Newcastle United: 5 things we learned from the 1-0 loss to West Brom
By Durim Halimi
West Brom were fortunate to secure three points at St. James’ Park against Newcastle United.
West Brom ended Newcastle’s undefeated streak at St. James’ Park with a 1-0 victory. The Baggies had much more to play for in this match and their urgency in the first half was sufficient for three points. The Magpies did not have a poor performance, but they struggled to get past Ben Foster.
Due to West Brom’s circumstances, this match was anticipated to be close. After a shaky start to the match, Newcastle dominated in every aspect, but could not score. Here are five things we learned from the loss to West Brom.
Ineffective Dominance
Saturday’s match against West Brom provided Newcastle supporters with a rare opportunity to see their side dominate for 75 minutes. What is unfortunate, however, is the the fact that this dominance still led to a minimal loss at home.
The Magpies had twice as many shots as the Baggies, completed twice as many passes and maintained 65 percent of the possession. West Brom did most of the ball-chasing in this match, but poor precision with only two shots on target hurt Newcastle.
Newcastle’s next match is an away trip to Watford and if they want to take points they must execute clear chances.
Wing Play
After several attempts during the match, Newcastle could not attack through the middle of the pitch. West Brom’s eight man defense made it difficult for Newcastle to maneuver the ball anywhere except for the wings.
Newcastle’s midfielders and defenders on the wing put in overtime on Saturday. Every other attacking build-up for Newcastle came from the wing with Matt Ritchie and DeAndre Yedlin sending in multiple crosses. It is still surreal to accept the fact Newcastle did not capitalize on a single header to score, but West Brom lucked out.
Mediocre Defense
Boasting one of the best defensive units in 2018, the Magpies did not maintain their solidity in the back on Saturday. West Brom did not attack often, but they did enjoy plenty of open ground in all of their counter-attacks.
Jamaal Lascelles and Florian Lejeune were under pressure as Paul Dummett and DeAndre Yedlin spent most of the afternoon higher up the pitch. West Brom was able to find passing lanes without obstruction and got in the penalty area multiple times.
Watford will present Newcastle with an even better attacking core, which does not bode well for Rafa Benitez’s men. Survival was confirmed due to defensive stability and Newcastle must repair their loose ends before next weekend.
Smart Substitutions
With Newcastle still trailing West Brom in the second half, Benitez made some wise choices to integrate more speed and height into the match. Since the Magpies could only attack through the wings, it made sense to insert the speed of Jacob Murphy and the height of Joselu in the box.
The right moves were made, but the precision and proper execution were lacking. These substitutions served Benitez well, though, as it gave the Spaniard a better look at the depth he possesses on the bench.
Time for Merino?
Mohamed Diame had a poor performance against Everton on Monday, but he made up for it with a decent performance against West Brom on Saturday. Diame took on the role of the aggressor recovering balls in midfield, but he did little in the passing game.
The former Senegalese international played well in 2018, but it might be time to replace the veteran with Mikel Merino in the final three matches. Diame is the stronger of the two midfielders, but Newcastle need better passing and ball movement going forward if they want to end this losing streak.