6. Vurnon Anita - 6 (Replaced By Cheick Tiote After 66 Minutes)
Vurnon Anita was replaced after 66 minutes after falling awkwardly and damaging his back. The midfielder had played reasonably well before being stretchered off but still needs to improve his basic passing after misplacing three square balls in the first-half that could have led to a dangerous Southampton counter attack. His positional skills also need polishing as both he and Jack Colback as the central pivots didn't look comfortable at times and they were both slightly ill-disciplined.
Chieck Tiote - 5
Chieck Tiote replaced Vurnon Anita after 66 minutes and looked tidy on the ball. The Ivorian has had a staggered pre-season and looked well off the pace of the Premier League.
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.
