Newcastle United are a team which frustrate their own supporters and sometime neutrals as well, as they are a side who promise so much every season but failed to deliver when it matters the most.
The same was on the show when the Magpies visited Selhurst Park in a bid to register their first win of the season against Crystal Palace, but they will go home empty handed.
The most frustrating thing for the Toon Army fans was the lack of attacking intent from the team, which was surprising to say the least considering the fact that it was the visitors who were in dire need of a win, not the other way around.
Solid Diame
Mohamed Diame’s career at the St. James’s Park is nothing less than a rollercoaster ride. When the 31-year-old joined the Magpies from Hull City in 2016, there were questions asked why manager Rafa Benitez trusted him in the first place, but he proved the critics wrong.
There were even more doubts about Diame’s place in the squad as soon as the team signed Mikel Merino last season from Borussia Dortmund, but even then he somehow managed to win the trust of Benitez and kept his place in the starting lineup.
On Saturday, the former Aston Villa player displayed another impressive performance in the middle of the park for the team as he made the most number of tackles (7) by any player in the match.
It was the kind of performance which showed why Diame is so important to Benitez, as he gave his all every single time for his team and manager.
What’s next for Newcastle and Palace?
Newcastle started the season after another disappointing transfer window, but somehow, there was this feel good factor around the club as they’ve managed good additions in the squad.
But just two months down the line, things look far from certain as the club is still on the hunt for their first victory in the season.
Manager Benitez claimed in previous press conferences that there is nothing to panic about as the team had difficult fixtures in the first few weeks, but it is important to mention here that Magpies only managed to register two points out of the possible six against teams like Cardiff and Palace in the same duration, which must be a serious cause of concern for the club owners as they and the club cannot afford another relegation.
On the other hand, Palace had a more than decent beginning to their campaign – unlike the last time around where they failed to win any of their first seven matches – and the team look set for a top-half finish this time around.