Newcastle United midfielder pinpoints the key issue at the club

Newcastle United midfielder Isaac Hayden shared his thoughts on a problem that the club has not resolved for years.

It was all smiles and confidence on Tyneside last week with two consecutive victories against West Ham and Blackburn Rovers (Carabao Cup), but the narrative quickly changed on Sunday.

Newcastle United were expected to utilize their momentum and perform against Brighton, but it was the Seagulls who walked all over the Magpies at St. James’ Park.

That performance is not sitting well with the Toon Army, and this can be seen in all the criticism across social media platforms. Just go to Twitter and search “#NUFC”, and I would be shocked if you came across a positive post.

Steve Bruce has taken a lot of heat for yesterday’s awful performance, and so have the players. Not a single player deserved even the slightest praise after collectively raising the white flag in the first seven minutes of the game.

In an interview for the Chronicle, Newcastle United midfielder Isaac Hayden gave some insight regarding the scenes in the dressing room, the players’ mentality, and what Bruce told the team.

Moreover, Hayden analyzed the primary issue that has haunted the team for the past three seasons in the top flight. This what the midfielder had to say:

"When you start a football match like we did – especially in the Premier League – it gives you very little chance to get going.”[…]It starts on the training pitch. We need to get back to work.[…]It seems people get complacent…"

Hayden’s quick comments are spot on. Newcastle United have never developed any consistency since earning promotion at the end of the 2016-17 campaign. The Magpies have always been a team of streaks, both positive and negative.

The players need to be more grounded and use momentum to build confidence, not become complacent. This is where Bruce needs to step in as a manager and remind his players that there is no such thing as an easy game in the top tier of English football.

If that is the mindset among some players then fans should certainly expect to see more of these embarrassing results over the next few months.