Newcastle United displayed mediocre form in their friendly matches this summer and they do not have much time to correct mistakes.
Supporters of Newcastle United were excited to see their beloved club take the field for the first time in two months when preseason began. Since their first match, a comfortable win against St. Patrick’s Athletic, Newcastle began to look out of sync.
The Magpies were not as dominant as they should have been against Hull City and the Tigers earned a 2-2 draw against the Magpies. The major eye-opener for Rafa Benitez and his players were the back-to-back friendlies in Portugal against FC Porto and SC Braga.
The Magpies looked incredibly vulnerable defensively and struggled to create a passing rhythm against both Portuguese sides. In the 1-0 loss to FC Augsburg, Newcastle played decent football and had a few great opportunities to score, but proper execution was lacking.
Newcastle’s overall form this preseason consisted of one victory, two draws and two losses with four goals scored and seven goals conceded. Here are some notable observations that were made during preseason.
The Core Four
Every club has at least one go-to player on their team sheet that they heavily rely on during the season. In Newcastle’s case, the Magpies are dependent on four key players. It was quite evident this preseason that without Martin Dubravka, Jamaal Lascelles, Jonjo Shelvey and Kenedy, Newcastle would be in major trouble against almost any club in the top flight.
For years now, it is no surprise that the Magpies can only earn positive results through collective effort. Knowing how inconsistent Newcastle can be, and have been this summer, it will be up to Dubravka, Lascelles, Shelvey and Kenedy to carry the team on their backs when times get tough in matches, especially away from home.
Scoring Woes Continue
Having only scored four goals in five preseason matches, the scoring woes from last season have perpetuated. The recent signing of Yoshinori Muto from FSV Mainz 05 should help improve the front-line’s scoring efficiency, but not by much. Benitez has been disappointed with the way his team has performed offensively and starting the new campaign against a dangerous Tottenham side only worsens the situation.
Seeing the mediocre quality of the attacking trio, Benitez might want to consider making the 4-4-2 formation the primary tactic for Newcastle. Muto has quick pace and superior dribbling skills to create his own chances, but Dwight Gayle and Joselu will need Ayoze Perez or Muto alongside them to score more.
Unorganized Defending
Based on their form last season, Newcastle boasted a reputation of having a top seven defensive unit in the Premier League. Once league play begins that might very well be the case again, but the defense struggled in preseason.
Conceding a total of seven goals in five friendlies is one thing, but the Magpies committed several unforced errors in the back that would prove costly in the Premier League. It could be nerves or it could be rust, but Newcastle must turn things around.
The injury to Florian Lejeune is certainly a major blow to the back-line, but the arrival of Fabian Schar is a solid remedy. The central defensive duo of Lascelles and Schar will need some time to adapt, but the entire back-line needs to improve their communication and maintain their composure.