Sky Sports presenter Joe Thomlinson has been left very impressed by Fabian Schar’s turnaround in form under Eddie Howe at Newcastle United.
Schar, who was far from a regular and consistent starter under former manager Steve Bruce, has missed only one game in the league this season under Howe, which is a testament to how he and the manager have worked to make him a better player.
The defender is likely going to go down as one of the best buys in Newcastle’s recent history given he cost the club just £3m back in 2018 when he was brought in from Deportivo, with the Swiss going on to make 111 appearances across all competitions.
Speaking on the latest episode of Sunday Vibes prior to the Toon’s victory over Tottenham Hotspur this weekend, Thomlinson picked out Schar for specific praise following his form this season.
He said: “I want to talk about Fabian Schar a little bit, who at the heart of the defence, I was expecting to be replaced this season given the arrival of Sven Botman.
“I thought we’d see a back two of Sven Botman and Dan Burn despite the fact they are both left-footed. Obviously, that might not play into the thinking of some people, but I reckon it does play into the thinking of managers.
“I thought we’d see a backline that included Targett and Trippier, but Fabian Schar has been absolutely outrageous and part of a Newcastle defence that is one of the best in Europe – it’s one of the best in England, certainly.
Is Schar god enough for Newcastle?
Yes!
No!
“I mean, if you look at the underlying numbers, it’s incredible, and if you look at the real numbers, it’s the best defence in the league. I think they’ve conceded nine goals in 11 games; I think it’s the third-best by expected goals against.
“The press up the field is amazing and maybe that is helping them at the back because the personnel isn’t necessarily the most high-profile, but something’s working there – and it includes Fabian Schar, who I didn’t even think would be starting for Newcastle this season.”
TIF Thoughts on Schar’s performances…
Considering that some in the media, such as Simon Jordan and TalkSport, believed that Eddie Howe wasn’t the right man for Newcastle because he couldn’t organise a team to defend, the Magpies boss has proved many people wrong.
Schar, Sven Botman, Dan Burn and Kieran Trippier have formed a formidable backline that is proving to be very difficult to break down having now shipped just 10 goals in the league all season – with three of them coming in one game against champions Manchester City.
The Switzerland international is proving to be a competent defender, leading the team in tackles against players who are dribbling out of players to have started more than one game (as per FBref), but his passing is also very impressive, and it was on show yesterday against Tottenham Hotspur with stunning balls over the top for Joelinton and Callum Wilson.