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Newcastle 0 Fulham 0 – Instant NUFC fan/writer reaction to Saturday’s bore draw

5 years ago
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Newcastle 0 Fulham 0  – Saturday 22 December 3pm

We asked a number of our regular writers to give us a brief instant reaction after the final whistle.

Newcastle drawing 0-0 against a shocking Fulham side.

Rafa’s team not having a single effort on target all game…

Jack Lacey-Hatton:

“Thought our penalty claim looked a bad call.

“We needed three points to pull away from the scrap today.

Now Fulham have a clean sheet and a ray of light.

“Disappointing, but in Rafa I trust, and I am convinced the home form will improve in the second half of the season.”

Nat Seaton:

“Two poor teams gave us a game to forget.

“Negative football that didn’t deserve a goal.

“Merry Christmas everyone!”

David Punton:

“Rafa Benitez joked in his pre-match presser that just like Dad’s Army the key message is ‘don’t panic’.

“Well, we certainly don’t look doomed just yet but that offering today was pretty abysmal.

“A Fulham side bottom of the table, having conceded 42 goals, rolled into Tyneside and duly left with a clean sheet. Peak NUFC, that.

“We all love Rafa but the home form has been terrible and the players don’t seem to have the confidence to win at home. Nine shots today, none of them on target.

“With the glass half full, and after recent capitulations on home soil, maybe a point was a welcome return. Certainly better than losing.

“But a win would have been nice given our tough Xmas programme.

“That was the final home game of the calendar year and we sit in 15th on 17 points.

“Given the investment levels I would argue we’re about par for the course thus far.”

Brian Standen:

“Dreadful first half perpetuated by poor decision making.

“Too much start and stop football from both sides who are both poor.

“Drab second half and could have been worse.  Luckily Mitro is still sh..

“We are def better away from home !

“Happy Christmas.

“Nothing inspiring today at all.”

Jonathan Drape-Comyn:

“I thought before the game that a draw wouldn’t be the end of the world but again, it’s the manner of the performance which is hard to take.

“Five at the back doesn’t work, and in all honesty, a positive result against Burnley and Huddersfield shouldn’t be proof that this formation works.

“Even if Rafa is insistent on it, then at least play two wing backs at wing back, in Kenedy and Yedlin.

“Embarrassing really that Manquillo keeps his place in my opinion.

“At home to bottom of the league, no shots on target for 90 minutes, no threat. A useless, negative performance.

“I’d love to know what has to happen for Rafa to make a sub before 70 minutes!”

Paul Patterson:

“If I ever have to sit through a match as awful as that again, please shoot me at kick off.

“That sort of stuff will get football done away with.”

Stats from BBC Sport:

Newcastle 0 Fulham 0

Goals…

Possession was Fulham 46% Newcastle 54%

Total shots were  Fulham 4 Newcastle 9

Shots on target were Fulham 2 Newcastle 0

Corners were  Fulham 0 Newcastle 6

Referee: Martin Atkinson

Newcastle United:

Dubravka, Manquillo (Yedlin 84), Schar, Lascelles, Dummett, Ritchie, Ki, Diame, Atsu (Kenedy 72), Rondon, Perez

Unused Subs:

Woodman, Joselu, Muto, Hayden, Fernandez

Crowd: 51,237 was announced but looked around 49,000-50,000 in reality (Fulham around 500, large minibus)

(Rafa Benitez needs to hold his hands up to this one? Read HERE)

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