The England left-back was taken off at the break as Newcastle failed to cope with Bournemouth’s right flank
Bournemouth’s Rayan crosses the ball for the opening goal against Newcastle United(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has explained why Lewis Hall was taken off at half-time against Bournemouth.
The decision to substitute the England international was made long before half-time, with Newcastle struggling to cope with Alex Jimenez and Rayan down their left flank. Both Harvey Barnes and Hall looked vulnerable to the pair’s partnership as the Bournemouth right-back bulldozed his way past Barnes, with Brazilian ace Rayan causing havoc and setting up the opening goal.
The moment the whistle sounded for half-time, Kieran Trippier was sent on the field for a rigorous warm-up before replacing the ex-Chelsea youngster for the second half. When pressed on why Hall had been taken off, Howe simply said: “That was tactical.”
Hall’s withdrawal resulted in Tino Livramento switching to left-back (before later being replaced by Dan Burn following an injury) and Trippier moving to right-back. The 35-year-old, who is leaving next month, made a partial improvement to matters with his organisation, helping United haul themselves back into the game at 1-1.
But Trippier was seen to be furious as Bournemouth left-back Adrien Truffert was allowed to play a one-two and ease past Jacob Murphy with no other Newcastle stars managing to track the France international. Truffert was then allowed to roam free and unmarked into the box to fire home at the Leazes End and win the game.
Trippier pointed the finger at teammates and had his head in his hands as Truffert blasted home from close range.
Newcastle look like a team thinking about the beach
With five games left, Newcastle have too many players jogging around and looking like they are going through the motions. It’s a trip to Arsenal next up at the Emirates Stadium.
But Howe has issued a warning for any player checking out too early. He said after the game: “No you can’t, and that’s certainly not what we’re messaging to the players. We take great pride in what we do. We want to win every game. Our preparation is total, our work before games is total.
“This week was as intense as any other in the season, and the same for the players. If you looked at the training ground day to day, you would not see a reflection of those words that you mentioned – and I’ll guarantee as long as I’m here that will be maintained.”
Tickets available for the first time in years
After years of fans going into the lottery of a ticket ballot and waiting for news on season ticket waiting lists, the Bournemouth game was an opportunity for fans to get their hands on tickets right up until kick off.
An attendance of 52,109 included 1,726 from the South Coast but fans could still purchase seats in most areas of the ground on a match day. The club announced that at least 250 season tickets will be available on a new waiting list this summer.
For those hoping to get back into the ground, there may not have been a better time in years, albeit with the team dropping off on the field.
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