Most people would have expected a tough contest between Newcastle United and Leeds when they met at Elland Road. Both teams were on the same number of points going into the game.
Unfortunately, it was not much of a game for Newcastle United fans. The Magpies were completely blown away by Leeds, who won 4-1 at home.
This was a surprising result for Matthias Jaissle’s side, which had looked pretty solid on both ends of the pitch in the first five games of the campaign, all things considered. So, to consider four goals against Leeds is not what many would have seen coming.
There were a lot of players who failed to meet their usual grade on the day. And the finger has been pointed towards particularly one of them following the defeat at the hands of Leeds United.
Newcastle United player slammed for his performance against Leeds in 4-1 defeat
The player in question is none other than Sven Botman. He received a 3.5 rating out of 10 from Newcastle World for his display against Leeds United.
The report goes on to read regarding Botman’s performance on the night:
Turned inside and out by Dominic Calvert-Lewin for 3-0. Sloppy as hell with the ball as he gifted a chance to Anton Stach. Saw his headed clearance fall straight for Noah Okafor for 4-0.
Unfortunately, the warning signs might have always been there. Botman struggled badly during pre-season and most fans had wanted another centre-back to be brought in.
Now, to be fair to the Dutch centre-back, he was actually pretty good in the first five games of the campaign. One cannot simply point towards pre-season and claim that this performance was always coming.
That would be overlooking all the good displays that Botman has put in since then. But without a doubt, this was a night to forget for the centre-back.
Newcastle need to reset immediately
Newcastle United simply do not have the time to dwell on this result. It was their first defeat of the season. Now, it is time to look at where they can improve and move on to the next game.
Unfortunately, that promises to be an even tougher prospect for the Magpies. They will take on Hull City next, albeit at St James’ Park.
Hull City have been one of the in-form teams in the Premier League this season. They recently went to Stamford Bridge and got a draw against Xabi Alonso’s free-scoring Chelsea, the same side that beat Leeds United 6-3 recently.
So, this could be a good opportunity to understand exactly where Newcastle United are as a team. Will Botman start? It is quite likely, despite his poor performance vs Hull City.
