Former Newcastle United striker Mick Quinn expressed his surprise at the decision not to include two players in the starting lineup for the match against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night.
The Magpies suffered a 2-0 defeat in Germany, making it exceedingly challenging to progress to the knockout stages of the Champions League.
Newcastle faced significant injury setbacks, leaving manager Eddie Howe with a depleted squad for the Dortmund clash. Despite having Miguel Almiron and Anthony Gordon as the only available natural wingers, Howe chose to start Tino Livramento and Joelinton on the flanks, further complicating the already tough task.
Almiron and Gordon were eventually brought in as substitutes during halftime, but they couldn’t spark a comeback for Newcastle. Howe later explained that he didn’t believe Gordon was fit enough to start, but Mick Quinn raised doubts about the decision to keep both of Newcastle’s star wingers on the bench.
Mick Quinn surprised by Eddie Howe’s Newcastle starting lineup against Dortmund
Quinn spoke with TalkSPORT after Borussia Dortmund defeated them 2-0. Ally McCoist asked him if he was shocked to see Gordon come off the bench.
“Yes, Almiron and I were,” he remarked at 7:12 a.m. on August 11, 2023.
“I was thinking about their speed. Did you watch Bayern Munich vs. Dortmund over the weekend? They played a really strong line.
Bayern Munich simply ran wild with them, and I reasoned that at Gordon’s and Almiron’s speeds, they could overtake them, score an early goal to calm the crowd, and then continue to score there.
“I was shocked that I was Ally, but I’m not sure if he was resting them or anything.”
Eddie Howe took a risk in the Champions League
It appeared as though Howe was attempting to stay in the game and eventually attack Dortmund in the second half, as evidenced by the benching of Almiron and Gordon.
Quinn, though, feels that Newcastle ought to have aimed to get off to a quick start after witnessing Dortmund falter against Bayern Munich the previous weekend.
Actually, Dortmund didn’t seem to play as high on the defensive hierarchy as they did against Newcastle.
Once, Fabian Schar played a lofted ball through to Joelinton, allowing the Magpies to take advantage of it. The Brazilian’s initial touch was insufficient, though.
Though it is simple to argue that Howe ought to have started his two best wingers, he is working with a severely thin squad and faces another important match on Saturday.
Gordon did not start because it is imperative that he control the workload of his players.
Many, including Mick Quinn, were taken aback by Howe’s starting lineup, but there was logic to the chaos. Unfortunately, it did not result in any points, and Newcastle now faces a difficult fight to stay in the Champions League past Christmas.
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