Magpies are on the road to n owhere
NEWCASTLE FIRED OUT OF CUP AS CHAMPIONSHIP’S BEES STING BRUCE’S MEN
NEWCASTLE United are going nowhere – as their painful defeat at Championship Brentford demonstrated in front of nationwide TV audience.
Steve Bruce has spoken of the club “moving forward” and “making progress” but 18 months in, the Magpies have a decision to make.
With Mike Ashley out of the country on his festive break, though, who would be the person to make that call?
Ashley’s close aides Keith Bishop and Justin Barnes watched on at Brentford’s new Community Stadium in West London, but the venue proved to be nothing but another cup graveyard for the Magpies.
It’s difficult to know where to start with this one as Newcastle did not look motivated to get the job done against the Bees.
Jonjo Shelvey plodded around in the middle – and he was supposed to be captain.
Bruce had called for the supply line to Callum Wilson to be improved, but nobody, other than
Ryan Fraser, seemed to heed the advice. Newcastle simply went through the motions and it was no surprise when Brentford scored midway through the first half. In fact the biggest shock was that it took them so long!
Clearly there are problems for Bruce behind the scenes – or at least this performance suggested exactly that.
A lack of cohesion seems to be one of the biggest issues as players crashed into each other, crosses were overhit and passes rolled wide of their intended target.
Perhaps that was underlined when Newcastle were chasing the game in the second half when sub Andy Carroll barged his own player out of the way in Sean Longstaff before firing the ball into orbit.
With Man City, Liverpool and Leicester next, the prospect of zero points over Christmas and New Year now beckons.
But whether Newcastle make a big decision or simply stick with their plan of trying to stay in the Premier League remains to be seen.
Ashley has the club for sale but does he really care if Newcastle are 17th or 13th?
One thing is for certain, fans seem to be unanimous in their opinion that there should be change. Bruce effectively went for broke in the League Cup by naming a strong side to face the Championship promotion hopefuls.
It was the home side who had the first sight of goal when Saman Ghoddos had a crack from outside the box but his shot flashed wide of the post on three minutes.
Moments later, Ethan Pinnock rose from a Brentford corner but his header went just over the top in a nervous early moment for the Magpies.
Newcastle’s first real chance of the night came when Wilson found a way into the box and fired the ball at Luke Daniels after 11 minutes.
The Bees stopper kept the ball out initially but Wilson was unable to get a clean contact on the follow up.
With 21 minutes gone, Fraser clipped in a neat cross from the lefthand side but Wilson could not connect from close range.
However, the home side should have gone ahead two minutes later when Ghoddos was presented with a chance after a right-wing cross before the Iran international cracked the bar.
Brentford then forced Karl Darlow into a fine save as Josh Dasilva struck an effort at goal from a tight angle before Sergi Canos somehow sent a free header wide from the resultant corner.
Fraser drove through the centre on 36 minutes but his snapshot was palmed over by the keeper.
Just before half-time Wilson strode into the box but appeared to get caught in two minds and after rounding Daniels dragged the ball too far wide of the goal.
The ball was played back to Fraser but his shot was blocked by a covering defender.
Newcastle went in level at the break. However, it was Brentford who’d looked the more composed of the two sides.
Yet Newcastle had the first chance of the second half after Jamal Lewis crossed the ball into the box for Wilson but his header flew over the top.
On 49 minutes, Jacob Murphy played the ball down the centre from the right but Wilson was beaten to the ball by Daniels, who came rushing out.
DeAndre Yedlin did well to cut the ball out and intercept a loose ball on 51 minutes before finding Sean Longstaff.
The Geordie midfielder’s firsttime pass then found Murphy but
after getting into the box his effort was extremely poor for a player seeking a new deal. It was a moment which left Bruce with his head in his hands but Murphy could not live with Dominic Thompson’s recovering tackle.
Bruce made a double change with 25 minutes left as Dwight Gayle and Joelinton replaced Fraser and the disappointing Almiron.
The Bees sent on ex-United reserve Ivan Toney for the closing stages as Brentford looked to seal the game.
But it was Darlow who came to the rescue to make a sprawling save to deny Christian Norgaard from close range on 77 minutes.
At the other end, Ciaran Clark headed at goal but Toney hacked the ball clear at the defensive end.
A hasty ball into the box from Murphy tried to pick out Gayle and Wilson but neither could find the finish.
Carroll was thrown on for the dying embers of the game with Newcastle finishing with four strikers on the field as Lewis went off. With five minutes left it appeared to be turning into a farce as Carroll eagerly barged his own player out the way in the shape of Longstaff but hammered the ball into orbit. Mo m e n t s later Carroll sent one wide of the target as Newcastle’s desperation increased. Even when the game seeped into stoppage time, Newcastle lacked urgency and ended up giving free kicks away at the other end.
Old boy Toney could have wrapped it up but blasted wide. A former player who has gone on to be worth millions elsewhere would have rubbed further salt into the wounds for Newcastle.
It would have completed the farce in the capital.
Newcastle are in a total mess again. The only thing missing is the chorus of discontent from the fans.
It’s difficult to know where to start with this one as Newcastle did not look motivated to get the job done against the Bees