Awful Toon get reality check at Elland Road - Leeds 4-1 Newcastle
A brutal night at Elland Road and exactly what we deserved, as Newcastle United were battered 4-1 by Leeds.
The first defeat of the Matthias Jaissle era, and it had been coming. Recent performances against Bournemouth and Millwall were forgiven as we came away with results. Tonight, however, there was nowhere to hide.
We needed to get better after recent warning signs, yet we got worse. Soft at the back, passive in midfield and non-existent in attack.
An embarrassing first half
Jaissle made two changes. One was enforced, as Jacob Murphy replaced the injured Anthony Elanga, while the other saw Matias Fernandez-Pardo come in for his first start at Joe Willock's expense.
Starting 11: Hornicek - Dedic, Thiaw, Botman, Hall - Nico, L.Miley - Murphy, Wissa, Barnes - Fernandez-Pardo
Substitutes: Pope, Livramento, Schar, Bamba, Steur, Toure, Willock, Ramsey, M.Miley
The pattern was set early on. Leeds looked more up for it, they were first to loose balls, pushing us back and almost went 1-0 up as Bogle forced Hornicek into a strong low stop.
Then the floodgates opened with two goals in less than three minutes. Tanaka's shot flew in off Miley after our lack of closing down was punished, then Calvert-Lewin's header went in via Bogle following a poor giveaway from Steur, who'd replaced the concussed Gonzalez.
2-0 then became 3-0 as Botman overcommitted, allowing Calvert-Lewin in on goal to score his customary goal against Newcastle. All at sea defensively, our inexperienced midfield two looked weak, with and without the ball, and our attack was non-existent.
Not one Newcastle shot until the 40th minute told a story. No visible plan, so many lazy passes and zero patterns of play, just hoof-ball up to Fernandez-Pardo and hope for the best. One chance, and our only first-half shot, did come our way at 2-0, as Barnes failed to convert after good work from Wissa on the break, but there would be no comeback here. In fact, it would only get worse.
A sobering night for Jaissle's Newcastle
We had to see a response in the second half and, while it wasn't quite as turgid, we saw more defensive lapses. First, Botman almost gifted Leeds a fourth after passing straight to Stach in his own box, then it was 4-0.
A half-cleared set piece and a low finish from Okafor, leaving Hornicek unsighted as his low shot snuck in via the post, just minutes after Jaissle brought on Willock, Toure and Livramento for Fernandez-Pardo, Murphy and Dedic.
Willock and Toure, who struck in the 89th-minute to make it 4-1, added some pace and energy to our play, but many of the same issues persisted. No real patterns of play, few players taking responsibility on the ball, a lack of intensity in our pressing and an obvious lack of difference-makers in the final third.
At the back, Botman and Thiaw were second-best all night, Murphy was a passenger at both ends of the field, Fernandez-Pardo was left feeding on scraps, and Wissa cut a frustrated figure in that second striker role. After some strong early displays against Liverpool and Spurs, tonight we really did look like a young and newly-put-together side still working things out after a summer of change.
Individuals let us down tonight, as did the weak collective effort, but the set-up also looked wrong from the off. What was the plan? Where was the energy, pressing or fast vertical football?
Considering the clear issues in our last two games and a long week on the training ground to patch things up, it was an alarming display in every third of the pitch. Jaissle got it badly wrong, reminding us of what he also has to learn as a young manager in a new league.
Next up, a home clash with Hull City on Saturday, who will arrive full of confidence after two wins and two draws in their four league games so far.
Keep the faith. HWTL
