The weekend’s fixture down on the south coast was a humbling experience for Newcastle United, with Eddie Howe’s side comprehensively beaten for their third straight Premier League defeat of the season.
After just four matches of the 2023/24 campaign, the Magpies already find themselves nine points behind Manchester City.
There’s plenty of the season left of course, however, their performance against Brighton and Hove Albion was so woeful, that it’s surely given everyone connected with the club a huge reality check.
When it comes to the Champions League Europe’s best won’t be so forgiving, so it’s probably best for Howe and his backroom staff that the issues have come to light well ahead of Newcastle’s first game back in Europe for over 20 years.
Summer capture from Milan, Sandro Tonali, had been imperious on his debut against Aston Villa and rightly took the plaudits after a stunning home debut.
However, he was found wanting against the Seagulls, and was at fault for the first goal when his pathetic attempt at a clearance, followed by a half-hearted run to the ball before it was unleashed goal wards, did nothing to protect his defence.
Things didn’t get an awful lot better for the Italian, and former player turned broadcaster, Owen Hargreaves, has fired a broadside at the 23-year-old.
“I know what Sir Alex would have said to me. I wouldn’t have played for a month if I did that,” he said on Premier League Productions (h/t HITC) in relation to Tonali’s contribution to Brighton’s opener.
“It’s quite simple really, you have to make clean contact – just clear your lines.”