Newcastle 2 Espanyol 2 ended on Friday evening.
For each game we ask one of our writers to come up with three positives and three negatives after the game.
An interesting evening in St James’ Park …
A lot to talk about after this.
On this occasion it is Simon Ritter:
Positive
And burn Will shift some of the heart of the defense of United.
Apart from a gung-ho running forward in the first half that left us to figures on the back and led to Matt Targett who admitted a penalty, the big man from Blyth hardly brought a foot wrong.
Jack Charlton said he didn’t learn how he could be a good mid -half until he was in thirty. The lucky news is that BDB, 33 years old, is still improving.
Aaron RamsdaleMaking his United debut, had almost no chance with the two goals he admitted and did well to save the punishment.
He looked comfortable with the ball on his feet.
If Nick Pope is not available or fall out of the grace, then the often related on-Loan keeper is a capable replacement.
Lewis Miley19 years old, played the entire game and did little wrong, break with goal forward, yield a perfect cross for the equalizer and losing possession much less often than Bruno Guimaraes and other teammates.
He again showed that he can play a defense-splitting pass. His positional sense is a big plus.
Negatives
Errors
Our two scorers made many mistakes in what a glorified training exercise was.
Targett went directly to an opponent through just 35 meters and within a few seconds we were a goal. He also admitted the punishment.
Jacob Murphy has neatly tucked our second goal away, but laid the egg of another curate in a performance.
Enthusiasm is not enough
Will Osula never stopped running and played a major role in the equalizer of Targett, his first goal for United.
Enthusiasm alone is not enough at this level, but if there is no great end product.
Sean Neave, an 18-year-old at the fringes of the team of the first team, is apparently the only other option, unless one of the broad forward forward goes in the middle.
We must sign at least one established striker; Two when our No14 leaves.
Ominous
Although the results of pre-season games are in reality unimportant, a victory for more than 30,000 supporters would have been welcome.
Apart from the defeat of Carlisle United behind closed doors, the construction of next weekend has been somewhat overwhelming.
Final score:
Newcastle 2 Espanyol 2
Goals:
Newcastle:
Targett 21, Jacob Murphy 79
Espanyol:
Exhibition 17, Garcia 89
Presence:
30,782
Newcastle Team V Espanyol:
Ramsdale, Krafth, Hall (Alfie Harrison 46), Schar, Burn, Targett, Bruno, Miley, Jacob Murphy, Osula, Seung-Sooo (Neave 63)
Unused Subs: Ruddy, Gillespie, Kuol, Alex Murphy, Heffernan, Bailey, Charlton, Sanusi, Shahar
Newcastle United Pre-season Friendly schedule 2025/26
Saturday July 12 – Newcastle 4 Carlisle 0 (behind closed doors)
Saturday, July 19 – Celtic 4 Newcastle 0
Sunday July 27 – Arsenal 3 Newcastle 2
Wednesday, July 30 – Team K-League All Stars 1 Newcastle 0
Sunday 3 August Spurs 1 Newcastle 1
Friday, August 8 – – Newcastle 2 Espanyol 2
Saturday, August 9 – – Newcastle V Atletico Madrid
(Match Report: I’m not sure how I do here – Read here)
(Eddie Howe is now going publicly a week before a new season on the situation of Alexander Isak – read here)
#positives #negatives #Newcastle #Espanyol