Newcastle United vs Sunderland: Game Review

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Good match? Eh. I’ve seen much better. What I can tell you is that this was not the same Newcastle United that we saw two weeks ago against Arsenal. This was a weaker Newcastle, and one that refused to push forward and remained too defensive that they didn’t generate as many offensive opportunities that they could have.

Newcastle United was not only outshot, but they also lost when it came to possession. Sunderland had the advantage on Newcastle for most of the game, and because of that, Newcastle couldn’t create chances. While I admit it was a good performance by Sunderland, I cannot say the same for Newcastle.

It’s a shame when I have to say that I didn’t enjoy watching my team play. But there’s not point in hiding it. People need to know that Newcastle is not putting their all out there, and the club is suffering. I guess it’s just a waiting game now. Waiting until summer and seeing what players Mike Ashley is going to be trying to pick up.

First Half:

Newcastle United
Newcastle United /

Newcastle United

Newcastle United was playing back for most of the first half, relying on their defense to give their offense a push. What really  hurt Newcastle in the first half were their fouls that ended up giving Sunderland their chance to score late in the half giving Sunderland a 0-1 lead over Newcastle heading into the second half.

There was great defense by Ryan Taylor and Daryl Janmaat. Tim Krul was also playing a solid game in the first half, but the shot by Sunderland’s Jermain Defoe could not be stopped. The chance given to foe was the result of a poor linesman call that gave the goalkeeper a free kick that went down the pitch and gave Defoe the chance he needed to score.

The first half was an enjoyable one, but upsetting that nothing came of it for the Newcastle side.

Second Half:

The second half started just as the first half had started. Pretty slow, but the pace began to pick up, but this time for Newcastle. Newcastle was able to push through Sunderland’s defense, yet was unable to generate any sort of goal to tie up the match. It would appear that Sunderland just had more determination to come out and win for the first time since January.

I was really disappointed with the way that Newcastle played, and the loss is just another in a string of disappointing performances that will end up leading to John Carver not getting the job permanently.

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Conclusion:

John Carver’s performance as manager has been nothing but a disappointing one. He is unlikely to be getting the job permanently  and I think that will bring fans closure. This loss is even bigger than losing to Everton to give them their first home win of the season. Now, Newcastle United has given Sunderland their first win since January.

This game was called the “Desperation” Derby. Both clubs struggling to remain competitive, and one club facing relegation and just recently firing their manager. I will concede that Sunderland needed this win more than Newcastle did, but I don’t care about Sunderland. This match was one that Newcastle should not have struggled in, and they did. Consistency is key, and Newcastle United is lacking it.