Newcastle United only managed to secure one point in yesterday’s match against Southampton.
Newcastle United traveled to Southampton with the hopes of claiming their first victory of the season, but the Magpies lacked sufficient urgency and focus in this affair. As a result, the home side outplayed the visitors from Tyneside, but poor precision led to a 0-0 draw at St. Mary’s Stadium.
After losing to Brighton last weekend, Newcastle were expected to rebound against Southampton by perpetuating their attacking style of play to convert chances into goals. However, the Magpies spent most of the match defending in large numbers and essentially settled for a point. Here are some observations from yesterday’s match.
Time for Ki Sung-yueng
Based on his performance yesterday, Mohamed Diame’s time as a starter is over. Diame has been struggling over the past few days, but he was the worst player on the field for Newcastle against Southampton. The chemistry he has with Jonjo Shelvey is a key reason why Rafa Benitez continues to pick him, but it is time for Ki Sung-yueng to start in midfield.
The South Korean international did not do much as a late substitute, but he definitely looked more active than Diame. Another big difference between Ki and Diame is that Ki likes to get involved offensively and that attacking mentality is exactly what Newcastle need over the next few weeks.
Front-line Duo: Rondon and Muto
Due to Newcastle’s vulnerability in defense as of late, supporters should not expect Benitez to stray away from his standard 4-2-3-1 formation against Watford and Bournemouth. However, supporters should expect Yoshiniro Muto to replace Ayoze Perez as the attacking midfielder to make room for Salomon Rondon as the primary striker.
Newcastle struggled collectively so it was difficult for Muto and Rondon to create any meaningful chances, but they are a good combination up top. Muto’s pace causes problems for most defenders and Rondon’s strength and aerial skills make him a dynamic striker. With Rondon fully recovered from his thigh injury, it will be exciting to see the new attacking duo in action.
Lack of Urgency
Drawing on the road is a respectable result when maximum effort is involved, but the Magpies settled for a point yesterday. It was Southampton that played with urgency and aggression as they managed to create 22 chances against Newcastle. The defense is not to blame for Southampton’s dominance. Instead, the blame belongs to Newcastle’s midfield.
The lack of energy and the slow ball movement in the middle third of the pitch is what opened the game up for the Saints and forced Newcastle’s back-line to work overtime to maintain a clean sheet. The Magpies need to realize that they are currently playing like one of the worst teams in the Premier League and the best remedy for this is playing energetic football from box to box.
Three points against Watford and Bournemouth will be impossible to come by if the Magpies emulate yesterday’s performance. Playing with urgency does not guarantee three points, but it undoubtedly makes a team more competitive.