• The Burnley midfield tonight

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 9:40 pm**

Each and every one of them way, way below the recent standard. They haven’t shown for the ball, have been slow in possession, made countless unforced errors, have done little pressing and have generally looked very lethargic. All in all they’ve been absent. Don’t even get me started on their service to the forwards (predictable and generally very inaccurate).

Ashley Westwood has been my player of the season and in so many ways we’ve missed him tonight. A really poor show! Onwards and upwards. UTC

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 9:43 pm**

Totally overwhelmed tonight.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 9:46 pm**

Agree midfield shocking tonight.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 9:46 pm**

What midfield? We don’t have one.
Shows how much we have relied on Westwood, without him we are as bad as we were in the first half of the season. People have said the change in goalkeeper has been the big difference of late, but tonight has shown us the most influential player we have is Westwood and it’s been his upturn in form that has been so key. Really hope he is better for the weekend, if not we will struggle again.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 9:49 pm**

With Westwood being ill, based on tonight’s performance I’d be amazed if a few more were not suffering.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 9:52 pm**

On tonights showing our problem is we cant make more than two passes before we give the ball away.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 9:54 pm**

Midfield ?

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 9:55 pm**

Missed Westwood massively. Gladly its just an illness so he should be back for Saturday.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 9:57 pm**

Did we have one ?

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 9:59 pm**

McNeil must have been ill as well. He looked lethargic as did the rest of the midfield. Taylor was playing thrm on his own attacking wise tonight. Well done Charlie.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 9:59 pm**

Please, never put Hendrick in there ever again.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 9:59 pm**

Knew wed get beat b4 it kicked off

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:00 pm**

RVclaret wrote:Missed Westwood massively. Gladly its just an illness so he should be back for Saturday.

My thoughts exactly.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:02 pm**

Quickenthetempo wrote:Please, never put Hendrick in there ever again.

He'll still get several MOTM votes and high ratings

Not all his fault, but no Westwood showed tonight how important he is.
He gives the opposition no time on the ball, and buys our lads a yard with his work rate.

Let's hope palace look as tired as we did tonight on Saturday.
They play tomorrow, then will travel Friday. Should play into our hands

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:03 pm**

I like Cork, but he hasn't really gotten into top gear this season. Westwood has been carrying him most of the games recently.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:05 pm**

Charlie Taylor only player who showed up tonight.
All the rest were well below par.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:06 pm**

MACCA wrote:He'll still get several MOTM votes and high ratings

Not all his fault, but no Westwood showed tonight how important he is.
He gives the opposition no time on the ball, and buys our lads a yard with his work rate.

Let's hope palace look as tired as we did tonight on Saturday.
They play tomorrow, then will travel Friday. Should play into our hands

He just sets a negative tone with passing backwards all the time or 5 yards sideways.
This is why Tarky kept lumping it forward.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:06 pm**

What midfield? I rhink we all knew that we are down to two midfield players and would have problems if one got injured, or in this case ill. Its bare bones stuff. I have to say we should have recruited a midfield player but of course didnt. The result seen tonight. Just hope we have enough to stay up. I think we will have. Just

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:06 pm**

Cork has been the weakest link all season. Popular with UTC posters so will leave it there.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:06 pm**

DAVETHEVICAR wrote:Charlie Taylor only player who showed up tonight.
All the rest were well below par.

Taylor was a diamond in the rough tonight. Good going forward and at the back.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:06 pm**

They outnumbered us, Rafa did his homework and did it well. We missed Westwood though.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:06 pm**

Lets brush this to one side and get behind the lads again on Saturday. Others (most importantly Cardiff) lost tonight too and their next 6 games are very tough.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:08 pm**

Do you think Newcastle will even bother washing their kit?

Geordies must be wondering how on earth we have any points at all this season because we’ve been appalling in both games against them.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:11 pm**

Rick_Muller wrote:They outnumbered us, Rafa did his homework and did it well. We missed Westwood though.

This is exactly what I said. Out managed Dyche at the Turf and again tonight.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:11 pm**

It’s ok lads we’ll be fine because when our centre midfielders are having an off day we can bring on
..erm...um....erm...erm..um.....

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:11 pm**

Foulthrow wrote:Do you think Newcastle will even bother washing their kit?

Diame might need to..

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:23 pm**

I agree with a couple of others. Rafa beat Dyche (second time this season). Newcastle stretched the play and then got more bodies into central midfield and the space created be it Perez and Almiron movement or either centre back stepping in. We were left pumping balls up they could deal with. We had no response, composure or intelligence to adapt and in truth were easily beaten.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:25 pm**

McNeil was dreadful and Hendrick little better. Was Gudmonson playing?.

I blame McNeil for the 2nd goal, he never tracked back.

Taylor was our most effective player going forward

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:25 pm**

Goobs wrote:This is exactly what I said. Out managed Dyche at the Turf and again tonight.

Spot on..
We haven't suddenly gone poor again...this is why Rafa is so important for to Newcastle...and we missed Westwood massively

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:25 pm**

We didn't play well but no need to overreact. In truth Newcastle scored with a worldy, got a second when we switched off badly but otherwise didn't create much more than we did. Anything they did create was really on the counter attack as we tried - unsuccessfully- to create.

It was a pretty even game at 0-0 and in fairness, chasing games is not our strong point at the best of times. Plus Benitez did a job on us tactically (3 centre halves has neutralised Barnes and Wood more than once, whilst Newcastle's midfield shape meant we were outnumbered and couldn't get a platform to exploit our numeriv advtantage out wide) and when you factor in what was apparently a late reshuffle of personnel (we missed Westwood but we also missed Hendrick driving up and down on the right flank tonight) I think there are a few mitigating factors tonight, although no doubt one or two were below their best.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:26 pm**

jdrobbo wrote:Each and every one of them way, way below the recent standard. They haven’t shown for the ball, have been slow in possession, made countless unforced errors, have done little pressing and have generally looked very lethargic. All in all they’ve been absent. Don’t even get me started on their service to the forwards (predictable and generally very inaccurate).

Ashley Westwood has been my player of the season and in so many ways we’ve missed him tonight. A really poor show! Onwards and upwards. UTC

Couldn't have worded it better. There have been some very good individual performances recently but Westwood has been consistently strong. We really missed him tonight. I met his Dad at Leicester away when Brady did his knee. He was telling me how much he was enjoying it even though he wasn't in the team at the time but was desperate to be involved. His Dad didn't knock any one or say his lad should be playing just that he was working hard to get the opportunity.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:26 pm**

Cornwallclaret wrote:Spot on..
We haven't suddenly gone poor again...this is why Rafa is so important for Newcastle...and we missed Westwood massively

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:27 pm**

Top Claret wrote:McNeil was dreadful and Hendrick little better. Was Gudmonson playing?.

I blame McNeil for the 2nd goal, he never tracked back.

Taylor was our most effective player going forward

Cork the most culpable for not getting back in for the second, although McNeil could have got back with a bit more purpose too.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:28 pm**

Rick_Muller wrote:They outnumbered us, Rafa did his homework and did it well. We missed Westwood though.

and that is why with 25 mins to go we should have hooked Bardsley off and gone 3 at the back

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:31 pm**

DAVETHEVICAR wrote:Charlie Taylor only player who showed up tonight.
All the rest were well below par.

Can’t disagree with that Dave. Taylor very impressive again and I’m delighted that he’s now looking comfortable at this level as I was a big admirer of his at Leeds.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:38 pm**

Just checked the table and was surprised to see that the team of this tactical genius Benitez have just gone above us courtesy of tonights result

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:39 pm**

Incidentally given that Defour simply doesnt play anymore wouldnt it have been an idea for us to sign some midfield cover in January ?

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:41 pm**

theroyaldyche wrote:Knew wed get beat b4 it kicked off

WHY DID YOU KEEP IT A SECRET

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:44 pm**

NL Claret wrote:Cork has been the weakest link all season. Popular with UTC posters so will leave it there.

I'm with you on this. He has been very poor this season. He really hid tonight When we had possession. When he is off he is really off. He strikes me as a good honest pro but the ultimate confidence player. The number of times he gets caught carrying the ball is so frustrating. His lack of desire to get back and help after losing the ball leading up to there 2nd goal is a worry

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:52 pm**

Rumbletonk wrote:I'm with you on this. He has been very poor this season. He really hid tonight When we had possession. When he is off he is really off. He strikes me as a good honest pro but the ultimate confidence player. The number of times he gets caught carrying the ball is so frustrating. His lack of desire to get back and help after losing the ball leading up to there 2nd goal is a worry

They put a stat up in the first half and Cork had run more than anyone in the game.
He wasn't at it it but you can't accuse him of hiding.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:56 pm**

randomclaret2 wrote:Incidentally given that Defour simply doesnt play anymore wouldnt it have been an idea for us to sign some midfield cover in January ?

Actually someone who could improve the midfield. Alas another nothing window.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:59 pm**

Rick_Muller wrote:They outnumbered us, Rafa did his homework and did it well. We missed Westwood though.

We were outnumbered in midfield on Saturday, and we are pretty much in nearly all of the matches.

Missing Westwood, yes, Rafa doing his homework on us......... we are hardly an enigma to anyone.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 11:01 pm**

We lack physicality and athleticism in midfield. We get out muscled and when I see Cork in tight situations I fear the other team will gain possession

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 11:04 pm**

Nobody can defend that performance tonight, and if SD can take some positives from it then he is lying. We have to up it for palace or we could be in bother.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 11:14 pm**

the Burnley midfield tonight - words fail me

There have probably been worse performances in the last decade - but there again, perhaps there hasn’t

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 11:17 pm**

LongSider75 wrote:Nobody can defend that performance tonight, and if SD can take some positives from it then he is lying. We have to up it for palace or we could be in bother.

Despite playing poorly we still created very good chances.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 11:29 pm**

Don't think that there is any doubt that Benitez targeted McNeil tonight. Time and again the ball was shuttled across in his direction and he was all over the place. Defensively he is not that great, and when he did get it they were on him like a flash.

He has been the difference for us offensively recently but he got found out a bit tonight.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 11:31 pm**

What Burnley midfield?

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 11:37 pm**

Midfield looked totally unbalanced tonight, especially with Westwood out and Hendrick playing left centre midfield. McNeil may need a rest, we resorted to hoofball against a poor Newcastle team, which out-thought us and outfought us. Rafa got it right, we didn't.

Posted: **Tue Feb 26, 2019 11:46 pm**

We’ve just come if eight games unbeaten in the Premier League. We were probably due a poorer performance and we certainly had a few who were well below par.

Tarkowski’s numerous punts up field summed up our play tonight. Sod all for Wood and Barnes to work with either from the long balls or via a very ineffective midfield.

We are certainly short in midfield and hopefully an area we will get some more depth and quality in, for next season.

Forget this one and move on to Saturday, whilst remembering that the other results this evening were pretty decent.

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