Matt Ritchie believes it is “harsh” to suggest Newcastle United have not been clinical enough this season - but warns that the Magpies must learn to take their chances if they want to regularly win tight Premier League matches.
The Magpies slumped to a 1-0 defeat against AFC Bournemouth at St James’ Park on Saturday, with Steve Cook’s injury-time winner condemning United.
Yet Newcastle squandered four excellent first-half chances to take the lead, and the Magpies have scored only 10 goals in 11 Premier League matches.
But Ritchie stresses that the quality of the defenders in the Premier League means that it is difficult enough to create chances regularly, never mind convert them.
“I think it’s a bit harsh to say we haven’t been clinical enough,” the 28-year-old said.
“You’re playing against top defenders, some of the best defenders in the world, and you have to work hard for your chances.
“It would be wrong to say we haven’t been clinical enough. Each to their own, everyone will have their own opinions.
“But my opinion is that, yes, it would be nice if when you create a chance you score a goal, but it doesn’t always work like that.
“You’re playing against top defenders and it’s so quick out there – you’re not going to score with every chance you create.
“You have to continue to create chances, and hopefully the more chances you create, the more goals you will score. That’s what we will continue to aim to do.”
Ritchie himself came close to scoring on two occasions against his former club, forcing a good save from Asmir Begovic, as well as hitting the inside of the post.
Dwight Gayle, meanwhile, had a goal harshly disallowed for offside - and, from that point on, the momentum swung Bournemouth’s way.
However, Ritchie was still encouraged by United’s first-half performance and believes Newcastle can ensure the small margins swing their way in future matches.
“I think we performed really well in the first half. We were good off the ball, and we were good on it too,” Ritchie added.
“I was a little bit disappointed not to score. Asmir’s obviously made a fantastic save for the first one. I couldn’t see him, so it was impossible for him to see the ball. So he’s pulled off a really good save.
“With the second one, I’ve just set it off a little bit too far outside the post, and it’s not come in enough and hit the post. That could have been a defining moment, but it wasn’t to be.
“I think it’s positive that we’re creating and getting into goal-scoring areas though. We need to continue to work hard in the week and perform well because with good performances comes points.
“We created some good chances, but then in the second half you saw a reaction from them. We became a little bit stretched, but that’s the Premier League for you.
“They’re a good side, and it was always going to be a tough game. It’s a horrible way to lose in the last minute, but we’ll go again.
“I think that just shows how tight the Premier League is. We’ve won a few games like that already this season, and it just shows that the small margins are massively important.
“Sometimes, it just comes down to who can take their chances. In this league, you’ve got to do something really special just to create a chance.
“It wasn’t a bad performance. You can’t look at it and say we’ve lost and we haven’t performed well. If we continue to perform the way we played in the first half, we’ll pick up points for sure.”
Matt ... the second half was RUBBISH buddy.