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The Media Review: Newcastle United

The papers react to Albion's goalless draw with the Magpies.

By Nick Szczepanik • 14 August 2022

By Paul Hazlewood
"Beware the ideas of March" - best line of the weekend?

The fact that Nick Pope, the Newcastle United goalkeeper, was praised in the opening paragraph of virtually every report of Saturday’s goalless draw tells you all you need to know about the way the match went.

Albion dominated the game, arguably playing even better than they had in the 2-1 win away to Manchester United. But they simply could not find a way past Pope and his increasingly overworked defenders.

In fact, it has been quite a week for the goalkeeper signed by the Geordies from Burnley this summer, as Kieran Gill explained in the Mail on Sunday: “Nick Pope was trending on Twitter this week, bizarrely after Newcastle supporters hijacked a Burger King poll about tomatoes and gherkins to say their goalkeeper was better than both,” he wrote.

“The puns pretty much write themselves after a performance like this. Pope was flipping good – my apologies – and made a series of whopper saves – again, apologies – to ensure Newcastle left Brighton with something to show for their efforts on a sweltering day.

“The supporters recognised his contribution, too, chanting 'England's No 1' whenever he denied the hosts at the Amex Stadium. His saves – and a super goal-line clearance from Kieran Trippier – were enough to send Newcastle back to the North East pleased with a point.

“Brighton left disappointed, feeling they created enough chances to win this game. But then that's long been their problem – lots of promising build-up play, but not much end product.

“Brighton were showcasing some nice football, as is so often the case under Graham Potter. After Danny Welbeck won the ball high up the pitch, Solly March’s shot beat Pope – but not Trippier, the right back who had retreated to scramble a goal-line clearance. Scott checked his watch – only three quarters of the ball had crossed the line.

“Lallana had a better chance to score at the start of the second half when March’s cross found him. His free header looked destined for the corner but Pope clawed it away brilliantly.

“As if it wasn’t hot enough at the Amex Stadium, a heated exchange between Joelinton and March saw a scrap ensue.

“Newcastle were clinging on. Dan Burn – the defender formerly of Brighton – made a goal-saving contribution when it looked like Welbeck was about to tap in the opener after some nice build-up play.”

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PL Highlights: Albion 0 Newcastle 0

Sam Dalling of The Observer also led on Pope’s Twitter status, his conclusion being that “social media baffles. As did Brighton’s inability to score. Having been a late doubt, Pope – and some wayward finishing – ensured both teams enjoyed a point in the sunshine.

“[Graham] Potter continues to add to his impressive body of work. In each of the last two summers, he has lost star performers. Ben White went last time; Brighton achieved their highest ever finish. Marc Cucurella and Yves Bissouma both departed recently; four points from their first two with Bissouma’s replacement, Moisés Caicedo, slotting in seamlessly.

“Amidst searing heat and the smell-sensation of burnt out flares, Brighton began on the front foot. A flurry of corners upped the temperature further, with Solly March looking to exploit the slight clunkiness of Dan Burn having slid to left-back on his Amex return.

“Leandro Trossard drew Pope’s first save, Kieran Trippier overcommitting on halfway, allowing the winger to burst down the left. Pope juggled and then snaffled the second ball quickly ahead of Danny Welbeck, who was primed to do likewise.

“When March then beat Pope, home supporters thought Brighton had the lead. But Trippier calmly took a touch on the line before volleying away. Pascal Gross then fed Adam Lallana who pirouetted nicely but Pope held comfortably.

“Post-interval, Pope sprang left and clawed away Lallana’s header from six yards, before then denying March from inside the area. Alexis Mac Allister had a shot blocked by a Burn and Fabian Schär combo, before Kaoru Mitoma, on late as a substitute for his debut, danced inside and out of Trippier; Gross somehow steered wide.

“Robert Sánchez would have broken a sweat, but not because of Newcastle.”

In the Sunday Times, Tom Allnutt wrote that “Pope made a string of excellent saves against a dominant Brighton side, who had two shots cleared off the line and will wonder how they ended up with only a goalless draw rather than another victory to back up their impressive win [against] Manchester United on the opening weekend.

“Eddie Howe’s side were the inferior outfit overall and had a combination of Pope and good fortune to thank for not slipping to defeat.  Brighton finished the first half stronger and were on top early in the second, as Lallana nodded towards the corner only for Pope to claw it away.”

The traffic was of a similarly one-way nature after the break and soon Pope was involved again, this time flinging himself to his left to tip aside Adam Lallana’s downwards header after Newcastle had once more neglected to beware the ideas of March.
John Aizlewood, The Sunday Telegraph

In the Sunday Telegraph, John Aizlewood added praise for Albion’s Solly March to the general admiration of Pope, and produced the best single line of the weekend in so doing. 

“Brighton & Hove Albion created a hatful of chances in a contest they almost completely dominated, but a combination of Nick Pope, goalline clearances, prodigal finishing, teak-tough Newcastle United defending and sheer bad luck denied them the winner that seemed imminent from the first minute to last,” he wrote.

“Botman’s inclusion meant Dan Burn – making his first return to the Amex since moving north in January – was deployed in the full-back role he struggled with for Brighton last season and Solly March was at him from kick off.

“In the 33rd minute March linked well with Welbeck and drove for goal, only for Trippier to hack off the line at the second attempt.  The traffic was of a similarly one-way nature after the break and soon Pope was involved again, this time flinging himself to his left to tip aside Adam Lallana’s downwards header after Newcastle had once more neglected to beware the ideas of March.

“Pope left his best work until the 72nd minute when, inevitably, March got himself on the end of Enock Mwepu’s cross to guide a shot through a forest of legs only for Pope to block superbly. And when Pope was beaten in the 82nd minute when Joel Veltman’s shot deflected off Burn, Schär came to the rescue with another goalline clearance.

“There was still time for more when frisky debutant substitute Kaoru Mitoma crossed low as added time loomed, only for last week’s hero, Pascal Gross, to poke wide of a gaping goal and somehow the scoreline had remained blank.” 

Jack Rosser also listed Albion’s near-misses in the Sun on Sunday. “He stopped Leandro Trossard early on at his near post after the Belgian had pinched the ball on the halfway line and driven the length of the pitch before letting rip.

“The keeper had to be alert to swipe the ball away from Danny Welbeck after the initial parry had landed on his thigh.

“Solly March came within millimetres of opening the scoring just after half an hour – denied by some stunning work from Kieran Trippier.

“Pope just got a hand to the effort but could not stop it in its tracks, needing England teammate Trippier to dig him out of a hole.

“With the mercury well above 30, Trippier managed to keep the coolest head in The Amex, controlling the ball on the line before volleying it away into the blue sky.

“It simply wasn’t falling for Brighton. Potter sent Japan international Kaoru Mitoma on for his debut and he quickly danced his way down the left and cut back for Gross, who fired just wide.

“Creating chances and not finishing them off is a familiar trait for Potter’s Brighton, which makes you think reinforcements must be coming if Maupay is being allowed to move elsewhere.”

The last word this week goes to Ciaran Kelly of Newcastle’s local paper, The Chronicle, who gave a far more balanced and objective view than is sometimes the case from beat writers who follow Albion’s opponents.

“It is not an exaggeration to say that without Pope, the visitors would have lost on Saturday,” he wrote. “That is unlikely to be the last time that statement is uttered this season.

“Given some of the prices Newcastle have been quoted this summer, the £10m the Magpies spent on Pope already looks like a bargain. Newcastle certainly needed the England international at the Amex on an afternoon where Eddie Howe's side were 'very pleased' to escape with a point.

“Newcastle rode their luck against Brighton - there were the aforementioned saves from Pope, goalline clearances from Kieran Trippier and Fabian Schar, and a shocking miss from Pascal Gross - but, crucially, the visitors still managed to keep a clean sheet when they once would have crumbled under that pressure.

“Howe has repeatedly used the word 'ugly' in the past week when it comes to doing whatever it takes to pick up points and Newcastle can show that side of their game when required. As Brighton centre-back Adam Webster put it: ‘They're a real tough team to play against when maybe they didn't have that before he was manager’."