NEWCASTLE UNITED - LEEDS UNITED 1 : 1
U dopadljivoj fudbalskoj predstavi na severoistoku Engleske, Newcastle United i Leeds United su na St James' Parku podelili bodove. Posle devedeset minuta igre rezultat je glasio 1:1.
Poveo je Leeds United golom Raphine već u 13. minutu igre. Naime, Raphinha je sa desnog boka levom nogom ubacio loptu u šesnaesterac domaćih gde ju je tamo pametno preskočio Rodrigo. Lopta iznenađuje povratnika u startnih jedanaest Darlowa i ona završava u desnom donjem uglu njegovog gola, za 0:1.
U nastavku igre Newcastle United stvara dve odlične prilike za gol. Prvu preko Joelintona ali njegov udarac čudesno brani odlični Meslier, dok je drugu imao Matt Ritchie koji u 35. minutu utakmice udarcem sa distance desnom nogom pogađa stativu gostujućeg gola.
Baš kada se mislilo da će gosti na poluvreme otići sa minimalnom prednošću, Allan Saint-Maximin pravi dar-mar u odbrani gostiju i preciznim udarcem desnom nogom sa dvanaestak metara poravnava rezultat na 1:1 u 44. minutu prvog poluvremena. Levi bek Firpo je klizećim startom otišao po kačamak. Saint-Maximin gol proslavlja sa Toon Army.
Međutim, ostalo je još toliko vremena da gosti stvore još jednu priliku gde su mogli i do 1:2 preko Firpa koji je sa pet metara prebacio gol Darlowa. Pre Firpovog udarca u dva navrata su udarci gostujućih igrača bili izblokirani.
U drugom poluvremenu Leeds United je umalo stigao do 1:2 autogolom Lascellesa. Srećom, Karl Darlow je bio budan i čudesnom odbranom odbranio svoj gol. Bamford i Klich su imali svoje prilike ali je Darlow izlazio kao pobednik.
Sudija Mike Dean je imao svoju predstavu na ovom meču. Ne samo što nije ništa svirao u korist domaćih, nego je i smetao Haydenu prilikom pokušaja udarca na protivnički gol. Đubre!
Do kraja meča Allan Saint-Maximin je imao tri udarca na gol ali je gostujući golman Meslier u sva tri navrata izašao kao pobednik.
Konačan rezultat: 1 : 1
NUFC: Darlow, Manquillo (Krafth 81), Clark, Lascelles, Hayden, Ritchie, Saint-Maximin, S.Longstaff, Willock, Almiron (Fraser 62), Joelinton (Murphy 90+1).
Subs n/u: Gillespie, Lewis, Fernandez, Schar, Hendrick, Gayle.
LUFC: Meslier, Dallas, Ayling (Shackleton 89), Cooper, Firpo, Phillips, Raphinha (Summerville 67), Klich, Rodrigo, James (Roberts 61), Bamford.
Subs n/u: Klaesson, Cresswell, Greenwood, Kenneh, McCarron, McKinstry.
Sudija: Mike Dean
Gledalaca: 50,407 (3,000 gostujućih navijača)
P.S.
Posle pet kola imamo svega dva boda i trenutno smo na 18. mestu na tabeli Premier League. Ostaje nam da se molimo Bogu da Saint-Maximin nastavi da pruža dobre partije i da se Wilson što pre vrati na teren, jer gol nećemo dati ako jedan od njih dvojice ne bude u timu.
Steve Bruce na 1:1 umesto da ubaci napadača Gaylea on brani rezultat.
U sledeća dva kola igramo protiv Watforda i Wolvesa. Oba meča igramo u gostima.
photo: dailymail
On the "Brucie out" chants:
"Look, it's always difficult. I would be sick if I said I quite enjoyed it. It's difficult.
"The frustration is, like any other Premier League club or any other Football League club, if you don't get results then ultimately the manager, head coach, whatever I am, bears the brunt.
"That's what it is, so I have to accept that results haven't been good enough.
"What the disappointment was we played very well at a difficult place last week - as difficult as it was going to get. We played very well and didn't get anything out of the game, which was the frustration.
"It’s not all about me. I’m here to only do what I think is best for the club – and that is manage it as best I can and keep us moving along.
"It’s for other people to answer that (questions about his future). I will continue to do my best. I’m never going to walk away from the challenge of it, that’s for sure. You’re asking the wrong person.”
Asked whether he would consider his position if the abuse he received became detrimental to the team:
"Well then you start looking at yourself, of course but knowing the way I am, it’s not in my nature to walk away from something when we’re in a fight. ‘Oh it’s too difficult so I’m going to walk away’, that doesn’t really register with me.”
He also said:
"Do you not think I want better players? Do you not think I want a better squad to choose from? Do you not think I want the ability to compete at the top end of the transfer market?
"It’s not possible, so I have to accept it and get on with my job as best I can, at this moment. There’s the frustration for everybody concerned, and I’m the same.
"In these difficult moments, I hope my experience of being in it a long time can steer us along that path. It’s not great, I understand that, but that’s where we are.
"The challenge at the minute is just ticking along and make sure that the club stays where it is and we maintain our Premier League status.
"I know for a lot of people that we should be better than that, but that’s where we are at the moment and we have been for a while. That is everybody’s frustration.
"I want Newcastle to be in the top of the league so that frustration is there but I don’t think about, ‘Oh the noise is too bad, walk away Steve’.
It’s not in my nature to walk away from something when we’re in a fight.
Asked about Alan Shearer's comments on Match of the Day, labelling Newcastle a ‘hollow and an empty club’:
"Look, Alan is entitled to his opinion, that’s what he gets paid for, that’s what his job is now.
"What I will say is there is a lot of people and a nucleus of players who have been here a long time, and the club means something to them. There’s a lot of good people who work at the club who have also been here a long long time.
"They want the club to do well and unfortunately at the moment we are not doing well enough.
"All Newcastle fans want to see their team competing at the top of the table, like they did 20 years ago. Unfortunately at this particular moment, we’re not there.
"So there is the frustration for everybody concerned. My job is to keep us — and I knew this was going to be difficult — on an even keel, try and get on with the job and move the club forward as best I can, which is very, very difficult, of course.”
photo: nufc.co.uk
