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It was discussed on the way down that we feared an ‘after the Lord Mayor’s show’ performance tonight. Sometimes we like to be proved wrong when it comes to Newcastle United.
The same starting eleven as Friday, playing a team in the clarts at the wrong end of the table and whilst 3-0 may have slightly flattered Derby they deservedly beat us on the night. Two games in a few weeks where the best midfielder on either team was Robbie Savage, do I need to elaborate?
I could go into the detail of a match report of goals, times, a sending off (of which there should have been one for the aforementioned Savage) a disallowed goal for us etc etc but on this occasion please read that somewhere else, they are the facts which are undisputable.
We are often criticised for looking at the negative when top, of a shit league, and we should look at the mess the club is in and thank our lucky stars that we are where we are despite that - point taken. However last night was different in as much as we forgot that we beat a decent Cardiff side comprehensively playing football yet reverted to type by trying the route one approach predominately and couldn’t cope with Derby being ‘in our faces’ all night. The basics of passing to our own player, making space and time (something Savage managed for 85 minutes) and creating chances were all lacking, sadly.
Probably for the best we go to Swansea on Saturday, and by that I mean a tough looking away match that should at least focus our team knowing that won’t be a cake walk either. Will Hughton switch back to 4-5-1 which has served us well in winning ugly away from home, who knows? Putting on 3 subs at 0-3 down last night seemed more a ‘Well I tried to influence the game after 70 minutes’ than some tactical master stroke. Let’s put this one to bed and hope being second in the league isn’t as much of a burden and we turn it back round very soon.
