Steve Bruce and Jamaal Lascelles are in the hot seat after yesterday’s 3-1 loss against Norwich City.
Last season’s EFL Championship winners taught Newcastle United a lesson at Carrow Road as they enjoyed a comfortable 3-1 win over the Magpies. Being outplayed is one thing as every team has an off game every now and then, but Newcastle United looked lazy and were second-best to every loose ball.
This lack of urgency enabled Norwich City to take all three points and walk over a Newcastle United squad that is far more superior on paper. While the players, in general, are to blame for that poor performance at Carrow Road, Steve Bruce and Jamaal Lascelles are the ones sitting in the hot seat.
Hot Seat Analysis
As the manager, Bruce bears most of the responsibility for his team’s performances. I know he has only been with the team for a month, but his primary task is to make sure his players are mentally prepared for each game. It was quite obvious that the team was not on the same page yesterday and they failed to show some of the fight they showed flashes of against Arsenal last weekend.
Bruce will be a busy man this week as he is climbing a steep hill to start the season. He was hoping for three points yesterday to calm the nerves on Tyneside, but ended up conceding three goals that only fueled more tension and disappointment.
Joining him in the hot seat is the team’s captain Jamaal Lascelles. The skipper is expected to lead his team, but Lascelles failed in that regard. For a neutral observer, Isaac Hayden was the player who looked like a captain with his unwavering work ethic on both ends of the pitch. Lascelles has been on and off since the second half of last season, but he needs to be more vocal in winnable games like this.
Too many players lacked sufficient energy and looked lost on the pitch. While it’s Bruce’s job to ensure that his formation is being implemented properly, Lascelles is tasked with calling out teammates who aren’t getting the job done. Lascelles is known for speaking his mind, but that trait was missing at Carrow Road yesterday. For the team’s sake, I hope Lascelles is much more vocal against Tottenham and tries to make those around him better.