Newcastle United 0-1 Blackburn Rovers

Newcastle United scorned the opportunity to break the club record and reach ten straight wins, as they were beaten 1-0 at home by Blackburn Rovers.
First thing’s first, Blackburn were the better side. They deserved their win. However, their direct style of play may well become their own downfall this season.
That is not the issue here though, Newcastle were disjointed from the very beginning. The team struggled to find any rhythm from the very off.
Maybe it didn’t help that there always seemed to be a break in play, be it fouls, set-pieces or injuries. Or maybe it was because Rafa Benitez made a change too many in his team selection.
Rafa though, should not face criticism for his rotation. The side that he fielded was more than good enough to get something from the game, they just did not play well enough.
Matt Ritchie and Christian Atsu are two of Newcastle’s most talented players, but they didn’t show it. Both were poor from the beginning to the very end. While Ayoze Perez failed to offer anything at all.
Aleksandar Mitrovic was left isolated but ran himself into the ground and Jonjo Shelvey’s influence was negated due to Blackburn’s deep defensive line.
Moving on, after the game there were some, albeit not many, boos. After nine straight wins, this raises the question: is there anything Newcastle can do to satisfy some fans?
All sides lose games, all sides drop points, perhaps some areas of the fan base may do well to remember that no Newcastle side has ever won ten in a row.
That being said, all supporters pay their money to attend games and therefore are entitled to voice their disgruntlement when they see fit.
With Hull away coming on Tuesday night, the fans may have to wait until Friday night for a positive result. However, it would be typical of Newcastle to go and produce their performance of the season and knock a Premier League side out of the EFL Cup, in their own backyard.