Premier League Preview: Newcastle

Last Season: 10th

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.

Sports Ladder (8th April-14th April)

UP - Liverpool - If you had said to me at the start of the season that Liverpool would win the Premier League I would probably have laughed at you. This Sunday, a 3-2 victory over Manchester City has left fate entirely in their own hands now though, as if they win their remaining four games they win their first title in the Premier League era. Not only do they thoroughly deserve it but as an Englishman nothing would please me more than to see Gerrard collect a winners medal.

UP - Bubba Watson - An emotional Bubba Watson earned himself a second green jacket this week after a marvellous Masters victory in Augusta. The big hitting American played a masterful weekend to win for the second time in three years, the first player to do this since Phil Mickelson in 2006. His all-guns-blazing approach won him yet more fans as he successfully held off the challenge of rookies Jordan Spieth and Jonas Blixt to celebrate with an eight under par victory.


UP - Sir Dave Brailsford - It comes with a heavy heart that Sir Dave Brailsford has had to step down from his position as performance director of British cycling. This decision comes after he led Team GB to sixteen medals across the last two Olympic games, a remarkable feat from the man so focused on detail. We will still see his face dotted around as he takes on a more permanent role with Team Sky where he has already won two yellow jerseys with Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome.


UP - Manny Pacquiao - This week Manny Pacquiao fought hard to claim yet another title in his eighth different weight division. Pacquaio added his 56th victory to his illustrious career with a points victory over Timothy Bradley. The Filipino was in control throughout much of the bout and gained revenge for his controversial 2012 defeat to Bradley. His welterweight title now frees the path for a reopening of negotiation between his camp and Floyd Mayweather's for the potential fight of the century.


UP - Zoe Smith - A story that slipped quietly under the radar as weightlifter Zoe Smith became only the second British woman ever to gain a European medal as she claimed bronze in Tel Aviv. Smith's achievement is all the more impressive considering she was competing in just her first competition since London 2012 after a serious of injuries kept her out for well over a year. Smith will now turn her head towards the Commonwealth games in Glasgow next year.


DOWN - The Sunday Sun - Say what you want about the Sun, it may have a bad reputation for various reasons, but what a hilarious headline on the back page of the paper this Sunday. After Alan Pardew criticised the media for his sides disappointing form, the Sun responded by listing Pardew's defeats and also his headbutt on David Meyler and taking rather sarcastic credit for these actions. My respect levels for the Sun definitely went up after this little escapade.

DOWN - Mo Farah - So we were all going to love Mo regardless of his result in the Marathon, but after he built up his own chances so highly it was inevitable that there was a little bit of disappointment when he failed to finish in the top three. Farah crossed the line in a credible eighth place but failed to beat the British record that he desperately wanted, finishing over a minute slower than Steve Jones' record. It may be sometime before we see another MoBot.

DOWN - Chris Hughton - Another one bites the dust. Premier League managers have been dropping like flies this season and another one has met their unfortunate fate this week as Chris Hughton joined the casuality list. On Monday he was sacked by the board with just five games to go including Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal so its going to be a tough job for step-in coach Neil Adams. For me this is the right decision at completely the wrong time.

DOWN - Masters Favourites - Another fantastic Masters tournament comes to an end but this one will go down as the tournament of the outsiders. Tied in second was a pair of rookies, Jordan Spieth and Jonas Blixt and the veteran Miguel Angel Jimenez was in fourth. Hardly names we were expecting to see there and even Bubba Watson was not spoken about in the build up despite winning two years ago. Another poor tournament for Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson and the likes. We are definitely in the years of the underdog.

DOWN - Barcelona - Talk about the wheels coming off. After an enforced eighteen month transfer embargo last week, Barcelona proved that this was a monumental problem after effectively dropping out of two competitions. The midweek defeat to Atletico Madrid meant Barcelona failed to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2007. They then followed this up with a 1-0 loss to Granada to fall four points behind Atletico Madrid. It seems that the Catalans are crumbling.

Premier League Preview: Newcastle

After their outstanding 5th place two years ago, Newcastle struggled last year. Their Europa League run hampered their League form leaving them fighting off relegation throughout much of the year. This season with no European commitments to think about, they will be looking to retain a spot in the top half of the table.

Newcastle's summer has been fairly quiet in terms of transfers, with the main drama being focused on Papiss Cisse and his initial unwillingness to wear the shirt due to the sponsor, 'Wonga', clashing with religious beliefs. However with this sorted, Newcastle's only signing of note has been the loan signing of, unsurprisingly, the Frenchman Loic Remy. With a young squad, Newcastle does not need a lot of strengthening but a couple more players could prove handy before the 2 September deadline.

There can be little doubt that Newcastle will improve this year. Their European run hampered them massively last season and Pardew will be looking for a much stronger season from his squad. Their pre-season wasn't perfect but certainly would have left Pardew feeling relatively confident in his squad depth for the upcoming season. Newcastle will by no means be among the front runners but they might push for a top half finish if they can string a solid group of results together.


Key Man: Hatem Ben Arfa - Despite suffering from frequent injuries Ben Arfa is still a key player for Newcastle. His ability on the ball is second-to-none and if Newcastle can get a full season out of him they can definitely push into the top half. Ben Arfa has the ability to make something happen from nothing and that unique attribute makes him a key man.

One to Watch: Davide Santon - As a young full-back Santon is maturing every year and has established himself as a regular starter in the Newcastle side. I think this is the year he starts to stand out as the impressive talent he is. He is a very attacking full-back and with a few more assists could develop into one of the best in the league.


Best Summer Signing: Loic Remy - Not a particularly taxing choice as he is the only first team signing but nevertheless Remy is a good signing. His pace will provide something different up front and he is a nice striker to accompany Cisse.

Last Season: 16th

Pre-Season Prediction: 12th - An improved season for Newcastle but nowhere near where they were two seasons ago.