Joelinton’s toils continue as Burnley keep Newcastle in danger zone

Bruce in desperate need of victory to calm nerves Dyche’s gritty side grind out forgettable 0-0 draw

Newcastle United’s goalless draw with Burnley was neither entertaining nor fun, one of those football matches that ruin a weekend, ugly and brutal, exactly the way Sean Dyche will have imagined it as he prepared his players for battle.

There is much to admire about the way Burnley have carved out a place for themselves in the Premier League, but they do not worry too much about whether they look good as they accumulate enough points to stay in the top flight for another year.

They are a team of substance rather than style, Dyche is a manager who knows what he wants and how to get it and the Lancashire town is very proud of its scufflers and scrappers. Direct, physical and uncompromising, they are excellent at what they do.

Burnley have nothing to apologise for, but there is no disguising the fact they are a difficult team to watch. They are the guests at the party who outstay their welcome, the person shouting down their mobile phone in the quiet carriage of a train. They are annoying – and that should be taken as a compliment.

Newcastle are little better this season. A team who struggle to create chances, let alone score goals, so there was no surprise this contest will not live long in the memory.

The home side were better this week than last, but they could not earn the win Steve Bruce needed to restore some faith in his management

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and calm relegation fears. His team had 21 shots on goal, but did not look like scoring from any of them.

It is the tale of this campaign and it is worth remembering that had anyone else in Mike Ashley’s business empire wasted £40 million, they would have been sacked. That,

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though, appears to be what Newcastle’s head of recruitment, Steve Nickson, has done. Questions need to be asked, but Nickson remains untouched and apparently untroubled at St James’ Park.

Quite how someone can watch a player such as Joelinton 26 times and decide he was going to score goals in the Premier League is a mystery, let alone recommend that the club invest £40million in him doing so.

It is not the Brazilian’s fault, he is a wide forward, not a No9, yet that has been the role he was expected to fill by Nickson. While others missed chances, Dwight Gayle several, Miguel Almiron and Matt Ritchie a couple each, Joelinton simply did not look like scoring again, although his all-round game was a little better wide on the left.

Bruce may as well stick with his new 4-2-3-1 formation for the time being, especially at home. Newcastle were better going forward, although it was far from flowing football.

Saturday’s trip to Southampton will decide which one of them moves clear of danger and who gets pushed back into it.

Bruce needs a win, his strikers need a goal and Burnley do not need to change a thing.