Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe came under fire from fans for not starting Sandro Tonali
Harvey Barnes makes no excuses for poor display after being sent to face the TV cameras
Barnes was the only senior Newcastle star to face the media after the game with his second half goal at least offering hope of a comeback. But sadly it wasn’t to be and Newcastle lacked all of the things that have turned them into European contenders in the last few years.
After the game Barnes told BBC Match of the Day:”The basics weren’t there for us. Off the ball we were not as solid as we normally are and not as aggressive as we usually are on the ball. Our levels weren’t there.
“It wasn’t clicking for us. On the ball we weren’t good enough and off the ball, you can see with their goals, we weren’t at our level.”
Magpies suffer taunts from Fulham fans after first loss at Craven Cottage since 2016
You’d have to go back to the first game of the Championship season in 2016/17 for the last defeat for Newcastle here. It came at the hands of Slaviša Jokanović’s side on a warm August night.
More recently, Newcastle have picked up five wins in a row here in the Premier League and FA Cup and you’d need to go back to 2014 for Fulham’s last top-flight win. But from the first whistle it was the Cottagers who were in the faces of Newcastle.
It left Fulham fans delirious in the sunshine with chants of: “No noise from the Geordie boys” and “3-1 and a long way home.” Against a side that finished in the bottom half of the table last term, you expect better than this from Eddie Howe’s troops.
Sandro Tonali selection backfires
The Italy international did not arrive on to the scene until the final 17 minutes and was not selected from the start as Howe opted for Joe Willock, Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes. Neither of the trio covered themselves in glory at Fulham and Joelinton’s dip in form is genuinely concerning.
If Tonali is fit enough to play 90 minutes for Italy why can’t he do it for Newcastle, that is a decision for Howe. But fans clearly wanted him on the pitch earlier than at Fulham.
Tonali brings a different dimension to the pitch for Newcastle and it was no surprise to hear fans chanting “Sandro ole, ole, ole” for long periods.
