Newcastle’s Fulham concern, Dubravka call and the prospect that will surely worry Ashley – 5 things – Ciaran Kelly

Newcastle United stay simply three factors away from the relegation zone following a 3-1 defeat towards Manchester United at Previous Trafford.

Marcus Rashford gave the Red Devils the lead on the half-hour mark however Allan Saint-Maximin equalised for the guests simply six minutes later.

Daniel James put Manchester United again in entrance on 56 minutes and Bruno Fernandes scored a late penalty to sentence Newcastle to their 14th league defeat of the season.

Listed below are 5 issues we discovered from the sport.

Newcastle merely want factors in addition to positives

Fulham threw down the gauntlet to Newcastle on the eve of this recreation by closing the hole on the Magpies to only three factors. To place that feat into perspective, Newcastle had been 10 factors clear simply two weeks beforehand.

Steve Bruce didn’t encourage confidence by saying ‘it’s what it’s’ and that there have been ‘seven or eight’ groups ‘wanting over their shoulders’ – simply who’re they? – however his crew’s response was what mattered.

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This was maybe the primary time this season that Newcastle went right into a recreation with that form of stress, realizing {that a} crew beneath them was inside putting distance.

There have been some positives to take from Newcastle’s show within the first 50 minutes however the Magpies merely want factors at this stage of the season.

There have been some unpredictable outcomes elsewhere through the pandemic however it’s a must to return to August, 2019 for the final time Newcastle beat one of many conventional huge hitters on the street.

Fulham, crucially, have discovered a solution to begin lastly profitable video games and Newcastle want to start out selecting up factors now. Solely Sheffield United and West Brom, who’re each set for the drop, have misplaced extra league video games this season.

The prospect that can certainly concern Ashley and potential consumers

Steve Bruce did what Mike Ashley requested of him final season by holding Newcastle within the Premier League and there was a lot speak within the early phases of the present marketing campaign of the Magpies difficult for the highest 10.

Newcastle had been hit exhausting by a COVID-19 outbreak and have counted the price of accidents to key gamers at essential factors however the Magpies shouldn’t be sitting in seventeenth place after 25 video games.

Bruce has been lucky that the usual close to the underside is especially poor this season – West Brom and Sheffield United have lengthy appeared doomed – however Fulham have now put the stress on the black-and-whites.

Newcastle might find yourself within the backside three in the event that they lose towards Wolves on Saturday and Fulham beat Crystal Palace on Sunday. Given the contrasting type of Newcastle and Fulham in the previous few months, that isn’t an unrealistic chance.

That could be a prospect that can certainly concern Ashley, who can ill-afford one other relegation if he’s to promote the membership, in addition to the Saudi-led consortium considering shopping for the Magpies.

Newcastle pay the worth for poor defending and adjustments might be made

Chelsea focused Newcastle’s right-hand aspect on Monday night time and Manchester United broke the impasse six days later by doing simply that on the half-hour mark.

Marcus Rashford nutmegged Emil Krafth and raced previous the Swede earlier than the Manchester United ahead calmly reduce onto his proper foot and fired the ball previous Karl Darlow, who knew he ought to have completed higher at his close to publish.

If that was a poor aim to concede, Newcastle’s defending for Manchester United’s second was not significantly better on 56 minutes. Nemanja Matic’s ball throughout the field, by some means, reached the unmarked Daniel James and the winger had far an excessive amount of area to choose his spot and fireplace the Crimson Devils again in entrance.

There was nonetheless time for Bruno Fernandes to attain a late penalty and regardless of Manchester United not being at their very best, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s aspect nonetheless managed to place three objectives previous Newcastle and that may be a huge concern.

You simply ponder whether Bruce may be tempted to recall Martin Dubravka and Federico Fernandez for such an enormous recreation towards Wolves on Saturday.

Ryan Fraser shot sums up Newcastle’s second-half issues

Jamaal Lascelles believed it was ‘time’ Newcastle took ‘factors off one of many huge boys’ and the skipper urged his aspect to ‘be up towards’ Manchester United and ‘of their face’.

Nicely, you can not fault Newcastle’s begin. After such a torpid opening towards Chelsea – Newcastle solely bought going after going 2-0 down – the black-and-whites had been at it from the off at Previous Trafford.

Steve Bruce’s aspect pressed excessive within the early phases and it unnerved and shocked Manchester United. That was clear with simply 10 minutes on the clock when David de Gea, bizarrely, kicked the ball straight to Joelinton.

Newcastle could have solely had simply 27% possession within the opening 45 minutes however the Magpies greater than held their very own within the first half.

Nonetheless, the sport drifted away from Newcastle after Daniel James put the Crimson Devils again in entrance and it stated all of it that the Magpies’ greatest effort within the second half was a speculative shot from substitute Ryan Fraser.

Latest fallout over the long-running takeover saga at Newcastle United hasn’t simply been the speak of Tyneside – it was the speak of the footballing world.

Now, Steve Bruce should recollect his crew and push ahead with out the change of possession and new backing.

Nonetheless, the twists and turns aren’t over, with present proprietor Mike Ashley ‘contemplating all choices’ after the Premier League rejected the £300m takeover.

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With out Callum Wilson within the aspect, you do concern simply how Newcastle are going to choose up sufficient factors earlier than the striker returns for the run-in.

Set-piece homework just isn’t finally sufficient

Manchester United could also be second within the desk however this aspect have vulnerabilities as West Brom and Sheffield United confirmed just lately – and the Crimson Devils’ defenders and goalkeeper don’t like balls into the field.

Newcastle repeatedly focused Manchester United’s shaky backline by enjoying corners brief after which swinging the ball again into the field. It will definitely paid off for Allan Saint-Maximin’s equaliser on 35 minutes.

Jonjo Shelvey went brief to Miguel Almiron who slipped the ball to Joe Willock and the midfielder’s looping supply brought about Harry Maguire issues.

The Manchester United captain might solely head the ball into Allan Saint-Maximin’s path and the Frenchman made probably the most of it by side-footing the ball previous David de Gea.

It was Saint-Maximin’s first aim since October and his first since recovering from his battle with COVID-19, which stored the 23-year-old out for 2 months.

In the end, nevertheless, Newcastle by no means regarded like scoring one other and that’s the huge fear forward of an enormous recreation towards Wolves on Saturday.