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The glorious season for everyone associated with Newcastle United that was 2011-12 is now history. The team and the manager have had their share of plaudits. The slates are now clean again. The time to make an impression is NOW!
It’s not easy to put into words how immense Newcastle’s last season was at Tyneside. The team exceeded the expectations of all and sundry. The Magpies were never below 7th spot for the whole of the campaign and had an outside chance of even grabbing a Champions League spot heading into the last week. The Toons eventually secured a place in the Europa League, courtesy of finishing fifth in the league and above stalwarts like Chelsea and Liverpool.
Newcastle started the campaign in turmoil. Poor pre-season results coupled with the departures of 3 key players in the form of Joey Barton, Jose Enrique and then-captain Kevin Nolan in the summer resulted in them being firm favourites for relegation among the bookies. What transpired in the next 7 months was pure bliss for the Black and White faithfuls. No pundits or experts were able to gauge the effect new signings of Yohan Cabaye and Demba Ba, coupled with youngsters like Davide Santon would have on the team. January brought another lift to the team in the form of the mercurial Pappis Cisse.
Alan Pardew was not only shrewd in the transfer market but also on the pitch. He created a team that loved playing football. He has the ability to make in-game adjustments as well as proving to be a good man manager, as seen with his control of the enigmatic Hatem Ben Arfa.
There isn’t any silverware to show for their efforts last time around. The League Managers’s award as the best manager for Alan Pardew and inclusion of Fabricio Collocini in the PFA team of the season was all that the Geordie nation had to show for their magnificent season.
Anita from Ajax has been the major transfer coming into Newcastle so far
Newcastle have already made four signings this off-season, but most have been under the radar and for players largely unknown to the popular media.
Vurnon Anita was the first major breakthrough in the transfer market for Newcastle. Anita is versatile and can fill it in both midfield as well as the left back slot. £6.6 million for an upcoming talent who has already had his bow at the international level for Netherlands is another coup in the transfer market for Newcastle. Anita adds another string to the ever strengthening Black White bow. It allows Pardew to play different formations if they need to.
The team still lacks a proper left back, where Davide Santon is filling in but he looks far more comfortable on the right hand side of the pitch. Covers at both the heart of the defense as well as a new forward should be one of the main concerns for the Newcastle hierarchy to consider.
Other recruits worth looking out for would be Romain Amalfitano, a tricky winger who joined the Magpies from Reim on a free and Gael Bigirimana from Coventry, winner of the Apprentice of the Year trophy at the 2012 Football League Awards.
Sylvain Marveaux and Dan Gosling can also be treated as new additions as they haven’t yet been able to show their full potential in a Newcastle shirt as of yet due various injuries. Marveaux , a pacy winger on the left who can cross, would give Newcastle something different from the grit we associate with Jonas Gutteirez, who is not much of a crosser. Gosling’s two years have been marred with the injuries, still unable to recover from the ACL tear he suffered whilst at Everton. He will surely be called into duty more often than not as Newcastle also challenge on the European front this season.
The expectations for the fans will be another finish in the European-football slots, but is the squad strong enough to repeat last year achievement? This is the year we find out whether Newcastle were a flash in the pan last season or they are here to stay for the long term. Pardew knows how to play the media and keep the expectations of the fans down by already stating that last year’s performance would be impossible to match. But deep inside, he must be trying to ignite the fire that got them this far, once again.
The Newcastle youth system has really seen an upward swing with regards to producing new talents and players such as Haris Vuckic, Gael Bigirimana, Mehdi Abeid, Sammy Ameobi, James Travernier and Shane Ferguson will be called into the action and this season should serve as good tests to see the potential that they truly possess.
Cabaye and Tiote are still to peak. “The” Hatem Ben Arfa could really take the premiership by storm this season if he gets a good run in the team and realises the potential that everyone knows he has. With Gosling, Anita and Marveaux coming in as re-enforcements, the midfield seems suddenly immense.
Collocini will have to leads the team by example,the only way he can.
The Newcastle team from last season was synonymous with the two prolific Senegalese strikers who were on fire individually on either sides of the calendar year. The team success however, I feel, was more so because of the presence of a sound defense that is in existence at Tyneside for the first in the best part of two decades. Collocini was the general at the back and lead a Newcastle side that had the highest number of clean sheets outside the two Manchester clubs.
If Newcastle are to repeat their performances, it will be paramount that “El Capitano” remains his cool self and leads the defensive efforts. A sound defense will go a long way in helping the the attacking players such as Ben Arfa, Cisse and Ba to concentrate on what they do best.
At the beginning of the season, it seemed most likely Pardew would start of 4-4-2, with Ba and Cisse upfront. Hatem Ben Arfa’s return may warrant a switch to a 4-2-3-1 approach. Pardew’s in-game adjustments to play even 3-4-3 and ability to read the game stand in good stead for Newcastle. They are a flexible side filled with players versatile enough to fill multiple roles.
The engine room will mainly consist of Cabaye, Tiote and Anita with heavy doses of Gosling as well. Pardew will be quite pleased as most of his midfielder can apply themselves on both ends of the pitch barring Tiote.
Guttierez, Obertan, Amalfitano and Marveaux should provide ammunition from the flanks along with Ben Arfa if need be.
The defense is expected to be a flat back 4 with Collocini expected to partner Steven Taylor as the first choice pairing. The wing back positions may change with expected re-enforcement. Till then, it’s going to be Simpson and Santon on either side of the backline.
The minimum for this season has to be a top -half finish but deep within their hearts,the players and fans would expect to qualify for Europe once again. Any kind of silverware would be welcomed at Tyneside to break their barren spell, since winning the Fairs cup in 1969. The Newcastle faithful understand the way the club is being run and will be willing to be patient as they already seen the benefits of such an approach. Gone are the days Newcastle was about spending silly money on at-best average players and their wages. Disappointing results may see the vultures circling their prized possessions. Ashley, however, is not afraid of selling if the price is right and club believes that replacements may already be present among the young players coming out.
The plan for the future is already set. It’s now time for execution.
