- Fulham the perfect opportunity to give academy chances
- Howe must give Ireland international his debut
- Leo Shahar and Sean Neave also included
Newcastle United now officially have no European football to play for on the final day. Whilst Eddie Howe will of course still want three points, the inconsequential nature of the fixture is the perfect opportunity to do some experimenting.
We have already seen a switch-up in formation recently, alongside a couple of interesting personnel tweaks. But one thing we are yet to see is some of the Magpies’ academy prospects not just getting a token place on the bench but actually being handed some minutes.
This weekend feels like the perfect opportunity to come good on the claims that there will be better first-team pathways going forward and there is some exceptional talent just waiting to be given a chance.
So, let’s take a look at three of the academy players who should be handed a first-team call-up this weekend.
Leo Shahar – right-back
If you are in Newcastle United spaces, you will have heard more than enough about Leo Shahar.
He has made one first-team appearance this season, that being a rather insulting three-minute cameo in the second leg against Qarabag despite already being five goals up on aggregate.
Fans have been clamouring to see the youngster get more minutes this season, with Shahar seen as one of the country’s top talents.
Howe is yet to adhere to those calls and has actually probably not included Shahar in the squad as much as he should have done – hence the Fulham game being the perfect opportunity to put that right.
Newcastle have right-back problems, with Tino Livramento still out injured, and, whilst the occasion does mark Kieran Trippier’s last ever game for the club, what better way to pass the torch than to give him a standing ovation by the away end and replace him with the next big thing, Leo Shahar?
Rory Finneran – centre-midfield
A lot has been made of Rory Finneran in the past week or two, mainly as a result of his senior Ireland debut, which made him an international before making a senior appearance at Newcastle.
In fact, Finneran is yet to feature in one of Howe’s squads this season, despite training with the first team throughout the campaign.
The Irish midfielder is seen as a top prospect, having signed from Blackburn back in 2023. He is a metronomic type of figure who isn’t afraid to do the less glamorous side of the game.
With Lewis Miley out injured and the future of Sandro Tonali and Joe Willock both uncertain, bringing Finneran into the fold and letting him make his debut would be a great way of showcasing the mentioned pathway while bedding in new blood.
Sean Neave – striker
The Magpies haven’t been short of striker problems this season. So why not try something different on the final day?
Sean Neave has been in a few squads this season, making an appearance away to Qarabag in Azerbaijan, where he looked lively in his short time on the pitch.
The forward has been scoring goals for fun with the U21s, with 15 goals in 22 games this season. Neave has turned heads at almost every stage of his academy career and is now knocking on the door of a regular spot in the first-team picture.
This is probably the least plausible of the three, especially with Yoane Wissa still needing minutes to get fit. Putting Neave ahead of him would almost certainly be a precursor to the end of his Newcastle career.
But it would still be nice to give Neave a shot towards the end of the game to show what he can do.
