Andy Hinchcliffe Delivers Brutal Verdict on Newcastle Defending After Thierno Barry’s Everton Goal
Sky Sports co-commentator Andy Hinchcliffe has questioned Newcastle United’s defensive performance after Thierno Barry scored for Everton, while also discussing a controversial incident involving Fabian Schär during the build-up to the goal.
Barry appeared to catch Schär with a swinging arm as he moved into a goalscoring position inside the penalty area. The Newcastle defender went to ground holding his face, raising questions about whether Everton’s goal should have been disallowed for a foul.
Schär remained on the ground after play continued and eventually had to leave the pitch following the incident. However, the goal stood after the video assistant referee reviewed the situation, with the officials also examining two potential offside offences during the attacking move.
Speaking on Sky Sports as replays were shown, Hinchcliffe questioned whether Newcastle had grounds to appeal for a foul on their defender.
He said: “I just wonder whether Newcastle are saying that Thierno Barry may have fouled Schär as he made his way into that goalscoring position. Did he take out the centre-half?”
However, after watching the incident again, the former Everton player suggested that Barry had not deliberately brought down the Newcastle defender.
Hinchcliffe said there was plenty for VAR to examine but concluded that the incident did not appear to constitute a foul on Schär.
With VAR ultimately allowing the goal to stand, attention quickly shifted to Newcastle’s defensive mistakes, which Hinchcliffe described in extremely critical terms.
“Defensively for Newcastle, it’s truly shocking,” he said.
The Sky Sports pundit highlighted the roles of Tyrique George, Amar Dedić and Anthony Elanga, arguing that Newcastle’s defenders failed to recognise the danger as George made his run into the penalty area.
According to Hinchcliffe, Dedić and Elanga were too focused on the ball and failed to track George’s movement, allowing the Everton attacker to exploit the space and contribute to the goal.
He also criticised the goalkeeper’s reaction, suggesting that he should have moved quicker to prevent the ball from finding the net.
Hinchcliffe acknowledged that the wet conditions and slippery playing surface might have contributed to the defensive problems. Nevertheless, he insisted that Newcastle’s failure to track the runner and deal with the attack was unacceptable.
He added that Everton benefited from a series of avoidable mistakes, describing the defending from Dedić and Elanga, alongside the goalkeeper’s performance, as major factors behind the goal.
The pundit concluded that Newcastle had been opened up far too easily, with George finding space because the home side failed to organise their defence properly.
BBC Radio Newcastle’s John Anderson also questioned Newcastle’s defending, although he initially suggested that the goal might have been ruled out following the VAR review.
Anderson argued that goalkeeper Lukas Horníček should have saved Barry’s effort, regardless of whether the officials eventually disallowed it.
After the goal was confirmed, the former Newcastle defender turned his attention to the defensive errors, pointing out that the Everton attacker had been allowed to run into a dangerous area without being tracked.
He highlighted the significant space Newcastle left in their defensive line, insisting that the players should have done more to prevent the opportunity.
Ultimately, while the potential foul on Schär attracted attention during the VAR review, the goal was allowed to stand. The incident also exposed serious concerns about Newcastle’s defensive organisation, with both Hinchcliffe and Anderson criticising the ease with which Everton created the scoring opportunity.