OPINION
Newcastle United lost 2-1 to Wolves at St James Park on Sunday after Matt Doherty struck late to get his side all three points.
The Magpies fell behind in the 17th minute of the match when Diogo Jota struck to open the scoring but Ayoze Perez got Rafa Benitez’s side back on level terms within six minutes.
The match was then evenly contested right up until DeAndre Yedlin was shown a straight red card at the 57th minute mark, which saw the Magpies change tact in order to attempt to battle their way to a point.
However while the Magpies got zero points from Sunday’s outing at least Benitez would have learn several things about his side in defeat.
Nothing But Newcastle has rounded up three things learned about Newcastle after their loss against Wolves.
Lascelles needs axing
Benitez’s axe must have Jamaal Lascelles’ name written all over it after the centre-back struggled against Wolves. The 6ft 2in tall defender (Source: Transfermarkt) normally is a reliable and trusted presence at the back for the Magpies but it was hard to find any positive in his performance against Wolves. Lascelles struggled from start to finish and just looked not at the races for Sunday’s clash. The 25-year-old may be the club’s captain but with Benitez having several talented centre-backs to choose from, the axe must beckon for Lascelles after his terrible outing. Hopefully a spell on the sidelines guess Lascelles refocused in order for him to be able to dramatically improve his displays in the coming weeks.
Atsu can be a success
Christian Atsu has struggled at times for the Magpies and is no doubt one of the players Benitez must have consider the future of at one time or another. However the 26-year-old was a bright spark during the game against Wolves and showed signs he could make a long-term future for himself at the club. Atsu showcased his blistering pace in order to give himself space to work in against Wolves and that was a promising sign. While the 26-year-old’s final ball could have been better on multiple occasions, if he continues to get playing time under his belt that might start to improve as his confidence builds.
Rondon offers so much more than just a goal threat
Salomon Rondon put in a MOTM display against Wolves, particularly in the first half, and deserves all the plaudits that come his way as a result. While his second half performances didn’t see him look amazing in the opponent’s half, it did show he was more than a goal threat. With his side reduced to 10 men, Rondon worked hard and tracked back in order to give his side a chance of defying the odds and holding on to the draw on Sunday. While that ended up not being the case, it’s hard not to highlight Rondon’s efforts as he well and truly deserves credit for his all-round game during the clash with Wolves.
