Lost the ball 23x: Howe must never start Newcastle duo together again

It was a case of Boxing Day Blues for Newcastle United as they trudged away from Old Trafford with none of the spoils. A depleted Manchester United had claimed victory in the Premier League despite intense away pressure in the late knockings of the match.

This is, frankly, a bitter one to swallow. Newcastle’s wretched away form has continued, and the heat will be rising for Eddie Howe as his team slip further and further away from Champions League contention.

Luckily, the January transfer window looms just ahead, and with Magpies sporting director Ross Wilson scanning about for fresh quality, some Newcastle players are placing themselves in a tough position with some poor performances.

Newcastle's worst performers at Old Trafford

Since replacing Alexander Isak at number nine last summer, Nick Woltemade has been a revelation, offering hope that he might develop into the same calibre of striker at St. James’ Park. He’s excellent, but not infallible, and that was clear after a tame performance against Man United.

Woltemade did not manage a shot, lost all four ground duels and failed with each of his three attempted dribbles. He completed eight passers before being replaced by Yoane Wissa after the hour mark. Wissa, luckily, is an invaluable attacking weapon to utilise over the second half of the season.

Lewis Miley struggled against Matheus Cunha in his latest stand-in showing at right-back. It is easy to forget that he is a teenage midfielder, and it unfortunately showed against the Red Devils.

Sandro Tonali, too, has struggled for form of late, and this is a concern, given the elite level he had maintained across the first months of the campaign and en route to glory last season. This has knocked the balance off kilter.

However, there were two English stars in particular who flattered to deceive, and they simply cannot start together again in this current framing.

The Newcastle duo who can't start together again

Newcastle have some problems, alright, and it’s more than just individual blunders. While they dominated after the break, the Toon still need more fluency and balance, and Anthony Gordon and Jacob Ramsey are doing little to settle the levels on Tyneside right now.

Having joined Newcastle from Aston Villa for £42.5m during the summer, Ramsey, 24, has yet to show that his new side have paid well, starting three of the past four Premier League fixtures but leaving something to be desired nonetheless.

More experienced is Gordon, who claimed Newcastle’s Player of the Year in 2023/24 after hitting 21 goal involvements in that Premier League campaign. Last year was difficult for the Three Lions star, and he’s toiling once more this term, especially away from home.

Gordon huffed and puffed but failed to produce anything tangible once again. Likewise, Ramsey played an industrious role in the middle of the park but struggled to offer effective creative support; he was hooked for Joelinton before 70 minutes had been clocked.

The Shields Gazette handed both Englishmen 5/10 match scores after they respectively failed to contribute effectively in attack. Indeed, Ramsey’s solid defensive numbers and crispness in possession were overruled by an inability to connect the thirds together. Gordon, meanwhile, only connected with two of his ten attempted crosses, and he missed a great chance to score himself.

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Gordon remains a tenacious player, working hard, but he’s undeniably wasteful, and until he rediscovers a Midas touch in the danger area, he needs support from a midfielder who is willing to create and help influence in attack.

Football is inherently fickle, and it would be silly to write Ramsey off indelibly. However, he really needs to offer much more, and until we see some new and improved version of the English midfielder, there’s simply no way he can start with Gordon on the left-hand side.

Gordon, of course, has flattered to deceive himself and then some.

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