At a glance
- Three players look to bounce back following major defeat
- Anger from fans and pundits over Barcelona performance
- Major learning experience for young star
Newcastle United suffered an embarrassing 7-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday and they were eliminated from the competition. The Magpies must brush off the defeat as they now prepare for the Tyne-Wear derby.
Eddie Howe’s team will be looking for a response, not just for the defeat in Europe, but also when they faced Sunderland in December. An own goal from Nick Woltemade handed the Black Cats a 1-0 win at the Stadium of Light.
The Tynesiders will need to recover immediately, and here are three players Howe needs to put their Barca misery behind them quickly.
Fallout from Barcelona defeat
There were not many wearing Black and White who got a positive reception following the damning defeat to the La Liga leaders, if any. However, Malick Thiaw, from fans, and Jacob Ramsey, from Chris Sutton, drew heavy online criticism from fans and pundits.
Both of them joined the club this summer and have had very different seasons. The German defender has arguably been the Magpies’ best signing and has adapted well to life in the Northeast.
Ramsey initially struggled under Howe, but he has recently looked much more like the player the club paid £40 million for.
That said, Thiaw endured a tough tie against Barca, giving away a last-minute penalty in the first leg at St James’ Park, and an overall poor performance at the Camp Nou. It has raised concerns over his reliability on the biggest of stages.
Many took to social media to discuss his showing, with some even urging him to be sold when the window opens. As for Ramsey, former Premier League striker Chris Sutton claimed he was ‘dreadful’ in Catalonia.
Both players need to show exactly what they are capable of, with players returning to the squad from injury. Setting their wrongs right in the Tyne-Wear derby is the best place to do it.
Learning experience for Newcastle star
Many Newcastle fans will rightly praise Lewis Hall for the season he’s had this year, and immediately claim he has been one of the best players in the squad this year. The young left-back put in a stellar performance against Lamine Yamal in the first leg, but he wasn’t able to match him at Camp Nou.
The Magpies struggled in Spain, and that includes Hall. But his situation is different to the others, as the fans know he should be able to pick himself back up.
The heavy defeat is a serious learning curve for the 21-year-old, which can stand him in good stead down the line. He has been called up to Thomas Tuchel’s England squad ahead of their March friendlies, and he could be set to make the starting squad in the World Cup.
It would be the perfect way to reward the German managers’ faith in him by delivering a top-class display against his side’s arch-rivals. In their 1-0 defeat to Brighton last weekend, Sunderland decided to start Chris Rigg from the right.
If Hall can continue to lock down opponents and perhaps help out in attack, as he did on Wednesday when he set up Anthony Elanga, it will continue to show the great character he has at such a young age.
