Garth Crooks picks Newcastle United duo in PL team of the week – Both obvious choices?

Garth Crooks has picked his best 11 performers from the weekend’s action.

The Premier League team of the weekend that has most impressed him.

Included in his top 11 are two Newcastle United players from the game at St James’ Park.

Obvious choices?

No prizes for guessing the identity of one of the NUFC players that Garth Crooks has selected.

Crooks declaring ‘Occasionally you come across players that can make things happen in a football match and Saint-Maximin is certainly one of them. You can feel the air of expectancy at St James’ Park every time the Frenchman gets the ball. It was the same when Paul Gascoigne, Chris Waddle and David Ginola played there.’

ASM was at his irresistible best, putting in arguably his most impressive display ever in a black and white shirt.

As Garth Crooks notes, playing against the best team in the Premier League (and Europe / the world?) he set up all three goals and tortured Man City all match.

As for his second Newcastle United choice, Garth Crooks declaring ‘It was one hell of a performance by the team captain and the highlight was a superbly taken free-kick.’

Yes, Kieran Trippier a massive factor as well in that performance and deserved point, the captain leading his team. As well as his defending, Trippier getting forward and giving a great outlet on the right hand side.

I think Joelinton was Newcastle’s next best player after ASM but no arguments with Garth Crooks choosing the England defender.

However…one things I would take issue with from the Garth Crooks comments, is his insistence that Kieran Trippier should have been sent off.

It is nonsensical when he states ‘The original red card should not have been rescinded…it was the cynicism that should have been punished, not just the tackle.’

That is not what the rules say. Back in the day, the rules were changed so that ‘professional’ fouls could be punished with a red card, in cases where a defender was last man and cynically brought down an opposition player who would have been one on one with the keeper.

However, on Sunday the Trippier challenge was in the middle of the pitch some 60 yards from goal and Newcastle still had a handful of other players between de Bruyne and Nick Pope. If Garth Crooks got his way there would be countless players sent off every week for cynical challenges, indeed, Man City would have been seriously impacted on Sunday. John Stones cynically took out ASM just as he was about to run into the penalty area and nobody is insisting he should have been red carded, even though Saint-Maximin in far more of a dangerous position than de Bruyne. Plus, outnumbered three to one towards the end of the first half, Stones very cynically took out Fabian Schar when the ball was played in the air to the far side of the penalty area. The referee and VAR official totally bottled it, as it was a clear penalty. Yet not even a yellow card for Stones, never mind a spot-kick or red card.

Garth Crooks explains why he picked Allan Saint-Maximin and Kieran Trippier in his Premier League team of the week and then the full eleven are listed below:

Kieran Trippier (Newcastle):

“It was one hell of a performance by the team captain and the highlight was a superbly taken free-kick.

“Trippier, who was clearly prepared to put himself on the line for his team – and nearly did. The tackle on Kevin de Bruyne was cynical and reckless and the original red card should not have been rescinded.

“He said it was not his intention to hurt De Bruyne but to stop the player. It is a point I understand but it’s irrelevant because it was the cynicism that should have been punished, not just the tackle.

“Video evidence doesn’t just give the referee a second and third chance to look at the offence but to analyse his decision. It is the referee’s opinion that matters and the referee’s decision that is final.”

Allan Saint-Maximin (Newcastle):

“Occasionally you come across players that can make things happen in a football match and Saint-Maximin is certainly one of them.

“You can feel the air of expectancy at St James’ Park every time the Frenchman gets the ball. It was the same when Paul Gascoigne, Chris Waddle and David Ginola played there. The Newcastle fans love their ball players.

“Saint-Maximin is in the same mould. He was at the heart of everything Newcastle could do to hurt Manchester City.

“He set up Miguel Almiron to score, took City apart to assist Callum Wilson to score and caused abject panic in the visitor’s ranks which led to the free-kick for Trippier to score. A touch of class.”

Garth Crooks Premier League team of the week:

Robert Sanchez (Brighton)

Kieran Trippier (Newcastle)

William Saliba (Arsenal)

Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United)

Allan Saint-Maximin (Newcastle)

Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)

Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)

Jack Harrison (Leeds)

Che Adams (Southampton)

Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham)

Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)

Stats from BBC Sport:

Newcastle United 3 Manchester City 3 – Sunday 21 August 4.30pm

Goals:

Newcastle:

Almiron 28, Wilson 39, Trippier 54

Man City:

Gundogan 5, Haaland 60, Bernardo Silva 64

(Half-time stats in brackets)

Possession was Man City 69% (68%) Newcastle 31% (32%)

Total shots were Man City 21 (9) Newcastle 12 (8)

Shots on target were Man City 10 (5) Newcastle 6 (5)

Corners were Man City 5 (0) Newcastle 5 (4)

Referee: Jarred Gillett

Attendance:  52,258 (Man City 3,000)

Newcastle United:

Pope, Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn (90+5 Krafth), Willock (Sean Longstaff 70), Bruno, Joelinton, Almiron (Murphy 83), Wilson (Wood 69), Saint-Maximin

Unused Subs:

Dubravka, Lascelles, Ritchie, Anderson, Fraser

(3 Positives and 3 Negatives from Newcastle United 3 Manchester City 3 – Read HERE)

(Newcastle United 3 Manchester City 3 – Match ratings and comments on all the NUFC players – Read HERE)

(Can’t believe what this Newcastle United fan said as we walked out after Man City 3-3 draw- Read HERE)

(Allan Saint-Maximin to be shock late entry into France national squad for Qatar World Cup finals? Read HERE)

(Newcastle United 3 Manchester City 3 – Instant NUFC fan / writer reaction – Read HERE)

(Newcastle United 3 Manchester City 3 – Alan Shearer speaks for us all – Read HERE)