OPINION
No one expected Newcastle United to lose in the fashion that they did on Saturday at the hands of West Ham, but if you look at the quality of the two sides, it is safe to say that their opponents were miles ahead.
One player that stood out like a sore thumb in the United side – aside from Ayoze Perez that is – was replacement left-back Javier Manquillo, who filled in for the injured Paul Dummett on Saturday.
Based on this display, it is clear that Rafa Benitez made a huge mistake in starting the flyer, as he was completely unable to cope with West Ham’s persistent attacking prowess, with Felipe Anderson one of the main culprits.
In fact, Newcastle were a lot better off when they played five at the back with three central defenders against Burnley last Monday, with Ciaran Clark taking the place of Dummett.
Benitez needs to be ruthless and axe Manquillo for their clash with Everton, otherwise it is just going to end in tears yet again for the Magpies.
Everton have many players who can hurt the United defence, one of which includes their summer signing Richarlison – and Manquillo is not equipped in the slightest to deal with this type of threat, in fact, he is just a liability.
He must revert back to the formation that saw his side get all three points against the Clarets, as starting the £35,000-a-week [Spotrac] is just asking for trouble that can be easily avoided.
Everton will be looking to expose the weak point that is Manquillo if he does start – so it is obvious that Clark must be started in his place.
Newcastle cannot afford to lose a second consecutive game at this point in the season, as it can put them firmly back into the relegation mix once again after such a good run.
Therefore, Benitez must wield the axe on Manquillo to ensure that his side are one step closer to getting all three points.
