BBC Sport comments from ‘neutrals’ on Newcastle United after 2-1 Marseille defeat | OneFootball

Interesting to read through these BBC Sport comments, following on from Newcastle United losing 2-1 to Marseille.

The comments from neutrals especially telling…

A lot of it different to what Newcastle United fans had come to expect from the BBC Sport ‘neutrals’.

The BBC Sport comments from neutrals in the past had been overwhelmingly a catalogue of abuse aimed at NUFC supporters.

Particularly stuff about the Newcastle United owners and the media-inspired pile-ons that NUFC fans have become used to, when blamed for who now owns their club.

On this occasion the politics almost entirely absent, concentrating instead on matters on the pitch and neutrals enjoying Newcastle United losing a match!

The BBC Sport readers comments from neutrals, no Marseille fans, plenty Newcastle supporters though (and the odd Sunderland fan, including those pretending to be Newcastle fans…) also contributing:

‘Cannot understand how Aubameyang has become so good after looking finished in the Premier League.

Newcastle blew a chance to win away here.’

‘We think Kyril is going to put an offer in for Pierre’

‘Class is permanent, form is temporary.’

‘He hasn’t become “so good”, he’s just found a club that suits his primadonna ways. Sad Newcastle didn’t pump them, nasty club filled with nasty players and manager.’

‘Maybe Newcastle needs to take a look in the mirror; kettle and pot…’

‘Gordon is a winger and nothing else, Willock not good enough.

The ball was always coming back they never held on to it, the midfield were knackered trying to get up and then back. They built nothing and had no control.’

‘They actually had good games…Tonali and Bruno poor, even Thiaw gave the ball away on the edge of the box.’

‘Willock had a good game coming into the team in my eyes. Bruno struggled most after the effort on saturday. Pope doesn’t look the same keeper after the bad shoulder injury. Overall we played well, just shot ourselves in the foot start of second half. We can’t keep giving away so many goals away from home’

‘Eddie Howe knows what he’s doing

Let’s see what we win this season then we can talk’

‘But Newcastle fans were telling us that Woltemade was this incredible striker, better than Sesko and Isak combined?’

‘Newcastle could and should have been 3-0 up by half-time.’

‘Tonali gave the ball away more in this one game than his entire career at Newcastle combined. Him and Bruno never got hold of the midfield.

Pope feels like he’s got a calamity clanger moment every other game.’

‘Pope’s a world class player. Only 3 games and you are destroying him.’

‘But that’s his problem. He can be world class for a few games and then a liability.

You need consistency from a keeper.’

‘It’s not 3 games though, is it? He is a world class shot stopper but has demonstrated over and over again that he’s not a footballer. Time for Ramsdale to try to shows a better option.’

‘Tonali needs a rest. Bruno too. They are excellent players, maybe our best (Thiaw is making a good case for himself) but they are not robots who can run forever without a break.

Joelinton got a rest tonight but maybe Howe picked the wrong player – not that I can claim to know about training or medical situations.’

‘Even if Newcastle started Neave up front he at least knows where the goal is but he won’t be given a chance for some reason.

Should give Sam Alabi a run, not a clue why we didn’t.’

‘Nick Pope made lots of great saves, though yes he messed up on the first goal.

Ramsdale deserves a chance but Pope is being harshly criticised on here.’

‘A solid and positive first half ruined by calamituous decision making by Pope within 30 seconds of the restart.

It isn’t fatal to our chances of progression but it’s a concern.’

‘I think that’s too simplistic. Newcastle’s attackers should have taken more of their chances, and a consolation goal wouldn’t have mattered.

And even if Pope stays on his line who is to say Aubamayang doesn’t wiggle his way through and slam it into the roof of the net, he’s more than capable. Even the (first) goal he DID score was technically not especially easy to pull off.

Leave Pope alone.’

‘It was an error but 9 times out of 10, any player other than Aubameyang misses that.

Expecting perfection from every player every match is unrealistic.’

‘Newcastle missed a lot of chances and need to score more than 1 per game to get wins on the board, unless they work out a way to defend perfectly.’

‘Poor defeat for Newcastle that.’

‘No. Losing 2-0 at home to Leverkusen is poor. Losing at home to 10 men of Everton is poor. Losing 3-0 at home to a Sean Dyche team is poor.

That was close, unlucky, just not quite enough. Far from poor.

And trust me, Newcastle fans who lived through the Ashley era know poor.’

‘Well played Marseille.’

‘Why you’d risk sitting back for 85 mins against an inferior team is beyond me, just play football and take your chances! Deserved result.’

‘That’s not what happened.

We attacked hard and got an early goal.

The tactics after that for the remaining 40 mins were outstanding. A very interesting mix of low block and high press out of possession and weren’t far away from a 2nd before the break.

Pope’s rick caused the outfield players’ heads to go down, leading to the 2nd goal, but we dominated the midfield for most of the game after that’

‘it took two top quality finishes, really top quality, to beat Newcastle United tonight.’

‘A Newcastle fan was on talk sport saying that you will finish in the top 8 in the champions league

Apparently this was an easy win tonight, that was a bit arrogant but I’m sure you know that.’

‘There’s no easy wins in the Champions League but that was certainly winnable. Aubameyang made the difference – they had a clinical striker, Newcastle didn’t.’