If Newcastle are to have a decent season next season, then there are seven of our younger players who will need to improve and become Premiership-class players.
Here are the seven players and they are all 26 year-old or younger – just like the players Chris Hughton hopes to recruit this summer.
Danny Simpson 23
Danny has played very well for Newcastle since he was signed back in August as a loan player from Manchester United.
But he still needs to show that he can make it in the Premiership and we expect Chris Hughton to bring in some competition for Danny this summer, and that will help him find his best form.
Next season will be a crucial season for the 23 year-old Salford-born player who now has 122 first-class games under his belt with two goals – one for the Magpies.
Tamas Kadar 20
A very good looking 20 year old defender, the Hungarian has always looked solid in the Newcastle first team, either at center-back or left-back. What Tamas needs now is more games and he’ll have to get those at Newcastle.
That’s unless Chris Hughton brings in another center-back – maybe even Fitz Hall – and then the Newcastle manager may look to send Tamas out on loan to a Championship club, for an extended run as a first team player.
But we think so highly of this lad that we think he will be competing for a first team position form the very start of next season.
Mike Williamson 26
From what we’ve seen of Mike this year we’ve liked a lot.
The former Portsmouth and Watford player has put in some very solid performances at the back for Newcastle and we’ll have to hope he can make the big step up in class and continue his excellent play for the Magpies in the Premiership.
Mike has always wanted to play in England’s top division and he gets his chance at Newcastle, a club he has often waxed lyrical about during his short stay oin Tyneside.
We like Mike a lot and he must stand a good chance of boeing able to make the step up – and then how much will he be worth? A lot more than the measly £1M Newcastle paid Portsmouth for him, that’s for sure.
Danny Guthrie 23
Danny has often looked the part on Tyenside, and played very well for the Newcastle side this year. He has already played in the Premiership for Newcastle and next season will be an important season for the central midfielder to become a starter at the club.
Guthrie will still have some competition at Newcastle with Smith, Nolan and Barton all currently ahead of him at the Tyneside club, but Danny is a good player and could well come into his own next year.
Wayne Routledge 25
Wayne has looked terrific since he arrived in January and the 25 year-old is looking forward to next season, where he could again become a top player.
He has already had a few chances in the past to grow to being a Premiership class player, but the youngster seems a lot more mature now and Newcastle fans have seen the lad still has some incredible skills.
If Wayne can provide the ammunition down the right wing, as Jonas Gutierrez will do down the left, then out strikers could score some goals next season.
Leon Best 23
Of all the players we have reviewed in this article our biggest doubts surround 23 year-old Leon Best, and whether he can become a Premiership class player.
Leon struggled to maintain his first team position since January, and he ended the season 4th choice striker at best (excuse the pun), behind Carroll, Lovenkrands and Ameobi. And some would say 19 year-old Nile Ranger would also be ahead of him.
But Nile will be sent out on loan next season, so Leon will have to fight it out with the remaining three strikers plus another striker Chris Hughton will undoubtedly bring in during the summer.
We’d love for this lad to succeed but we do have some serious doubts – but the lad also needs some time to to find his game on Tyneside.
Andy Carroll 21
Andy had had a terrific season since the turn of the year and scored the vast majority of his 19 goals this year.
He has been hailed as a future England number 9, and the 21 year-old will probably get that famous Newcastle shirt for next season, and we are hoping for great things from the Gateshead-born striker.
While Andy will find things a lot tougher against Premiership class defenders, his work in the air is terrific and if he can improve his game on the ground, as manager Chris Hugthon wants to see.
Andy could become a revelation next season in the Premier League – we hope so anyway.
Comments welcome.
127 comments so far
G
May 31, 2010 at 8:40 PM
Comment #1I would like to think they can all make thier mark next season, and only performances will tell. The only player I feel you are being a little harsh on is Kadar. He came in last term, looked a little shaky for say the first ten mins on the pitch, but then settled in well. Frankly, if he is incosistent in 3 years, then I will be worried, but at 20, he can only get better.
Howay The Lads
May 31, 2010 at 8:42 PM
Comment #2Guthrie is 2nd choice at the moment, only Nolan is ahead of him.
Other than that good article and I agree with the players that could/should improve next season
jimiley
May 31, 2010 at 9:07 PM
Comment #3They all need to improve. With no cash to buy players, does anybody think think this team, minus Owen, Given, Duff, Nzogbia, Millner, Beye and the black guy who does somersaults is better than the one which got relegated? Incidentally, where has all that transfer money gone???? Its in his pocket, innit!!!
Howay The Lads
May 31, 2010 at 9:12 PM
Comment #4Yes, of course it’s better.
Owen was crap, Martins was erratic at best, Given was good put only a few points a season better than Harper, Duff – crap, N’Zogbia hardly even played, Milner played two games, Beye was injured for most of the season.
So this squad is better than the one that got relegated. The players might be worse but the squad is better
jimiley
May 31, 2010 at 9:16 PM
Comment #5At 4.
The players are now worse but the squad is better. Total contradictory bollocks. Their is a great team spirit at my Sunday league team but it is still rubbish when they play against quality.
valle
May 31, 2010 at 9:18 PM
Comment #6“A very good looking 20 year old defender”
Lets keep it to the football Ed 😉
jaynufc89
May 31, 2010 at 9:22 PM
Comment #7We have cash to buy players. I don’t know why your all believeing the ” sunday sun ” when their paper talks rubbish. we have brought in over £140 million in the last 18 months that pays off the debts and leaves us with around £15million we will have at least £8million-£10million plus money from any sales such as tozer and xisco. We can all laugh at these other fans when we sign players for money.
eltoro
May 31, 2010 at 9:24 PM
Comment #8Everyone has to improve. The likes of Smith,Coloccini, Nolan and Enrique all underperformed in the premiership and are unproven. But I have faith in all of them pulling together like they did last year.
Perhaps Simpson will never really be up to the premiership standard but I think Routledge and Carroll in particular can quickly make a mark.
I can’t think of a better header of the ball in the country than Carroll but if we do end up playing him on his own he is likely to struggle against better teams and be frustrated by the lack of service- this would be my only worry.
eltoro
May 31, 2010 at 9:30 PM
Comment #9jimiley,
Of course those players you mentioned are better than the current team, but they are also better than the players in all the teams outside the top 8.
It didnt keep us up and the lack of quality individuals hasnt held back Birmingham or Fulham.
Our current squad is about as good as the other 7 or 8 teams around us and if they play together we should be able to stay up – when there’s probably only 1 relegation spot up for debate.
G
May 31, 2010 at 9:35 PM
Comment #10It’s not so much a question of better / worse. Regardless of the similarities on some of the names on the team sheet, what we have now is a bunch of lads that are willing to graft, to grind out results, and to work for each other. The team that got relegated didn’t. We appointed a bad manager in Joe Kinnear, who was the wrong choice of man to motivate a team. By the time AS came in to do a job, the damage was already down, the teams heads had dropped, and half the squad had thier minds on transfer requests, not relegation battles. Next season will not be a repeat performance of that relegation battle, anybody who thinks that is naive. The players we have now, wish to be here, the dead wood is gone, none of them have any illusions about what is waiting in the prem, some have been here, some have it all to prove. Let the results do the talking and lets not condemn them before they have had thier chance.
Howay The Lads
May 31, 2010 at 9:36 PM
Comment #11jimiley
What’s the better squad though, an average team that fights for every ball and would do anything for the cause or a team of very good players playing at 60% and don’t care?
It’s the poorer squad that try harder.
G
May 31, 2010 at 9:38 PM
Comment #12I still say look at Stoke’s squad, then look at our squad… who would you rather have. I say ours 100%.
Howay The Lads
May 31, 2010 at 9:40 PM
Comment #13Or Wolves’ squad, or Birmingham’s squad, or Wigan’s (probable) squad next season
MacToon
May 31, 2010 at 9:44 PM
Comment #14jaynufc89, how’s the transfers going?
and for the rest, who’s to say that Carroll and probably STaylor won’t be sold? That’ll give CH some cash to buy from the fizzy!
G
May 31, 2010 at 9:44 PM
Comment #15Quite HTL, it’s not rocket science is it?
baro
May 31, 2010 at 9:45 PM
Comment #16I say we have a really good squad and we are going to stay up with the squad we have. We just need a true striker that can actually always score goals (Kris Boyd 🙂 ) Not Leon Best.
DanNUFC
May 31, 2010 at 9:47 PM
Comment #17yeah, jaynufc89, i thought boyd and wheater were signing around now, and onouha was too, are they still signing, and are you sure?
G
May 31, 2010 at 9:48 PM
Comment #18Pointless asking questions of jaynufc89, it’s clearly well past his bed time.
jaynufc89
May 31, 2010 at 9:51 PM
Comment #19Mactoon. I will soon be laughing in your face when the transfers are announced. Hughton is now back from Holiday and they will be announced soon just be paitent. Wheater is currently away with his family thats what the delay is. it will happen before the world cup though. then in july others will happen. like whilshire and so on. As for Carroll and Taylor.. Hughton is more then likey going to give carrolll the number 9 shirt so that confirms he wont be sold and Taylor hughton has already said hes not for sale and taylor himself has said hes going no where.. we have money plus 9million coming in from the milner bassong and given sales . the final 4million installment from milner. 3million from bassong and 2million from city.. although with all their money you would think they would pay all up front !.
MacToon
May 31, 2010 at 9:51 PM
Comment #20😆
G
May 31, 2010 at 9:52 PM
Comment #21jaynufc89, shouldn’t you be heading back to the mothership?
jaynufc89
May 31, 2010 at 9:53 PM
Comment #22They will sign. Wheater and boyd will be the first 2 I remember saying it may not be monday as its a bank holiday. but by expect some news either tomorrow or Wednesday. the Onouha transfer will most likey happen after the world cup due to the time its taking for us to agree a fee the player wants to join its just the case of agreeing a fee.
MacToon
May 31, 2010 at 9:54 PM
Comment #23Ok, seriously then, S Taylor’s got a year left on his contract, what we going to do… run it down and let him leave for nothing?
Talks should have been under way and he should have extended his contract by now but no, we have amateurs running this club!
MacToon
May 31, 2010 at 9:55 PM
Comment #24Onouha doesn’t want to be anywhere near Joey barton, so what we selling barton then?
Harley.
May 31, 2010 at 9:56 PM
Comment #25“Next season will not be a repeat performance of that relegation battle, anybody who thinks that is naive”
To G, im sorry but even if we do fare well in the premiership you are the naive one for believing that it is an inevitability. How can you possibly believe that a promoted team even if we are different to the other promoted teams will not face the possibility of relegation? It beseeches me how you could be so deluded.
jaynufc89
May 31, 2010 at 9:56 PM
Comment #26G. I am proberly older and more mature then yourself. and my sources are 100% correct. this is the same source that told me Ronaldo was going to madrid 5 weeks before it happend. the same source that sold me Nolan was coming to Newcastle 3 weeks before it happend and the same source that told me Taylor wasn’t leaving on the last day of last season . and they was all correct. Maybe if you stopped being so arragont and waited instead of expecting thigns to happen right away .. I gurentee when these do happen we won’t hear a word then you. 🙂
BigDave
May 31, 2010 at 9:58 PM
Comment #27G, if you have so much to say why don’t you write your own F***ing blog you nob jockey.
Howay The Lads
May 31, 2010 at 9:59 PM
Comment #28‘this is the same source that told me Ronaldo was going to madrid 5 weeks’
I could have predicted that a year before it happened
jaynufc89
May 31, 2010 at 9:59 PM
Comment #29Mactoon : you really are stupid. if the paper said Newcastle was signing messi would you believe it?.. if the sunday sun said your house was on fire would you believe it?.. the sunday sun and the sun are the 2 most un accerate papers ever. along with the daily star they all talk complete rubbish.. Onouha announced last week that we wants a move to Newcastle as hes keen to rediscover his partnership with S.Taylor.. who hes partnered at england u 21 level. then Newcastle ban the press from the club and the very next day 3 bad storys come out.. and their will be more .. because their bitter that we wont let them in. Mac. do you believe in fairys aswell?
BigDave
May 31, 2010 at 10:00 PM
Comment #30Jay, my demented gran could have told me ronaldo was going to real madrid 5 weeks before..
MacToon
May 31, 2010 at 10:02 PM
Comment #31lmao, you call me stupid! 😆
G
May 31, 2010 at 10:03 PM
Comment #32Is he the same source who told you that shearers bar is near the chairmans and managers office? The same source who is 110% certain that a cheap tabloid rumours site is correct about everything (4 days late btw), or is he the same source who read the tabloids a year before the Ronaldo move happened and decided within 5 weeks it was inevitable and even manyoo had admitted it? Incidentaly, if age is an issue, let me tell you this boy, I am assuming from your user name that you were born in 1989, in 1989 I was kitting up for a deployment for war with my regiment what with Sadam deciding Kuwait was a nice spot, I recently celebrated what I like to think of as the tenth aniversary of my 35th birthday. I respect issues regardless of age, but I hate lies. You are full of lies little boy. If you read post 26 you even claim to own Nolan? Which Nolan would that be? Nolan sister perhaps (google it sonny)? I have earned my right to be arrogant, and I freely admit when I am wrong, I will never have to admit this to you.
jaynufc89
May 31, 2010 at 10:03 PM
Comment #33Steven taylors contract will be sorted out after the world cup. also tim krul will sign a new contract. taylor isn’t leaving thats 100% definate and hughton has already said he will be offered a new contract and taylor has said he wants to stay so he’ll sign.
G
May 31, 2010 at 10:05 PM
Comment #34BigDave @ 27, because I am far to busy and lazy, besides, Ed has a handy one here. Why don’t you post anything inteligent?
DanNUFC
May 31, 2010 at 10:06 PM
Comment #35i really do hope you’re telling the truth jay, id love those signings =D… especially onouha
Howay The Lads
May 31, 2010 at 10:07 PM
Comment #36jay
I’d love these to be true and, admittedly, it does add up. However, your source is a coffee-boy, right? He takes tea to Hughton and other previous managers. All well and good, let’s say he does hear things from Hughton, how would he know Ronaldo would be leavoing Man U?
jaynufc89
May 31, 2010 at 10:08 PM
Comment #37Yes you will. as Wheater and boyd are signing. and 4 days late? I didnt say they would sign on thursday I said at somepoint over the weekend. Hughton is now back off his holidays and it will be announced shortly then you can appologise to me when it is announced. the players just need to sign the contracts.. and I never said shearers bar was near the management office I said my friend works their and he takes refreshments to Hughtons office. so when you state something at least get your facts right.
Harley.
May 31, 2010 at 10:09 PM
Comment #38“Next season will not be a repeat performance of that relegation battle, anybody who thinks that is naive”
To G, im sorry but even if we do fare well in the premiership you are the naive one for believing that it is an inevitability. How can you possibly believe that a promoted team even if we are different to the other promoted teams will not face the possibility of relegation? It beseeches me how you could be so deluded.
BigDave
May 31, 2010 at 10:09 PM
Comment #39Your too busy and lazy, but you have the time to speak out your arse and write endless, boring, tedious comments on here, which do noone any good except you and your stupidly big ego… please stop leaving so many useless comments. Noone cares!
jaynufc89
May 31, 2010 at 10:11 PM
Comment #40Because he knows a former footballing agent thats how he found out about the ronaldo deal the others I am not sure.. but he was right. so I have every reason to believe hes right with these hes told me hes seen the players at St james with his own eyes.. and when he spoke to wheater . he told him that he was in talks and would sign shortly. I don’t rate wheater I think theirs better out their.. but what hes told me about Onuoha does add up. if they played well together then Taylor and Onuoha could become Englands next cen partnership. you never know.!