Callum Wilson believes the Premier League hiatus last weekend may have affected Newcastle United’s performance against Bournemouth. English football across all levels was postponed 10 days ago as a mark of respect following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
The Magpies were expected to take on West Ham United but the fixture will likely be rearranged after the New Year. Disruption in the top-flight season meant Newcastle - and Bournemouth - were out of action for a fortnight ahead of Saturday’s clash.
Supporters watched as Eddie Howe’s men put in their most underwhelming performance of the campaign to date. The Cherries went a goal ahead before a soft VAR decision awarded the Magpies a penalty to save the day.
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Speaking to Footballer’s Football podcast co-host Michail Antonio, Wilson - who missed the game with a hamstring injury - highlighted the break as a possible reason for Newcastle’s showing. He said: “Sometimes, those breaks when you're on a little run of form can come on a bad time. I experienced it last season.
“Coming back, playing two games, three games, a couple of man-of-the-match performances and then all of a sudden, it's off-season and I'm raring to go. It came at such a wrong time for me.
“I guess for you guys (Antonio and West Ham) that break hasn't helped you guys. The same (goes) for us, our performance wasn't there. We weren’t as fluid as we have been.
“I don't know what that could be down to. Maybe a switch off in mentality. Training… could it have been more intense? Could it have been not enough training? It’s (about) trying to get a perfect balance and the right formula. When you go Saturday to Saturday, you know your days off and how much you need to be doing.”
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