England Legend Slams ‘Lazy’ Mbappe, PSG Stars After Heavy Defeat to Newcastle United in UCL

England Legend Slams ‘Lazy’ Mbappe, PSG Stars After Heavy Defeat to Newcastle United in UCL

Godwin Nii Armah Tagoe
updated at October 5, 2023 at 7:19 AM
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  • Rio Ferdinand slammed PSG for their no-show against Newcastle United
  • The ex-Manchester United star called out the French team for being 'lazy'
  • Miguel Almiron, Dan Burn, Sean Longstaff, and Fabian Schar all scored

Former England and Manchester United defender, Rio Ferdinand has not held back in his criticism of Paris Saint-Germain for their lacklustre performance against Newcastle United in the Champions League.

The French champions, who looked uninspired on Wednesday night, suffered a humbling 4-1 defeat at St. James' Park as the Magpies secured a commanding win over their Group F opponents.

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Kylian Mbappe and his PSG teammates were taken to the cleaners by Newcastle in their Champions League clash on Wednesday. Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

Goals from Miguel Almiron, Dan Burn, Sean Longstaff, and Fabian Schar sealed the victory for the Premier League side, while PSG talisman, Kylian Mbappe endured a challenging evening, the Guardian reports.

After the match, Ferdinand criticised the Parisians squad, describing them as 'lethargic and lacking focus'.

"It started from the first whistle. Anthony Gordon setting the tone, the whole team making sure they press. That set the tone for the whole game," Ferdinand told TNT Sports, as quoted by Daily Post.
"What are [PSG] doing? In the first minute, they were in a good position, but they went back to the goalkeeper. They gave Newcastle a chance to get the crowd up."

The former footballer-turned-pundit continued his critique, pointing out the Parisians for giving the ball away too easily and their inability to start each half of the game well.

"Slack, lazy, lack of concentration, focus – all of the above. It is the opposite when you look at the Newcastle team. Truly focused, concentrating, dynamic, aggressive."

Ferdinand said that tactically, one had to get it right on the big stage.

"If you don’t, you get punished, especially in an atmosphere, a cauldron like this."

He also slammed the Parisians for the way in which they had approached the game, being light in midfield with 17-year-old Warren Zaire-Emery being heavily relied upon.

"[PSG] got punished at all points," he concluded.

Mbappe's disaster class vs Newcastle United

Sports Brief also reported on Mbappe enduring one of the most challenging nights in his Champions League career as PSG were humbled against a resurgent Newcastle.

The Parisians received a reality check at St. James' Park as the Magpies marked a return to their European ground for the first time since 2003 to deliver a statement win.

Mbappe failed to register a shot on target, lost possession 10 times, and did not succeed in any dribbling attempts, underscoring the nature of the French star's evening.

Authors
Godwin Nii Armah Tagoe photo
Godwin Nii Armah Tagoe
Godwin Nii Armah Tagoe is a Ligue 1, Bundesliga, and La Liga editor with five-year experience. He previously worked with Sports Corna and 360SportsGH.
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