If the final game of last season is anything to go by then Newcastle fans can be optimistic for 2015-16. They put five past Tottenham Hotspur and while the man who scored two of those goals, Georginio Wijnaldum, has left the club, the Magpies undoubtedly have options up front.
Aleksandar Mitrovic scored 9 in the Premier League last season which is pretty good for a 21 year old in his first campaign. The last time Newcastle were relegated they were fired back into the top flight by a tall and powerful forward who sometimes lost his cool. Newcastle who are favourites to win the English second tier in this year’s championship betting will be hoping Mitrovic becomes the new Andy Carroll so they can sell him to Liverpool for something like £60 million next year. The Serbian will undoubtedly lead the line for the Toon next season on the occasions when he isn’t suspended.
If Mitrovic loses his cool and starts punching players from Rotherham United and Burton Albion, Newcastle have players waiting in the reserves. The signing of Dwight Gayle could prove inspiring. The Englishman is undoubtedly a lethal finisher and scored 7 goals in 9 matches during a loan spell in the Championship for Peterborough United in 2012. The price tag was large but Gayle wasn’t really given consistent first team football by former club Crystal Palace to show what he can do.
Aside from the big two, it’s easy to forget about Ayoze Perez. The 22 year-old is far too good to be sat on the bench and will need game time in order to further his career. The club also has youngster Adam Armstrong as well as Emmanuel Riviere who, despite popular opinion, is still actually a Newcastle United player.
It’s quite a task for Rafael Benitez to actually get all of these attacking players into the same starting line-up. The Spaniard played a 4-4-1-1 formation for much of his time at Liverpool but switched to a 4-2-3-1 at Napoli and Real Madrid. Benitez could well start with Rolando Aarons and Matt Ritchie out wide with Ayoze Perez in the attacking midfield position behind either Mitrovic or Gayle.
Failing that, he could go for a simple 4-4-2, a formation which is far more popular in the Championship than the Premier League, and play Mitrovic and Gayle together. Mitrovic/Gayle has something of a big man/little man pairing around it, somewhat similar to the Sam Vokes/Andre Gray pairing which brought Burnley so much success last season. That could be an example for Newcastle to follow in 2016-17.
Newcastle United go into the coming season full of confidence in their attacking options but should heed caution. The Championship is an incredibly difficult league to get out of; just ask Blackburn, Bolton, Fulham, or Wolves. As the biggest side in the division, every club will want to get a result against Newcastle, and add to the fact that most of the players – and the manager – have no experience at this level and it could prove challenging. That aside, the quality of the attacking players the club has should be more than enough to fire the Magpies to automatic promotion.
And who has a name like Gabby Obertongs anyway? Pahhh!
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Eric Benny had more talent in his little toe than the likes of Sissoko will ever have. There is little doubt Pardew mismanaged him.
That said, Benny was a highly paid professional with us and should have taken it on the chin and proved Pards wrong. Instead, he ate a truckload of pies and sulked his way into a transfer to Hull City for a pie eating content with the pie eating king himsel – only to unsurp the pie king and suffer his wrath too. Benny basically went on a 2 year sulk and let both the Toon and himself down in the process. He has done well to pick himself up since then, but he has wasted a large part of his career being a pie eating lazy, sulky git.
Shamrock(Quote)
So is Troy like, OK?
Shamrock(Quote)
Sham, you talking about the pie eating part or the sulking part?
Pards had ben Arfa playing as an auxiliary right back and totally wasted his talent. I think I might have reacted similarly or asked for a transfer.
Where the hell is Troy anyway? I hope he is OK and he is not sulking about his Euros prediction.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I hope Troy’s ok as well. I miss his Pardew rant’s and clueless crew comments.
Terry(Quote)
Troy doesn’t do Championship obviously, he only wants Premier League or Champions League.
Munich Mag(Quote)
To be fair to Troy he went missing quite a bit of last summer too. He doesn’t really do pre season or transfer speculation from what he’s said in the past – so he stays off.
Sharpy17(Quote)
It’s good to see clubs with more clout then us not able to move Lacazette either.
I think our lot took some **** for not doing enough to get him in, but with Arsenal struggling as well, it looks like Lyon want to keep the lad.
Sharpy17(Quote)
these transfer fee have gone crazy clubs talking 50,60,70,mil and more is not the real world imo its making a joke of the game how can young fans relate to the game or older fans come to that,money has put a end to loyality from players where will end,i would like to see another team like Leiester win the lg just to show money cannot buy everything but i doubt it,shame
icedog(Quote)
Ice – I totally agree mate. Read this morning Chelsea have bid £57m for Lukaku, but Everton want £75m 😯
Sharpy17(Quote)
HI all, any chance today’s game will be televized?
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
nice to see you back mate its been a while
icedog(Quote)
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/newcastle-vs-vitesse-live-build-11683693
Ryder has vids of the Gayle and Colback goals here, first goal was an og
half time Toon 3.0 up
Kimtoon(Quote)
FFS Ryder I can watch the OG but not the Gayle and Colback ones 😡
Kimtoon(Quote)
http://www.nufcblog.com/2016/07/30/half-time-newcastle-3-vitesse-0-video/
Uncle Ed has the goals
Kimtoon(Quote)
http://metro.co.uk/2016/07/30/alan-shearer-trolls-manchester-uniteds-entire-fanbase-on-20th-anniversary-of-snubbing-red-devils-6039190/
Get in Big Al, great comeback tweet
Kimtoon(Quote)
3.1 now
Kimtoon(Quote)
Unfortunately we do seem to still have the capacity to make defending look difficult!
Stuart79(Quote)
cheers mate
icedog(Quote)
3-2 😈
icedog(Quote)
That’s why I don’t think we’ll walk the championship. Still work to do. Still players needed.
Gashley(Quote)
Be a bit sad if it ends 3.3, good comeback by them though 3.2 and they are on top apparently
Kimtoon(Quote)
We hung on to win 3-2 I hear? Another win then. We’re not going to get 46 clean sheets this season. Gayle is in the scoring again which is important.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
So Thauvin doesn’t even rate a few minutes. An unused sub. What does that tell us about him? Surely he’ll be moved on.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
More players to come in then? Excellent! Tiote, Thauvin, and Sissy are headed oot. We’ll have more cash. KnockClarts in first. He sounds a good’un. Then possibly an AMF if Rafa thinks Shelvey and De Jong can’t get it done. A LB as well!
GeordieTwo(Quote)
By reports Armstrong had a very poor game when he came on,pity maybe on loan again,might see one or two shipped out in the next couple of days,if they cannot get movement on the Brighton lad maybe he will move for T.Ince
Icedog(Quote)
Ice not sure about Tom Ince, he’s another motivated by big wages if you believe Liverpool fans from back when he was with them. Maybe his time at Derby has been a reality check?
Kimtoon(Quote)
Would like to have watched the game, hard to judge Arma and the rest without seeing them. You would think they’d have put one game on tv like.
Kimtoon(Quote)
Need a couple more in of quality, going off reports. Have we really been tested yet.
Kimtoon(Quote)
Well maybe we will be tested on Friday,Fulham beat our friend Pardew 3.1
Icedog(Quote)
hmm, food for thought
Kimtoon(Quote)
I hope this Pogba **** is the bubble bursting moment. Not only is he barely better than Sissoko, he is nothing near Ronaldo or Messi and he is the £100m player? He who left for free from Man Utd a few year ago
He alone is probably nearing the entire transfer budget for Leagues 1 and 2 for several years.
It is disgusting and I hope the bubble bursts and lots of clubs go tits up. A reality check is needed.
funkyjesus(Quote)
funky, I totally agree, I think this TV deal will be the ruination of a few clubs before long.
Kimtoon(Quote)
I see that Stuart Findlay is already wearing the captain’s armband for the u-23 side. He has it just joined. Must be making g quite an impression..good for him.
Shamrock(Quote)
Sham – the young forward we signed at the same time as Finlay is impressing too from what I’ve read mate.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Yep Beardsley raving about him the other day
Kimtoon(Quote)
Yasin Ben El Mhanni is the one he was on about
Kimtoon(Quote)
Kim – aye that’s the boy I’m on about too. It’s good that we are still working on youth, despite the major changes going on to the first team
Sharpy17(Quote)
so Thanvin on his way due for medical at Lazio,so expect someone in next week
icedog(Quote)
Fulham will turn us over for sure, despite a full close season Rafa hasn’t worked out his best team. Ridiculous !
Another season of broken promises..
Munich Mag(Quote)
Of course he hasn’t. He still has Thauvin, Sissoko etc still on the books. He’s stuck for options until either somebody makes an acceptable bid or the window closes. Until it’s known for sure they are on their way out he can’t justify bringing somebody in to fill their spot. I’d like to have seen the defense sorted sooner but we still have a month of the window left and have probably done more restructuring of the squad than any of the clubs in the top 2 divisions – and we look stronger already. We will be fine.
Shamrock(Quote)
the main promise has been kept up to now,keeping jabba nose out of things
icedog(Quote)
Don’t worry Munich mate. We will defeat Fulham. They won’t stand up to our powerful attack. We’ll go in there and thump them. Mitro and Gayle to score.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Thaujam is on his way to Italy. I think we can get KnockClarts and a couple of other decent players before the window closes. I’m very calm, cool and collected this season. We’re getting ready to get this party started!
GeordieTwo(Quote)
G2 Mitro is banned mate …
My worry is the defence, and I just hope we don’t start sloppily like pre-season…Fulham will be a big threat…
Munich Mag(Quote)
Mitro is banned already? Very disappointing. I see they have Scottie Parker down there. He must be getting on now. I wonder if McCormack will play? There seems to be some doubt as Norwich have increased their bid apparently.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
G2 Mitro got a 4 match ban for his radgie outburst against the Spuds…
Munich Mag(Quote)
Ahh, that’s right. I remember now. So it will have to be Gayle up front I suppose. It looked like he had a decent match against Vitesse. It makes us very small up front though.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
I see why Rafa wants more players in with some clubs strengthening quite a bit. Zenga looks a good one for Wolves. Fulham will be good. Probably Brighton will be. And Derby? Who else will trouble us?
GeordieTwo(Quote)
G2 – Norwich, Villa, Leeds, Sheff Wednesday… they are all tough nuts to crack..
Munich Mag(Quote)
Galatasaray in for Lucas from Liverpool for £2m. I know he’s 29 but we should defo be trying to get him in – I know we have 1 or 2 for that position already but the lad is quality & would defo do a job for us.
£2m is nowt either.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Munich – they are mate, but there were tough teams to beat last time we were down there with Hoots, and we arguably had a weaker squad but still broke records.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy 17, I would say compared to last time we were down there our squad this time round is far weaker.
Munich Mag(Quote)
Munich – I think we agree to disagree on that one like mate.
Sharpy17(Quote)
icedog(Quote)
Ice – I hear you mate, but I think for Carroll id say Mitrovic, Nolan for Perez (maybe not leadership but technically far better), Barton for Ritchie, Colo for Lascelles and I didn’t rate Jonas but if you want someone to run his heart out Colback covers some ground.
Let’s see what the squad looks like when the window closes, but I genuinely think we are in better shape this time round – with hands down a better manager.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharples/Ice we’ll see soon enough lads..
Of course I want us to go up big time, but I reckon we are in worse shape than we think…too little nous in midfield and up front… Yonks away from a stable team, Rafa has his work cut out…plus Lacelles, Darlo etc weren’t anywhere near the first team and now they are the great white hopes… !! Too much too soon beiong asked of the young uns …
Want to see the season start soon so we can get a true idea of where we are…
Munich Mag(Quote)
Munich – I do have to agree with the nous thing. I would like more experience up front or in the attacking midfield role – for that reason I see merit in the McCormack link though I’m not sure that one will come off.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Munich – I think Darlow & Lascelles came of age last season mate, or certainly made a lot of progress as I don’t see them as finished articles or in their prime just yet.
Both have a lot of experience with Forest, as has Hanley with Bburn – and I’ve been very impressed with Hayden so far.
LB and LW is still a concern for me though.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I doubt Darlow will retain the keeper job. Munich Mag is definitely going against the grain as there is a lot of optimism. I still think we have the best squad in The Championship by far and a Manager who has succeeded everywhere he has been. I don’t count Madrid because they never gave him a chance. One bad loss to Barcelona and he was out. We have seen how much more professional the whole operation is now so you have to get excited especially as we turned over one of the better teams in the league in the last game.
I have seen people complain about Benetez saying he should have done better against Villa, Norwich and the Mackems but he took over a depressed and domoralised team. I think they sensed Schteve had run out of ideas.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I’m not convinced we will fly out of the blocks because there has been so much change and there will still be a lot of change to come but I think we will stay in the top 6 until around October and then we will be click and effectively tear the league up, finishing top comfortably but not achieving g Hoots’ points record.
Shamrock(Quote)
Talk of Diame coming in to replace Sissoko. I’d take him over Pritchard for sure.
Shamrock(Quote)
Me too Sham
Kimtoon(Quote)
There could well be legs to the Diame thing too as I should imagine he’d want an escape from Hull, they are in a right mess at the moment.
Kimtoon(Quote)
Only fly in the ointment would be the AFCON in 2017 where we would be without him from Jan -feb, which could be a pivotal time in the season for us.
Kimtoon(Quote)
me too
icedog(Quote)
looks like Norwich are just about to tie up the Fulham striker,settling on about 11 mil,so will be missing against the toon
icedog(Quote)
That’s handy Ice
Kimtoon(Quote)
George Caulkin @CaulkinTheTimes · 45m
Diame release clause has been met and he’s en route from Hull to #Nufc today. Another may follow later
Kimtoon(Quote)
we met his £3m release clause, yes £3m !!! what a steal
Kimtoon(Quote)
George Caulkin @CaulkinTheTimes · 12h12 hours ago
Told that #Nufc submitted two new bids for players today. Knockaert not one of them – “that’s not happening.” We’ll see.
Kimtoon(Quote)
I’d be very happy with Diame like and £3m is daylight robbery for a player with his experience.
Get the left side sorted and I’d be happy!!.
There’s talk of us being linked with Paddy McNair as well – one of the young CBs Jose has put up at Utd.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Diame has scored or assisted 1 in 3 in the Championship, which is good enough for us. Experienced too, which we need. Not as good as Sissoko in the PL but decent enough for where we are.
Shamrock(Quote)
I’ve been wondering about central midfield for a while. While the ones we’ve got – Anita, Colback, Shelvey, Hayden, are decent there’s no one to take the game by the horns and really go for it. None of those four could really be described as AMs. Diame on the other hand could be perfect for the role and if it means 3 of them sitting on the bench then so be it. Diame is what Sissoko should have been in his impact on games.
Georgio(Quote)
Is Diame a No. 10 or is he more of an attack-minded box-to-box midfielder?
Charlie Prince(Quote)