Squad & tactics (2023/24)

We're talking about shipping players out. That definitely happens under Mike Ashley's ownership.

 

Rob Elliot, Karl Darlow, Ciaran Clark, Jacob Murphy, Isaac Hayden, Chancel Mbemba, Javier Manquillo and Mikel Merino have been squad players this season. You'd imagine Mbemba would want to leave to get game time. Some others might think the same. Some like Murphy and Merino are young players so will have more chances in future. Does Darlow want to spend a season on the bench?

 

Massadio Haidara, Jesus Gamez and Curtis Good are out of contract and will be leaving.

 

Mohamed Diame and Jack Colback have contract to Summer 2019.

 

Henri Saivet, Rolando Aarons, Freddie Woodman, Jamie Sterry, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Matz Sels, Adam Armstrong, Achraf Lazaar, Jack Colback and Ivan Toney are all out on loan. Woodman will probably go out on loan again next season. I'd say the same for Armstrong. NUFC will probably try to sell Saivet, Sels, Lazaar and Colback. Maybe Aarons, Sterry and Toney too. Rafa doesn't seem to rate Mitrovic so he's probably going to be sold.

 

I'm sure there will be quite a few outgoings in the Summer. The players who can't be sold will be loaned out again. That's the problem with putting players on Premiership wages with long contracts. If it doesn't work out for them in the Premiership they're hard to move on.

Still think Rondon would do a good job in a Rafa system.

 

Yeah I agree with this, especially if talk of a relegation release clause is true.

There will be a churn of the squad this off season, we've got to improve our production line, sounds like it's going to be a focus for Rafa if he signs a new long term contract. Sad fact though, since Shearer and perhaps Carrick, the city and area around it has not produced world class talent, it's not just lacking at the very top but across the board, there are not that many Geordies playing at a high level, hell the Mackems have produced more than us recently. It's obvious then that we've not been missing out on talent that's under our noses like we did in the past, because it's not there.

 

We have to cast our net out further to compete, our squad is paper thin, it's not been exposed this season too much because of the excellent fitness record and Rafa's careful management of players play time. But we can't expect every season to work out like this one and we don't have the resources to do what Chelsea and Man City do to fill out their squads with the best young talent in the world.

 

There will be a churn of the squad this off season, we've got to improve our production line, sounds like it's going to be a focus for Rafa if he signs a new long term contract. Sad fact though, since Shearer and perhaps Carrick, the city and area around it has not produced world class talent, it's not just lacking at the very top but across the board, there are not that many Geordies playing at a high level, hell the Mackems have produced more than us recently. It's obvious then that we've not been missing out on talent that's under our noses like we did in the past, because it's not there.

 

We have to cast our net out further to compete, our squad is paper thin, it's not been exposed this season too much because of the excellent fitness record and Rafa's careful management of players play time. But we can't expect every season to work out like this one and we don't have the resources to do what Chelsea and Man City do to fill out their squads with the best young talent in the world.

 

 

Why isn't the area producing good players at the same rate as before? 

This should be a prime area for good players, football is almost a religion and kids should be interested, playing football day-in day-out.

Is the coaching not up to scratch or a lack of facilities for young people to play at?

No youngster is going to be the finished article, it's about finding the ones that have a good chance of succeeding and giving the best coaching possible to help them realise their potential. Newcastle are shocking, in both regards.

Loads more distractions for kids today. Most seem more interested in watching YouTube videos and playing 'Fortnite' on their games console than kicking a ball about with friends.

Loads more distractions for kids today. Most seem more interested in watching YouTube videos and playing 'Fortnite' on their games console than kicking a ball about with friends.

 

Agree with that, but that is a global problem, or at least a 1st world problem.

My feeling is that Newcastle and the north east is a perfect soil for producing excellent footballers, but maybe the "gardening technics" aren't up to date.  Not sure how the youth program is for young footballers in the north east but that is where it needs to begin.  Newcastle youth academy can't be responsible for it, it only handles a hand full of kids. 

damn 'Fortnite' destroying the elite north east production line that has produced about 5 good players in the last 20 years

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/what-newcastle-united-planned-goalkeeping-14595108

 

What Newcastle United have planned for their goalkeeping department for 2018/19

The Magpies want to retain Martin Dubravka but will also offer Karl Darlow a new deal

 

By Lee Ryder Chief Sports Writer

 

Newcastle United have made Martin Dubravka an integral part of their summer transfer plans and will look to get the Slovakian international signed up in due course.

 

The Magpies have an option for a permanent deal for Dubravka and will aim to start next season with three senior goalkeepers with the Sparta Prague stopper, Karl Darlow, and Rob Elliot set to do battle for the number 1 spot.

 

United remain in talks to extend Darlow’s contract, but the goalkeeper wants assurances of a reasonable chance of first team football as his current deal enters its final two years.

 

The Magpies will look to off-load Matz Sels this summer if they can agree a deal with Anderlecht where he has spent the campaign on loan.

 

Newcastle will have a big decision to make on Freddie Woodman with the 21-year-old’s loan deal at Aberdeen soon to come to an end.

 

The Toon youngster could have signed for Celtic in January but opted for Pittodrie.

 

Woodman has played in eight games for the Dons but has recently found himself back on the bench, and both the England Under-21 goalkeeper and Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez will want a loan deal that guarantees first team football.

 

That was understood to be the arrangement in January with Derek McInnes agreeing the deal would give him his fair share of first-team action.

 

With McInnes knowing Aberdeen are under pressure to finish second in Scotland he has recently turned back to Joe Lewis in place of Woodman.

 

However, Woodman is wanted by clubs in League One and the Championship next season and is likely to return to England.

 

Meanwhile, Newcastle were linked with Croatian stopper Karlo Letica over the weekend with the club looking to bring in a clutch of Under-23 players this summer after a number of departures from the second string this year.

 

Surprised NUFC want to extend Darlow’s contract. He was supposedly close to getting sold to Middlesbrough last Summer and only didn't go because Rafa didn't get the new goalkeeper he wanted. You'd think Darlow would want to leave to get starts somewhere else.

It's in the best interests for Darlow to move on, if we do the sensible thing and make Dubravka the first signing of the the summer then, barring an injury to Dubravka he's not getting any game time.

 

For his own career he should move on and look to establish himself somewhere. The club however could see it differently, he's an experienced keeper that you can bring in for a game or two. They've been reluctant, rightly so, to go into a situation where they only have 2 senior keepers available. Darlow is with us and probably getting paid a reasonably team friendly amount for the role he plays.

 

The two most important things we do in the summer from a keeping perspective I feel are, #1 get Dubravka in and #2 Succession plan for his eventual replacement better, i.e. get Woodman a decent loan move. What happens to Sels, Darlow and Elliot is less of a pressing matter,  but obviously five senior goal keepers is too much.

 

 

 

Need one of these in the summer

 

We need an empty one like. There's tonnes.

We need Premiership (or Spain, Germany, etc good quality league) proven goalscorers.

 

Scoring goals in the Championship doesn't necessarily translate to scoring goals in the Premiership. Compare this season with last: -

 

http://www.nufc.com/2017-18html/goalscorers.html

 

http://www.nufc.com/html/2016-17html/goalscorers.html

 

Ritchie got 12 league goals last season but only 3 this season.

 

Unfortunately goalscorers are the most expensive players and we know Mike Ashley won't pay the going rate. Our best chance is to get lucky and get a bargain who does well or loan a striker we couldn't afford to buy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfer_window

 

Transfer Window 17 May – 9 August

 

Premier League clubs in England voted to end the summer window on the Thursday before the start of the season - on August 9 in 2018, instead of August 31. Because FIFA demands the window must be open for 12 weeks, the window will open around May 17, shortly after the final games of the season on May 13. Clubs will be able to sell players until August 31 but not buy replacements after the deadline of August 9.

 

Although, in England, transfers between clubs in the same league can take place as soon as the last competitive fixtures for the season have been played, many transfers will not be completed until 1 July because many players' contracts expire on 30 June. International transfers into the English leagues (including the Premier League) cannot be made until the window has opened on 17 May.

 

Transfer window opens a week today (Thursday 17th of May).

 

Player contracts usually expire on the 30th of June.

 

The World Cup begins on Thursday the 14th of June and runs until Sunday the 15th of July.

 

12 weeks to get transfer business done with the World Cup taking place in the middle.

 

Transfer window closes on Thursday 9th of August.

 

2018/19 Premier League season is due to start on Saturday 11th August.

Bloody quick World Cup. All the games being played at once...

 

12 weeks for MA and Penfold to dither about.

Bloody quick World Cup. All the games being played at once...

 

12 weeks for MA and Penfold to dither about.

 

I've edited my post so the World Cup now lasts a month and a day rather than just a day.

I bet Charnley won't even notice. He'll be dialling Burnley trying to get Nakhi Wells on loan on September 1st.

Assuming the Beardsley enquiry will be done by then 

Woolston going to Cardiff according to BBC gossip page

Let the great purge begin.

Any championship team with a few quid should look to sign some of our players to get them back up.

The 12 week Summer transfer window opened today.

Woolston going to Cardiff according to BBC gossip page

 

Did we release him ? England youth product, seems a bit premature to give up on him.

So the geniuses who run NUFC didn't put relegation clauses into player contracts so our players received their Premiership wages in the Championship. You'd think they'd have learned that lesson from the last time NUFC were relegated.

 

Sounds like a big clear out of fringe players is planned to free up the wage bill and generate more transfer funds.

 

Pretty much all the players loaned out bar Woodman will be available for sale. High earners like Mbemba who weren't even getting on the bench will also be sold where possible.

Really hope we can get of all the deadwood asap.