Loads of Newcastle United fans have been tearing into Florian Lejeune on social media, after the Frenchman struggled against Leicester City on New Year’s Day.
The Foxes ran out 3-0 victors at St. James’ Park on Wednesday afternoon, as Steve Bruce’s Magpies began 2020 with our third Premier League defeat on home soil this season.
Former Toon midfielder Ayoze Perez, who moved to Leicester for £30million last summer, opened the scoring for the visitors in the 36th-minute, when the Spaniard capitalised on a poor pass across the area from Lejeune to poach possession.
Lejeune would again be at fault for a Leicester goal minutes later, as James Maddison lashed the ball home from the edge of the box after the Foxes gained possession deep in our territory from the 28-year-old’s poor clearance.
Paris-born Lejeune was able to regain some of his crumbling reputation in the second-half by clearing the danger as Kelechi Iheanacho looked to score, though the centre-back’s first-half blunders left an extremely bitter note on his fourth-straight start.
Was Bruce wrong to start Lejeune in four-straight games?
Yes
No
The £5.4million-rated defender would end the day with two errors leading to goals, one successful tackle, two clearances, three interceptions and won one of his two aerial duels, per WhoScored data.
He also lost possession 21 times, committed one foul, failed to find a teammate with any of his ten long passes, and lost two of his four ground duels, according to statistics collected by Sofa Score.
Here are some of the messages shared as fans tore into Lejeune on social media for his performance against Leicester…
Has Lejeuene been sacked yet?
— Andrew (@Andy_Newc) January 1, 2020
@NUFC Take Lejeune off! Dont wanna see that guy play again this season. Shocking. Absolutely shocking
— Jay Ashun (@JKOversion1) January 1, 2020
Florian Lejeune still giving Christmas presents out in the New Year. 😞
— Mark boyer (@boyer04) January 1, 2020
Shocking from Lejeune, not match sharp, two dreadful mistakes. Hook him off! #nufc
— Carl English (@carl_english) January 1, 2020
I expected us to lose to Leicester, but I didn’t expect us to get out the special cutlery and hand it to them in a silver platter.#lejeune #nufc
— John D. Lewis (@John_D_Lewis) January 1, 2020
I didn’t realise @lejeune_florian had signed for @LCFC on New Years Day. 2 assists on his debut too! *facepalm* #NUFC
— Jon Gleeson (@jon_gleeson) January 1, 2020
Lejeune is to blame for this game #nufc
— DavidBaty-81 (@vomero81) January 1, 2020
Man of the match for Leicester – Lejeune
— Hugo Brown (@HugoBrown14) January 1, 2020
Two mistakes from Lejeune for the first two goals are so bad.
People will say hello has been out injured but they are shocking.
Oh well! Happy New Year! #NUFC
— Davis Reader (@DavisReader) January 1, 2020
In other Newcastle United news, the club are ready to sell a £54,000-per-week man in January as part of a vast clear-out at St. James’ Park.