Stench of relegation surrounds Newcastle
WHEN Steve Bruce arrived at Newcastle this summer, he made a vow to play attacking and entertaining football. Six games in, the Magpies are the Premier League’s least offensive side and there is little to enjoy about their style of play. But what is their identity? What is Bruce trying to achieve? His players don’t seem to know, supporters certainly do not and you wonder if the head coach himself has a clear idea of how to get the most from a limited squad. The use of three different formations here tells its own story. Brighton dominated and should have won. In Graham Potter, they have a manager with a vision of how he wants his team to play. It was telling when Newcastle skipper Jamaal Lascelles said: ‘Brighton were a lot more direct last season but they have a new manager and probably work all week on passing the ball.’ What do Newcastle work on? They have made the fewest touches in the opposition box (76), fewest passes in the final third (419) and, at 33 per cent, the lowest possession return in the division. At one point in the first half, Brighton’s Dale Stephens had completed more passes than the entire Newcastle team, who were booed off by the lowest home crowd for nine years. There is a stench of relegation around the club right now. Yes, you can argue Rafa Benitez’s side were also involved in such scraps, but there was always a sense of progress. All is not lost for Bruce. This is not the impossible job. The return of Andy Carroll and Allan Saint-Maximin — should they stay fit — will give the team a much-needed boost. Although Bruce said: ‘We’ve got five points (from six games). We’re one below par — that’s the way I see it at the moment.’ So a point per game is par for the boss. On the early-season evidence, supporters would probably take that and hope it proves enough to survive.
NEWCASTLE (3-4-2-1): Dubravka 6; Schar 5, Lascelles 6, Dummett 5; Manquillo 5, Hayden 6, Shelvey 5 (Ki 73min, 5), Willems 5.5 (Carroll 82); Almiron 5 (Saint-Maximin 73, 6), Atsu 5; Joelinton 5.5. Subs not used: Muto, Krafth, Fernandez, Darlow. Booked: Shelvey, Atsu. Manager: Steve Bruce 5. BRIGHTON (4-3-2-1): Ryan 6; Montoya 7, Dunk 6.5, Webster 7, Burn 6.5; Propper 7, STEPHENS 7.5, Mooy 7 (Connolly 70, 6); Gross 7 (Bong 82), Alzate 6.5; Maupay 6 (Bissouma 82). Subs not used: Duffy, Murray, Button, Baluta. Booked: Dunk. Manager: Graham Potter 7. Referee: Martin Atkinson 7. Attendance: 43,316.