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Graeme Souness slates Newcastle United’s Mikel Merino

Newcastle United player Mikel Merino in action during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur at St. James Park on...
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Newcastle United have brought in Mikel Merino on loan from Borussia Dortmund for the season.

Graeme Souness has slated Newcastle United new boy Mikel Merino on Sky Sports, during their live coverage of the Magpies’ match against Huddersfield Town.

Newcastle lost 1-0 against the Terriers, and Merino was partly at fault for the goal which Rafael Benitez’s side conceded.

The midfielder, who has recently signed on loan from Borussia Dortmund, could have done more to stop Aaron Mooy curling in shot from the edge of the box.

Serbia's forward Uros Djurdjevic and Spain's midfielder Mikel Merino (R) vie for the ball during the UEFA U-21 European Championship Group B football match Serbia v Spain in Bydgoszcz,...

And Souness said: “You can stop a goal like this very easily. Mikel Merino I think when he comes out to confront Mooy his sole intention is remove himself from any physical contact with Mooy or not get hit with the ball. It’s a joke. You’re defending 20 yards out from the goal: take a blow. Make yoursef difficult to beat.

“He actually runs out the way of Mooy and the ball. You can’t win games of football where you’ve got people making those kinds of decisions.

“It’s weak. It’s what you’d see in kids football. You have to stand back and admire the goal but on the other side of the coin, you’ve got to speak to him. Just take a blow for the cause please. Then it’s still 0-0 and we might nick something.”

Merino started the game in very shaky fashion for Newcastle, but did improve in the latter stages.

The Spaniard was unable to stop the Magpies from falling to their second defeat of the campaign though, with concerns growing.

Newcastle have struggled through their first two matches this season, and even manager Rafael Benitez has suggested that his current squad is not cut out for Premier League football.

Newcastle’s next match comes against West Ham United, and another defeat would be hugely worrying for the supporters at St. James’ Park.

Newcastle United player Mikel Merino in action  during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur at St. James Park on August 13, 2017 in Newcastle upon Tyne,...