Meet the mentality minnows. Newcastle United, give them a lead and they’ll use it to tie themselves in knots.
It is often said, ridiculously, that 2-0 is a dangerous advantage to protect, but Eddie Howe’s side rarely get that far ahead. One goal is enough for them to shrink. Rather than this in-vogue tactic of booting into touch from kick-off, opposition teams should consider putting it straight in their own net. This latest surrender makes it a league-high 25 points lost from winning positions this season.
After an international break in which Howe’s future was the subject of much debate, how he must long for the past, when his team were nasty, naughty and defended with relish. The dark arts, we called it. They’re in a dark place now alright, 14th in the table and closer by points to the bottom three than the top four.
They are soft. Soft in the tackle. Softer in the head. When Jean-Philippe Mateta came on in the 65th minute with Newcastle 1-0 up, he scared them. Poor souls. He did the same two seasons ago when scoring both in a 2-0 win here.
Last time out, in the 2-1 Tyne-Wear derby defeat by Sunderland, it was Brian Brobbey who bullied the lambs in black and white. Mateta took note and, upon his arrival, Newcastle checked out. Palace did not really play well enough to win, but they wanted it more and had players with more menace. That was enough.
Mateta equalised in the 80th minute and scored the winner from the penalty spot in injury-time. His power, and the poise of fellow substitute Adam Wharton, changed the game. It was an exhilarating close during which Selhurst Park belatedly woke up and Mateta’s chokehold put the visitors to sleep.
Newcastle are the mentality minnows and showed their weakness again at Selhurst Park
The Magpies flung away another lead, meaning they have sacrificed 25 points from winning positions this campaign, more than any other team in the league
With Eddie Howe’s future uncertain, Newcastle are in a dark place – and still in the bottom half
His first came after an error by Tino Livramento, who misread a cross, and another by goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who hesitated in a duel with Tyrick Mitchell, allowing the Palace defender to hook onto the scorer’s head, turning in from six yards out.
A 1-1 draw felt just about right, but Newcastle are always likely to turn victory into defeat given the chance, and Sven Botman was guilty of a brainless shirt tug on Jefferson Lerma that gave Mateta the opportunity for his second from the spot.
‘Those numbers (25 points lost from winning positions) are incredible,’ said Howe. ‘It’s blighted our season. We don’t want to go 1-0 up and change to a mentality of defending, but we’ve done it, so I can’t say it hasn’t happened. But then if you are going to defend, we have to defend better than we did.
‘The first goal we conceded is self-inflicted. It’s not good enough, through minimal threat. The second goal is an individual error with very little time left in the game. There’s no way we should have lost that game. We had a younger team today, but that’s no excuse. There’s enough experienced internationals on the pitch to navigate the defensive aspect well enough.’
For 43 minutes, you would have sworn this was the last day of the season. The noise inside this usually raucous old ground, or absence of it, reflected the hush among the players. It felt like two teams fulfilling a commitment rather than showing any on the pitch. There was hope that an impromptu drinks break midway through the half would serve as a stimulant. Alas, it did not.
There were two decent saves in quick succession from Ramsdale as we awaited the mercy of the half-time whistle, but the rest was flip-flop football. Then, 90 seconds out from the sanctuary of the break, Newcastle pulled on their football boots.
Jacob Murphy, Sandro Tonali and Lewis Miley shaped a triangle of passes around two defenders on the right touchline and the latter crossed low and invitingly through the six-yard area. Will Osula’s finish was unconventional, in large part because he did it all lying down. One touch to control, a step-over and then a swipe beyond Dean Henderson. It did not come against the run of play, because there was no run of play.
Newcastle were better for a period around the hour but could not add a second. Osula went through but Henderson saved with his feet. Then, Oliver Glasner brought on Mateta. Within a few minutes Lerma crashed a header against the crossbar. The mood and momentum had swung and it was Mateta throwing the punches. For all the French striker is big strong, this version of Newcastle are terribly weak.
