Newcastle United: 5 things we learned from the draw against Cardiff City
By Durim Halimi
Newcastle United experienced a major dip in form against Cardiff City as they only managed to earn a 0-0 draw.
When comparing their form to last week’s match against Tottenham, Newcastle looked dreadful in their second match of the season against Cardiff City. The Magpies traveled to South Wales with the intention of securing three points, but instead they returned to Tyneside with one point.
Both the players and Rafa Benitez deserve blame for this negative result. The players lacked sufficient urgency and energy to earn a positive result, and Benitez made some ill-advised tactical changes in the second half. With that being said, here are five things we learned from yesterday’s match.
Mediocre Passing
Newcastle supporters are used to seeing their side lose the possession battle to most opponents, but Cardiff City actually completed more passes than Newcastle on Saturday. The Bluebirds completed 314 passes compared to the Magpies’ 305, and this is worrisome.
Newcastle should not be caving under pressure from inferior opponents, but it happened against Cardiff City. Newcastle failed to develop and maintain a passing rhythm in this match and it hurt them in the end. Chelsea will visit St. James’ Park next Sunday and if Newcastle wish to earn a positive result, they must spread the ball around better.
Overly Aggressive
The match between Newcastle and Cardiff City was intense and, at times, too aggressive. Both managers should be disappointed with the way some of their players lost their composure with some rough, unnecessary tackles.
Kenedy was fortunate to get away with a cheeky kick on a defender off the ball, but he will most likely be suspended if further review occurs. Isaac Hayden undoubtedly deserved to see the red card raised above his head after taking down Josh Murphy from behind. Benitez needs to discipline his young side before some crucial matches coming up on the schedule.
Jonjo Shelvey
One of the only bright spots from the match yesterday was Jonjo Shelvey. Newcastle’s offensive coordinator played well and did his best to launch balls forward to give his frontmen a chance at creating a play. Shelvey came close to bagging an impressive assist, but Ayoze Perez failed to place the ball in the net.
If Shelvey can maintain his good run of form, he will help keep Newcastle competitive in their next three matches against Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal. However, Shelvey will need some help as he cannot carry the burden of coordinating the offense on his own.
Wrong Substitution
Rafa Benitez made a critical mistake in the second half by making a poor decision to bring on Isaac Hayden. Benitez should not have replaced the injured Javier Manquillo with Hayden as the 23-year-old is not a defender and he is much slower than Manquillo.
Benitez should have replaced Manquillo with Fabian Schar. The Swiss international is a true defender who possesses great pace, strength and more football intelligence than Hayden. For being a world class manager, Benitez made a costly mistake with that substitution on Saturday.
New Lineup
Going forward, one thing is for certain – Newcastle need a different lineup. It would be surprising to see the same set of players on the field against Chelsea. It is time for the new signings to make their debuts and Benitez should make changes in every position.
The following players should be present in the starting lineup next weekend:
- Salomon Rondon
- Yoshinori Muto
- Ki Sung-yueng
- Fabian Schar