Alan Shearer perfectly sums up Newcastle display after Brighton loss
Alan Shearer summed up the game on Sunday for the visitors.
Toon fan Shearer pointing out the obvious for his fellow supporters, declaring ‘Not good enough today from Newcastle unfortunately’.
It wasn’t that Newcastle were terrible or Brighton brilliant, it was more that Rafa’s team just didn’t do enough to suggest they deserved anything from the match.
Failing to score a goal and rarely looking like doing so, it was only in the final 20 minutes or so when there was any sustained pressure on the Brighton goal.
By that point Gayle and Shelvey had replaced the disappointing Joselu and Hayden, and with the Seagulls looking simply to hold on to their slender one goal lead, Newcastle finally had the initiative.
Maybe the truth was that Sunday showed/proved that this Newcastle team can’t afford to fall far below their best in any Premier League match this season, if they hope to get something.
Rafa Benitez and the Newcastle fans had talked of slender margins deciding games this season before today, Jamaal Lascelles put Newcastle on the right side of that with two set-piece winners against Swansea and Stoke, today the margins fell on the side with a set-play goal for Hughton’s team.
Roll the sleeves up and get ready for Liverpool now.
Alan Shearer:
“Not good enough today from Newcastle unfortunately.
“The better team won.”
Stats from BBC Sport:
Brighton 1 Newcastle 0
Goals:
Brighton: Hemed 51
Possession was Brighton 49% Newcastle 51%
Total shots were Brighton 7 Newcastle 17
Shots on target were Brighton 3 Newcastle 5
Corners were Brighton 2 Newcastle 8
Referee: Andre Marriner
Newcastle United:
Elliot, Yedlin, Lascelles, Clark, Mbemba (Gamez 83), Ritchie, Hayden (Shelvey 68), Merino, Atsu, Perez, Joselu (Gayle 71)
Unused Subs:
Darlow, Manquillo, Murphy, Diame
Crowd: 30,468 (approx 2,500 Newcastle)
(Small-time Brighton journalist trolls Newcastle fans and they respond, read it HERE)
(Go HERE to read instant Newcastle fan/writer reaction to the defeat at Brighton)
(Read Chris Hughton’s post-match reaction HERE)
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