Newcastle Toons
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Global pandemic leads to a weak preseason for Newcastle United

By Durim Halimi

A detailed view of The Nike Flight Premier League Football For 2020/21 Season. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
A detailed view of The Nike Flight Premier League Football For 2020/21 Season. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images) /
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Newcastle United have finalized their preseason schedule, but fans will not be excited with their list of friendlies.

The 2020-21 Premier League campaign is right around the corner – September 12th – and every team will see their list of fixtures this Friday. Steve Bruce is excited to get the season started as he aims to reach new heights with Newcastle United.

The Magpies are still navigating the transfer market for both permanent signings and loan deals, but they will need to act quickly as they have only signed goalkeeper Mark Gillespie.

It remains to be seen who else will walk through the doors of St. James’ Park, but fans should expect to see some announcements soon.

In other season preparation news, the front office was able to finalize the club’s preseason schedule earlier today as they announced four friendlies on social media.

According to the announcement, Newcastle United will play the following teams on the following dates:

  • Crewe Alexandra – Aug 25 – Yorkshire Training Camp
  • Barnsley – Aug 29 – Benton Training Ground
  • Middlesbrough – Sep 1 – Rocklife Park Training Ground
  • Stoke City – Sep 5 – TBD

Seeing that Newcastle United’s preseason opponents consist of three Championship sides and a League Two outfit, the Toon Army will not be thrilled with this quality.

Based on some of the opponents the club has faced in previous summers, this list of friendlies lacks proper competition, but there is not much else the front office could have done.

With an ongoing global pandemic, travel limitations, and quarantine regulations for certain countries, this is the best Newcastle United could do.

At the end of the day, the players at least have four friendlies to improve their fitness and better understand the tactics heading into next season.

One player in particular, Joelinton, might benefit from this schedule as he might find his groove in the final third and carry some confidence into the new season.

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It is also worth mentioning that these friendlies will be played behind closed doors, so fans should keep an eye on Twitter for updates and recaps.