JOHNGIBSON When Matt is not on hand Toon are put on the spot
CARDIFF were Newcastle’s fall guys. The Mags had beaten them in their last 10 consecutive league encounters.
Neil Warnock was also Rafa’s patsy – four victories on the bounce for Benitez when the two had last met, with the fifth time drawn.
Yet you wouldn’t honestly have known it in the Welsh capital – United were dismal when it was 11 vs 11 and then spectacularly blew it with Kenedy missing a 95th-minute penalty, planting the weakest of shots at the keeper.
The spot-kick was for handball against Sean Morrison on a Yoshinori Muto cross.
With Matt Ritchie subbed, Kenedy was left to take it when Jonjo Shelvey may well have been a better bet and Neil Etheridge could have gone down in stages and still saved it.
Joselu had missed Newcastle’s previous penalty against Burnley in January that similarly cost the Mags two points.
It seems strange that both Kenedy and Joselu ought to be seen as spot-kick takers given their apparent timidness in such character-testing situations.
Surely United must now look towards more positivity, more power, from 12 yards when firstchoice taker Ritchie is off the pitch.
Surely, too, as they desperately search for goals Newcastle must unleash new No 9 Salomon Rondon next time out.
Frankly, it was a bad day for United. When they had to win, they didn’t and were woefully off the pace most of the time. Of course we would have taken victory through a last-gasp penalty but we didn’t deserve it. And Kenedy, who had played poorly throughout, never looked ultra confident of becoming the match winner.
Indeed, he shouldn’t have had the opportunity.
Referee Craig Pawson had a bigger shocker than anyone which is saying something.
He sent off United sub Isaac Hayden on 66 minutes but ought to have red-carded Kenedy as early as the 33rd minute for kicking Victor Camarasa, and Harry Arter 10 from the end for chopping Joselu. Both those incidents were more worthy of an ordering off than Hayden’s effort.
However, let not the referee’s waywardness camouflage what went on elsewhere.
United needed a victory but didn’t look as though they wanted it enough.
Kenedy, who never plays away with the imposing threat he does at home, was shocking.
Javier Manquillo was run ragged by Josh Murphy in the first half and, already booked, would almost certainly have been sent off had he not been subbed. Ritchie was ineffectual, Joselu powder puff. Need I go on?
United have, in fact, a genuine problem at full-back. We’ve all known, Rafa included, that there is no cover for Paul Dummett on the left but the Mags haven’t a No 2 who can actually defend. Manquillo is a liability and DeAndre Yedlin gets away with poor defensive work because of his great pace both in recovery and getting forward. Cardiff ’s Josh Murphy, on this showing, his Cardiff debut, looks a better bet than his twin Jacob who has still to settle at Newcastle, although having Manquillo in direct opposition gave him ample opportunity to go through his repertoire. The home side were more direct than Donald Trump but they have no subtlety and ought to have been outfoxed. What class United did show in flashes as often as not came from Shelvey, booed throughout as a former Swansea star. Typical was a sumptuous pass over fully 30 yards for Ayoze Perez five minutes before the interval but Etheridge was off his line like an express train to smother. Ironically United, who had been woeful and second best, shook themselves into a little more action during the 24 minutes they were forced to play with 10 men following Hayden’s sending off for dropping Murphy from behind. It wasn’t enough – too little too late and a penalty missed to boot. Now it’s on to the little matter of Chelsea, Manchester City, and Arsenal.