‘Worst I’ve ever seen’ – Newcastle star slammed for ‘nightmare’ performance against Everton
Tim Sherwood has criticised Newcastle right-back Kieran Trippier for having a ‘nightmare’ 10 minutes against Everton, that led to his team losing 3-0.
The Magpies went into the game aiming for a big win that would’ve taken them within three points of the top four.
Sean Dyche had other plans, however, as the Toffees put in a fantastic, battling performance to claim a deserved victory, taking them out of the bottom three for the first time since their 10-point deduction.
It was a relatively even first half, with Miguel Almiron and Dominic Calvert-Lewin both missing big chances at opposite ends of the pitch.
The score was 0-0 up until the 79th minute, before Dwight McNeil, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Beto scored the crucial goals for the hosts.
Trippier gave the ball away shortly before McNeil and Doucoure’s goals and then played Beto onside before the Portuguese striker got Everton’s third.
Speaking to Premier League Productions, Sherwood said: “Those 10 minutes were the worst I’ve ever seen anyone have. [Trippier] has had an absolute nightmare.”
Newcastle certainly weren’t at their best, but it’s fair to say that missing several key players and general fatigue had a role to play in the performance.
The Magpies were without Nick Pope, Jacob Murphy, Dan Burn, Callum Wilson, Elliot Anderson, Sean Longstaff, Sven Botman, Joe Willock, Harvey Barnes, Javier Manquillo and Matt Targett due to injuries.
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That, coupled with the fact that Newcastle have played so many games in the last few months – playing in the Champions League and the League Cup – made it a tough task to get a result at a hostile Goodison Park.
Trippier’s mistakes may have been what caught the eye, but he has been immense for Newcastle since joining the club in January 2022 and Howe was quick to defend him after the game.
“Kieran has been absolutely magnificent since he signed, he has been the catalyst for a lot [of the success] that happened. Collectively we were off our best,” said Howe.
“The game was there for us to win in the second half after an even first half. I don’t think we played particularly well.
“I thought we had them penned in and then conceded the first goal and that changed the momentum. It was a frustrating evening, a missed opportunity.
“It’s a difficult one for us to understand. Last year our away form was very good, we were free-scoring. This year haven’t got going on the road, apart from the Sheffield United game [an 8-0 victory].
“There are reasons behind every performance. We have struggled to change our plans and have the attacking options we want. You can potentially do it for a short period of time but the longer it goes the harder it gets.”
Newcastle face another tough away day against Tottenham on Sunday and Howe will hope that his team can bounce back and get a big three points in North London.
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