Jamaal Lascelles will probably have a headache when he wakes up this morning.
Pretty much every cross that came into the Newcastle box on Tuesday night was headed away by the captain.
It was like a magnet. Even when Oxford were about to score, an incredible headed clearance off the line from Lascelles saved us.
Newcastle may have advanced to the fifth round but it was another tough night for Steve Bruce and co. His side were in complete control but squandered a 2-0 lead late on, forcing extra time.
It seemed certain that the Magpies would crash out of the competition, until Allan Saint-Maximin’s cracker sealed the victory.
But while Newcastle’s team performance wasn’t great, Lascelles can certainly be happy with his contribution.
The defender was a rock, after some poor performances in black and white. But he looked back to his best against Oxford, and he deserves credit despite the late collapse from his team.
Despite recent criticism, Lascelles is probably Newcastle’s best centre-back. We have a plethora of options who all offer different things, but Lascelles is probably the best out-and-out defender.
Toon fans hail Lascelles
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