Rabiu AminuCarragher and Richards Blast ‘Amateur’ Newcastle for Second-Half Collapse in MarseilleCBS Sports Golazo – Pundits Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards were left scratching their heads following Newcastle United’s disappointing 2-1 defeat to Olympique Marseille in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night. The panel, alongside Thierry Henry and host Kate Abdo, focused heavily on Newcastle’s lack of game management in the critical moments after the half-time break.
Carragher: The 15-Minute Amateur HourJamie Carragher was the most critical, pinpointing the start of the second half as the moment the match was lost, calling the team’s reaction “amateurish” for a top-level European side.>
“Newcastle came out for the second half 1-0 up, and in the space of four minutes, they were 2-1 down. That just cannot happen at this level,” Carragher stated, shaking his head. “We talked about them having energy, having fight, but that looked like a team that hadn’t had a proper team talk. You have to shut the stadium down, make five or ten clean passes, and settle into the half. Instead, it was chaos.”>
“The first goal [Aubameyang’s equalizer] was just poor positioning and a lack of concentration from the full-back and the center-halves. The second goal? A moment of brilliance from Aubameyang, yes, but a basic lapse in defending a cross at the near post. It was a massive opportunity missed by Eddie Howe’s side to solidify their position.”>
Richards: Focus on Aubameyang and the Final ThirdMicah Richards, while acknowledging Newcastle’s tiring schedule, reserved special praise for Marseille’s match-winner, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, before turning his attention to Newcastle’s struggles in front of goal.>
“Look, I need to give big props to Aubameyang!” Richards exclaimed, smiling. “Thirty-six years old and he is scoring goals like that—you just can’t stop him when he’s feeling confident. Newcastle kept him quiet in the first half, but the minute they gave him space, he punished them, Carra. That’s the difference in the Champions League.”>
Shifting his tone, Richards lamented Newcastle’s failure to kill the game off: “In the final third, the composure just wasn’t there. After the first 20 minutes, when they scored that fantastic goal through Barnes, they didn’t really trouble the Marseille keeper enough. They had the chances late on, but it was just rushed. They missed that clinical edge, and that’s what cost them those three points.”>
The Banter Break: A Familiar Rich-OffThe analysis took a brief detour when Richards pointed out that Carragher’s former team, Liverpool, had also struggled to win away in Europe during his playing days, leading to the familiar friendly spat.>
Richards: “It’s easy for you to sit there, Carra, talking about Champions League game management! Did you win every away game at Liverpool?”> Carragher: (Leaning in) “We won a trophy, Micah. A Champions League trophy. You’re talking about a group stage match against Marseille. Focus! You can’t compare the two!”> Henry: (Chuckles) “Here we go again.”> Conclusion
The general consensus from the panel was that while Newcastle showed glimpses of their quality, the defeat was a harsh lesson in Champions League pragmatism. They agreed that Eddie Howe must address the team’s concentration issues immediately if they are to successfully navigate the final challenging fixtures of the League Phase.
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Rabiu Aminu
Mustapha Sheidu
