Newcastle United’s 3-1 defeat to Liverpool on Thursday left them 19th in the Premier League with 10 points from 17 games, three points adrift of safety having played an extra match.
The Magpies have the worst defensive record (34 goals conceded), have just one clean sheet to their name and face more shots per game (15.8) than all but one side in the top-flight, so their problems are obvious.
After Thursday’s loss to the Reds, Jermaine Jenas believes Newcastle need to bolster their backline to start shutting sides out. The former Newcastle midfielder said on BT Sport (h/t Daily Mail): “Defence is a key area (for Newcastle in January), as clear as day for a long time.
“Their away record is disastrous. They don’t look like they can keep a clean sheet. Who can shore things up? These players’ confidence in defence is shot, they need a good few experienced centre-backs to do a job and guide them through this period.”
Jenas isn’t wrong. Newcastle aren’t short of options with Jamaal Lascelles, Fabian Schar, Federico Fernandez and Ciaran Clark at their disposal, but the Toon Army are conceding two goals per game on average in the Premier League.
Unfortunately, Eddie Howe’s side next face Manchester City who are coming off the back of a 7-0 win over Leeds United, so Newcastle might be in for a difficult afternoon. They’re already lagging behind sides outside of the relegation zone and have played a game more than their rivals, so United can’t afford to keep losing.
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