Newcastle United's Champions League campaign is in trouble after a dismal display against Marseille that ended with a 2-1 defeat. The Magpies' porous defense was exposed by the French side, who came from behind to secure the win.
According to Match of the Day analyst Stephen Warnock, Newcastle's defensive shortcomings were "absolutely criminal." The team's failure to deal with crosses and corners allowed Marseille to score twice, with the first goal coming in the 26th minute. A loose ball on the edge of the box was picked up by Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara, who slotted the ball past Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.
The second goal came just before halftime, when Kebbini Martins-Levien headed home from a corner to give Marseille a 2-0 lead. The French side's third goal, however, was not scored by Martins-Levien, but rather his substitute, Hakim Ziyech, who scored with just over five minutes of the game remaining.
Warnock attributed Newcastle's defensive woes to a lack of communication and organization among the back four. "They're getting exposed at both ends," he said. "You can't defend if you're not organized."
The defeat leaves Newcastle with an uphill battle to qualify for the knockout stages, while Marseille have put themselves in contention for a quarter-final spot. For Newcastle, the result is a sobering reminder of just how far they still have to go in their Champions League campaign.
According to Match of the Day analyst Stephen Warnock, Newcastle's defensive shortcomings were "absolutely criminal." The team's failure to deal with crosses and corners allowed Marseille to score twice, with the first goal coming in the 26th minute. A loose ball on the edge of the box was picked up by Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara, who slotted the ball past Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.
The second goal came just before halftime, when Kebbini Martins-Levien headed home from a corner to give Marseille a 2-0 lead. The French side's third goal, however, was not scored by Martins-Levien, but rather his substitute, Hakim Ziyech, who scored with just over five minutes of the game remaining.
Warnock attributed Newcastle's defensive woes to a lack of communication and organization among the back four. "They're getting exposed at both ends," he said. "You can't defend if you're not organized."
The defeat leaves Newcastle with an uphill battle to qualify for the knockout stages, while Marseille have put themselves in contention for a quarter-final spot. For Newcastle, the result is a sobering reminder of just how far they still have to go in their Champions League campaign.
. It's like going back to the good old days of Kevin Keegan, ya know? Remember how he used to get teams from nowhere to finish 4th in the league? Same vibes with this Marseille game... it was like they just waltzed into the box and scored two goals 
. Communication and organization, yeah right, that's what Warnock said, but I think it's more like they're all getting confused and don't know who to mark on the pitch 
. Anyways, Newcastle's gonna have to regroup and get back to basics if they wanna make a real push in this competition 
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. I mean, yeah, their defense was exposed, but you can't just say it's "absolutely criminal". Where's the evidence? Has he done some analysis or is it just his opinion? 
and what's with the lack of communication and organization among the back four? Is that something they've been working on in training? Need to see more than just one bad game 
they were down 1-0 at one point and still managed to come back and win, that's some serious skill & determination right there 
and Warnock is right, communication and organization are key in defense, it's not just about individual players doing their job, you gotta work together as a team 
maybe Newcastle can take this as an opportunity to regroup and focus on the next game? 
! They really need to get their defense sorted out ASAP or it's gonna be a long night for them in the Champions League. I mean, you can't defend if you're not communicating and organizing on the pitch 
. We need some solid defensive leadership and organization stat 
!
How can you not communicate and organize your defense when its down to 2-1?!? 
I'm not surprised Warnock called it "absolutely criminal". It's time for Newcastle to shake things up and figure out what they're doing wrong. Can't keep relying on Martin Dubravka to single-handedly bail you out... 
. They're getting exposed at every end and it's like they can't even deal with simple crosses and corners 
. I don't think we can rely on their defense to carry them through this campaign