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Newcastle United need these three players to improve their form

By Durim Halimi

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 01: Kenedy of Newcastle United controls the ball during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Newcastle United at Etihad Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 01: Kenedy of Newcastle United controls the ball during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Newcastle United at Etihad Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) /
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Newcastle United are dependent on collective effort, but there are three players who need to regain their form from last season.

Newcastle United are struggling at start of this new campaign as they find themselves among the bottom three after four matches. Several factors contribute to this poor run of form, but one of these factors is linked to three specific players.

Everyone on the field and bench is responsible for the outcome of the club after every match, but Jamaal Lascelles, Ayoze Perez and Kenedy need to step up their game. These three players, in particular, have stood out for their mediocre form to start the 2018-19 campaign.

Jamaal Lascelles

Jamaal Lascelles wears the captain’s armband and is highly praised by Rafa Benitez, however, the young defender has not lived up to his hype from last term. In fact, Lascelles’ form has been so mediocre that I would try to convince Benitez to name Paul Dummett or Jonjo Shelvey as team captain.

Yes, Lascelles has made some important tackles for Newcastle, but he has also committed multiple unforced errors, one of which led to an early goal for Manchester City. Moreover, the defender’s confrontations with team-mates is becoming too much. Lascelles needs to calm down and focus on how he can better utilize his strength and vocal leadership to improve the team.

Ayoze Perez

Ayoze Perez has improved every season he has been with Newcastle and Benitez can only hope that trend will continue this campaign. Perez was stellar for Newcastle last season with eight goals and five assists. His impressive play has also earned him time under the spotlight with reports claiming that Spain have sent scouts to watch the attacking midfielder play.

It is still early in the season, but Perez has not shown his flare from last season yet. Maybe the arrival of Yoshinori Muto has put new pressure on the shoulders of Perez, but that internal competition should bring the best out of him. Perez knows he has sufficient skills to be one of the best players on the field, but he needs to play with more urgency in the coming weeks.

Kenedy

The young Brazilian looked great against Tottenham, horrible against Cardiff City and decent against Manchester City. In other words, Kenedy has been an average player to start the season. When he arrived on Tyneside in January, he instantly made an impact and quickly became one of the best players on the roster.

Kenedy will have plenty of opportunities to improve his form over the next several weeks, especially against weaker opponents. However, Benitez needs the very best out of his talented winger in matches against quality sides, starting with Arsenal on September 15th.