Jamie Carragher has urged Newcastle United to address their lack of physical strength after the Magpies suffered another humiliating 4-1 away defeat in the Premier League.
Newcastle were comfortably beaten by newly-promoted Coventry City on Monday, prompting former Liverpool defender Carragher to question whether head coach Matthias Jaissle needs to rethink his tactical approach.
The result followed an identical 4-1 defeat away to Leeds United in Newcastle’s previous league outing, raising further concerns about the team’s ability to cope with the physical demands of Premier League football.
Carragher calls for greater physical strength
Speaking on Monday Night Football, Carragher suggested Newcastle could benefit from strengthening their midfield by sacrificing one of their strikers.
“Every manager has their own way, but when you think of the lack of physicality in that [Newcastle] team, it might be a case where you leave one of the strikers out and go with an extra body in midfield,” Carragher said.
He also highlighted the youthful nature of Newcastle’s squad, arguing that the team lacks the physical power needed to compete consistently against Premier League opponents.
“It’s a young team, and it isn’t as physically powerful as a lot of the teams in the Premier League.
“And in their last two away games, they’ve been beaten up twice – and that’s got to stop very quickly.”
Newcastle fail to capitalise on chances
Newcastle struggled to recover after Jack Rudoni converted an early penalty to put Coventry ahead.
Matias Fernandez-Pardo missed important opportunities to get the visitors back into the contest before Sidiki Cherif extended the hosts’ lead shortly after half-time.
Sven Botman briefly gave Newcastle hope with a spectacular strike, but Coventry responded late in the game through goals from Ellis Simms and Stephen Mfuni to secure an emphatic victory.
Despite registering 19 shots, Newcastle were unable to make their attacking opportunities count, with their defensive shortcomings further compounding an already disappointing performance.
Jaissle apologises to Newcastle fans
Following the defeat, Jaissle apologised to the travelling fans and acknowledged that his side had fallen short of expectations.
“We can only apologise to the fans who came here; they deserve a different result,” he said.
Carragher’s criticism adds to the pressure on Newcastle as they look to recover from consecutive heavy away defeats.
The Magpies currently sit 11th in the Premier League table and will be hoping to respond positively when they welcome Aston Villa on Saturday.
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