With some top players like Kevin Nolan, Jose Enrique, and potentially Joey Barton being moved out of Newcastle this summer, the Magpies will look a lot different side next season.
Yohan Cabaye – on a well-earned vacation
On the positive side, Newcastle should have a lot more skill in the side with Cabaye, Ba, Marveaux, Ben Arfa and Gosling all adding skill to the side for next season.
There’s five almost all new players for a start, with Gosling making one short sub appearance last year and Ben Arfa making only four.
And Newcastle’s signings this summer have hardly started, with Neil Taylor expected to be signed this week from Swansea, and Newcastle will also bring in at least one more top striker, and have also been linked with St Etienne midfielder Blaise Matuidi.
They will also bring in an experienced left-back too, if Jose Enrique leaves, as is very likely.
Newcastle’s first signing is a quality player – former Lille midfielder Yohan Cabaye – who is now on vacation before returning for Newcastle’s pre-season training in two weeks time.
Alan Pardew will play a basic 4-4-2 formation with the second striker being Ben Arfa, who will play slightly behind Senegal International Demba Ba, who has shown with West Ham, he can score lots of goals in the Premier League.
Indeed, the amount of change going on in the Newcastle squad is a lot more than a lot if us were expecting, and there’s both good and bad in that level of change.
Yohan Cabaye talked to the Newcastle local press today:
“It’s important to stay in the Premier League, and the club’s ambition is to compete in the top half of the division.”
“I’m confident the club can climb the league in the coming years. The club has some very good players, we’re bringing in some exciting players and I think I can add something to the squad and the team.”
“I enjoy being on the ball and having possession, and that is what the manager wants from me. I’m looking forward to the new season.”
“I’m excited to meet the staff and the players, and looking forward to integrating myself into the team. I’m also looking forward to living in England,”
“But I have had a long season, and first I am looking forward to having a break before the challenge of playing in the Premier League for Newcastle.”
“I’m very happy to have signed for Newcastle, but I must first rest and prepare myself for pre-season training.” “Next season is very important for me and the club, and I want to be ready to play my part.”
One major thing that`Alan Pardew will need to do this pre-season is choose a new captain, with Kevin Nolan having surprisingly left for Championship football with the Hammers.
If Joey Barton is moved on, he cannot become captain, and may not even assume to that position, if he sees out the final year of his contract on Tyneside.
It could be that Yohan is a candidate for the Newcastle captaincy, although local lad Steven Taylor may also be a candidate, and there’s always Fab Coloccini, who just loves things at Newcastle.
And then of course it could be true that the new captain has not even joined Newcastle yet.
Of the players remaining at the club – who do you think would make a decent captain for next season?
Comments welcome.
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61 responses so far ↓
1 ilovetoon8788 // Jun 20, 2011 at 12:38 PM
based on the rate we are shipping players out.. finishing in the top is definately our main target. finish 10th and ill be delighted.
2 ilovetoon8788 // Jun 20, 2011 at 12:38 PM
top 10*
3 ~Raylor Naylor Saylor~ // Jun 20, 2011 at 12:39 PM
Thats kinda obvious…
4 ilovetoon8788 // Jun 20, 2011 at 12:41 PM
europe aim is premature.. and we dont have that capability yet..
5 blissna // Jun 20, 2011 at 12:42 PM
I’d have to say colo
6 NUFC_Richyg01 // Jun 20, 2011 at 12:42 PM
To be fair, Top 10 would be a decent target for a team only in their second season back from relegation.
Most newly promoted teams have the following aims for the coming seasons:
Season 1 – Survive
Season 2 – Survive & Consolodate
Season 3 – Consolodate & Mid-Table
Season 4 ….
You heard the expression too much too soon?
7 WWJBD // Jun 20, 2011 at 12:43 PM
We dont have anywhere near the squad depth to get into European football top 12 with a cup run (if not a cup win) and I am a happy lad
8 gorgonzola // Jun 20, 2011 at 12:45 PM
Top 10 a must to keep players intereted and to get the likes of Gervingho etc…. to come to our club…. we need to really push next season we could have EASILY made the top 10… with just 2 games that come to my mind that we should have easily won..
Scumderland away, and last game of the season.
9 Cheick and Bake // Jun 20, 2011 at 12:48 PM
i say give the armband to ben arfa .. or barton if he stays
10 cowbrown // Jun 20, 2011 at 12:49 PM
Steven Taylor would seem the obvious choice, if he can stay fit. Or Colo as one or 2 have already suggested.
11 NUFC_Richyg01 // Jun 20, 2011 at 12:52 PM
@ 9
How has HBA earned the armband?
I say Collo all the way with Saylor as deputy
12 Tommyy // Jun 20, 2011 at 12:53 PM
I’m sure we can push for Europe if last season was anything to go by. We’ve added strength technically to the midfield, and added quality already to the attack in Ba. all we need to hit Europe now is to retain our steely leadership in Barton/Saylor/Tiote and if possible keep Jose or get a suitable replacement and a number 9. Then I would expect Europe to be a target.
13 belfastmagpie87 // Jun 20, 2011 at 12:53 PM
heard sholas leaving aswell, any truth in it???
14 cabayeclass7 // Jun 20, 2011 at 12:54 PM
Give the armband to Steven taylor!!
15 arfa chance // Jun 20, 2011 at 12:58 PM
Collo did well when he had the armband last yr. I say give it to Collo all the way
16 connor_nufc // Jun 20, 2011 at 12:58 PM
No shola is staying, hes not allowed to leave the club!!
17 NUFC_Richyg01 // Jun 20, 2011 at 12:59 PM
@ Tommyy (11)
Sure we have added, but we have lost a lot mate.
Last season was very much thanks to goals from AC & KN. Big question now is, will we find them goals from elsewhere?
18 connor_nufc // Jun 20, 2011 at 12:59 PM
Gorgonzola
Dont forget about spurs at home aswell
19 belfastmagpie87 // Jun 20, 2011 at 12:59 PM
@ connor nufc
shola for captain.haha
20 sephir0 // Jun 20, 2011 at 12:59 PM
NUFC-Richyg01
totally agree with ya pal. id rather take our time and build on each season than go for it all and f*** it all up!! if we make progress even if its by an extra place, one more goal, one more clean sheet….it’s progress.
21 Eyeball81 // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:00 PM
Give colo the armband, also why are people saying that Europe is out of our reach…is it because teams have suffered from second season syndrome in the past?
Europe is not out of reach and dare i say it we were almost there this year, if we hadnt have thrown away leads against the likes of west brom and committed suicide against stoke bolton etc we wouldve been there
22 WWJBD // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:00 PM
belfast
I heard that too from Taylor and Besty but they admitted it could of been wide of the mark however it came from a person who had spoken to Shola apparently
23 NUFC_Richyg01 // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:01 PM
Ed, can we have a captaincy poll please!?
24 belfastmagpie87 // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:01 PM
barton or steven taylor for captain.
barton will be sold,so taylor will get it.
25 WWJBD // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:02 PM
We dont have a squad big enough to deal with cup runs how are we going to be able to deal with European football?
26 MattCastle90 // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:02 PM
Based on whos gone and whos come in we are already a much stronger side..let Jonas go, hes ineffectual..Nolan…. would not have scored 12 goals next season and everyone would have said “i wish we sold him” Barton is a class player but more trouble than hes worth and although he did have some great games his passing was fairly inconsistent… we have a striker now who can actually score goals, ben arfa fit (hopefully) I dont think people realise the potential of this boy. Cabaye is a replacement for barton except better… Enrique was great but again tried to much at the back sometimes and his positional play can be poor…
Possible Line-up
Krul
Simmo (crap) Naylor
Saylor Colo
Matuidi Tiote
Ben Arfa Marveux
Cabaye
Ba/ Sturridge
Sorry guys but i dont care what anyone of you say if we sign Matuidi/ sturridge that team is far stronger than the one we had last season and we should have been top 10 comfortably then so Europe is a realistic push…or at least a cup run
27 belfastmagpie87 // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:04 PM
@wwjbd
i seen somebody saying it on twatter.
hes only got 1 year left on his contract.
so he will probly be sold.
28 Nick 69 // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:04 PM
Ben Arfa captain??????? are you having a laugh? played 4 games for us, and hardly seems the loud mouth organising type
29 WWJBD // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:05 PM
belfast
From the lads I read it from it was Shola wanting the move because he doesnt feel he will get first team football and he feels its time for him to move on
30 connor_nufc // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:09 PM
Shola will stay, he loves the club too much
31 nufc_ back to glory day // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:09 PM
why no one is saying about jeremy menez.he has got great pace…cheaper than nzogbia as well…he can play in a variety of positions as well…get in matuidi as well
lastly, one striker and one full back…
4 more players in and we will have enough squad.
32 arfa chance // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:10 PM
Just messaged craigcoozy on twatter. He said he hasn’t heard anything yet the players not arrived
33 gorskino10 // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:11 PM
Problem with STaylor is he isnt a starter or on the brinks of being one, atm the 2 defenders seem to be Willo and Colo.
If he was a starter he would be the captain over anyone but as he isnt i think he would be Vice captain nothing more.
Only players that play as a Captains are either
Barton – May be leaving and may not suit him being Captain,
Tiote – Tackles and commands like one but then again new at the club and thus i wouldnt give it to him.
Colo – Commands and is always the savior in our defence, he would be the most likely to be Captain BUT his lack of English may harm this.
34 Jan Stavik // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:14 PM
Coloccini is capt material. Taylor is in and out of the side. Barton is my pick anyway, he’s a great character.
Why the h… ship Leon Best out and keep Shola?! Amazing if this is true. Shola is 30, has a much higher salary and is cr@p. Best got 6 out of 9 starts, he’s not a bad striker. He’s strong and battles well, the irishman.
35 Tom_Toon // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:14 PM
As I said since almost the day he arrived, Enrique should be captain, would also act as an incentive for him to stay.
36 JP...from The Rock // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:15 PM
Taylor for Captain.
He speaks English and is very vocal.
Is a Geordie (or 99% Geordie for all you technical smart asses)
Loves the place and the team and has been through most of the ups and downs of the past.
Plays with his heart on his sleeve every time.
Is situated at the heart of the defense which is a good position for a Captain.
Colo / Harper – Vice Captain. Both have been here for a long time and always do their best. Harper would be a good shout for Captain as he’s our longest serving player but he can’t organize much being in the GK position.
Colo would be my preferred Vice Captain. Plays in the heart of the defense just like Saylor although he’s a quite lad just like Harper.All the others don’t have what it takes, just arrived or could be off soon.
37 HAMBO // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:16 PM
Tiote to captain the side to a top 10 finish!
38 WWJBD // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:17 PM
Taylor for captain….less than a year ago he wanted away from the club because he wanted more money or am I incorrect?
39 arfa chance // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:17 PM
This time last yr the rags said the same about Best I reckon its BS, or could be cos his ankle is always gonna be a problem
40 NUFC_Richyg01 // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:20 PM
Tiote cant really be captain, he spends too long suspended!
Barton I dont think is captain material, also it may go to his head a bit!
41 roshan MAGPIE // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:21 PM
i think we should give arm band to ben arfa looking the way he is helping the club to bring in top players
42 WWJBD // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:22 PM
Lets face it we dont have any true captain material anymore Nolan was the only one we had maybe we have plans to bring one in but I doubt it
43 Sav // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:23 PM
An over-reliance on injury-prone players at a club where we turn injuries into epic sagas and long-running soaps.
I hope Cabaye knows more than I do, but I doubt it.
Ranger out, Best out, 2 unreliable ageing strikers left in Shola and Loven. Jose almost gone, Barton a racing certainty to leave and Nolan already out – all 1st choice starters last year. Our back 4 was poor and leaked goals last season and we’ve done nothing to improve it.
Midfield packed with players with very little Prem experience who mostly speak French. And Ba.
Sorry to be a pessimist but that’s how I see it unless some radical signings are made and the promise to spend 35 million (sorry, it was ‘to be made available’ wasn’t it?) is kept.
44 RedMissionBells // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:23 PM
Give the armband to Colo.
Coloccini hardly gets injured and plays amost every game for us. A consistent performer who is able to command the defence well.
Steven Taylor has not racked up enough games for us to be the captain. We need a player who is playing regularly for us to be the captain.
Also, I really do not wish to see Barton leave.
A midfield consisting of Tiote, Barton, Arfa and Cabaye will have a good mix of skill and grit.
Cheers!
45 geoff777 // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:24 PM
Colo or Taylor for me, it depends if Taylor is going to start after pre-season.
46 Nick 69 // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:29 PM
WWJBD – yes you are INCORRECT. Taylor said all along last year that he wanted to stay, negotiations hit a stumbling block and the CLUB transfer listed him, but he still maintained he wanted to stay and then reached a compromise. He could have moved on, just like Nolan and Carroll did for the money, but he proved he loves the club and wants to be here by accepting a compromise and signing the new contract.
If you see how he celebrates every time he scores a goal, its clear to see his passion and love of the club. IMO its a no brainer that he should be captain
47 WWJBD // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:33 PM
Nick69
So the stumbling block wasent that he was asking for too much money? And he wasent transfer listed because he couldnt lower his asking price?
Nolan moved for first team football and security for his families future he doesnt compare to Saylor wanting more money for sitting on the bench.
Celebrating a goal? Did you see him celebrating Guttis goal against Wolves? All by himself because he set it up…that didnt go down well with the rest of the team from what I have read so how can you have a leader of men who love himself so much that he celebrates his assist rather than his team mates very well taken goal?
48 JP...from The Rock // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:34 PM
Nick 69 – SPOT ON M8 !!
TAYLOR FOR CAPTAIN
COLO VICE CAPTAIN
49 MT // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:51 PM
Matuidi is good.But expensive(at least 15M)
i prefer use this money on striker & winger.
we can find another DM in Suth America.(more cheaply)
50 cainezy // Jun 20, 2011 at 1:55 PM
Just because we don’t have a lot of depth. We can still get in to europe. We have more depth. That fulham now and if we add a couple of quality signing and the like of gosling and ben arfa we are more than capable of getting into europe next season then purchase some more players for the. 12 / 13 season we could have a good go
51 Nick 69 // Jun 20, 2011 at 2:16 PM
WWJBD – maybe he did ask for more money, but once he realised he wasnt getting it he was happy enough to accept a lower offer as he wanted to stay here no matter what. You said Taylor ASKED TO LEAVE, because he wanted more money, he didn’t. A young player is always going to ask for more money when negotiating a new contract, thats a fact. But not all young players when told they wouldnt get it would turn round and accept a lower offer just so they could stay at the club they love. You just have to look at Andy Carroll for proof of this, he wanted more money, didnt get it so f***d off, Taylor was the opposite!!
52 Sir Alan // Jun 20, 2011 at 2:22 PM
In order:
1. Taylor- He is better than WIlliamson and has an eye for goal so will be starting.
2. Barton- Only if he stays but i think he will be vice captain again, or was that Smith?
3. Colo- Good character and player, but will he be an influence on the team?
4. Harper- Will he be starting next season? If so, certainly has a chance of grabbing the arm band.
53 Nick 69 // Jun 20, 2011 at 2:30 PM
WWJBD – maybe he did ask for more money, but once he realised he wasnt getting it he was happy enough to accept a lower offer as he wanted to stay here no matter what. You said Taylor ASKED TO LEAVE, because he wanted more money, he didnt. A young player is always going to ask for more money when negotiating a new contract, thats a fact. But not all young players when told they wouldnt get it would turn round and accept a lower offer just so they could stay at the club they love. You just have to look at Andy Carroll for proof of this, he wanted more money, didnt get it so he left, Taylor was the opposite!!
And as far as the celebration goes, thats a pathetic argument, it happens all the time that players celebrate seperately, look at Shola and Nolan for the last goal against the scum, Shola knocks it on, Nolan heads it in they both run to opposite corners to celebrate, so what
54 Brutooon // Jun 20, 2011 at 3:08 PM
forget europe if we play half the season with AMEOBI as starter !!!
55 cyprus // Jun 20, 2011 at 3:21 PM
Jonas for captain
56 NathanH NUFC // Jun 20, 2011 at 4:48 PM
I see the candidates as;
Coloccini
Tiote
S.Taylor
Any of those and i’d be happy really
57 max // Jun 20, 2011 at 5:19 PM
i think steven taylor should be the next captain..
58 thepict // Jun 20, 2011 at 5:23 PM
Our new Capitan? The man with the curly Hair
59 sheznufc // Jun 20, 2011 at 9:17 PM
TAYLOOOOOOR
60 Tiote24 // Jun 20, 2011 at 11:11 PM
Yohan already seems a likeable character, let’s hope he can prove himself on the pitch next season.
61 Tiote24 // Jun 20, 2011 at 11:15 PM
As for the new captain I think pardew will give it over pre season to see which players bring the squad together and will look for who shows good leadership qualities, I think it will either be coloccini or tiote as captain next season
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