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Opinion

Aleksandar Mitrovic & Newcastle United beaten by York City

9 years ago
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York City 2 Newcastle United 1

York – Straker 16, A Trialist 20 Newcastle – Perez 75

Bootham Crescent was the venue for Aleksandar Mitrovic’ introduction to Newcastle United.

Steve McClaren fielded a near whole different team from that which faced Sheffield United on Sunday, Ayoze Perez the only one to start both.

When you win friendlies you talk about it being good for morale, developing a winning mentality and so on.

When you lose them, it is all about getting towards full fitness and a decent workout…

York City finished 18th in League Two last season and used a total of 21 players tonight, including two trialists, one of who scored the winner with a very good strike but in the process also making Jamaal Lascelles look so so slow and switched off (see that goal HERE).

It isn’t a time for panic but the pre season schedule overall has hardly varied, with tonight being typical. A lot of possession for Newcastle in non-threatening positions but with little idea of how to open up the opposition – whilst the defence looks as weak as ever.

Tonight the defence had a very thrown together look about it but a front six of Abeid, Gouffran, Perez, de Jong, Aarons and Mitrovic should surely do better than this? Of those six players, almost every fan would be happy if any of that half dozen started against Southampton, with the exception of Gouffran.

Six pre season friendlies now and I don’t think any of them have been convincing displays, whilst the two wins saw United ride their luck against American third tier club Sacramento and only a penalty separate Newcastle and Gateshead.

Goals in the 16th and 20th minutes defeated Newcastle tonight, with Lascelles looking culpable on both, whilst at the other end it was birthday boy Ayoze Perez who got the consolation with 15 minutes to go. Looking for a positive, that was another from a corner after de Jong’s at the weekend, this time Lascelles it appeared got the flick on for the Spaniard to finish off.

Mitrovic went close a couple of times and did ok, whilst Rolando Aarons was by the biggest threat again – including striking the woodwork.

What Steve McClaren learns from a game like this after totally changing the team, I’m not really sure.

It isn’t doom and gloom but on the other hand you can’t say that pre season has been remotely promising.

Everything might come together when United play their final friendly on Saturday against Borussia Monchengladbach in preparation for Southampton in 11 days time…

On what I have seen so far in these friendlies, I would hope Aarons and Mitrovic from tonight’s team will be added to what played on Sunday at Sheffield and that is about it, unless the likes of Coloccini suddenly finds that he is fit to play.

Newcastle United: Darlow (Elliot 46), Bigirimana, Lascelles, Satka, Ferguson, Perez, Abeid, Gouffran, Aarons (Kemen 58), de Jong, Mitrovic (Suddick 70)

Unused Sub: Louis Johnson

Crowd: 5,406 (2048 NUFC)

Referee: Scott Duncan

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