How a crushing defeat to Aston Villa exposed Newcastle’s biggest weakness in the fight for top four

MSN - 20/04
How a crushing defeat to Aston Villa exposed Newcastle’s biggest weakness in the fight for top four - Newcastle’s 4-1 hammering by Aston Villa left them exposed with Champions League qualification on the line

A day when Newcastle were second best should end the fanciful notion they could finish second. And not merely because they had a second in command at the helm.

“We can’t lose sight of where we are, third in the Premier League,” said Jason Tindall after the 4-1 shellacking at Aston Villa. “Everyone in the club at the start of the season would be happy with that.”

The man nicknamed ‘Mad Dog’ sounded a distinctly sane dog as he tried to apply some perspective. “A bit of a reality check, maybe,” said Kieran Trippier. Villa and Newcastle had been sides surging with similar momentum. Newcastle, seventh two months earlier, seemed to have timed the...
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