NEWCASTLE SLUMPED TO a fourth successive Premier League defeat as Watford stormed to a 3-0 win at St James’ Park on Saturday.
Eager to correct a concerning wobble, the alarm bells only grew louder for the Magpies as they were routinely exposed at the back.
Watford had themselves ended a three-match losing run last weekend and looked full of confidence during an open first half.
Will Hughes clinically dispatched his second in as many matches in the 19th minute before Marvin Zeegelaar, who assisted the opener, drew an own goal from DeAndre Yedlin in first-half stoppage time.
The rout was complete just after the hour mark when Richarlison teed up Andre Gray to put the seal on a second consecutive victory and strengthen Watford’s grip on eighth.
Joselu did manage to force a rare save from Heurelho Gomes inside the final 25 minutes, but Newcastle never looked like mounting the kind of comeback needed to avoid a seventh defeat in the league.
Elsewhere Swansea City ended a run of four consecutive Premier League defeats with an uninspiring 0-0 draw against Bournemouth at the Liberty Stadium.
The result is unlikely to ease the pressure on manager on Paul Clement, whose side now face daunting trips to Chelsea and Stoke City in the next week.
The under-fire manager will be left to rue Wilfried Bony’s disallowed goal on the stroke of half-time, but neither side did enough to win a game desperately lacking in quality.
Ivory Coast international Bony whipped a wonderful effort in off the underside of the crossbar, but his celebrations were cut short by referee Stuart Attwell, who deemed Jordan Ayew’s challenge on Nathan Ake in the build-up to be too aggressive.
Finally, Mamadou Sakho scored in injury time to earn bottom club Crystal Palace only their second Premier League victory of the season in a 2-1 win over Stoke City.
After a deadlocked first half, Roy Hodgson’s struggling side went behind when Stoke’s Xherdan Shaqiri scored a brilliant solo goal, the Switzerland star dribbling the length of the Palace half before coolly converting.
Rather than letting their heads drop, Palace surged forward in search of an equaliser and got their reward when Andros Townsend fed Ruben Loftus-Cheek with a dangerous cross and the Chelsea loanee finished clinically from close range.
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I’d like to see Brian Kerr given another chance.A very positive forward thinking manager who still has the best win record for Ireland,is younger than O’Neill,and what he achieved with the Faroe Islands was phenomenal.Spend five minutes on Twitter and the Ipswich fans can’t wait to get rid of Mick.The word dinosaur seems to crop up a lot.For me Kerr who be a no brainer.
@Padraig: I think Kerr could have more of an impact given a remit at under age level, alongside Ruud Dokter. Or maybe even in charge of the under 21 team. It’s a real pity he’s gone completely unused.
I would miss Roy. I think he and Brian Kerr would be a good team.
@GARFARKLE: Roy over the senior and Kerr over the under 21s with a consulting role in the seniors, aiding with player transition to the senior side (even with an eye on the under 19s which looks like a hotbed at the moment). That would be great.
@EnKy: Good one. Thank you for expanding my point.
Bring back Mick
I wonder if Johnny Walters is only saying that because he’s gone from Stoke now, and he knows how detrimental MON is to the Irish team with his insistence, like Trappatoni’s, that the Irish players aren’t any good, and thus shouldn’t be allowed play football.
And finally:
Former Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni calls time on managerial career – after his wife said she’d ‘change the locks’ if he left again
https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/soccer/soccer-news/giovanni-trapattoni-retire-ireland-team-11841576
I think the fai will go for McCarthy.
Yea,let’s clamber for O’Neill,he’s won so much for Ireland!
Need an extension on the trophy room.
Actually can’t believe w
@Gary O’Hanlon: can’t believe people want Roy Keane as a manager. He is clueless. Passion, desire, commitment that’s all he ever says.