If any Newcastle United fan was hoping for an easy night at The Den against Millwall, this was far from it. But by the end of it, the Magpies were able to escape with a 1-0 win. That is what matters the most.
A goal from Joe Willock proved to be the difference. The former Arsenal man, who was widely expected to leave this summer before Matthias Jaissle arrived, has looked like a man reborn under the German manager.
To be fair, Jaissle has seemed to have that effect on a few of Newcastle United’s players. Another name that belongs on that list is that of Yoane Wissa.
One could argue that Wissa has been Newcastle United’s best player this season. But he was far from it against Millwall and has been criticised for his display against the Championship side.
Wissa slammed for display vs Millwall
Lee Ryder, in his article for Chronicle Live, gave Wissa a match rating of 4 for his performance against Millwall. He wrote about the striker:
Sadly offered no impact after being asked to lead the line. Failed to get a shot on target and struggled against 6ft 5in Caleb Taylor and 6ft 6in Jake Cooper.
It would be safe to say that it was not Wissa’s best night. While many might have viewed this as a good chance to get a goal against Championship opposition, it proved to be far from that.
Ultimately, Wissa did not see off the game. He was subbed off in the 65th minute of the game, with Matias Fernandez-Pardo replacing him.
Now, it is important not to be too reactionary about Wissa’s performance. No matter what happened tonight, he has been one of Newcastle United’s best and most consistent performers this season.
Any player can have a night off. What is most important is that he puts this disappointment behind him and starts fresh when Newcastle United take to the field next.
Other Newcastle United players struggled as well
Of course, it was not just Wissa who had an off night against Millwall. There were quite a few others who did not seem to be anywhere near their best.
For example, Amar Dedic has been phenomenal since joining the club this summer. But he was nowhere near his best either and was subbed off for Tino Livramento after just 45 minutes.
It is not about pointing fingers. It was not the best performance, but Newcastle United won. That’s all that matters. On to the next one, which is a Premier League meeting against Leeds United away at Elland Road.
