The Good, The Bad, and The Average #28: NUFC player ratings vs. Bournemouth (h) [PL22]

 · January 19 2025, 11:30
The Good, The Bad, and The Average #28: NUFC player ratings vs. Bournemouth (h) [PL22]
Serena Taylor/Newcastle United
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Well, it had to end sometime! Newcastle United's superb winning run is over following a trouncing at St James' Park at the hands of Bournemouth, who took home three points with a 4-1 victory.

Andoni Iraola's green-clad side out-played Newcastle, out-ran Newcastle, and most certainly out-fought Newcastle, with our lads looking fatigued and somewhat nervous at the prospect of a tenth win in a row.

Justin Kluivert managed more goals on Tyneside than his portly father ever did when wearing our colours, smashing a brilliant hat-trick and running riot in a free role behind Ouattara.

Milos Kerkez sealed an emphatic result deep into added time with a pearler, with the Magpies only briefly level in the first half following Bruno Guimarães' header from a Lewis Hall corner.

We knew this would be a tough game with Bournemouth also flying, but nobody could have predicted just how much better than their counterparts the Cherries would be. They deserve huge credit for that.

As for our lot... well let's just say that these ratings won't be for the squeamish.

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Serena Taylor/Newcastle United
Eddie Howe had a bit of a nightmare here but he deserves immense credit for our nine-game winning run

The Good

You'll not be surprised to see an absence of Magpies in this section, but it does give us a few more words to discuss AFC Bournemouth. This was the best away performance we've seen at St James' in the last few years. They were better than us in every aspect of the match and in no way did a 1-4 result flatter them. While we'd have liked to have seen the referee nip their aggression in the bud a bit more, we're self-aware enough to know that the likes of Joelinton and Bruno get away with plenty most weeks. Even without a recognised striker, Iraola's side has to now be in the conversation for a top-four/five finish. They were bloody brilliant.

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Serena Taylor/Newcastle United
Joelinton continues to struggle in our new-look midfield, though he was asked to play a strange role here

The Bad

While the majority of those in the home ranks stunk the joint out, Stuart Atwell was impressively the most inept human being on the field of play. We're struggling to recall a weaker, more indecisive showing from a match official at St James' in recent times. He appeared to have lost his yellow cards in the first half and even though Bournemouth did eventually end up amassing six bookings—which will earn them a fine—they could have easily had six before the interval.

The referee's incompetence wasn't the primary factor in our loss, of course, we'll reluctantly give that 'honour' to Eddie Howe. Iraola did a number on him here and his inability to come up with a tactical plan to beat his old side is becoming an albatross around his neck. Our 4-2-3-1 shape in possession was a strange choice, with it being far too easy for Bournemouth to press us man-to-man when we tried to build out from the back. Joelinton was left in no man's land for much of the first half.

Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall didn't help their head coach much with a pair of woeful showings, mind. It's important to remember how young they are—something that makes their consistency all the more impressive—but it's fair to say that each of them lost their individual battles here. Livramento will be having nightmares about Antoine Semenyo all week, while David Brooks had Hall's shorts down on more than one occasion. Our left-back did at least get the assist for Bruno's goal.

Ahead of those two, this was a real off day for both Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon. Each was at fault for one of the goals we conceded—Murphy the first when not tracking Kluivert and Gordon the third with a suicidal pass across the pitch that was easily cut out by Adams—but they barely impacted the game in an attacking sense either. That's sort of expected from Murphy, but Gordon's goals have been masking some poor displays of late.

Sven Botman, Dan Burn, and Fabian Schär all struggled against the speed of Bournemouth's attackers, with Botman withdrawn at half-time for Schär due to his issues playing out from the back on his wrong side. Burn's distribution was the most troubling element of his performance, with his weak pass to Bruno partly to blame for Kluivert's second goal. Schär got away with a Gordon-esque pass across goal, thankfully, and defended better than Botman had done, but was toasted one-on-one at the end by Daniel Jebbison.

Behind that trio, Martin Dúbravka reminded us of his 2023/24 performances after a great run of form. He was too slow off his line at times, only really made one high-quality save from the shots he faced, and could have done better on a couple of Bournemouth's goals. We all know he's not the answer long-term, but it's a concern that in the first game where he's come under serious pressure, he's shipped four goals.

Joelinton is frustrating us more and more with his output at the moment. He seems to lose his head far too easily and get sucked into fighting with the opposition rather than trying to play, while Bruno Guimarães' was disappointing again today despite his excellent headed goal. He was bullied by Bournemouth, basically, with Adams, in particular, appearing to have his number.

Sadly, there was to be no ninth successive scoring outing for Alexander Isak. He was starved of service all afternoon and on the rare occasions he did get possession he seemed too strained and too eager, which meant he didn't take the right option or make the right touch. His only shot was a wasted late free-kick that he really shouldn't have been allowed to take with Trippier and Tonali on the pitch.

Appearing off the bench midway through the second period, Joe Willock and Kieran Trippier could do nothing to help turn the tide of the game. Willock did have one good sight of goal when fed in the box by Isak and forced a good save from Kepa Arrizabalaga, but Trippier's defending for Bournemouth's fourth goal was laughable. Now that Emil Krafth's fit again, it might be worth giving him a run at right-back...

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Serena Taylor/Newcastle United
Even though this was just one bad game in a great season, it may be enough to see Dan Burn dropped

The Average

Sandro Tonali was the only starter to elevate himself above a candid description of 'crap', even if he was nowhere near his personal best. He wasn't helped by having Bruno in much closer proximity to him than usual due to the 4-2-3-1 shape we adopted in possession, but like everyone else in black and white, he struggled with Bournemouth's aggression and intensity.

Will Osula also makes this section by virtue of not being on the pitch long enough to be dragged into the mire. He was only thrown on in added time, and while we conceded twice after his introduction it's impossible to pin that on him. Gordon and Trippier deserve far more of the blame for our late capitulation, especially as two players who really should know better.

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Serena Taylor/Newcastle United
Kieran Trippier didn't do his chances of regaining his place any favours, but Tino Livramento struggled too

The Breakdown

We haven't had to dish out scores this low all season!

The XI

Martin Dúbravka – 4

Tino Livramento – 3 (off 66')

Sven Botman – 5 (off 46')

Dan Burn – 4

Lewis Hall – 3

Bruno Guimarães – 5 (off 90+1')

Sandro Tonali – 6 ⭐️

Joelinton – 4

Jacob Murphy – 3 (off 66')

Alexander Isak – 4

Anthony Gordon – 3

The Subs

Fabian Schär – 5 (on 46')

Joe Willock – 5 (on 66')

Kieran Trippier – 5 (on 66')

Will Osula – 6 (on 90+1')

The Gaffer

Eddie Howe – 3

The Opposition

Bournemouth – 9

The Ref

Stuart Atwell – 2

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Getty Images
Southampton have taken four points from a possible 30 at St. Mary's this season; we need to beat them

The Next

After a much-needed week of rest, recovery, and tactical tweaking, Howe will take his players down to St. Mary's for a 3 p.m. (GMT) kick-off with Southampton on Saturday afternoon.

This lot are statistically the worst side to have ever darkened the doors of the Premier League and nothing less than a comfortable win will suffice after yesterday's humiliation.

Howay the lads!

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