Newcastle United have lost two from two in the Premier League.
Pundit Jamie Carragher has told Sky Sports (24/08, 8:25 pm) that he doesn’t see Newcastle United picking up anything against Tottenham Hotspur today.
Newcastle head down to North London today, and it’s fair to say that they’re not expected to trouble Mauricio Pochettino’s men this afternoon.
The Magpies have made a dismal start to the season, losing their two games so far to Arsenal and Norwich City.
Last week’s 3-1 thumping at newly-promoted Norwich has really set alarm bells ringing for Magpies fans, and another away trip – this time to one of the Premier League’s best sides – is daunting for many.
New boss Steve Bruce was unpopular from the beginning, but he really hasn’t helped himself with some bizarre tactics, including playing Miguel Almiron as a striker.
That resulted in former Newcastle striker Michael Chopra claiming Bruce’s players told him that they don’t know their roles, only for Bruce to hit back at him with anger on Friday, as reported by Sky Sports.
Now, Carragher has actually praised that decision, believing that Chopra’s comments were ‘stupid’ and Bruce was right to hit back strongly.
Carragher did add that there’s a crippling negativity surrounding Newcastle right now, believing that it’s facing Bruce at every turn, and doesn’t see them picking up anything against Tottenham today, instead suggesting a focus on struggling Watford next weekend.
“We know it’s Newcastle-like, as in it feels like Newcastle are in crisis already,” said Carragher. “I feel for Steve Bruce a little bit, the fans didn’t take to him straight away, the results haven’t helped early on, there’s just such negativity there.”
“You see the positivity at Aston Villa (on Friday), Norwich last week, Sheffield United got a win as well, so the three promoted teams are off the mark. No matter what happens this season, you’d expect them to be fighting relegation, those sides, but there will be a positivity about the place. It just feels like there’s one place at this moment in the Premier League with this negativity, no matter where Steve Bruce turns. There’s ex-players coming out, I think it was Chopra actually, it was stupid anyway and I think Steve Bruce was right to give it a little whack back.”
“I don’t see Newcastle getting anything from the game, and I think their next game is a home game, and they have to get something there,” he added.
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