4. Newcastle Missed Mike Williamson
The aerial presence was simply not good enough against Southampton. Despite Graziano Pelle being extremely talented in the air, Mike Williamson would have offered a more secure opponent for the Italian. Chancel Mbembas heading ability will continue to be a concern if he is going to be paired with Fabricio Coloccini, as was demonstrated for Southamptons first goal. He is a like-for-like for his Argentine teammate - rather than a Mike Williamson replacement - and the pairing were disorganised throughout the match.
Matt Smith
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NCTJ-accredited football writer with an MA in Sports Journalism. What Culture football editor. Write for the official Newcastle United programme. Former video reporter at North News. Featured and published in the Sunderland Echo, Shields Gazette, Mail Online, The Mirror, The Sun and others.
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