Newcastle 1-2 Fulham: Worrying signs at St James’ Park as weak Toon wilt

Back-to-back defeats at St James’ Park as an out of sorts Newcastle United were beaten by Fulham.

Jacob Murphy handed us a 1-0 lead in a generally unconvincing first half display, but the second 45 was a total mess as Fulham turned it around, capitalising on a turgid Toon display lacking in energy, ideas, organisation or quality.

The result leaves us six points behind Nottingham Forest after they thumped Brighton 7-0 in the early kick off and is an unwanted setback ahead of Wednesday’s semi-final at home to Arsenal. With Man City, Forest and Liverpool also to come in our next three league games, it’s a setback in our push for a top-four spot.

Howe named an unchanged side and it was such a strange first half. We took a lead midway through it as Gordon broke down the left and set up Murphy to smash home at the back post, and we could’ve had others.

Tonali smashed the bar from range with what would’ve been a goal of the season contender, Schar went close from Bruno’s through ball and Livramento also had a decent chance smothered. But, despite our lead and sporadic openings in front of goal, we were so sloppy on the ball and too stand-off-ish for much of the first 45.

Joelinton had a stinker - he was either giving away the ball or needless fouls - and both full backs didn’t get close enough to Iwobi, Robinson and Traore, who had moments of joy out wide without much final ball to punish us.

Ultimately, we went into the break ahead and in a strong position, but there were shades of Bournemouth in the way we lost the ball in bad positions far too often.

If we thought the first half was a bit sloppy, the second half was abysmal. We invited Fulham back into it by sitting off them, we weren’t winning our duels, there was a worrying lack of intensity to our play - on and off the ball - and we had no control of the game.

There was a period where we came back into it after Jimenez’s equaliser, which had been coming, with Willock missing a big chance from Isak’s low cross and the Swede clipping the bar with a lovely effort that had beaten Leno. But that was about it in a second half Fulham dominated.

They deserved the win and, like Bournemouth, outplayed and outworked us in that second 45 especially. Their winner was a bad one to concede - Murphy’s silly foul, a weak wall and Dubravka beaten at his near post - but it was what our weak, lethargic and sloppy display warranted.

Defensively we looked open and struggled to play out from the back - Schar was so wayward at times - our midfield trio couldn’t grab control of the game and our attack was largely lacking in ideas. Our lack of options on the bench was a frustration and adds to the frustration that PSR won’t allow us to strengthen, but that’s no excuse for the display we put out today.

Next up, Wednesday’s huge cup semi final second leg at home to Arsenal, where we’ll have to buck our ideas up after back-to-back defeats at St James’ Park.