What team would you pick for the new season?

Two key men for the new season?
This is a very hypothetical article as we can only truly know what the starting line up will be once all our transfer activity has been concluded.

However, as yet another striker turns us down and Neil Taylor’s situation at an impasse I fear that our transfer activity has stagnated somewhat. So then if we didn’t get any players inbetween now and the start of the season for our first game against Arsenal on the 16th of August would it be a disaster? Would the team represent anything that could challenge in the cups and for a top ten finish?

We all have differing opinions on the current squad members and the first team as it stands could be subject to a number of questions…

Goalkeeper – Steve Harper, Fraser Forster or Tim Krul? Personally I think Forster will leave the club. Krul had an outstanding debut for Holland and was competent when he played last season. I feel he will get the nod with the experienced yet wise Harper knowing he has a lot to offer even from the bench.

Defence – Starting with the right-back, I think it’s fairly obvious that Danny Simpson, while young and sometimes nervy is a far better option, than the likes of James Perch and Ryan Taylor. In the middle of defence you’d guess that it will be our new captain, Fabricio Coloccini, but between Steven Taylor and Mike Williamson it really is a hard call. I personally thought that Williamson was superb last season and is a competent player who reads the game very well. Unfortunately for him Taylor came into a great run of form and scored goals which Willo couldn’t manage. For me that would be the deciding factor. Left-back all depends on whether or not Jose Enrique stays and to be honest… I think he will … The lack of interest in him that is concrete speaks volumes.

Midfield – I am relishing next season purely because our strength in depth in midfield will draw envious glances from elsewhere. For me it’s going to be Cheik Tiote and Yohan Cabaye in the middle. The power and presence of Tiote combined with calm and technical Cabaye is something that will hopefully compliment each other.

Now this is the hardest call – Wingers. I really think that Joey Barton should be on the right as he is most effective there and will provide great service for the attackers. I’d then put Marveaux on the left. This wasn’t an easy choice as I think Jonas is underrated. He really is a maverick and can be a power tool on the wing. With the likes of Dan Gosling, Danny Guthrie and Shane Ferguson all on the bench we will have a lot more flair and pace in this midfield.

Strikers– As Hatem Ben Arfa’s shirt would suggest he seems destined to play the No10 role. I think he will be superb there. He played there at Lyon and was so dangerous with Karim Benzema and with him playing off Demba Ba it would be clinical partnership! With Shola Ameobi, Leon Best and Peter Lovenkrands on the bench we haven’t got any game changers… Which I admit is a major worry

So my team is a sort of 4-2-2-1-1

Tim Krul; Danny Simpson, Fabricio Coloccini, Steven Taylor, Jose Enrique; Yohan Cabaye, Cheik Tiote; Joey Barton, Sylvain Marveaux; Hatem Ben Arfa, Demba Ba.

Which would give us a potential bench of: Steve Harper, Mike Williamson, Shane Ferguson, Dan Gosling, Jonas Gutierrez, Leon Best, Shola Ameobi.

I think that is a force to be reckoned with… However it becomes painstakingly obvious we need a striker or two and cover at right back.

What do you think?

Thanks to Liam Southern Toon for giving us something that isn’t related to money or transfer activity to ponder!

About toonsy

A lifelong Newcastle fan and current webmaster of this very 'blog who has the sole aim of creating a place by Newcastle United fans, for Newcastle United fans.

128 thoughts on “What team would you pick for the new season?

  1. RICHIE you lost weight in the sun,or are you still haveing to book two seats on the plane,just gordon was asking 😀

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  2. RT 😆 😆 😆

    Me playing in the el classico last season because pepe was injured and I had messi in my pocket, just make sure you tell him then 😉 😆 😆 😆 😆

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  3. RICHIE snap me too,bet you werent as thick as me only 17yrs first time,said she was in club thought she meant toon,finished at 19yr old,2nd one is a good!n like 😉

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  4. Krul
    Simpson
    Enrique?
    Taylor
    Collocini

    Barton
    Tiote
    Cabaye

    Marveaux
    Ben Arfa
    Demba Ba

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  5. I’m 28, still not even considering a wife.

    Still don’t feel like I’ve escaped being a sucker for punishment.
    Gf left me to immigrate to the UK after 5 years.

    But its ok. I’ve got a new hotter younger version 🙂

    Very few country’s can beat South Africa’s women. We are blessed with talent. :mrgreen:

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  6. A lot seem to be picking Marveaux over Jonas, but honestly… How many have actually seen him play?

    The rest we all seem to be pretty much in agreement on.

    What I’d like to hear from others is who is your striking choice when Ba is injured?

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  7. JJ you stay that way mate,my dad said theres worse things than marrage,i havent found it yet 😀 😀

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  8. This is turning into a romance tell-all… And I’m just as guilty… 😯
    Next thing Bobbys gonna be on here telling us about how his first husband broke his heart and turrned him bitter.

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  9. Ice….I’m down to 1.5 seats 😉
    Same as me, first wife got pregnant shortly after I’d told her I was being posted to another regiment…..spooky eh? 👿

    I agree with Stuart’s team 😉

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  10. Spencer@80……I don’t know about in ya pocket but I hear you get “Messi” in your sock 😆

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  11. Ice…..or don’t pick her up, peace maintained……for a couple more hours anyway…..don’t forget to deflate ya mistress before you pick her up 😉 😆

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  12. RT- Which ever,I managed to keep him quite all game, he said I was the best CB he had ever played against 😉 😆

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  13. ScottwilsonechoScott Wilson
    Early days yet, but there’s the potential for a big #NUFC tale brewing in tomorrow’s Northern Echo….

    🙂

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  14. @Andrew, is he one of the more reliable one’s, or is he one who talks shyte? 😆

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  15. He works for a local paper, he’s canny as out, isn’t one of those who talks rubbish.

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  16. Well, “early days”, “potential”, “NUFC tale”… Sounds like he’s grasping at Straws and playing to rumour to me…
    Regardless of the storys.

    But Scott Wilson seems a fair journalist reporting wise.
    Investigating isn’t his strong point…

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  17. JJ

    He doesn’t give anything away in his tweet like…Does not even let us know if it’s good or bad.

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  18. All will be revealed when I fly over tomorrow and iron out a few final details 😉

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  19. Maybe James Perch, Ryan Taylor and Shola Ameobi have all agreed to 7 year contract extensions 😆

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  20. TGS…..aye he is, don’t tell me he’s the one wi the rumours?lol
    what’s the tw@tterers saying like?

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  21. Aye TGS, I put NUFC hash tag as a tweet just to see what was doing the rounds like 😆

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  22. Richie,
    Nowt that hasn’t already been said, potential for a big NUFC tale brewing apparently.
    I would treat the word potential with caution.
    Twitter folk are creaming themselves that it means a takeover has been agreed. 😕

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  23. tavernier-Taylor-Coloccini-Enrique
    Barton – Tiote
    Jonas Ferguson
    Ben Arfa
    Ba
    but im no manager!!!!!……youth and experience… 😉

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  24. Just curious…how big would tomorrow’s news…assuming there is news and there is BIG NEWS tomorrow…how big would it have to be to derail the Reality Train? Would N’Zogbia be enough? Naylor and Zog? Naylor, Zog and Striker? Or none of those?
    What’s the benchmark for progress here?

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  25. here is my line up :
    Krul
    Jonas Collo Williamson Enrique
    Barton Tiote Cabaye Marveaux
    Ba Benny

    Subs
    harper taylor ferguson Gosling Best shola

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  26. How about putting Jonas as RB? Didn’t he play it for Argentina in the WC?
    That is how you can put Barton, Jonas and Marveaux together.. At least for the first game when we have the whole squad.
    BTW Gosling can also play RB so we do have pretty decent backup there..
    Hopefully the Naylor saga will end soon and we will have him for backup as LB otherwise we have Ferguson who played pretty good last season when needed.
    We H-A-V-E to buy another striker Sturridge can be great, Best is Okay as backup but not explosive enough..

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