This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
Chris Sutton isn’t one to hold back in his opinion and he made it clear that Newcastle didn’t perform anywhere near the standard good enough to overcome Aston Villa.
What did he say?
The Magpies were chasing their third straight victory in their trip to Villa Park yet looked more like a team playing on the back of consecutive defeats, being outplayed in the first half with the Villans scoring the two goals which saw them win the match comfortably.
It should have been more with Wesley missing from point-blank range in the second half, and Steve Bruce admitted himself that his side didn’t perform well enough in the first half.
The stats underline Villa’s dominance, with 62% possession and 17 shots to the Magpies’ 11, so it’s hardly surprising that Sutton came to the conclusion he did.
In a tweet post-match, he wrote: “Villa well worth their win… Grealish outstanding, wonderful to watch. Saint-Maximin aside Newcastle didn’t turn up…”
The Magpies had no answer for Grealish, and that was part of their undoing, sitting too deep as a result of Bruce’s tactics which allowed the Villa captain time on the ball, and he punished them as a result.
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Getting the best out of their better players
Newcastle do lack quality in the starting line-up and the record of their forward players in terms of goals and assists makes that abundantly clear.
Of the strikers and wingers at the club, only Joelinton and Yoshinori Muto have scored this season, and that means Bruce has to show greater ambition and more positivity with his playing style.
Grealish is the go-to man for Dean Smith and everything Villa do well revolves around him, and though he may not be up to the same standard as the 24-year-old yet, Allan Saint-Maximin could provide that same type of spark.
Once again he was dazzling at times on Monday, and despite coming up against a tough competitor in Frederic Guilbert he was able to complete eight successful dribbles, and with a bit more composure and support he could have translated that into chances.
The Frenchman has averaged four dribbles per game, second in the league behind only Wilfried Zaha, another talismanic figure.
That means there is potential for Saint-Maximin to deliver for Newcastle on a regular basis, and if Steve Bruce can back him up by releasing his players from concentrating on team shape and the defence like they did against Villa, then he could begin to flourish – and the Magpies would reap the rewards.
Newcastle’s midfield was a big disappointment against the Villans, and was perhaps most responsible for the comprehensive defeat.