Callum Wilson should be ‘livid’ with Newcastle United team-mate after Liverpool defeat

Ally McCoist believes Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson is ‘well within his rights to be livid’ with Magpies team-mate Harvey Barnes after Sunday’s agonising defeat against Liverpool.

Eddie Howe’s side made a bright start at St James Park and took the lead just after the midway point of the first-half as Anthony Gordon opened the scoring after capitalising on a defensive error from England star Trent Alexander-Arnold. The game seemed to have swung further in favour of the Magpies when Reds captain Virgil van Dijk was shown a red card for a last-man challenge on Alexander Isak just minutes after Gordon’s goal.

Wilson and Barnes were introduced into the action with just under 20 minutes remaining as Howe looked to build on his side’s one-goal lead and the duo could and should have combined to double that advantage moments after their arrival into the game.

Summer signing Barnes broke in behind the visitors defence and looked set to find the unmarked Wilson in the area and present the striker with a golden chance - but the former Leicester City winger hesitated and the opportunity was wasted. Liverpool took full advantage of that let-off as two late goals from Darwin Nunez gave Jurgen Klopp’s men what had seemed to be an unlikely three points on Tyneside.

Speaking to talkSPORT about the wasted opportunity to double the Magpies lead, McCoist said: “Oh he’s got to man, if you’re Callum Wilson you’ll be livid. He’s absolutely well within his rights to be livid.

“I mean I like Harvey Barnes but he’s just got to take a touch and whip it in behind the defenders for Wilson to come onto it.

Fellow pundit Andy Townsend added: “It doesn’t have to be a great ball that, just stick it in front of him and ask him, ‘Go on Callum, walk onto it, hit it in.’ So they did have their moments to maybe do it but look fair play to Liverpool it’s not easy when you’re down to ten men.”