Hopeless Toon staring into the abyss
AS STEVE BRUCE somehow clings on to his job, it was hard to know what was most damning of all for the Newcastle boss after this horror show at Brighton. It took less than 20 minutes for Isaac Hayden to show the first signs of frustration at Newcastle’s aimless approach at the Amex, when another hopeful punt landed nowhere near a black-and-white shirt. At one point in the first half, goalkeeper Martin Dubravka had enjoyed the most touches of any Newcastle player. Their first attempt on goal did not arrive until the 37th minute. They had just 25 per cent of the ball in the first half and 35 overall, and Brighton’s Robert Sanchez did not have to make his first — and only — save until the 75th minute. Brighton have scored three in the league on just three occasions this season. Two of those have been against Newcastle. Given the circumstances, this must be their worst, most morale-sapping display yet — some going given the competition. When the beleaguered Bruce really needed a performance to give him something to chuck back at his critics, all that arrived was more ammunition for those calling for his head. The table ahead of kick-off said there was one point between the two clubs. On the pitch it was light-years, and the contrast only became greater listening to a victorious Graham Potter post-match — something that should be another concern for the Newcastle hierarchy. Graeme Jones has been credited with making a positive impact since his arrival as a coach in January, bringing a greater focus on the tactical side of the game, including the threat posed by the opposition. There are doubts behind the scenes, though, about whether Bruce shares the same level of interest. Brighton have no such concerns and it showed on the pitch as they toyed with the visitors, who let in three but were still flattered by the scoreline. Potter said: ‘You’re always looking at the opposition because they have a set-up as well which can ultimately stop you, so you have to look at how you can put the players in the best situation to show what they can do. ‘They had a really good understanding of what they were trying to do and executed it really well.’ The mood in both camps at this pivotal stage appeared very different, too. ‘It’s really important that there is a spirit around the place,’ added Potter. ‘We’re a team and teams function better in that sort of environment. The boys deal with pressure in a really good way.’ The same is not true of Newcastle, who have problems everywhere they turn. BRIGHTON (3-4-1-2): Sanchez 7; White 7, Dunk 7, Veltman 7; Gross 7, Bissouma 8, Lallana 8, Moder 7 (Propper 89); Trossard 9 (Mac Allister 78); Welbeck 8 (Zeqiri 83), Maupay 8. Subs not used: Steele, Burn, Jahanbakhsh, Alzate, Izquierdo, Tau. Booked: None. NEWCASTLE (4-3-3): Dubravka 7; Manquillo 5, Lascelles 6, Clark 5, Dummett 7; Willock 5 (Murphy 62), Shelvey 5, Hayden 5 (Hendrick 46); Joelinton 4, Almiron 5 (Longstaff 76), Fraser 5. Subs not used: Darlow, Carroll, Ritchie, Gayle, Lewis, Fernandez. Booked: Dummett. Man of the match: Leandro Trossard. Referee: Anthony Taylor.