Newcastle United have concluded their preseason campaign and we learned quite a few things about the team in recent weeks.
After starting preseason with a 4-0 defeat against Wolverhampton in China, Newcastle United finished strong with back-to-back wins against Hibernian and Saint-Etienne. Several players got to showcase their skills with a fair share of playing time and the Magpies finished the summer with an overall performance record of three victories and two losses. There is a lot to discuss and assess, but here are the key observations from preseason.
Joelinton is the Real Deal
All eyes will be on Joelinton this season to see how well and how quickly he can adapt to English football after playing in Austria and Germany, but he exceeded expectations in preseason. Fans got to see just how dynamic of a player Joelinton is in the three friendlies he played in, two of which he played for over 70 minutes.
The Brazilian striker put several skills on display, but what stood out the most was his ability to hold the ball up while surrounded by two or more defenders, find open players with accurate, well-timed passes and he utilized his pace well to beat defenders and keepers to the ball to score some goals. Joelinton will be a problem for many defenders this season, but time will tell if he can become a regular, prolific scorer this season.
Promising Youngsters
A few youngsters from the academy were given some opportunities with the first team and two players, in particular, did not disappoint. Elias Sorensen made two appearances in China and he looked good. The young Dane failed to score, but he looked lively and comfortable against two quality Premier League opponents. He deserves a chance to be a rotation player on the first team roster.
Not only was Matty Longstaff the best young player from the academy this summer, he was one of the best players on the first team roster. He played with the confidence of a regular starter, constantly looked to link up with players out wide and up top, and he finished his preseason with a goal against St. Etienne. Longstaff should make the team sheet on the bench for most games this season. He is simply too talented to ignore.
Bruce’s Formation Works
No one knew what type of football Steve Bruce would come in and implement, but our question has been answered. Newcastle United were lined up in a 3-5-2 formation in every friendly under their new manager and it got the job done. Both the strikers and defenders had extra support because of the depth in midfield and the Magpies created several chances as a result of playing with two strikers up top. In the four matches Bruce has been in charge, Newcastle United scored seven goals and players from every position got on the score sheet. We can only hope this trend continues once the 2019-20 season begins next weekend.