Why are the football Gods against Newcastle United?

Newcastle United should not be worried about relegation this season, but they are falling behind several Premier League teams.

Happy Monday… to everyone not affiliated with Newcastle United. Most fans, myself included, were expecting Saturday to be a day in which Newcastle United took the game to a fragmented Manchester United side, but that did not happen.

The Red Devils walked all over the Magpies, and three late goals saw them claim a 4-1 victory at St. James’ Park.

Steve Bruce is an interesting head coach whose rhetoric in press conferences does not match his team selection and setup on the pitch. In his press conference, Bruce was implying that he is confident in the attacking players he has, and he expects them to fight for three points.

In reality, the Toon were instructed to sit behind the ball, invite the attack, and hope for the best. This theme is, unfortunately, all too common on Tyneside. The fact that Manchester United were able to take 28 shots on Saturday shows how lucky Newcastle United are to have only conceded four goals.

Saturday’s game marked the second time in this early stage of the season that the Magpies have allowed opponents to take over 20 shots, and the third time in five games that opponents have created at least 15 chances.

In terms of talent in the squad, this season was supposed to be a special campaign where attacking football is regularly on display.

Starting the quartet of Ryan Fraser, Miguel Almiron, Allan Saint-Maximin, and Callum Wilson gives Newcastle United the best chance of scoring more goals and winning more games, yet we have not seen this lineup deployed yet.

This is ridiculous. How does Bruce not know his best lineup? Hopefully he changes things for the better after Saturday’s heavy defeat, but even that is a doubt after hearing him say that the 4-1 defeat was “worse than it looks”.

In terms of chances created (44) and passes completed, Newcastle United are ranked 15th in the league in both categories. Things need to change quickly in order to turn this season into a memorable one, especially seeing how unpredictable the top ten is at the moment.

The way Aston Villa and Leeds United are playing with confidence is difficult to watch, and seeing how West Ham and Southampton fight until the final whistle adds to the depression because Bruce does not promote either attribute.

The Magpies are falling behind teams considered to be at the same level as them, and that indicates a long, frustrating season if tactical changes are not implemented ASAP.

The team has sufficient talent to fight for a top ten finish, maybe even top eight if Wilson can avoid injury, but the Magpies are being held back by Steve Bruce and his reluctance to follow the trend of attacking football.

If only the football Gods above can change the man’s mind and bring some joy on Tyneside…