Bruno Guimaraes reveals angry dressing room exchange after Newcastle United tactical ‘mess’
Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes has admitted Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Sunderland was the most painful of his Magpies career.
And the Brazilian international midfielder has described the way Newcastle approached the game at the Stadium of Light as a ‘mess’.
Eddie Howe’s side put in a tepid display against a Sunderland side who looked like they got to grips with the occasion of the first Wear-Tyne Premier League derby for almost 10 years much better than their opponents.
And that was a view shared by Guimaraes who did not hold back in his assessment of Newcastle’s performance on Wearside.
“Definitely, yes,” Guimaraes told Chronicle Live when asked if this was the most painful defeat of his Newcastle career.
“Not just as a defeat, more the way we play. Disappointed, frustrated, lack of energy, don’t put the things that we are able to do, cross the ball, pass the ball.
“We were like a mess in my point of view. Disappointed, angry. This one is a tough one to accept.
“It was something about the strategy. We worked on something on the weekend. It was something about the strategy.
“We had many opportunities to counter, but we missed the passes. We had many opportunities to counter, but it was something about the strategy.
“We definitely didn’t shoot on the goal. We can’t score if we don’t shoot the ball, if we don’t cross the ball.
“I think we were not there at all, so it was so frustrating for me. I think the two shots we got were from me, far away a little bit as well. But in a derby, we have to compete. We didn’t compete. It was so frustrating.”
Speaking about how Newcastle players reacted to the defeat in the dressing room, Guimaraes added: “We spoke a lot about it, so everyone came here and knew exactly what it meant for the fans. The whole message in the changing room today was do it for the fans and we didn’t. It’s so embarrassing for me and frustrating because we know we have a better team than them. It’s clear for me.
“But we didn’t perform like a better team today. It makes me feel angry. I have to be very worried about my words because I’m very angry with the performance.
“We missed that consistency, that is clear. That was not there, the mentality is not there. We have to go again on Wednesday and put the club in the semi-final.”