Newcastle United captain Dan Burn has offered a scathing assessment of his side's recent form following a narrow defeat to Everton at St James' Park. The experienced defender highlighted a lack of decisiveness at both ends of the pitch as the Magpies continue to struggle for consistency under Matthias Jaissle.
The Magpies were undone by a momentary lapse in concentration, which allowed the Toffees to secure all three points in front of a frustrated St James' Park crowd . The decisive goal came when Lukas Hornicek committed a blooper of the season contender, failing to handle a routine effort. This error allowed Thierno Barry to tap into an empty net, condemning Newcastle to their fourth defeat in five games. Burn pointed to the team's inability to manage basic defensive situations as a recurring theme that has hampered their progress in recent weeks.
"It was frustrating and disappointing. It wasn't a performance that we expect at Newcastle United, especially after what we have seen in the past three or four years," Burn told BBC Radio Newcastle . "It is still fine margins. We have obviously been undone by a quick free-kick that we didn't defend well. It is a similar story to what I've been talking about over the past few weeks where we are lacking that cutting edge in the attacking box and we aren't defending our box well enough. You get punished at this level if you don't do those things well."
Beyond the tactical and individual errors, Burn admitted that a lack of self-belief is beginning to permeate the squad. The defender noted that the team appears hesitant when presented with opportunities to change the game, leading to a frantic and unproductive style of play during the closing stages of matches. This psychological barrier is becoming as much of a hurdle as the opposition themselves.
"We are probably lacking a little bit of confidence as well - I think you can feel that a little bit. When we were trying to get a goal towards the end, I feel like we lacked a bit of confidence and decisiveness. We needed someone to play that killer pass or take the shot, but we were sort of snatching a little bit," the captain explained.
The mood on Tyneside has shifted significantly, with boos echoing around the stadium at both half-time and the final whistle. Burn, a lifelong Newcastle supporter, stated he understands why the fans are upset but acknowledged that the negative atmosphere makes it difficult for the players to perform. He stressed that the responsibility lies with the squad to reignite the passion of the Toon Army through better performances.
"I understand the fans' frustrations at half-time and full-time, I don't think St James' Park is an easy place to play when that's happening though. You can feel a nervousness from the crowd and that translates on to the pitch. We have to give them something to cheer about, so I completely understand the frustration. I've been there as a fan myself, but it didn't make it easy for us," Burn added.
Despite the growing pressure on manager Matthias Jaissle and the squad, Burn is adamant that the club must remain united to turn their season around. He rejected the notion that the pressure of representing the club has become too much for the current group of players, instead insisting that hard work behind the scenes will eventually translate into better results on the pitch if everyone stays together.
"Yes, I would just call for unity and stability at the moment, that's what I think we need. It isn't the time to panic, we are always best when we're together. We have to give the crowd something to cheer about first and foremost, but we all know we are a momentum team. When the crowd is behind us, we can feel them dragging us on," he said.
