Anguish beckons
can saunter through the game like they did in the last 10 minutes at Bournemouth they could be in for a rude awakening.
If the Cherries are capable of exposing a disjointed back four and unwilling midfield it is frightening to think what the likes of Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firminio will do if they are in the mood.
Taking on Liverpool is hard enough and after no Premier League wins at Anfield since 1994 it could be Saturday’s Premier League table which displays the true damage done by slack defending against Bournemouth - because by then United could be in the relegation zone again.
It could be a game Shelvey even watches from the bench.
However, it is incredible we are even having such an inquest at the start of another week because at 4.36 on Saturday it was all looking so good for the Magpies and their 1,360 travelling fans.
Up until then, they had been sharp when it mattered and carved out two great chances for Dwight Gayle, which the striker took magnificently to end his 14-game goal drought and nudge on to five goals for the season.
Newcastle’s back four had been winning almost everything in the air and the Toon midfield had been first to all the second balls. What happened after that, as Adam Smith and Dan Gosling netted two important goals, is something only the players can explain.
They certainly did not want to talk after the game as they filed out of the stadium without uttering a word to the press in the mixed zone.
Therefore, they left the fans and pundits to come to their own conclusions and it seems this team has an issue with concentration and cannot focus on the job in hand.
Shelvey needed to be ruthless when presented with that chance to win it.
After that it really needed to be all hands on deck rather than simply hoping the team would muddle through to three points.
Unfortunately, it does not work that way in the Premier League and Newcastle’s inexperienced team look like it is determined to learn that the hard way. Another steady outing but nothing like leaving him exposed in the closing stages. Went missing in the last crucial segment of this game to undo a lot of his good work. Looked a class apart for 80 minutes of this game. Made 16 clearances but could not lead the team to victory. Relatively comfortable until Bournemouth’s late salvage job. A couple of important clearances to help side cling on to a point. A bright performance on his return to the Vitality Stadium. His overall mark plummeted after THAT miss – just like Newcastle’s league position. Went missing in the closing stages as Bournemouth cranked up the pressure. A bright display but still not able to complete games due to fitness issue. His performance dipped as the game went on. Laid on the second for Gayle. Two goals a fitting reward for the hard-working striker. If only he had still been on the pitch when Atsu rolled the ball to the back post. Christian Atsu .............................. 7 For Kenedy 63. Played his part and must have wished he had had a shot himself rather than lay the ball off for Jonjo Shelvey. Isaac Hayden ................................... For Gayle 77 Javier Manquillo ............................. For Ritchie 84 Subs must play at least 15mins to receive a mark