Pundit and former Premier League footballer Charlie Adam has slammed defender Javier Manquillo for his role in Newcastle United’s recent defeat.
In their last outing, the Magpies were soundly beaten 5-1 away from home by Tottenham Hotspur despite initially taking the lead.
While discussing the match on the BBC’s Football Daily podcast, Adam highlighted the full-back’s poor defending on one goal in particular.
Indeed, he bemoaned how Manquillo had lost track of Spurs wing-back Matt Doherty, who snuck in at the far post to give his side the lead.
Adam said: “Doherty managed to get his opportunity in at that back post. Manquillo, I don’t know what he’s doing.
“He never looks once at where the opposite wing-back is, and he allows him to get on the opposite side of him.”
TIF Thoughts on Javier Manquillo and Newcastle…
Manquillo, who is valued at £2.7 million (as per Transfermarkt), has been in and out of the team under manager Eddie Howe recently, having started two of the last four league games, but having to settle for brief cameos in the other two.
Will Javier Manquillo be a NUFC player next season?
Yes
No
However, if the Newcastle boss agrees with Adam’s damning assessment, he may find himself on the bench more often than on the pitch in the future. He didn’t even last an hour before being dragged off in Sunday’s game. But with Kieran Trippier still out injured, he may well have a chance to redeem himself.
At the very least, the defeat – as bad as it was – is not catastrophic for the Magpies, who have probably done enough to fight off relegation already, barring an extraordinary collapse in the final few weeks of the season.
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