Newcastle defensive capitulation aids “crazy” Brian Brobbey performance as Sunderland win derby

Newcastle’s half time lead was overturned thanks to a combination of the power of Sunderland’s number 9 and the Magpies’ glaring issues at the back.

Derbies are not enjoyable. The days leading up to them, with all of the emotion, tension and nerves, are hardly pleasant. It is all worth it however, if you win. For Sunderland, that has been a feeling they have cherished over the last 15 years. The ecstasy of having the bragging rights in the North East has never worn off on Wearside.

Despite it being ten years since the Black Cats’ last visit to St. James’ Park, the need to once again have that shot of euphoria had not subsided. It came via the sheer presence of Brian Brobbey, who was a constant thorn in Newcastle United’s side all afternoon. His power and strength were like a battering ram ploughing through the heart of the Magpies, and ultimately, it was his goal, in the 90th minute, that sent those high up in the away end into absolute raptures.

According to Régis Le Bris, he felt that Brobbey “had another level”, in the week leading up to the derby. He went as far as to describe Brobbey’s connection with his own performance and his teammates as “crazy”, adding that his style of play is “so hard to defend”. That was certainly the case, although he was aided by Newcastle’s defensive capitulation in the second half, which occurred for the second game in a week.

“Painful” was the word Eddie Howe used to describe his emotions at full time, but that didn’t quite cover it. Despite taking the lead in the first half, Newcastle in the second period became unorganised, uninspiring, unfocused and unable to create any meaningful momentum. They were second to every ball, came out second in every challenge, and were simply second best overall.

There had been fight in the first half from Howe’s side, and they looked lively, especially when Gordon put them ahead, but Newcastle’s half time woes hit home and hit hard once again, leading to yet more dropped points from a winning position.

Howe did not believe his players suffered a head loss, but such has been the amount of times that leads have been blown this season, it is easy to understand why the question was asked. He did admit “huge regret” in the amount of points dropped during this campaign, making clear that “we’ve become very passive and quite reactive”.

With the game at 1-1 thanks to Chemsdine Talbi’s equaliser, Howe did make several changes in an attempt to be proactive instead, but the contributions of those who entered the field were minimal. Joe Willock, Jacob Murphy, William Osula and Tino Livramento offered precious little, whilst Yoane Wissa’s late introduction felt desperate.

Le Bris meanwhile, was calm on the touch line. His three changes all came after 85 minutes had been played, highlighting the trust he had for those who were on the pitch representing Sunderland from the start. Their unity shone through, like a lighthouse piercing through the stormy seas, darkness and disarray that was Newcastle United.

The result leaves the sides just one point apart in the Premier League, with Sunderland moving just ahead of Newcastle. The Black Cats will now be plotting out the remainder of their season, trying to work out what else is possible in what has been a remarkable return to the Premier League, whilst their supporters will be drunk on derby delight.

For Newcastle, the word ‘crossroads’ is once again pertinent. It has been used on far too many occasions this year, but this latest junction feels like it has a dead end at one exit, and a catastrophic drop at another. Newcastle’s season could simply peter out, or it could crash and burn even more. The only alternative, and the one that Eddie Howe will aim for, is the road that leads up an increasingly steep hill. Whether Howe is able to navigate the ascent remains to be seen, but it is his only option after this result.

Régis Le Bris is on a completely different journey. Despite some difficulties in recent weeks, this mammoth victory has kept him on the straight and narrow, and regardless of what happens next, he will go down in Sunderland folklore.