Newcastle United: 3 things we learned from the loss to Brighton

Newcastle United are now rock bottom in the Premier League table after losing to Brighton yesterday.

The crisis at Newcastle United has gone from bad to worse after their 1-0 loss to Brighton at St. James’ Park yesterday. Newcastle is now dead last in the Premier League basement with two points from nine matches. Despite their poor run of form, Newcastle were tapped as the favorites to win this match by most pundits, but, once again, they failed to earn a positive result.

This is Newcastle’s worst-ever start to a Premier League campaign and it is the first time that the Magpies have lost their first five matches at home. The crisis on Tyneside is real and here is what we learned from yesterday’s loss.

Strong Attack, Poor Finishing

Newcastle displayed their most dominating offensive performance of the season against Brighton, but in the end they had nothing to show for it. The Magpies had 27 shot attempts, but only six of those shots were on target. Newcastle should have scored multiple goals in this match, but several players lacked precision. If the Magpies want to avoid relegation, they must be more clinical in front of goal.

On-and-Off Energy

Energy and urgency was a problem for Newcastle and this was frustrating for the Toon Army. This was a winnable match for Newcastle and the expectation was for them to play with confidence and plenty of energy. There were times when Newcastle played with urgency and were fueled by the support of the crowd, but there were also times when Newcastle were too slow and relaxed while losing.

Newcastle cannot play with such inconsistency on the road against Southampton next weekend. Playing with urgency for 90 minutes will be the key to Newcastle earning their first victory of the season.

Wing Play

A major positive from yesterday’s loss was the frequent utilization of the wings. After Brighton took the lead in the 28th minute, they played like an Italian team that parked the bus to secure three points. Newcastle realized this and they often looked to spread the ball to Kenedy and Matt Ritchie on the wings. Newcastle were dangerous from the wings and most of their shot attempts came from crosses on the wings. The Magpies must continue doing this, but they need to start capitalizing on the crosses coming in from the wings.