Newcastle's Aleksandar Mitrovic avoids red card at draw with Southampton

Aleksandar Mitrovic got a yellow card in his Premier league debut

WHEN Newcastle's new manager Steve McClaren signed fiery Serb Aleksandar Mitrovic, he said he has "the devil inside him."

 

It did not take the rest of the Premier League long to understand what he meant.

The £13m hitman lived up to his reputation when he came off the bench for his debut in the 75th minute today when, before he had even touched the ball, Mitrovic scythed down Matt Targett with an X-rated challenge, earning an immediate booking from referee Craig Pawson - to the relief of his manager.

 

Newcastle boss Steve McLaren said Aleksandar Mitrovic has "the devil inside him."

"If he'd got a red, we could have had no complaints," said McClaren. "We were a little lucky. He certainly does not hold back and he wanted to come on and impress."

Southampton's stand-in manager Erwin Koeman felt Targett was fortunate not to finish up in hospital with his brother and boss Ronald after undergoing surgery on his Achilles tendon.

"It was dangerous and unnecessary," said Koeman. "If he had touched him, Matthew could have ended in hospital. Mitrovic is a good player but he has to learn a few things."

 

It may be a new era at St James' Park but for McClaren, Newcastle are bedevilled by the same defensive woes which almost cost them their Premier League status last season.

At least the Magpies demonstrated a vibrancy lacking back then and in £14.5m Georginio Wijnaldum - who marked his debut with a stunning goal - they have bought a real crowd-pleaser.

But from the moment the Dutch international met Gabriel Obertan's right wing cross with a flying header in the 47th minute to go 2-1 up, Newcastle looked vulnerable to a Southampton comeback.

The visitors had already exploited Newcastle's aerial weakness when Graziano Pelle headed Southampton into 24th minute lead, a goal cancelled out by Papiss Cisse's equaliser just before half-time.

The hosts were punished again when substitute Shane Long rose above a lead-footed Daryl Janmaat to convert Dusan Tadic's cross with a meaty finish.

 

Southampton finished the strongest and almost came away with a win when Sadio Mane twice surged into the box in the dying minutes only to be denied by a brilliant goal-saving Jack Colback block, before shooting wide of a gaping target.

Newcastle were a curious mix of the encouraging and the alarming. They were applauded off the pitch on the final whistle - a sound rarely heard last season - and going forward, they were full of ideas.

McClaren will have been pleased with Wijnaldum's eye for goal and a performance from Chancel Mbemba which improved as the match wore on.

But Newcastle tired badly in the last quarter of an hour and skipper Fabricio Coloccini's lack of pre-season games, clearly told with the 33-year-old looking shaky in defence.

McClaren said: "I did not know what to expect but was absolutely delighted with what I saw.

 

"For 75 minutes, the team was excellent but we did not play smart after that and fatigue had a lot to do with that. But it's definitely something to build on and we will improve."

While there was an element of luck about Newcastle's 43rd minute equaliser, with Massadio Haidara's cross deflecting off Mane to loop over keeper Maarten Stekelenburg, the home side did not deserve to be trailing at half-time.

They could count themselves unfortunate not to be ahead after Pawson turned down strong penalty appeals.

Wijnaldum should have opened his account on seven minutes but could only sidefoot an effort into the chest of Steve Davis after Moussa Sissoko had brilliantly set him up.

Mbemba had arrived at St James' Park dressed in a tuxedo and bow tie but there was nothing smart about his defending which allowed Pelle to score.

 

The former Anderlecht centre-half was nowhere near the Italian who met Cedric Soares' hanging cross with a downward header which squeezed in despite Tim Krul getting a hand to the ball.

On the restart, Krul somehow kept out a Yoshida header and seconds later, Wijnaldum pounced with his first goal.

NEWCASTLE (4-2-3-1): Krul 6; Janmaat 6, Mbemba 6, Coloccini 5, Haidara 5; Anita 7 (Tiote 67, 6), Colback 7; Sissoko 8, Wijnaldum 7 (De Jong 81), Obertan 7; Cisse 6 (Mitrovic 75). NEXT UP: Swansea (a), PL, Sat.

SOUTHAMPTON (4-2-3-1): Stekelenburg 6; Cedric 7 (Martina 46, 6), Yoshida 6, Fonte 6, Targett 5; Davis 8, Wanyama 6; Tadic 7, Mane 8, Rodriguez 5 (Long, 64, 7); Pelle 7. NEXT UP: Everton (h), PL, Sat.

Referee: C Pawson (South Yorkshire).