Toon Takeaways from Newcastle United’s draw with Brighton

In a largely lifeless affair, Newcastle United split points with Brighton in a scoreless draw.

Newcastle United and Brighton and Hove Albion combined for a boring match-up today at St. James’ Park. Neither team was dangerous in the attack and it showed with a 0-0 draw. That was the fourth time Newcastle United has been shut out in their last five matches.

Top Toons

Isaac Hayden: The midfielder was very aggressive going forward and was dangerous in the attack. His deflected shot was one of the closest efforts of the match.

DeAndre Yedlin: He did a great job of doing the small things right. He applied quality pressure on the ball and made a few effort plays to either poke a ball away or keep the ball in bounds.

Mikel Merino: Starting next to Hayden, Merino did his best to push the action for Newcastle United. He got into good areas and was always looking for the next move.

Mediocre Magpies

Dwight Gayle: He had some of the best chances, but he continued a trend of being too quick to go to ground. A few days after getting a yellow card for simulation, he went down a couple more times in the box today to very little contact.

Joselu: Another match, another dud from the Spanish striker. His attempts on goal were poor and his distribution, which is usually a saving grace, wasn’t up to par today. He added a new trick: passing to the substitutes warming up on the sideline.

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-Karl Darlow made a big save on a strong Brighton header. He did well in goal, mainly because there were few dangerous moments.

-Jonjo Shelvey tried to make an impact as a late substitute, but his effort wasn’t matched by execution.

-No complaints on the midfield pairing of Merino and Hayden. Both were active and trying to force the action.

-Toon Army deserves better. That was a poor showing at home against a beatable opponent. Newcastle United will need to start winning points, not settling for less than three every match.

What’s Next?

Newcastle United will travel to face Stoke City on New Year’s Day, who is coming off a 5-0 loss to Chelsea today. Newcastle United defeated the Potters earlier this season.