£39m Newcastle player was ‘very frustrated’ with what Eddie Howe did against Southampton

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Newcastle United started the new Premier League season with a win, but it was not all sunshine and roses at St James’ Park.

While Joelinton was outstanding for Newcastle United, it was far from a perfect performance from Eddie Howe’s side.

Even with 11 men on the pitch, Newcastle United were not playing brilliantly. Southampton were seeing a lot of the ball, and looked like the better team.

Then there was the red card, with Fabian Schar sent off for a ‘headbutt’ on Ben Brereton Diaz. Brereton Diaz’s actions were called ‘pathetic’ by Alan Shearer, while ex-referee Mike Dean admitted that the Schar red card was soft.

His dismissal forced Newcastle to really dig in, and they were able to get over the line with a 1-0 win.

Newcastle United winger frustrated after not starting vs Southampton

Given the circumstances, it was a great win for the Magpies. However, Eddie Howe’s starting XI has resulted in frustration behind the scenes at St James’ Park.

That is according to the Daily Mail, who report that Harvey Barnes was ‘very frustrated’ not to be named in the Newcastle United starting XI for the season opener against Southampton.

Howe opted to name Anthony Gordon on the left of attack, despite the 23-year-old making just one Toon appearance during pre-season following his England commitments.

In contrast, Barnes was a consistent figure during Newcastle’s pre-season preparations. The Daily Mail add that the 26-year-old had expected to start, and felt he had done enough during the summer to warrant a place in the starting lineup.

• READ MORE: Who is Harvey Barnes? Profile, Girlfriend, Dad, Salary, Socials

Harvey Barnes will get his chance this season

Given his performances over the summer, it is understandable that Barnes was disappointed to miss out. However, Gordon is one of Newcastle’s best players and starting him probably sent him a positive message amid recent fears that his head had been turned by talk of a move to Liverpool.

For Barnes, his time will come this season. He is going to get plenty of opportunities in black and white, as he bids to make up for lost time after an injury hit first year on Tyneside.

The £39million man struggled during his debut season with the Magpies, making just 23 appearances in all competitions due to a foot problem.

But he is fully fit now, and will be an important player for Newcastle United during the 2024/25 campaign.

In fact, Barnes could benefit the most if the Magpies fail to sign a right winger before the transfer window closes on August 30th. Newcastle are ‘actively looking’ to sign a winger, but there are no guarantees that someone will arrive.

If there is no new arrival in attack, one option Howe could explore is deploying Gordon on the right. That would allow Barnes to start on the left wing, which is his preferred position.

That would likely ease the former Leicester City star’s frustrations, although they are likely to continue this weekend. Newcastle face Bournemouth on Sunday, with Gordon expected to retain his place in the starting XI.