Newcastle United can quickly bounce back from Barca battering but there may be a few things to be ironed out first
Newcastle United's Dan Burn looks dejected
Newcastle United's Dan Burn looks dejected in Barcelona(Image: PA)
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Newcastle United battler Dan Burn turned the air blue at the Nou Camp after the Magpies gifted Barcelona some gift-wrapped goals last night.
The defensive stage fright cost Newcastle dear as the goals rolled past Aaron Ramsdale, and while the second half was a horror show, the tone was set before the break as some inept play at the back essentially killed United's European dream. In his Press conference after the match, Eddie Howe suggested this brilliant Barca side doesn't need favours, let alone written invitations, to score.
But that's exactly what Newcastle offered the five-times European kings. If Malick Thiaw and Lewis Hall can be forgiven for slips for the opening goal that Lamine Yamal set up for Raphinha, and even parking the Kieran Trippier penalty debate for a moment, the second goal from a standard free-kick was defended poorly, and goal number five from veteran Robert Lewandowski from a Raphinha corner is football fundamentals in terms of defending.
The truth is Newcastle nodded off from two set-pieces despite employing a set-play guy in the summer. The fifth goal knocked the stuffing out of United at 6-3 on aggregate, and there was never going to be any way back.
Burn went crazy when Marc Bernal was afforded a free header to put Barcelona 2-1 up so soon after Anthony Elanga's first equaliser. Burn punched the Catalonian air in anger as nobody followed him to reset, as Raphinha floated in a free-kick and Bernal nodded in so casually.
The defender was far from pleased with his team-mates as the goals rolled in during an embarrassing second half. Barca have talent in abundance, but work ethic, concentration, and simply marking your man don't require technical brilliance, you just need to do your job.
By the end, the scoreline got ugly, and as Lewandowski shimmied into the box - at 37 years of age, by the way - Thiaw made a half-hearted attempt to stop him, then watched on as he dummied and rolled it past Aaron Ramsdale.
Burn could not believe the ease in which the veteran had been able to get away and threw his arms up in disgust. The game was long gone by the time Jacob Ramsey gifted Raphinha in the 72nd minute, but this head loss and stage fright shone a light on the weak mentality this Newcastle squad have in them.
The top, top sides wouldn't beat Chelsea 1-0 away from home, then concede seven three days later and lose like this. A loss at the Nou Camp is no disgrace, but conceding seven in a single game makes you question if Newcastle's current crop can make the leap from rabble rousers to an elite side.
On this evidence, it's a no.
Punch-drunk Joelinton emerges to offer some explanation after Nou Camp hammering
After such a heavy defeat, travelling journalists were told it would be unlikely that players would be up for an interview.
But Joelinton did emerge to speak to Spanish-speaking reporters and told of the impossible job to stop Barca's slick possession game.
Joelinton said: "You try to press a Barça midfielder and in an instant the ball is already in the hands of another.
"You keep pressing, but the ball disappears. In the end, you're just running, and you don't even know who you're chasing anymore. They're too good."
It's all about Sunderland now
The last team you would want to face after a thrashing in Europe is Sunderland.
But Newcastle's task should be very simple now, beat the Wearsiders and Barcelona is put to one side while European dreams for next season remain alive.
Given the season Newcastle have endured, any Euro ticket will be taken gratefully but at the moment they are still off the pace. Howe is no fool and said after the 7-2 loss: "It's about making sure we're mentally and physically ready for a huge game for us and the whole city.
"It's a good game for us to go straight into because there's no time for any other thought."
And there's no doubt there is plenty to think about in the days ahead.
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