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
Well I hope we have the decency to swap shirts at the end and not do a Ronaldo
Kimtoon(Quote)
Go on Iceland. You deserve it. 10% of population purchased tickets. What an experience for their kids looking on. Good for them.
Shamrock(Quote)
this is beyond poor
Kimtoon(Quote)
agree mate
Kimtoon(Quote)
not a hope in hell of getting back into this at this rate
Kimtoon(Quote)
England. No credit rating. No football team. Brilliant.
Shamrock(Quote)
Yep and sterling at a record low
Kimtoon(Quote)
see what I did there 😉
Kimtoon(Quote)
Well we were all hoping Iceland would get through to the knockouts, bet most are not happy now,Woy will resign after this game,well bloody should,Pardew is waiting
Icedog(Quote)
Yeah in more ways than one Kim!
Shamrock(Quote)
not one England player has impressed tonight which frankly is staggering
Kimtoon(Quote)
Ice, hope they go on to do really well, they deserve it.
Kimtoon(Quote)
Pardew for England, how low have we gotten
Kimtoon(Quote)
Eric, didn’t Troy say we’d win ?
Kimtoon(Quote)
Rashford with 4 minutes 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
You put all of your eggs in the Rooney basket, defend him to the hilt and then take him off?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Have we even hit the target this second half? I can’t remember any attacking intent considering they should be desparate to score. Btw, in case I’ve not already mentioned it – Kane is rubbish at free kicks. Why have a striker taking kicks 40 yards away from the goal?
Shamrock(Quote)
Back to footy Palace agree 38€ mil deal for Batshuayi,and bid Townsend clause fee
Icedog(Quote)
Haven’t these been the most bizarre decisions you have ever seen? I said it before this all started that Mr. Roy was taking a risk playing Wayne in an unfamiliar role.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Absolutely pish poor. Unbelievably poor. England has not played one top side yet, but finds itself about to be knocked out prematurely by a minnow. Absolutely shocking. I wonder what the wage comparison is between the two squads and managers?
Shamrock(Quote)
Thankfully I had Ireland do me proud. I feel sorry for those of you that only have this bunch of clowns to pin your hopes on.
Shamrock(Quote)
Rooney has mis- placed 90% of his passes
Icedog(Quote)
Where is that turnip for The Sun to superimpose Mr. Roy’s head on?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
All I can do is laugh. Phwahahahaha. 😳
Shamrock(Quote)
Well done Iceland well played now go on and stuff the French
Kimtoon(Quote)
Well done to Iceland. Disgraceful from England.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Course they do, Pards is a ****
Kimtoon(Quote)
Get off the floor you muppets. You don’t deserve self pity. You have to put effort in to deserve that.
Shamrock(Quote)
says it all
Kasper schmeichel Verified account
@kschmeichel1
Come on England!!! You’re behind!! Do something! Run around!! Tackle someone!!! Anything
Kimtoon(Quote)
Time for huge changes in the England team. Roy oot. Rooney oot. Decisions to be made on who the strikers are. A new defense needed. Shocking mess.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
laughing stock of Europe in so many ways right now 😳 🙁
Kimtoon(Quote)
There will now be a brief period allotted for whinging. It’s on the clock though. Starting…….. now!
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Match of the Day Retweeted
Phil Wye @FootyPhilWye · 4m4 minutes ago
Chants here to the #ENG players of “You’re not fit to wear the shirt.”
#bbceuro2016
@5liveSport
Kimtoon(Quote)
Lol
Shamrock(Quote)
Beyond abysmal.
sidekick(Quote)
Wales leading the way in the last 8. Go on you Dragons!
Shamrock(Quote)
This 2nd half was truly abysmal. Seriously. No intent. No effort. No dying for the shirt. No clue. Utterly pathetic.
Shamrock(Quote)
G2, I’m cross but oddly not gutted, have found it hard to get emotionally attached to England for a long while now. There are no Shearers, Butchers, Sherringhams ,Gazzas, Adams or Linekers anymore, we just aren’t producing really exciting likeable players. There is no real spirit or endeavour out there and jeeze we are sooooooooooo slow to attack.
Kimtoon(Quote)
2 shots on target sham, against iceland 😳
Kimtoon(Quote)
Kane was sat too deep and Sterling is not a cooking winger. Rooney is not a midfielder. Dier is not a midfielder. Wilshire is not a footballer. He’s a chain smoking party boy. Terrible effort from the players. Terrible selection and tactics by Hodgeson. Terrible lack of development from English set up from youth sides upwards.
Shamrock(Quote)
11 ******* coached by a rabbit in the headlights
Kimtoon(Quote)
The fongbat will be in heavy use in the England dressing room I hope….
GeordieTwo(Quote)
That’s it rant over, not wasting my breath anymore, get enough of this **** with the Toon, damned if England are gonna get me down.
So, Up the Dragons and the Vikings I say . Oh and the Italians too.
Kimtoon(Quote)
No guts, no glory Roy. What was the plan to break down the Iceland defense? The slowest attack buildup in the world? He should be sacked today.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Has it ever been any different with England over the last fifty or more years not that I can remember so where’s the shock Ime not,same old
Icedog(Quote)
New blood required everywhere, including the manager. The Iceland back four were magnificent.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Chris Brammer
@ChrisBramms
No leaders, no characters. England’s best tournaments since 66, have been 86, 90, 96. Butcher, Robson, Lineker, Gazza, Pearce, shearer etc..
Glad I’m not the only one who feels that way
Kimtoon(Quote)
Andy magpie.
Does that answer your question why we don’t have passion like ROI ?
Utter shambles.
Once walker and rose were shackled we had no plan b
Gashley(Quote)
I didn’t think I would see Sterling and Wilshere again after their previous abject displays. And yet Mr. Roy starts one and brings on the other as first sub. Rooney looked like he did in Brazil when the ball just bounced off him.
Do you know that Hodgson was getting 3 million a year!!!!!
Eric Sykes(Quote)
ha
https://twitter.com/Koalinhoo/status/747536738873184256?lang=en-gb
Kimtoon(Quote)
Roy resigns
Kimtoon(Quote)
I think the press have gone very easy on Roy in the expectation that we would go out “heroically” to France. There were so many criticisms that could have been made but they held back.
OUTCOACHED BY A PART-TIME DENTIST.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I even held off on here criticising Mr. Roy as I know I have a reputation on here of being tough on managers. I really did want to give him the benefit of the doubt but his decisions have been beyond a joke.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
So who gets the hot seat next?
Kimtoon(Quote)
Pards will be practicing his England presser in the mirror as I type.
Kimtoon(Quote)
How about Klinsman, maybe a German can bring us some luck.
Kimtoon(Quote)
Pards for England now ha ha! Though lets face it, could he do any worse?
Simon(Quote)
I don’t think anybody in the history of football had tried Mr. Roy’s tactical formation before. I think it was a variation of 3 at the back with 2 wing backs but this is what he actually played:
* 2 centre backs shielded by a defensive midfielder (Dier), who ended up being neither a defender nor midfielder.
* 1 wingback on the right (Walker) who was asked to make all of the crosses and had no cover.
* a traditional fullback on the left with an out of sorts runner in front of him (Sterling)
* a quarter back in the middle who had never played there, pinging balls sideways or losing control (Rooney)
* your centre forward taking corners.
Maybe he was trying to confuse the opposition but judging by today’s display he succeeded extremely well in confusing his own players.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Kimtoon: you said earlier that Troy had predicted England to win it. He did, then walked it back to ONLY getting to the final. I doubt we will see him on here soon 🙂 Maybe if Pards gets the job Troysta will have a gloat even though he himself said Pards was only average and the only reason he wanted him as NUFC manager was because we would get worse (which admittedly we did, but that’s another story).
Eric Sykes(Quote)
yep
Kimtoon(Quote)
Well I was watching that in a bar in Norway. I was pretty isolated as all the Norwegians were cheering Iceland. What a shocker that was. I’m not a football manager and even I could see that it was wrong to play Sterling. Hart should never again be given the chance to disgrace an England shirt.
Hodgson resigns. Only thing he could do. The wrong team selection and squad selection. No passion, no tactics, no ambition, no creativity. This was Iceland ffs. Iceland! ??? a team half full of part timers.
Hang your heads in shame England. I suppose at least we won’t get hammered by the French.
Dubai Toon(Quote)
I know Kim. Easy qualifiers and did well, but to pick players for the finals who hardly played throughout the season was just a joke. Think time is up for Rooney as well now. BIG changes needed
Simon(Quote)
Don’t know who’s in more disarray England and it’s two main parties or the England team. 😳
Kimtoon(Quote)
So, everything that was said about England has been vindicated. In the tradition of The Chronicle I will write a list of 13 things I have learned:
1. That Mr. Roy was in over his head and was flattered by an easy qualifying group. His only success had been in Scandinavia and he had been middling at best when Managing in England. Ask Liverpool fans.
2. That Rooney was shoehorned into midfield and had too much say. That he was too old and slow and would be found out in that position as soon as he was pressed. It just happened a game earlier than I thought.
3. That Rooney flattered to deceive in the group games because he was not pressed. As soon as he was, he reverted to the Wayne of previous tournaments where he couldn’t trap a bag of cement (thanks Icedog) and couldn’t make a 5 yard pass.
4. That we have the worst centre back partnership in living memory. Cahill finds it hard to get into the Chelsea team and every time I have watched Smalling he makes a mistake (even though the press tried to make excuses).
5. That Roy’s selections were based on favourites and not form and fitness.
6. That Roy did not have a plan B, otherwise he would have taken Carroll, Townsend and Drinkwater.
7. That the whole coaching staff have no clue about set pieces and chose the wrong players to take them.
8. That they ignored fatigue and lack of match fitness as factors in selecting the teams and even when it was obvious to everybody else they stuck with their failures.
9. That Joe Hart has been mistake prone for at least 2 years. And not just for England but for Man City as well. I doubt he will be Man City’s number 1 under Pep never mind England’s. It is a pity Buttland got injured.
10. That Mr. Roy played a tactical formation that had never been tried before, anywhere, any time, in order get all of his favourites on the pitch at the same time (see my post above). I mean, WTF:
Hart
no-one Cahill (1/2 Dier) Smalling Rose
(1/2 Dier)
Sideways Passing Quarterback (Rooney)
Walker Sturridge Kane
Alli Sterling
11. That this new, young, potentially “golden generation” are just as **** as the previous golden generation.
12. That Pardew will be a good fit as England Manager because then I will never expect anything from them and probably won’t even watch the games.
13. That Troy Stavers was totally wrong again.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
14. There were actually some warning signs from Spurs’ last few games of the season that Pochittino’s high press and high energy game had knackered their players. It is not a bad idea to select a core group from the same team but a relegated team (Newcastle) had put them to the sword with 10 men. You have to have a contingency plan and not just play Kane because he says he is not knackered when all evidence points to the contrary. Of course he would say that.
15. Did Mr. Roy pull his substitutions out of a hat or out of his ****? It luckily worked with seconds to go against the Welsh, but even then he totally unbalanced the team with his changes.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
None of what I am saying is new. I had said all of this during various times but not in a long diatribe as I did not want to be perceived as a chicken little or too negative and unpatriotic. I really did want England to win, but feared the worst. I also thought there was no way in hell the the country would fall for the Brexit lies.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I think it is time to stop the Brexit and Football comparisons now (I did not make one above). In the last 2 minutes alone I have seen about 2,027 “jokes” linking the 2.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
And why do you take off your Captain, Leader, Legend with 5 minutes to go? Isn’t he supposed to epitomize the bulldog spirit? Wasn’t he supposed to still be our best player according to all of the pundits? They all championed him in the lead up saying he had to play. They all were very happy to say they told everyone so when his group stage performances were a little bit better than average (or slightly better than expected by most of us) against teams that just sat back and wanted to defend.
Remember, until this tournament Rooney was first choice as an attacker. Push him up front and take off a fullback. Bring Rashford on for Wilshere who was playing in cement shoes anyway. Suddenly, our until recently, talisman and leader of the attack should not be there at the death, when it mattered, when his sheer force of will could get us through? What does that say?
The real Wayne Rooney turned up tonight and he totally bottled it as we all knew he would when he faced anybody who would challenge him. It shows how weak Mr. Roy is that he designed his team and tactics around one man who had basically picked his own position having never played it before. I am not just saying this now, I went on a long rant about it before the tournament started.
And don’t get me started on Mr. Roy again. The pundits, the ex-players, the press are all saying he doesn’t deserve criticism because he tried his best and is a “proud and dignified man”. Fck that, he was in over his head and made some head scratching decisions. He can be downright nasty as well. I have seen him lay into people in a nasty way and that can only be a very small part of it because I am sure they hide the tasty stuff. It was like appointing Ugly John as NUFC manager we all knew it would not end well.
I read an article in The Guardian the other week saying that there was a bond of trust between Mr. Roy and Rooney where they were joined at the hip like Manager and Assistant Manager. That there was mutual respect that would see the team through adversity. How did that work out? Where was that bond of trust for the last 5 minutes in the biggest game of Mr. Roy’s life?
This is a disgrace and the people culpable for it are Roy and Rooney. When they required leadership tonight, Rooney disappeared. When there was a need for different tactics, Roy persevered with his wrong-headed system. Where were “possibly the best group of forwards of any team in the competition”? Where was Plan B? In bloody Miami and Vegas because Roy didn’t take the players that would have allowed for a Plan B.
Roy said someone would be made to pay after the Slovakia game and someone did. Roy and hopefully Rooney.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Well hopefully that typical England team effort might end the ridiculous calls for more English players (British Steel) in our squad.. I have always found it mildly amusing when bloggers have called for more English backbone in our squad. That’s what happens when the motivation for a big paycheck and the things that accompany it out way the motivation to play in a game for your country. 😆 😆
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
AMF: I know you and I do not get along but I agree that perhaps the England players are just not good enough. We should have beat Iceland though and finished top of the weakest group ever in the Euro or World Cup (England were the number 1 seeded team which meant it was inevitable that it would be the weakest group ever).
If you do not have the best pool to pick from you do not let a has been dictate where he plays and who you pick. You select fit and in form players. In short, you give yourself the best chance at success like the Welsh and Icelanders have done.
You certainly do not have the most disjointed, untried and batshit crazy formation to shoehorn all of your favourites onto the pitch at the same time. And you don’t listen to Jamie Redknapp and Martin Keown who agree with everything you do, back Captain Roo to the hilt and then disappear when everything goes terribly wrong.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
It is the middle of the night in the UK so it is only me and AMF and I know he will not engage. Therefore, I will continue my rant. What were the tactics????
* Play 3 at the back, with wingbacks, but actually don’t because Dier wasn’t the third centre back and had to cover a slow Rooney instead.
* Have Walker as a wingback with no cover because that was what Lallana did and he wasn’t playing.
* try to play down the right with an isolated fullback and leave a gaping hole as Walker pushed forward, meanwhile leaving Rose and Sterling twiddling their thumbs on the left.
* Have an admittedly knackered Harry Kane feed off scraps from Alli and Sterling who were pushing further forward.
* Have supposedly your most instinctive finisher (Sturridge) play behind Alli and Sterling.
* Have every free kick and corner look like they are all making it up as they go along and like nobody has ever practiced a set piece routine before.
THIS WAS A TOTAL SHAMBLES WITH NOBODY SEEMING TO KNOW WHAT THEIR ROLE WAS. It was like watching a McClaren NUFC where you knew that the whole was so much less than the sum of its parts.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I propose Troy Stavers to take over as the head of the FA selection committee. He of the:
* Pards is great
* Carver will see us alright and just you watch Eric he might get the job full-time
* Lee Clark for interim NUFC manager
* England to win the Euros, no wait, England to get to the final
YCMIU
Eric Sykes(Quote)
What really annoys me are the Troys and Keowns and Redknapps of the world who are so strident in what they say and when they are proved wrong by facts and events just go on as if they never said it in the first place. Like they never defended Carver. That they never said Rooney was the only choice. That it OK for Mr. Roy to fail miserably because he is a “proud and decent man” and speaks 4 languages. That he know the difference between a Bordeaux and Rioja but seemingly knows f-all about tactics, strategy and systems (which happens to be his job).
Mr. Roy did not go to watch Iceland play because Ray Lewington had never been to Paris before so they went on a River cruise. How arrogant is that? How stupid is that? How dismissive is that?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Here…
If Mr. Roy and Ray Lewington had gone to see Iceland play he might have seen a whole country united as one. He might have seen an us against the world attitude, the players and the fans coming together to believe they could achieve the impossible.
There have been many times in history when the few have triumphed against overwhelming odds. I am not saying Iceland will win the whole thing, although Greece and Denmark did, but to be so dismissive as to take a day trip on the river with your 2nd in command is a complete joke. Pride comes before a fall, never has that been more appropriate than for Mr. Roy and England at the moment (including Brexit).
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric, talent has nothing to do with it.The only thing they are not good enough with is motivation and desire.. “Chin up lads, who wants a ride home in my canary yellow Bentley”
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)