With the January transfer window finally shut after a manic 31 days on Tyneside, it’s finally time to shift our attentions back to events on the pitch.
We arrive into February having signed the following:
- Kieran Trippier – £12m (Atletico Madrid)
- Chris Wood – £25m (Burnley)
- Bruno Guimaraes – £40m (Lyon)
- Matt Targett – Loan (Aston Villa)
- Dan Burn – £13m (Brighton)
Two top internationals, three Premier League proven players and five smart pieces of business.
The Athletic have since released a piece on what went on and what it means moving forward, believing the following side – featuring all FIVE new signings – looks set to be Eddie Howe’s new starting 11 until Callum Wilson is fit again:
(4-3-2-1): Dubravka – Trippier, Lascelles, Burn, Targett – Guimaraes Shelvey, Joelinton – Fraser, Saint-Maximin – Wood.
Perhaps Schar may be preferred to Lascelles if the skipper’s form doesn’t improve, but the fact he is club captain and someone Howe has spoken highly of means he’s likely to keep his place, moving back to the right-side of a two now we’ve signed a left-footer in Dan Burn.
Willock may also benefit from Gumaraes’ arrival and get back into the side, either at Joelinton or Jonjo Shelvey’s expense, but this looks likely to be the side Howe will go with soon enough.
Enough to stay up? I think so. It lacks depth in the odd area – we can’t afford ASM to get injured – but we finally have a top quality midfielder, a proven PL striker while Wilson is out and three very solid defenders added into our back four.
The Athletic then revealed the starting 11 we tried to construct, believing it would’ve looked something like this had Botmam, Carlos, Digne and Lingard arrived:
Apart from Guimaraes that team still looks weak upfront.
Fraser, Wood and Shelvey – not guaranteed to cause flutters to the opposition.
Lascelles – an accident waiting to happen.
Hurry back Callum and keep fit Maxie – we need your excitement and goals.
Just pray that we stay up and we can upgrade some of this lot next year.
taken4mugs(Quote)
Would play Willock rather than Shelvey, not convinced about Wood or Fraser, but we’ve got what we’ve got!
Let’s hope it’s enough.
Joseph(Quote)
Why on earth would you leave Lascelles in?
BykerBill(Quote)
A LOT of money spent on average players – Fraser has got to be left out of any starting 11 as he’s being played only because of being mate’s with Howe & Wood is a very odd one = WHY?
And on Howe’s choices over the past month are player’s club’s wanted rid of and we’ve paid a fortune – give him 5 games and if we are still in the bottom 3…
… it’s Time to hold hands up & admit he simply isn’t up to this job
kk(Quote)
Think that’s very harsh and wat OTT. Give him and them a chance… 🙄
Olly Hawkins(Quote)
Kk apart from needing a woman of the night to get some frustration out of you you never come up with better alternatives when you post your sad pathetic negative comments so why don’t you tell us your alternatives
Darren Bebb(Quote)
Did Ryan Fraser have an affair with your other half, you are always slating him, you obviously don’t watch the games he has been one of our more dangerous players recently.
You are so negative
David(Quote)
How anybody would even think about putting Frazier before Jolinton absolutely amazes me
John Amos(Quote)