4 major concerns from Newcastle disasterclass vs Brentford

Having taken the lead through Botman, United conspired to go in 2-1 down at halftime with Brentford’s goals coming from Janelt and a Thiago penalty.

Newcastle were a little better after halftime with the introduction of Elanga and Woltemade and equalised from a penalty which Bruno dispatched. However, Brentford rallied and scored a late winner via Ouattara.

Here’s four big negatives that stood out from the game:

Bad: Schoolboy defending

As a collective the side defended like schoolboys. The giant gap between the midfield and the defence has returned, something Brentford exploited time and again, and something needs to change with the flat midfield three. It’s clearly the setup that is dysfunctional as individually Tonali and Bruno are amongst the best midfielders in Europe.

I closed my last article with the point that Trippier is finished at this level and so it proved again as all three of Brentford’s goals came down his side as he was consistently caught too far up the pitch and couldn’t get back, and he should’ve conceded a penalty in the opening minutes too after his pullback on Lewis-Potter was missed by the ref and VAR. Yes, it’s not his fault that he’s 35 and playing three times a week, but his legs have gone and the way the side plays needs to be adapted with him in the side.

There was also a general sloppiness as possession was given away in dangerous areas and the square pegs in round holes approach (Hall at RB!!) is causing so much confusion that we just look vulnerable every time a well drilled side, like Brentford clearly are, attacks us.

Bad: Tactically outthought by a rookie Head Coach

When the season started most pundits had Brentford and their rookie coach down as relegation candidates. Well Keith Andrews has proven to be a shrewd operator, and he completely tactically outthought Eddie Howe.

His side are a well drilled, well-oiled, astute outfit. Their passing lanes, shapes, and runs were miles ahead of ours. Their passing was crisper, they exploited every one of our weaknesses, (especially the giant whole between the midfield and defence), made proactive substitutions and changed their formation on the fly when they were in danger of losing control, which saw them go on to win the game.

They were also resolute, Thiago being an excellent striker and a housery expert, and the run Ajer made from CB straight through the midfield to bare down on goal was Roederesque and was the key highlight which shows just how our flat central midfield three is flatlining and exposing our defence.

Bad: £55m wasted? 

You’d have thought playing against his old side, who he left so acrimoniously in the summer, would inspire him.

Instead, Wissa looked like a £55m waste of space. Despite the one effort cleared off the line, every run he made was down a blind alley, he never looked a threat, and when he does appear to be in a decent position, he is invariably offside.

He was roundly booed by the Brentford fans, which I don’t blame them for at all, but they must be laughing all the way to the bank with how they’ve fleeced us for all that money. He may come good, but that knee injury looks like it has killed him, and I wonder every time I see him play, just how the hell did he managed to score 19 goals in this league last season.

Bad: The total lack of faith in youth

Either all our youth prospects are hump or there is a chronic lack of faith in the youngsters from the coaching staff. For Lewis Hall to end up at right back after Burn and Ramsey had come on to try to change the game in the 87^th minute (?!?!?) despite an England youth prospect RB in Leo Shahar being sat on the bench. He may fail but at the same time he may not, and what sort of message does it send that they can’t get near the pitch despite sitting on the bench week after week? Just look at the Everton v Fulham game; Everton had Harrison Armstrong starting on the wing, a 19-year-old winger, who has only played ten professional games.

He had a decent effort that went just wide and contributed to a 2-1 win for his side yet was he in the managers plans at the start of the season? Probably not, but needs must has led to him playing and he is making a decent fist of it. It’s even more galling that Trippier is being torn to shreds game after game and Shahar still can’t get a chance.

Anyway, it’s Spurs in midweek in a match between the worst side at home and the worst side away from home (hyperbole) in the league. Normally you’d hope we could go there and exploit that record, but whatever happens something must give in that game; it’s got 1-0 written all over it.

Keep the faith. HWTL