'He's been awful': John Anderson brutally criticises Newcastle United man in commentary last night - is he wrong?

Newcastle United have been far from their best this season and are really only pushing for a Champions League place thanks to that run of nine wins that came out of nowhere.

That was probably this squad it its best, but when you factor in all the other games this season, our baseline is probably good for a top-eight finish. Fortunately, other than Liverpool, there hasn't been another truly consistent team in the league this season which has allowed Newcastle to creep up the table.

We're now bouncing around between fifth and seventh. The big positive to take away is that we're still in and around that Champions League race after several taxing fixtures of late. Taking three points from Manchester City, Nottingham Forest and Liverpool isn't that bad, really, considering how we've been playing.

The team just isn't firing as a whole, but there are a couple of individuals who really don't seem to be playing anywhere near their best and it's affecting the overall team effort massively.

Ando didn't hold back with his assessment of Bruno Guimaraes

We've already highlighted Sandro Tonali and while I expected backlash from fans when Wor Rich went in two-footed on the Italian last night, I'm going to risk the same here by agreeing with what Radio Newcastle's co-commentator John Anderson said last night about Bruno Guimaraes.

"I think he's been awful lately. He looked like he couldn't run, looked like he was chasing shadows, I think he's been poor for a while."

I agree with every word. There was a moment last night when Ibrahima Konate put the afterburners on and left Bruno Guimaraes in his wake; it was as if his football boots were made of concrete.

Are we still blaming it on the captaincy?

In fairness, pace has never been something we've associated with Bruno, so seeing him being burned off in a foot race isn't a shock, but his passing, his decision making and close control, three things he is known for, have all been poor lately.

Bruno has always frustrated me with his insistence on needing to beat at least two players before he does anything with the ball, as it invites unnecessary pressure. Sometimes, it's the right play against lesser teams; it pulls players out of position and creates space, but it just doesn't work against sides like Liverpool.

I'm not going as far as to say that he's Allan Saint-Maximin levels of frustrating or that level of overrated either, but the question often comes up among fans: which of the 'superstars' would you sacrifice for PSR, and my answer has always been Bruno. I absolutely adore the man, and I don't want him to leave, but he needs to get back to his previous levels and quickly. That captaincy does seem to be weighing heavy on him.