Former Chelsea star Pat Nevin believes that there is ‘no room for sentiment’ as he claims Eddie Howe should have taken Dan Burn off the pitch sooner against Luton Town.
Burn has struggled in recent games for the Magpies at left-back as Luton’s visit to St James’ Park turned into a game to forget for the big defender. The 31-year-old struggled to keep the Hatters’ wide man, Chiedozie Ogbene, quiet, bringing him down inside the box to give away a penalty as Rob Edwards’ side went ahead for the first time in the match.
Newcastle United’s left-back then gave away possession for Luton’s fourth that put them 4-2, ahead after previously trailing 2-1, as Ross Barkley layed the ball off to Elijah Adebayo who swept home. Howe eventually then hooked Burn for Tino Livramento, a substitution which Nevin believes should have been made at half-time.
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The former Chelsea and Everton winger, writing for BBC Football Extra newsletter, said: “I was at the eight-goal epic served up by Newcastle and Luton Town at the weekend. In the midst of the madness, left-back Dan Burn had another difficult match. I was also at Aston Villa during the week when he suffered a similar fate. Both Leon Bailey and Chiedozie Ogbene had the pace to burn Dan.
“Eddie Howe spotted the danger early at Villa and changed the system, bringing on Tino Livramento and ensuring his towering full-back wasn’t isolated. It still took him 10 minutes to act and cost Newcastle a goal, but the game was safe with a 3-1 lead and the Magpies held out.
“On BBC commentary duties against Luton on Saturday I suggested there might be a Bill Murray Groundhog Day moment looming just five minutes into the game. It was a day late perhaps as the real Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania was the day before, but Howe had to sacrifice Burn quickly before history repeated itself. Amazingly, he didn’t.
“I was convinced he would change it at half-time, but he still didn’t. By the time he did sub Burn, after the home crowd pleaded for him to do it, 2-2 had become 2-4 with both goals coming from the left. Why did he wait? Howe is a quality coach – he must have seen the problem.
“Was it that rarest of things in the Premier League, a show of sympathy? To hook club stalwart Burn would be an embarrassment to him and everyone including me likes the honest big defender. Sadly, there is no room for sentiment in elite competitive sport and I suspect Howe will never do it again. In any case, he wasn’t doing the player any favours leaving him out there to suffer.”
