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Newcastle United’s best player this season through 29 games

By Durim Halimi

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 21: Martin Dubravka of Newcastle United reacts to his sides first goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Crystal Palace at St. James Park on December 21, 2019 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 21: Martin Dubravka of Newcastle United reacts to his sides first goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Crystal Palace at St. James Park on December 21, 2019 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images) /
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With more rumors swirling around that the Premier League might end the season early, we decided to select our Newcastle United Player of the Season early.

The 2019-20 Premier League season has been a roller coaster ride for fans, players, managers and referees. The season was even more complicated for Newcastle United as the club replaced Rafa Benitez with Steve Bruce, broke their transfer record, and signed multiple players in the final days of the transfer window.

Despite all these changes, the Magpies handled their adversity much better than most pundits and fans thought they would. Bruce’s men are currently 13th in the table with 35 points through 29 games. If the season did end early, as several reports claim it might, then this is a respectable finish for a team that was jumbled together at the end of the summer.

Collective effort is the main pillar for a team like Newcastle United, but who stood out from the pack and had the greatest impact on the team? See the selections Carson and I made for Newcastle United Player of the Season below. Please note, however, that this topic will be revisited if the league picks up again this summer.

2019-20 Player of the Season

Carson A. Merk

Player of the Season: Martin Dubravka

This was a very easy decision for me. While players like Jonjo Shelvey, Allan Saint-Maximin, Federico Fernandez, and others have had good chunks of time, Martin Dubravka has been quality ALL SEASON.

The Magpies are tied for fewest goals scored in the Premier League this season and constantly had little possession. With the defense and goalkeeper under a lot of pressure and with injuries causing the backline to be rotated, Dubravka came up with big saves and stepped up when the club needed him most. The man leads the EPL in saves and somehow leads the club in passes, that’s how crucial he has been to Steve Bruce’s side.

Durim Halimi

Player of the Season: Martin Dubravka

In my opinion, the race for this award only includes Martin Dubravka, Jonjo Shelvey and Federico Fernandez. All three players have been in fine form this season, but Dubravka truly has been a savior between the sticks.

Think about it this way, Newcastle United only managed to score 25 goals in 29 games, yet they are 13th and only four points behind 10th-placed Burnley. How does a team that can’t score achieve a mid-table finish like that? Well, it means Dubravka has been bailing his team out every week with big saves.

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The Slovakian shot-stopper leads the Premier League in saves and has also claimed the third-most clean sheets (nine). Newcastle United are, generally speaking, a disciplined team when it comes to defending, but the back-line has struggled at times this season. If it was not for Dubravka’s awareness and athleticism in goal, the Magpies would be in the bottom three.