Eddie Howe put out an extremely young Newcastle United team against the A-League All Stars on Friday, and it was a good job it was only a friendly.
After the highs of beating Tottenham Hotspur on penalties earlier in the week, Eddie Howe gave the kids a chance in Newcastle United‘s final game of the season.
Mark Gillespie was the only player over the age of 22-years-old to feature, and he spent most of his night picking the ball out of his net. Newcastle United were blown away by the A-League All Stars, who won 8-0 at the Marvel Stadium.
It was a complete mismatch in Melbourne, as the Newcastle youngsters failed to lay a glove on their senior counterparts.
But while it was a fairly miserable 90 minutes for Newcastle, there was the odd positive to take.
Alex Murphy looked positive for Newcastle despite 8-0 drubbing
The major shining light was Alex Murphy, which might seem laughable considering he was part of a defence that shipped eight goals.
But the 19-year-old centre-back was one of the only Toon players who looked assured and comfortable, ending the game as captain once Gillespie was replaced.
Murphy, who has been with the first-team for most of the season and has just signed a new contract, showed glimpses of his talent, at a time when a lot of his teammates folded under the bright lights.
He showed why he has been likened to Newcastle star Sven Botman
Time and time again, Murphy attempted to show his quality on the ball. He tried to be progressive in his passing, stepping forward and trying to start attacks from deep.
Had he had better players in front of him receiving the ball, his efforts would have been much more impactful.
It obviously was not a perfect performance from Murphy – he was part of a defence that lost 8-0, after all. But there were moments of quality amid a miserable team display – moments that hinted at exactly why Toon officials believe Murphy has similar qualities to Sven Botman.
The Dutch centre-back is a commanding presence, while his passing is outstanding. He is excellent at getting the ball into midfield, allowing Newcastle to progress up the pitch. That is one of his most admirable qualities, and it is clearly why Newcastle staff think Murphy is a bit similar.
He deserves the chance to feature more in pre-season, and it will be interesting to see what the future holds for him at Newcastle United.
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