Here are the Newcastle United evening headlines on Tuesday, February 23.
Magpies penalty claim
Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey believes Newcastle should have had a penalty in their 3-1 defeat to Manchester United on Sunday evening.
The Magpies had a big appeal for a spot-kick after Jamaal Lascelles appeared to be bundled over by Harry Maguire in the first-half, but Paul Tierney didn't see anything in the altercation.
The hosts, however, were awarded a penalty at Old Trafford when Joe Willock brought Marcus Rashford down, despite seemingly minimal contact from the on-loan Arsenal midfielder.
Halsey believes Steve Bruce's side should have had a penalty when Lascelles was brought down in the box.
“There was minimal contact (on Rashford) but if that’s a penalty, then Newcastle’s, where Harry Maguire takes out Jamaal Lascelles, is 100% a penalty, no shadow of a doubt," the former referee told The Transfer Tavern.
"You know, if he’s giving that to Man United, then he’s got to give that one to Newcastle for consistency.
“All you ask for is consistency for 90 minutes. So if you’re giving that as a penalty (to Man United), which I’m not complaining about as there was a slight contact and he’s gone down, well, there was more contact on Lascelles from Maguire at the other end after four minutes, that should have penalised.
"The Newcastle penalty is far more of a penalty than the Man United one. One was given and one wasn’t but in my opinion, both should have been given."
Read the full story here.
Saint-Maximin details 'problem'
Allan Saint-Maximin thinks Newcastle have a "problem" with their consistency levels.
The French winger was asked if he was worried about Fulham - who are in 18th-place and now sit just three points behind the Magpies.
Saint-Maximin, though, has insisted he is not worried about the prospect of being relegated but did open up on his team's biggest issue at the moment.
"I don't worry a lot because I know we can win a lot of games," he told NUFC TV.
"You saw against Everton. You see that we have the power to do that but we just have to do that more, to do that every game, and that's the problem I think for me.
"But we work a lot in training. We try to do everything to be better and we just have to keep improving."
Read the full story here.
Slimani opens up on loan spell
Islam Slimani has insisted his loan spell at Newcastle was not a failure.
The Algerian striker moved to St. James' Park from Leicester City after falling out of favour at the King Power Stadium.
However, a thigh injury ruled Slimani out of action for around two months for Rafa Benitez's team and he went on to make just four appearances for the Magpies.
The 32-year-old has hit back at critics calling his time on Tyneside a failure when speaking to BeIN Sports, via Sport Witness.
“As normally as possible. I went to Newcastle for six months, and spent four of them injured," Slimani said.
"People say it’s a failure. No. I didn’t play because I was injured. After, with Fenerbahçe, I arrived, it was good, there was a manager who trusted me, played me.
“Then, one morning, they told me I couldn’t train with us because I was on loan and wouldn’t be there next year. I had offers in January to leave, but they stopped me. It was me and Yassine Benzia. For me, the only mistake I made was to go to Turkey”.
