15Argh fair enough.
For me him Hayden and St Max seem to be our biggest misses in recent memory
We were pretty awful this weekend. Darlow only one I give any credit to
Rotonda heights
Oct 19, 2020 at 11:24 AM
Comment #16OP
Difficult one. It’s funny because AS was very damning and highly critical of the performance. Maybe the inference was there without the actual name check of sb.
Toon Tang
Oct 19, 2020 at 11:26 AM
Comment #17Bottom line be this, Bruce is a just a shite tactition and under his tutelage we are going to eventually end up in the championship.
Need to get a decent manager in, but who will work under fatboys regime?
Optimistic prime
Oct 19, 2020 at 11:31 AM
Comment #18Rotonda
Seems he talks a lot about performances but never the set up or player selection.
What was so wrong with their performances, they all ran their socks off chasing shadows.
Any fault in performance was down to a formation they didn’t know or playing out of position, all on Bruce.
What we’re seeing isn’t down to player efforts.
WLtoon
Oct 19, 2020 at 11:34 AM
Comment #19Morning all, another day goes by without any positive news regarding the club, it could change though if we lose our next few games because i think Bruce`s days are numbered tbh.
Unfortunately it is the only reason Ashley will sack Bruce imo, the club being in the bottom 3 does`,nt look good for any wanna be buyers, or Ashley`s value of the club.
There are plenty of coaches who would come in and do a better job than Bruce, just by taking a look at the players at his disposal and actually utilising their abilities would change our fortunes immediately.
Football is a simple game, but for Bronty Bruce, even the basics are too complicated.
Optimistic prime
Oct 19, 2020 at 11:35 AM
Comment #20Didn’t realise Darlow smashed the mom poll.
Has it ever been so one sided?
Optimistic prime
Oct 19, 2020 at 11:37 AM
Comment #21WL
I wish I had your faith in Ashley.
Would he have got rid of Mclaren if Rafa hadn’t came calling?
Didn’t look like it at the time.
I feel we’re stuck with him until a takeover occurs.
Adamn_92
Oct 19, 2020 at 11:38 AM
Comment #22I genuinely can’t work out how a Premier League manager can’t even put a player in the correct position. It’s bonkers. That should be the very bare minimum surely?
WLtoon
Oct 19, 2020 at 11:44 AM
Comment #23The thing that really narks me and thousands of others is how do guys like Bruce continually get work ,it`s obvious that club owners don`t do their homework before employing these losers.
You can guarantee that within a few months of Bruce getting sacked from us he will be in another job paying him a salary that most of us could only dream about.
I would give these hapless managers a performance related pay, some players have contracts similar, so why not managers.
If a manager loses his job his contract is payed up in full, that should be abolished
hibbit
Oct 19, 2020 at 11:46 AM
Comment #24OP/WL
i don’t see Ashley sacking Bruce anytime soon, and as far as any takeover goes we all have hope that it will go ahead but in reality we don’t have a clue to what’s going on,
were on a downward spiral and unless something happens soon Bruce is more than capable of taking us down,
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Oct 19, 2020 at 11:47 AM
Comment #25It was all very fine and well people giving out stats for last season saying statistically Bruce was doing just as good a job as Rafa
The majority of them clearly hadn’t been watching the games though because while Rafa was defensive teams couldn’t break us down and we were deadly on the counter that organisation and planning has gone with players now just expected to do it themselves!
This team is all over the place now big massive gaps all over the pitch Lascalles looks terrible now and Shelvey looks like a pub player playing against athletes every week
Someone put real stats up saying that the Sunderland team that got relegated followed a similar pattern to what is happening with us in terms of shots conceded per game
We have been in relegation form for the last 30 games that is the only stat that matters very worrying indeed!!
WLtoon
Oct 19, 2020 at 11:54 AM
Comment #26OP,
I think Ashley would sack Bruce if he knew there was another cheap option ready to step in to take his place.
I have no doubt that there are coaches out there who would jump at the chance to join a massive club and test their ability against the big boys and would`nt want mega bucks for it.
Trouble is, i don`t think MA or LC have the insight to spot a coach like Frank for example, so we would more likely end up with a like for like replacement for Bruce
Optimistic prime
Oct 19, 2020 at 12:00 PM
Comment #27WL/Hibbit
Its a false Economy going for the cheap manager.
If the pif are still sniffing round surley Ashley and themselves will be looking at Bruce.
Neither can be truly confident and if the PIF want the club in Jan I doubt they want it to be sat in the bottom 3.
If the PIF are about the knives should be being sharpened, I don’t get that vibe though.
Was the slug there Saturday?
barkel
Oct 19, 2020 at 12:06 PM
Comment #28The major problem is we never let the handbrake off. Doesn’t matter who we play, Brucie will come out and say we don’t have the players to do this that or the other. Look at Villa vs Liverpool, Villa went for it and scored 7, we would sit back try to defend and barely get out of our half, would be surprising to get 7 shots in the game.
We should be getting our best players on the pitch and adjusting formations to suit. We need to have Wilson, Miggy, ASM & Fraser all starting. We all know this and we all know that front four would’ve been a huge threat to utd and we would’ve been able to build on a 1-0 lead. It’s so frustrating that we can all see what the manager can’t
WLtoon
Oct 19, 2020 at 12:07 PM
Comment #29Apparently Ashley did`nt show his face on Saturday, though i don`t know whether there is anything to look into there.
If the PIF are sniffing around then i don`t think Bruce will have long left to change the teams fortunes around, either way, i still think Ashley will sack Bruce to try and secure the clubs PL status , and it`s value.
Mund
Oct 19, 2020 at 12:11 PM
Comment #30Newcastle United have played more long balls (335) than any other team in the Premier League this season. #nufc
Mund
Oct 19, 2020 at 12:12 PM
Comment #31Get Shelvey out the team simples.
Adamn_92
Oct 19, 2020 at 12:16 PM
Comment #32Mund i’m not a huge fan of Shelvey either but I don’t think he’s soley responsible for all the long balls. Our defence seem completely incapable of passing it into midfield and just hoof it the second they get an opening to.
Nufc-83
Oct 19, 2020 at 12:17 PM
Comment #33I actually cannot watch Bruce’s interviews any longer as he just makes the club an even bigger laughing stock. Does he actually let anyone finish a question before interrupting? He also seems to think tactics, style and strategy only relates to formation as every time he is questioned he just talks about 5 at the back going to 4! I don’t care how many we have at the back I want to understand what the philosophy is you should be drilling into the players every god dam day cabbage head! You can have a team who is really attacking play 5 at the back if they set up to press and get the wing backs forward at every chance. I really cannot believe he has made such a good living managing teams at this level. He literally just throws 11 onto a team sheet and hopes for the best.
Nufc-83
Oct 19, 2020 at 12:19 PM
Comment #34Shelvey is a big part of the issue I would agree with that. Rafa seen it and the team benefited when he was dropped but as you would expect from such an idiotic manager like Bruce he would look at hype and the fact he can put the odd wonder ball in rather than the looking at the full picture.
WLtoon
Oct 19, 2020 at 12:19 PM
Comment #35Take a look at Brucie`s Villa in the Champo, and how shite they were, with an expensively assembled squad of players, absolutely clueless, hovering mid table, Bruce leaves and in steps Dean Smith, totally transformed the way Villa played based on the players at his disposal, an hey presto, gets them promoted.
That`s my point, you don`t need an expensive world class manager to transform the performances of a team, just a guy who can take a step back, take a look at what he has got, then say right, this is what i will do.
Bruce, looking at his history , has never done it, even a few Sunderland supporting pals say it, totally out of his depth nowadays.
lochinvar
Oct 19, 2020 at 12:26 PM
Comment #36If Darlow has a groin injury then he shouldn’t be playing another game too soon otherwise that type of injury becomes worse.
Time surely to get Woodman back if that’s possible
Just a Fat Dave Bassett
Oct 19, 2020 at 12:26 PM
Comment #37If PIF are still wanting to buy us, Bruce is the only thing standing in the way of us having a great future. We could end up in the championship for years instead of the champions league. Now isn’t the time to try to revive some failing dinosaurs career.
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Oct 19, 2020 at 12:28 PM
Comment #38Bruce can count himself lucky that there is no crowds who knows maybe there would already have been a season ticket or a cabbage chucked his way already
Shelvey typifies Bruce’s Newcastle he would have been out the door replaced by a more mobile and better midfielder if Rafa or another manager was here! Couldn’t see him getting anywhere near a Pochettino team and he wouldn’t be able to hack having to do training 6 or 7 days a week!!
He does have lots of natural ability but even that is waning his set pieces are woeful at the moment Fraser or ASM should be on duties
Last season was a tough watch but this season is shaping up to be the worst yet could be playing the Mackem’s next season!!
Mund
Oct 19, 2020 at 12:29 PM
Comment #39Adamn_92
I agree mate it’s not just on Shelvey but with him in the side we become a one dimensional side and so easy to defend against.
Every footballer should be able to pass a ball we shouldn’t have to rely on Jonjo which totally looks like what they are doing.
Bruce is inadequate to make the right decisions for the team
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Oct 19, 2020 at 12:29 PM
Comment #40Maybe Bruce relegating us is part of PIF’s plan?
Force Ashley into a reduced fee and also the premiership can’t then reject the takeover either?