If we can beat Huddersfield Town on Saturday at home, then we will be close to being home and dry in the Premier League and likely avoid relegation.
It would be a fantastic 3 points for us, but our players have to be at or near their best.
The Terriers have beaten us twice in our last three games and won 2-1 at St. James Park in August 2016.
Assuming we stay in the Premier League Rafa will need to strengthen the side significantly.
Hopefully, we can sign Martin Dubravka who has looked impressive in the Newcastle goal so far and seems to steady the defenders in front of him.
Martin Dubravka – brilliant in his debut against Red Devils
He will undoubtedly strengthen the side.
Since Sadio Haidara and Jesus Gamez will be released in the summer when their contracts run out, we expect Rafa to bring in at least one full-back to replace them.
Maybe a full-back who can play on either side would be a good acquisition, but left-back would be the priority since we have both Yedlin and Manquillo as natural right-backs.
Since Chancel Mbemba is almost sure to leave Newcastle this summer, Rafa will want to bring in another center-back.
And with Jonjo Shelvey currently being the only real creative midfield player in the team (Merino can grow into one), Rafa will want to sign a playmaker so we can be more creative as a team.
And up front, we could see two new strikers come in, and Aleksandar Mitrovic and Dwight Gayle will likely both leave the club – each for at least £15M hopefully.
We seem to have a lot of wingers at the moment, and if we can sign Kenedy permanently, Rafa will do that.
Otherwise, he could bring the likable lad back for another season on Tyneside – that would be a good move by Newcastle.
So based on this logic, we need the following positions filled with new players this summer:
Goalkeeper
Full-back
Center-back
Playmaker
Strikers (2)
Winger
Getting outstanding players in for those positions should make us a much better side next season.
We expect (at least) Mitrovic, Gayle, Mbemba, and Colback to leave the club this summer.
And hopefully, we will not be fighting relegation for the umpteenth time.
Did I mention we also need a new owner?
Comments welcome.
147 comments so far
Jail for Ashley
Mar 27, 2018 at 8:51 AM
Comment #121Veltman,
I think it’s a lot more to do with how he’s ran our football club.
RobLeenio
Mar 27, 2018 at 8:56 AM
Comment #122Jail, yes now that would be the dream, wouldn’t it? He’ll still end up in Spain sooner or later IMO, but agreed – if we can grow with Merino’s own ambitions, then we’ll likely prolong his stay with us.
The likes of JonJo, Lascelles and our other star players seem to have their feet well under the table and, barring disaster, continued bad management (club not team) or Ashley interceding and flogging them from under Rafa’s feet, they’ll be here for as long as we want them.
posada
Mar 27, 2018 at 9:20 AM
Comment #123Was Karanker not a Basque. Think he played for Real.
Get on it Jibberish.
It’s a good job you are useful for some things.
Jib
Mar 27, 2018 at 9:25 AM
Comment #124The first nameAitor is the giveaway
It’s from the Basque phrase
” aitoren semeak ”
son of a person of note
similar to “Hidalgo” in Castilian
hijo de algo
Jail for Ashley
Mar 27, 2018 at 9:25 AM
Comment #125posada,
It’ll be the wrong Karanka, he’ll end up blurring on about the men’s 400M baton race Karanka who supports Real.
lochinvar
Mar 27, 2018 at 9:32 AM
Comment #126Veltman@119
Scottish by ancestory but family are true Geordies born within sight of SJP.
The earlier post on Ashley was just copied from the Ronnicle as it caught my eye that Ashley has 11% ownership of House of Fraser who have financial problems and if anything changes there it might have some impact on his thinking about ownership and the level of future investment in NUFC.
Other than that sorry to say that I have no incriminating images of him that you can use without causing public offence.
lochinvar
Mar 27, 2018 at 9:33 AM
Comment #127Jib -are you Jeremy Paxton ?
RobLeenio
Mar 27, 2018 at 9:35 AM
Comment #128Fair point, I guess what I should have said was that it would be less likely for him to end up at Real. It’s like a Catholic playing at Rangers or a scouser (red half) playing for Man U. It happens, but some won’t even consider it.
lochinvar
Mar 27, 2018 at 9:36 AM
Comment #129*Jeremy Paxman
Jib
Mar 27, 2018 at 9:49 AM
Comment #130No
but weirdly
Giles Paxman , Jeremy’s brother
was ambassador to Spain
2009–2013
Ron Knee
Mar 27, 2018 at 10:23 AM
Comment #131“I met a man at a party. He said: “I’m writing a novel.” I said: “Oh really? Neither am I.” (Peter Cook)
Jib
Mar 27, 2018 at 10:32 AM
Comment #132That was actually me Peter Cook met
at the party
😛
RobLeenio
Mar 27, 2018 at 10:46 AM
Comment #133According to reports today, O?uzhan Özyakup looks like a serious target for us from Besiktas. He’s a midfielder but I know nothing about him other than that. Anyone able to add a little flesh to the bones?
posada
Mar 27, 2018 at 10:47 AM
Comment #134Good old Jib.
Bambams
Mar 27, 2018 at 11:03 AM
Comment #135Robleenio
I think he will have a few takers other than ourselves. Great little footballer with an eye for that killer pass.
Rotonda heights
Mar 27, 2018 at 11:05 AM
Comment #136been off here for a couple of weeks, come back and munster is still slagging rafa. some things never change i guess
Jail for Ashley
Mar 27, 2018 at 11:08 AM
Comment #137Rotonda,
You can read him like a book, he’s been spouting nonsense about him and his son singing Rafa songs but he’s getting a few sneaky digs in now in the hope that we lose against ‘Udders to that he can tell us if we’d attacked them more and kept Mitro that we would have won.
RobLeenio
Mar 27, 2018 at 11:14 AM
Comment #138Thanks, Bambams. Could he be our number one target for a number 10, then? I see Everton are heavily linked too.
RobLeenio
Mar 27, 2018 at 11:16 AM
Comment #139I think my opinion of Turkish footballers is (probably unfairly) tainted by one Emre Belozoglu
Jail for Ashley
Mar 27, 2018 at 11:18 AM
Comment #140It must be very confusing being a fan who obviously wants his team to win but at the same time wanting them to lose to vindicate their stance on a managers tactics, especially after claiming the more intelligent posters will have realised that Rafa isn’t that great of a manager.
Jail for Ashley
Mar 27, 2018 at 11:20 AM
Comment #141RobLeenio,
Emre was alright wasn’t he? Didn’t he come to us when we were in serious decline under Souness?
RobLeenio
Mar 27, 2018 at 11:25 AM
Comment #142Jail, I remember his time differently – generally injured, disinterested when not injured and failed to live up to his early promise.
posada
Mar 27, 2018 at 11:27 AM
Comment #143Emre was a great footballer. Sadly he was just not robust enough for english football.
Don’t think he had the engine either.
Signed with Scott Parker.
Did he not score a great goal from a free kick in a 3-2 win against that lot from down the road.
Think he did anyway. I Should know for sure as I was there.
Jib get on it.
posada
Mar 27, 2018 at 11:29 AM
Comment #144Rob
Your right. When he tried to be robust enough and run enough he tended to get injured.
Jail for Ashley
Mar 27, 2018 at 11:31 AM
Comment #145RobLeenio,
I remember him being injured a lot but I think there was a lack of interest from a lot of players at the time.
lochinvar
Mar 27, 2018 at 11:53 AM
Comment #146Ed – a bit of a slow news day from your side so hope all is ok and any hospital visits or treatments are not too taxing.
All the lads and lasses are busy polishing their flags and scarves for the weekend.
Just hope those rugby boys have left the pitch in good condition.
RobLeenio
Mar 27, 2018 at 12:04 PM
Comment #147Jail, I guess every mis-performing team needs at least one ‘bad guy’ that we can all point at and blame. In my group of friends, Emre’s name was mud as he sat in the physio’s room week after week, shortly after Marcelino did the same thing.