NUFC players arrive at the Gtech Community Stadium
Brentford v Newcastle United: Eddie Howe’s side fell to another Premier League defeat away at Brentford on Sunday.
For the second time in seven days, Newcastle United left the capital city battered, bruised and without a point as they fell to another bitterly disappointing 3-1 defeat, this time to Keith Andrews’ Brentford.
They may have ended this weekend’s game with one less player than their opponents, but that mattered very little as they had spent much of the afternoon chasing shadows around the Gtech Community Stadium. Once again, Eddie Howe’s side took the lead when Harvey Barnes slotted past Caoimhin Kelleher midway through the first-half.
However, by the time Stuart Attwell’s whistle had signalled an end to proceedings, a fifth defeat of the season had befallen the Magpies. Two from Igor Thiago, a Dan Burn red card and a header from Kevn Schade, one that sparked a second half turnaround by the hosts, ensured another miserable day on the road for the Magpies and extended their wait for a win away from home in the Premier League to nine matches.
Brentford fan chants but Yoane Wissa is not Newcastle United’s saviour
Despite a shaky moment or two up against ten men, Brentford eased to victory once Thiago pounced on a lapse in concentration from Sven Botman to poke past Aaron Ramsdale. That goal was greeted with huge roars from the vast majority of the 17,000 or so at the Gtech Community Stadium, most of whom then turned their attentions towards Newcastle United striker Yoane Wissa with ‘Wissa, what’s the score’ chants filling the chilly capital air.
Of course, Wissa joined the Magpies from Brentford on deadline day in September in a £55m deal. Wissa had spent the majority of summer trying to force through a move to Tyneside and didn’t take part in any of Brentford’s three league matches in August.
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The 29-year-old has still not made his debut for Newcastle United after being injured whilst on international duty with DR Congo at the beginning of September. And the Brentford fans made their feelings about the striker known with a number of chants aimed at their former hero.
The Brentford fans' chants reminded all of a black-and-white persuasion just what they were missing with the absence of their new £55m striker. But in truth, that only skims the surface of the problems developing in Newcastle United’s starting XI and system.
Howe’s side, once again, looked devoid of ideas in attacking areas and whilst having Wissa on the pitch would have been a huge bonus, if they can’t create chances for him, then it’s largely pointless having him in the starting XI.
A long-range effort from Barnes and a teasing ball from Lewis Hall aside, the Magpies rarely threatened the opposition goal and gave nothing for their travelling fans to get excited about. Worryingly, that sentence could have been written last week at the London Stadium and have rang true.
An international break probably comes at the right time for Newcastle United who must now reflect on two abject performances in the capital and come up with a solution to their recurring problems. If they don’t their Premier League season looks like crumbling in front of their eyes, if there is even a way it can be saved.
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