With three fresh faces, a new manager and an entirely new-look coaching staff, Newcastle will be an entirely different force this season.
Regular starters, such as Yoan Gouffran, will no longer be assured game-time. Ryan Taylor and Jonas Gutierrez have both departed the club on free transfers while Sammy Ameobi has left on a season-long loan. Even Adam Armstrong, who was often deployed as a 90th-minute substitution for very little purpose, has left the club on loan.
In their place, Georginio Wijnaldum, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Chancel Mbemba have arrived. Many are speculating whether all three will walk into the first team or accept positions on the bench behind last season’s under-performers. So, we’ve decided to give out verdicts.
Here is how some of our writers predict we will line-up in the Premier League opener against Southampton.
Thomas Bore
With Coloccini absent in every pre-season game, I cannot envisage the Argentine featuring for us on the opening day. Even though Mbemba has only played the half hour against ‘Gladbach for Newcastle, he has been training and partaking in RSC Anderlecht’s pre-season schedule, so he should be raring to go.
Georginio Wijnaldum starts, obviously, so I won’t go into that one. Colback and Sissoko starting alongside him in midfield could prove to be a deadly combination.
As for our strikers, Aleksandar Mitrovic looked a little rusty against Borussia Monchengladbach – missing a simple chance from eight yards out – but I reckon he deserves a start over Papiss Cisse.
Either side of Mitrovic I would line-up with Aarons and Perez. Two youngsters with the confidence to run at the opposition’s defenders and cause problems.
Marcus Shearer
If Steve McClaren wants to lay down the gauntlet for an expansive, attacking team which plays from the back and won’t resort to long balls, then there are a couple of principles he may want to stick to.
First and foremost, even if fit, the likes of Cabella and Tiote cannot get a look into the starting XI. With no preseason minutes under his belt, it’d be even more difficult to put out an unfamiliar team with players who are all settling together.
That said, if club captain Fabricio Coloccini is passed fit for this Sunday, he must start ahead of the incompetent Mike Williamson, who’s once again looked off the pace compared to the likes of Jamaal Lascelles and Steven Taylor.
I feel it’s important not to throw in all the new signings instantly, but to bed them in gradually either via the bench or alongside more experienced players in the squad.
The pace of the Premier League could catch the likes of Wijnaldum or Mbemba by surprise, but I think Mitrovic’s physique and tenacity alone could see him make more of an impact than the former two.
Last season Pardew opted to start several new players (Rivière, Cabella, Colback, Janmaat) together against defending champions Manchester City, and no one seemed to be on the same wavelength as they lost quite comfortably 2-0. I hope this mistake isn’t repeated by new head coach Steve McClaren ahead of Sunday.
Personally I’d play two up top against Southampton, to show a statement of intent and a will to attack on home soil, which seemed so lacking under the old Pardew/Carver regime. A simple 4-4-2 or 4-3-1-2 would be a refreshing sight and something for the crowd to get behind ahead of the new campaign.
Evin Grant
I chose to go with a 4-2-3-1 formation as it has been used for most of our pre-season and we need plenty of bodies in midfield to cope with Southampton’s attack. I watched them against Vitesse last week and the likes of Mane, Pelle and Tadic will cause our defence countless problems.
Mbemba and Taylor would be my preferred centre-back partnership with Coloccini looking doubtful. I think Haidara is a better option to Dummett at left-back as we need more pace to cope with Southampton’s quick and tricky wide men. On the right, Janmaat is nailed on to start.
Wijnaldum and Colback will make up the two central midfield positions – two players full of stamina and passion to aid the defence, who can also provide extra ammo when attacking.
My three in behind Mitrovic would be Aarons on the left, Perez on the right and Siem de Jong in the number 10 position.
Aarons has been a star in pre-season and always looks dangerous on the ball, while Perez has also shined in pre-season. Some many prefer Moussa Sissoko on the right, but I think Perez has certainly done enough to warrant a start against the Saints, while Sissoko has looked off the pace recently.
Siem de Jong was very unlucky in his debut season, suffering a collapsed lung among other injuries, but he looked promising when available. He looks to feed the striker or play it out wide, for them to tee up Mitrovic. Also, his knowledge of Southampton’s Jordy Clasie could help us out on the day.
Mitrovic ahead of Cisse for me, as he is hungry and is more of a threat when it comes to aerial balls. With the relatively small Maya Yoshida potentially starting, I wouldn’t bet against Mitrovic getting a number of headed attempts on goal.
Robert Sharpe
Steve McClaren probably wasn’t filled with excitement when he heard his first Premier League game in charge of the Magpies would be against Southampton – one of the most stable clubs in the league.
I believe Newcastle should look to play an aggressive line-up, as it’s a home game. A 4-3-3 with a single defensive midfielder and two box-to-box midfielders either side, attempting to take advantage to their back-line that lost Clyne and Alderweireld this offseason.
With Remy Cabella out, Gabriel Obertan will start at right wing, with Rolando Aarons on the left. Papiss Cisse will be the striker over new signing Aleksandar Mitrovic, at least for now. Colback will be the deep midfielder, giving Gini Wijnaldum and Siem de Jong license to attack.
Sissoko will be a super sub, bringing his pace and power on late. New signing Chancel Mbemba partners Steven Taylor at the back, with Haidara starting over Paul Dummett at left-back.
Rhys Melhuish
Krul, Janmaat and Haidara will all start, but the concern is at centre back. I would go with Taylor and Mbemba. For me, despite a lack of fitness, Mbemba is the only centre-back we have that will be able to keep up with both Southampton’s quicker forwards in Mane and Long, as well as be able to match the likes of Pelle for strength. Taylor is hardly world class but he’s better than Williamson, and Coloccini’s match fitness is literally non-existent, so he gets the nod from me to partner Mbemba.
In midfield, I’d have the ever-reliable Colback holding, with Wijnaldum and Sissoko ahead of him. Sissoko is wasted on the right and, if he turns up on Sunday, Southampton won’t deal with him in the middle. Aarons has been the standout player in pre-season, so he has to start. On the right I’d play Perez, he excelled playing out wide at times last year, causing problems going forward and still tracking back fantastically to help out in defence. I’d like to see de Jong in there somewhere, but I think he’s still a bit off ready for a starting spot.
Cisse will probably start the game, but I’d give the nod to Mitrovic. The Serbian looks an absolute handful and Cisse has seemed disinterested during pre-season. Should Aleksandar be a bit leggy in the second half against the Saints, Cisse could maybe even replicate last year’s ‘super-sub’ tag, who knows?
What do you make of our choices? Are there any changes you would make? Let us know. Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
