Considering our recent relegation, there are a lot of reasons for Newcastle fans to be cheerful ahead of next season: Rafa’s at the helm, apparently with money to spend, and we’re seemingly in no position to let first team players go on the cheap.
Inevitably some of the current crop will leave – players such as Sissoko, Janmaat, and Wijnaldum are expected to be among the main movers – but what’s left is enough to fill fans with a bit of confidence that we’ll make a decent fist of coming straight back up.
Discounting some of the more likely ones to depart from Tyneside, here’s how the team should line up for the coming Championship season. Obviously this doesn’t include any potential new signings that could come in before the end of the transfer window on 31st August.
Formation: 4-4-2
Goalkeeper: Karl Darlow
Chosen because he’s the more likely of the three current keepers to be fit at the start of the season, Darlow also deserves the nod for his displays towards the back end of the season. Given Krul’s contract situation – his deal runs out next summer – he could be one of the ones we move on in order to avoid losing him on a free next year.
Darlow has more than proven his worth as a Premier League keeper and deserves a decent run in the first team. He’s also got the benefit of a few years’ Championship experience with Forest. Elliot will be unlucky to lose his spot, but seeing as he’s not likely to be fit for the start of the season it’ll be difficult to shift Darlow once we get under way.
Left back: Massadio Haidara
If he’s fit, Haidara has to be first choice at left back. That’s an ‘if’ the size of Mike Ashley though given his injury record over the past few years. Haidara has been chosen over Dummett due to the fact he’s more comfortable on the ball and doesn’t try and boot it the length of the field every time he gets it, two pretty handy abilities. Dummett is a more than capable deputy though.
Central defence: Jamaal Lascelles
Lascelles got a lot of praise for his performances towards the end of the season, when he was brought in out of necessity having barely featured since moving from Nottingham Forest. Worryingly he’s likely to be the club’s oldest centre-half season if the expected departure of club captain Fabricio Coloccini goes through. At 22, that’s a lot of expectation to carry on your shoulders. Unlike the rest of the defence though he does have experience of playing in the division which is a reassurance. Plus his partnership with Mbemba means these two are likely to be our first choice no matter who comes in over the summer.
Central defence: Chancel Mbemba
Mobile and with an uncanny ability to tackle oncoming players by simply standing on the ball, Mbemba has emerged as one of the club’s best signings over the past few seasons. Not that he exactly had much competition, but he was arguably the club’s best performing outfield player last year as well. He only committed 21 fouls during his 33 appearances, which is impressive for a defender, as well as leading the club’s interception stats with 96 across those games. Fingers crossed we can keep hold of him as several foreign clubs are rumoured to be sniffing around.
Right back: Kevin Mbabu
As current first choice right back Janmaat is rumoured to be on his way out this summer Mbabu makes the cut as again he’s more likely to be here once the season kicks off. That’s no bad thing though if his five first team appearances are anything to go by. Having shackled Chelsea’s Pedro on his debut despite playing on the left, he then put in several committed displays before succumbing to injury. Again there are questions around about whether or not he’ll manage to stay fit long enough to have a run in the team.
Click ‘2’ to view which midfielders we believe should line-up for Newcastle next season
Left midfield: Rolando Aarons
Mr. Roy went on a tour of Notre Dame and a took Seine cruise instead of watching England’s next opponent live in the same city. Where Iceland’s fans were building a bond with the players and their nation was coming together. If anybody saw and heard them during the match, and especially afterwards, you would know what a mistake this was.
Again, I will say, Roy is a proud and arrogant man and pride certainly came before a fall.
Roy said he had watched tapes of the game. THAT IS NOT THE SAME, you fckwit. This is about passion and glory, however short lived. It was not a day off, your next opponent was playing in the same city you visited.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Let’s hope that our pommy friends don’t now so arrogantly write off ‘lesser’ teams and leagues and stop believing their own hype. Two examples of how the English are so easily duped highlighted in a few days.
I have to say I’m enjoying the shadenfreude.
😀 😀 😀
Brisvegas(Quote)
AMF: I never expected England to win it but I didn’t expect this. Mismanagement from top to bottom. From Squad selection to tactics. From letting Rooney dictate to dismissing and looking past Iceland and taking a day trip instead of watching them live.
It was epitomised by Mr. Roy taking off the talisman, the hope for all England, the press darling, with 5 minutes to go and replacing him with an 18 year old afterthought. There was no plan, there were no tactics.
All of this defending of Rooney, his captaincy, 2nd in command status, brother in arms with Roy, were all dismissed as if they both did not know what they were doing from the beginning.
If there was true faith in this project, in Rooney, he should have been on until the bitter end. To see it through. To fall to the ground and wonder WTF just happened like his teammates did.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
England played like they wanted to lose last night. Joe Hart was terrible in goal. Stirling was trying to one man the ball again, instead of passing to a team mate. The passing was sloopy and made it easier for Iceland to hold on. Iceland did very well and should be very proud of themselves.
Terry(Quote)
BrisV: I might get a bit loopy with you 2 now and again but I doubt if I will ever get accused of hyping England 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I think the obvious choice for interim manager of England is Lee Clark.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
? own hype? lesser leagues? Our league is the most watched in the world, not due to the English lads, mainly overseas stars.
If Smalling and Cahill are the best English defenders we can deploy then we have serious problems.
Iceland stopped our wingbacks from off which made us play more central. Roy should of spotted this and took dier off straight away. instead he keeps playing Sterling who looks like he never has control of the ball.
I only expected us to get to the quarters and to be honest we only played well against Wales and scored late on. Looked poor against the Russians and ***** against Slovakia so I dont know how we can be accused of being arrogant?
Gashley(Quote)
Gash: I agree that nobody was ever arrogant about England on here except Troy. Everybody had us down for a QF exit. To go out to Iceland is embarrassing but no less than we deserved.
Now take a look at Schteve. Why is he still employed?
heturf.com.au/2016/06/28/steve-mcclaren-chats-s-gets-banged/?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
The link to Schteve didn’t work. It is on newsnow though if you want to look.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sheesh, what an arrogant response ! 😛 😆
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Did Hodgson select the squad on his own or am I write in thinking there is a panel of selectors?.
Hodgson made his statement very shortly after the game & it was pre planned (written out) – which tells you where his head was at!!. I don’t think the FA helped him with all this talk of him getting the bullet after this tournament anyway – but take nothing away from Roy – he is at fault!.
Firstly all I will say is Sterling.
But secondly, this Rooney carry on was stupid too. He played CF all through the pre tournament qualifiers & scored goals for fun. Then you get to the actual tournament & he decides he wants to change position?!.
I’m not saying Rooney played badly, but if you have set up a certain way & know how the team works with Rooney up top – then it doesn’t make sense having to start again going into a tournament.
People say Roy doesn’t know his best 11 – that’s because his 11 for the last 4 years had Rooney as a forward. Then 4 games ago Rooney goes to him and says he wants to play midfield?!.
He’s had 4yrs building up to this tournament & a last minute decision like that totally derails the final plan. I say last minute as I assume that to be the case with Rooney having never played there, even in the last couple of friendlies.
I fully expect the FA to recruit another puppet like Southgate or Neville as next manager. But for me, if you look at ROI with ONeil & Keane, you need motivators & coaches the players respect (and probably fear a little bit).
Sharpy17(Quote)
the passing in the tournament by England has been the worse ive seen for donkeys.. how many balls too high, too long. Dier, Rooney, Wiltshire, Kane all guilty of it. how many players standing around and not fighting? how many balls over the opponents defence instead of on the ground?
Too early for the likes of Ally, dier, showed he isnt as good as he thinks he is, same could be said for Kane, Sterling..
All I will say is I think Townsend would of made a difference. We only had forest gump (sterling) and Walker who was marshalled and forced central every time he got the ball. Townsend would of been a decent outlet for Walker last night
Gashley(Quote)
http://www.skysports.com/football/news/12016/10327062/steve-mcclaren-freezes-on-air-as-england-concede-to-iceland
Love this as well!!.
The grin reaper talking down the Iceland threat just as they score the second 😆
If you look closely you can actually see the look on his face saying “bollocks, I’ve been caught talking **** again!!”. 😆 😆
Sharpy17(Quote)
Gash – there as no urgency to get the ball forward. We didn’t play to the strengths of Kane or Alli. We made horrible decisions on the set pieces.
But I still think that moving Rooney back to midfield caused problems for the team. Young players getting used to playing a certain way for years & then you get to a tournament & all of a sudden you don’t have your top scorer making those runs or being that front line presence.
Kane on freekicks last night – what the hell?!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
New thread
https://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2016/06/28/the-five-greatest-newcastle-players-of-the-premier-league-era/
Eddie Howe new England manager for me. My mate said he wanted Pardew this morning, nearly killed him.
Andy The Magpie(Quote)
Is that true? If it is then that is absolutely unforgivable.
Shamrock(Quote)
The things is, football is a wimps game – so you can expect the players to bottle it. Now a man’s game is Rugby – and if you want to look at the character of a nation then you compare the rugby teams. In fact, there was a recent example of this when the Aussie side got whitewashed 3 Nil on their own turf. 😆
Shamrock(Quote)