Pre-Season Prediction: 8th - An influx of summer signings should see the Toon Army improve this year. Likely to be the best of the rest sitting pretty in mid-table.
It's probably fair to say that Alan Pardew will be happy to see the back of last season. Whether it was his headbutt on David Meyler, his clash with Manuel Pellegrini or the fact that he was booed for much of the season by his own fans, Pardew will be relishing the new season and a renewed chance to impress. After dancing dangerously with relegation the season before, fans should have been happy to see their team well clear of the drop. But a rather droll, two dimensional style of play focused around lumping balls forward has seen fans demanding a change and a change they are likely to get.
With Joe Kinnear gone, Newcastle finally seem capable of acting in the transfer market with no less than nine signings including one on loan, Facundo Ferreyra - a gamble from Shakhtar Donetsk - and two players signed and then loaned back to their previous club in Karl Darlow and Jamaal Lascelles, two very highly rated youngsters. Ayoze Perez is one for the future but Remy Cabella and Siem De Jong will slot straight into the starting eleven, proving some much needed creativity into a devoid midfield. Daryl Janmaat replaced the departed Mathieu Debuchy whilst Jack Colback will provide some stability deeper in central midfield. Finally, Emmanuel Riviere has been brought in to bolster a front line that managed just 43 goals last year.
Despite these numerous signings the squad could still do with a touch-up here or there. Another striker should be on the agenda after the loss of Shola Ameobi during the summer and the somewhat indifferent form of Papiss Cisse. The defence as well is good on paper but has struggled for fitness over the last few years. David Santon has been in and out with injuries whilst Coloccini and the two Taylors have not been at their best for a number of years now. Janmaat is a fresh face but another should be on the agenda for Pardew.
Although pre-season fixtures have been largely victorious not all the displays have been overly positive. A 1-0 victory over Real Sociedad a few days ago sounds promising but was ultimately a dire affair and there has been a lot of reliance on the new boys. That said, five of the eight fixtures have ended with a victory and Rolando Aarons has emerged as a particularly bright spark from the reserve squad. Perhaps more than anything the pre-season has built positive feeling among the Toon Army, which should hopefully translate into good results on the pitch.
Newcastle are in a good place at the moment. After all the drama about Joe Kinnear failing to make a single signing Newcastle have responded with a flurry of cheap but intelligent signings. Without European football and seemingly with stability both in the squad and staff it could and should be a better season on Tyneside. It seems very unlikely that they will be challenging for the top four but expect to see them flirting with a Europa League place for large portions of the season. Eventually though, I think they are likely to finish narrowly behind Everton.
Key Man: Jack Colback - Despite largely singing their praises, I did struggle to find an out-and-out key player for Newcastle. Eventually I settled on Jack Colback, simply because he is the player who has the most responsibility in filling the boots of Yohan Cabaye. Without Cabaye during the second half of last season, Newcastle lacked a real focal point and in Colback may be looking to rediscover this. He will have to win over the fans after travelling from rivals Sunderland, but shouldn't find that too difficult as he is an extremely assured and competent player in the center of the park.
One to Watch: Rolando Aarons - I mentioned earlier about the 18-year-old and his impact during pre-season but he really has been one of the stand-out reserve team players anywhere in the Premier League this summer. His lightning quick feet ensure that he is a handful for opposition defenses and his low centre of gravity allows him to wriggle his way out of tight spots. Pardew is a big fan of the youngster and a battle is already emerged over his National team as both England and Jamaica seek to obtain him for their future ranks. With Ben Arfa cast out and the likes of Obertan and Jonas well off the radar, there is a spot for the left-footed winger in the first team and do not be surprised to see him there sooner rather than later.
Best Summer Signing: Remy Cabella - Cabella is a player who has been courted by Pardew for a while and this summer he finally got his man. The most expensive signing of the summer also arrives with the biggest pressure as he will provide the bulk of the teams creativity. Operating in the number ten position, Cabella has been allowed to flourish during pre-season, scoring twice as well as producing some scintillating football in the final third. The question will be whether Pardew allows the Frenchman to express himself as he has something of a reputation for sucking the creativity out of players - Hatem Ben Arfa and Moussa Sissoko are two prime examples.
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