Fabian Schar’s knee injury kept him out of the Watford draw this past weekend. Federico Fernandez came in and put in an excellent performance as we have grown to expect from the 30-year-old.
Central defense is one area of the pitch where Newcastle don’t need to worry about depth and quality.
We also have seen a few players come in and seize opportunities when they come their way. We’ve seen that over the past month from Matty Longstaff, Ciaran Clark, and DeAndre Yedlin.
It is a positive sign that the club can rely on the fringe members of the squad to step up when they are relied upon.
However, the squad is severely lacking a clinical goal scorer at the moment. The team needs players to step up and start taking their chances, or it’s going to be another long season at Newcastle.
A player who may be able to do that if given a run of games is Dwight Gayle. If he gets his chance and can come through like Ciaran Clark has in defense, that could solve one of Newcastle’s most significant issues.
While the goals have not been flowing from Newcastle’s forwards so far, Fabian Schar still thinks their contributions to the team have been important.
Speaking to Sky Sports, this is what the Swiss defender said about Newcastle’s attackers:
“We can’t just say our attacking players have to score goals. You have to look at how we play and what our strikers and forwards do in terms of defensive work.
“Many people don’t see that or forget that they are hard-working guys who do everything for the team to defend, and it’s difficult to do the same attacking.”
We agree that players like Joelinton and Miguel Almiron do an outstanding job defensively. However, we still need them to create and score, or it’s going to be a challenging season.
Schar, though, thinks Newcastle will be just fine this season and that this squad has what it takes to start getting some points on the board. The 27-year-old also told Sky Sports about his belief in this team:
“It’s been a mixed start to the season but we’ve had a difficult start against five of the big sides in the first 10 games.
“We know how difficult the league is and that we have to score more goals.
“But we will improve. We know how good we can be and all we can do is look forward day by day.
“I’m positive in the quality and belief in the team, we perhaps have more quality than last year.
“We’re still at the bottom of the table but it’s very close, and with one or two wins, everything looks better.”
We do agree that Newcastle’s quality is comparable to last season. However, the lack of creativity and finishing must improve. Newcastle create far too few chances and don’t convert enough of the ones they do get.
Fabian is right that a few wins will make things look a lot more comfortable. But we are hovering just above the relegation places due to us not getting the wins on the board when we should have.
That needs to change and hopefully, it starts this Saturday at West Ham. We would expect Schar to be back in the side as his knee injury is just a slight one.
[table “84” not found /]Who Was Newcastle's Best Player For The Month Of October?
- Allan Saint-Maximin (42%, 277 )
- Fabian Schar (34%, 223 )
- Ciaran Clark (11%, 70 )
- Matty Longstaff (10%, 67 )
- Martin Dubravka (3%, 18 )
Total Voters: 655

43 comments so far
Online Guy
Oct 30, 2019 at 5:07 PM
Comment #1Jib
I don’t think the Mansours would have had a problem meeting Ashleys asking price, they are worth about £465 billion ! A sovereign state enterprise
Anyway it’s gone now and Ash has us scraping around the prem ..ticking over with no hope or thought of progress, a ground with an atmosphere like a morgue, occupied by tourist, students, and non supporters with free tickets with no heart in it . Even the Wolves supporters were embarrassed for us.
We’re the talk of the bagwash.
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Oct 30, 2019 at 5:13 PM
Comment #2Apart from Rondon and Perez going Schar is correct in that we Bruce is working with a stronger group than what was about at the start of last season!
Schar, Longstaff , Almiron were not starters with Schar probably our best player now!
The 3 at the back which suits our team wasn’t established neither was Richie at wing back which is his best position
Gayle, Atsu , Muto or Shelvey were not all available to come off the bench at this time last season either
Some of the teams we have played this season are so far not as strong as they were last season either such as Spurs, Watford, Man Utd etc
toon22
Oct 30, 2019 at 5:27 PM
Comment #3JIB
The PR never sleeps
😉
Online Guy
Oct 30, 2019 at 5:27 PM
Comment #4Song for Ash.
The minute you walked in the joint, I could see you were a fat Cockney b’star, a real mean spender
Ugly bugger, fat defined , say wouldn’t you like to go down for a swim in the Tyne .
Sorry ..! Don’t know what come over me.
Online Guy
Oct 30, 2019 at 5:33 PM
Comment #5Now let me get right to the point …
IrishRob
Oct 30, 2019 at 5:37 PM
Comment #6OlG you’ll hardly make a career out of that music. Lol
toon22
Oct 30, 2019 at 5:39 PM
Comment #7LOL
Mike Ashley slams competition watchdog over handling of JD Sports’ takeover of rival Footasylum and claims it got its numbers wrong on Sports Direct
https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-7630013/Mike-Ashley-slams-competition-watchdog-handling-JD-Sports-takeover-rival.html
MagpieRanger
Oct 30, 2019 at 6:02 PM
Comment #8Imagine coming on a Newcastle United blog, defending Mike Ashley at EVERY single opportunity and not expecting a backlash.
MagpieRanger
Oct 30, 2019 at 6:06 PM
Comment #9Mike Ashley is the worst thing to happen to this football club in our modern history.
MagpieRanger
Oct 30, 2019 at 6:07 PM
Comment #10I’ve got a feeling Mike Ashley’s next trick up his sleeve will be to sell the land at Darsley Park.
investinyouthtoon
Oct 30, 2019 at 6:21 PM
Comment #11MagpieRanger at 10, I wouldn’t be at all surprised. Move the paddling pools and wheelie bins and the lads training involves running around the old pub car park on other side of the road. Win win especially for fat lad and his defenders
toon22
Oct 30, 2019 at 6:24 PM
Comment #12Jabba as an owner is the turd that wont flush
Its the 9th time and he still wont budge
investinyouthtoon
Oct 30, 2019 at 6:26 PM
Comment #13Then he will sell SJP brick by brick and take the copper wiring. Ground sharing at Gateshead stadium is another win win for Ashley and his stomach churning defenders.
I assumed with this being a NUFC blog that we would want the best for the club, however there are many poor excuses for fans of the club who defend him morning til night 24/7
Jib
Oct 30, 2019 at 6:33 PM
Comment #14investinyouthtoon
Ashley and his stomach churning defenders.
I think Fabian Schar is quite good
Jib
Oct 30, 2019 at 6:34 PM
Comment #15Lejeune Lascelles Fernandez don’t churn my stomach either
MagpieRanger
Oct 30, 2019 at 6:40 PM
Comment #16Hilarious Jib
investinyouthtoon
Oct 30, 2019 at 6:47 PM
Comment #17That’s quite witty for you jib, ha.
Thing is the defence except kraft, man manquillo and yedlin are all way above average. Shame the strikers and some of the midfielders aren’t up to that level. What would we give to have players like cabaye gini and demba ba.
Bleatin' n Bruced
Oct 30, 2019 at 6:47 PM
Comment #18Jib do you charge your fares half if they listen to your jokes? Safe bet you don’t have to do too many discounts. 😐
Bleatin' n Bruced
Oct 30, 2019 at 6:50 PM
Comment #19None of our forward players would have to get back and defend for the team ad nauseam if the midfield had any control over a game. Abysmal possession stats and low scoring opportunities point to only one thing. A substandard and badly organised midfield.
lesh
Oct 30, 2019 at 6:57 PM
Comment #20Jiblets
In with two feet again? Suggest you re-read Online’s post about Ashley’s links with the Mansours. There was no mention of an offer only that he, Wise, Jimenez and Llambias chose to get pissed and insult the potential buyers.
Bill’s son’s hero is nowt but greedy, arrogant and socially inept.
lesh
Oct 30, 2019 at 7:00 PM
Comment #21Online.
Have you recovered from your night of groupying with a baby band? I hope you didn’t succumb to their charms – musicians can be cruel!
Ron Knee
Oct 30, 2019 at 7:01 PM
Comment #22George Caulkin@GeorgeCaulkin
It’s probably fair to say that watching Sunderland in the League Cup at Oxford was not quite as life-affirming as I hoped it might be.
#Safc
lesh
Oct 30, 2019 at 7:03 PM
Comment #23MagpieRanger
I suspect that as the training ground’s still at Benton, the club may not own the freehold.
Jib
Oct 30, 2019 at 7:28 PM
Comment #24Little Benton actually
Rotonda heights
Oct 30, 2019 at 7:32 PM
Comment #25Jib
Were you more or less of an inadequate when you were 22 than you are now? Trading insults doesn’t infuriate at all, you are a figure of fun
Jib
Oct 30, 2019 at 7:38 PM
Comment #26Rotonda heights
You certainly react with a lot of venom to a figure of fun
Ron Knee
Oct 30, 2019 at 8:14 PM
Comment #27Five goals so far in this half!
toon22
Oct 30, 2019 at 8:20 PM
Comment #28Have you noticed its always the same people defending Jabba ?
Jabba knew right back at the start exactly what he was going to do with our club, he knew he would need PR to help him pillage us .
The sale lie has always been his go to lie when he was in a sticky situation
Hence posters like JIB
Right now people have just stopped caring about the club, theres no point
In Jabbas own words we were the best asset
Its over
Jib
Oct 30, 2019 at 8:27 PM
Comment #29https://twitter.com/NUFC/status/1189559779687047170
In contrast to the miserable gits that post on here at times
toon22
Oct 30, 2019 at 8:27 PM
Comment #30You think this sounds familiar ?
The Sensible Monk Lostprofit DBC • a day ago
If you were a true fan you would still be going full stop. My mother brought me up
to stick with the team through thick and thin. Any person not supporting the Longstaff brothers
cannot be a true supporter.
toon22
Oct 30, 2019 at 8:28 PM
Comment #31Hiya JIB
Lets stay positive ?
If were lucky Jabba can trouser next seasons Prem tv money too ??
Pure shoddy PR
Jib
Oct 30, 2019 at 8:30 PM
Comment #32Thanks for proving my point toon22
knobhead
toon22
Oct 30, 2019 at 8:30 PM
Comment #33After 13 years nobody cares what the PR says anymore
JIB
Youve helped Jabba asset strip us , youve helped him destroy the fan base
You couldnt care less about the club or the fans
toon22
Oct 30, 2019 at 8:31 PM
Comment #34Ahhh
Insults
Owch
Hiya JIB nobody cares about the PR rubbish you and your alts post here or on any other site
Its over
toon22
Oct 30, 2019 at 8:32 PM
Comment #35Regardless what the PR shoves out
The fans have had enough
You can only give away match tickets for so long before nobody will want them
You are helping Jabba end us as a football club
toon22
Oct 30, 2019 at 8:34 PM
Comment #36Looks like JIB has started to post his PR bollix elsewhere
Ashingtonmag • an hour ago
Please.please stop. This is embarrassing.
Just let him go.
Sounds canny familiar JIB
Dont it
Jib
Oct 30, 2019 at 8:34 PM
Comment #37This weekend
We could get 3 points in London
England could win a World cup
Hamilton could secure his 6th F1 title
bring it on !!!!!!!
toon22
Oct 30, 2019 at 8:35 PM
Comment #38Notice the area the poster pretends to be from in the name
All very familiar
toon22
Oct 30, 2019 at 8:36 PM
Comment #39JIB
Nobody cares about the rubbish you post
You defend Jabba
Hiya KBA tough sell nowdays isnt it
Online Guy
Oct 30, 2019 at 8:36 PM
Comment #40Lesh
I kept well clear of the little mix lot on Thursday and Saturday ..it was Lads from a band I got roped in with ..lead singer and Guitarist.