MusaNewcastle United were far from their best during Tuesday night’s Premier League clash with Burnley at Turf Moor.
Early goals from Joelinton and Yoane Wissa put the Magpies into the lead, before Josh Laurent clawed one back for Scott Parker’s side midway through the first half.
What followed was a real scrap in which both sides battled until the end to try and get the three points. However, it was Newcastle who came away with a 3-1 win as Bruno Guimaraes wrapped up the victory.
Eddie Howe’s side have struggled to replicate the sort of performances that they have become famous for so far this season. While securing three points is the most important thing, it was the performance of one star in particular that has led to concern on social media.
Sandro Tonali ‘Dreadful” Against Burnley
Described as “world class”, Sandro Tonali’s performance attracted significant criticism on social media, with Newcastle’s overall midfield performance being described as “sloppy”.
Taking to X, The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards posted: “There is something alarmingly sloppy about Newcastle in midfield. Bruno gave the ball away four times in quick succession in the first half. Tonali just doesn’t look right in any aspect of his game at the moment. Need to sharpen up in the second half.”
Edwards then added: “Tonali has been dreadful. Can’t remember him having a game as bad as this in a Newcastle shirt. He doesn’t look interested.”
Newcastle Forced To Grind Out Results
While Sandro Tonali certainly wasn’t at his best against Burnley, it’s forgiveable for him to have an off day. Newcastle United’s usual midfield trio of Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton have all looked a little bit off the pace in recent weeks and that has been noticed by supporters.
In their defence, the trio are being asked to play a lot of minutes in a lot of matches, while also being asked to play with a lot of intensity.
With a fairly tight squad, it feels like Eddie Howe is perhaps overreliant on the trio and as a result, it’s only natural that they will run out of steam eventually.
With plenty of football to be played across the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup, Howe will need all of his players to perform consistently this term. If he wants to ensure that they don’t endure bad games like this, it’s crucial that the head coach finds a way to rotate his squad to ensure that burnout doesn’t become an issue.
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