Following an opening day draw against Southampton in a match where the Magpies played well enough to earn the three points, many Toon fans and onlookers felt as though they had turned a corner and the spiritless performances of last season were a thing of the past.
Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at the hands of Garry Monk’s side has been described as a ‘waste of a match’ by head coach Steve McClaren, a brutally honest assessment of 90 minutes which Newcastle fans would not want to endure again. A victory for Swansea was never in doubt with the Swans dominating the play from first whistle to last. Even when it was 11 versus 11, the Magpies were chasing shadows which is why the contest was effectively over when one of their most reliable players, Daryl Janmaat, was needlessly sent off for a second bookable offence. The way in which the Dutchman saw red was bought about striking similarities to the carelessness of the players (not Janmaat in particular) between this season and last. Being already on a yellow card and on thin ice, Janmaat, for no good reason, tugged on the shirt of Swans winger Jefferson Montero, prematurely ending the right-back’s afternoon. A sending off for something as needless as that is simply not good enough for someone of Janmaat’s calibre – he has earned 25 caps for the Dutch national team.
The defensive frailties have been a major talking point and the defeat at Swansea only raised those concerns. The first goal was poor marking by Chancel Mbemba, but you have to question why the gap between Fabricio Coloccini and Mbemba was so wide, allowing for a Montero pass to find Gomis, and from there the French striker had no problems rounding Tim Krul and rolling the ball into the back of the net. Once again, left-back Massadio Haidara looked susceptible to Swansea’s wingers.
With four goals conceded in two games, it is clear that defensive reinforcements are urgently needed to boost the Magpies up the table. Another centre-back must be the primary focus, with Coloccini looking like he has stayed for one season too many. For the second goal, the Argentine was beaten in the air by 5’9″ Andre Ayew which is the third headed goal the Magpies have shipped this season. If Ayew is winning headers against you, it will be a scary prospect for Newcastle fans when they come up against the taller marksmen in the league such as Harry Kane, Wayne Rooney and so on. In and ideal world for Newcastle, another left-back would be bought in because as mentioned, Haidara looks vulnerable and his defensive qualities leave a lot to be desired.
If there is a positive to be taken out of the loss at the Liberty Stadium, it is that the board is now well aware that additional investment is needed and if reports are true, it looks like Marseille winger Florian Thauvin will be on his way to Tyneside for £12million, with Remy Cabella going the other way on loan, possibly later on a permanent deal. The addition of Thauvin would be a timely boost for Steve McClaren’s side, with Gabriel Obertan and Rolando Aarons being the only first team out and out wingers at the club. Such is the lack of available wingers, attacking midfielder Moussa Sissoko has often had to fill in on the right-hand side of midfield, a position which he does not look comfortable in.
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The 2-0 scoreline was not a true reflection of proceedings and in truth, Swansea should have won by more. While this will serve as a reality check after some complacency may have set in after the impressive performance against Southampton, it would be unnecessary and naive to press the panic button and suggest that another relegation battle looms for the Toon. They will not be the only team that loses and gets outplayed at the Liberty Stadium this season with Swansea looking to improve on their eight place finish from last season.
As the saying goes: Rome was not built in a day. While McClaren’s ethos and tactics take time to settle in, there may be days like this for the Magpies where they are second best all match because after all, it would be unreasonable to expect immediate success after the diabolical mess Newcastle found themselves in last season.
Perhaps the laziness of some players as a result from the previous management was a factor in the lack of desire on Saturday, but this needs to be eradicated immediately under the new regime before it becomes a more significant issue. Looking forward, the next two fixtures look both mouthwatering and tricky for the Magpies with an away trip to Old Trafford followed by the visit of Arsenal. In two games we have seen two very different Newcastle teams turn up and if the team that played in South Wales turns up to Old Trafford, it could be another stressful day for McClaren and the Geordies.
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