Newcastle right-back DeAndre Yedlin, by all accounts, put in a shocking performance for the USA national side overnight on Tuesday, but his display should be put into perspective.
The defender was completely out of sorts in their Concacaf Nations League 2-0 defeat to Canada – their first loss to their northern neighbours for 34 years – which saw him given an embarrassing 2/10 by ESPN.
But he was not the only one, as five of his fellow starters also were given the same grade, and the highest mark for any outfield player was a mediocre 4/10.
In fact, manager Gregg Berhalter, was awarded just 1/10, presumably for simply appearing in the dugout!
With Yedlin, however, there are mitigating factors which should be taken into consideration, the biggest of which, is that he has only made a single start for Newcastle since his return from injury.
It will take a few games for Yedlin to get back to his best
He has only been in full training for about a month, and missed out on all the pre-season conditioning after surgery, so he is definitely not up to speed for minutes on the pitch, which is bound to affect his game.
It will build up gradually, and even given his lack of playing time this season, he still looked a cut above Emil Krafth and Javier Manquillo when he started the Manchester United game.
So in his case, it is a bit harsh and unfair to criticise him too much, given he is so far behind his teammates.
But the most important thing for me, and many other fans, is how he performs for Newcastle, regardless of his international displays.
And assuming he returns in time and without an injury, he would be one of the first names on the team-sheet for the Chelsea game on Saturday.
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