Dan Burn destroyed – Three players Eddie Howe must axe vs Sunderland after Bayer Leverkusen blow
Eddie Howe will be extremely disappointed after Newcastle United let two points slip late on against Bayern Leverkusen on Wednesday.
Bruno Guimaraes has been a shining light for Newcastle, but it was the Brazilian’s own goal which put the Magpies on the back foot on 10 December.
Howe was furious with the Newcastle players, who waited until the 51st minute to equalise through an Anthony Gordon penalty, and Lewis Miley gave his side the lead with 15 minutes remaining.
Aaron Ramsdale made several saves to deny the German giants, though he could do very little as Alejandro Grimaldo snatched a point back for Leverkusen in the final stages at the BayArena.
With Sunderland up next on Sunday, 14 December, the manager must make drastic changes, some of which could leave his players further disappointed after the Champions League draw.
Dan Burn
Despite Malick Thiaw giving away a penalty, it was his defensive partner who really struggled against Leverkusen, seeing his lack of pace become a problem on multiple occasions.
Some Newcastle fans are ready to sell Dan Burn, despite his positive exploits under Howe, including earning himself an England call-up under Thomas Tuchel.
With Fabian Schar staying on the bench, there is a simple change that the manager can make, and he could have another option if Sven Botman returns from injury in time for the trip to the Stadium of Light.
Joelinton
This might not be a change that Howe has any control over, given that Joelinton went off injured midweek, but the midfielder was all over the place against Leverkusen.
He was dribbled past once, lost two of his three ground duels, and also lost 83 per cent of his aerial battles, which is certainly a surprise, given that height is his strength [FotMob].
Harvey Barnes
Of all players in the front line, Harvey Barnes was the least impactful, going extremely quiet after he saw two early chances saved by former Brentford man Mark Flekken.
Nick Woltemade, while he was not at his best, won a penalty away from St James’ Park, which Gordon tucked away, but Barnes did very little else after having two early shots saved.
Although the 28-year-old winger has seven goals and two assists in 22 games this season, it was far from his best performance, and Howe must avoid that against the Black Cats.