Although similar to Cheick Tiote in style, Bigi is a rather antonymous nickname. The midfielder is short and technical in the absence of height and brute strength. Nonetheless, if Bigi is to mould into the player his potential holds his tackling will have to become more disciplined.
Continuing the pattern of the summer, Newcastle’s third signing Curtis Good is also a promising young player plucked from the lower echelons of the football leagues for a nominal fee. Good, a 6’1 centre-back, has just 25 professional appearances to his name, all in the A-League. The 19-year old has been handed a 6-year contract and thus, whilst he may not hold the immediate answer to the problem of a lack of strength in depth in Newcastle’s defence, it suggests there is talent there to protect – something Newcastle have done a good job of over the summer in regards to Danny Simpson and Demba Ba, who both look likely to start the new season in Black and White.
Prediction
A fifth place finish is what a city like Newcastle deserves from their football club. Or at least expects. It has come when their big-money transfers on the wrong players has ceased. For years their transfer dealings were laughable. Now they’re shrewd and on-par with the Arsene Wenger of old. It’s a large provincial club, the face of it’s city, with armies of fans that grew only larger during the 90s. For too long, though, it was a club that was run by alleged legends and legends, when really a subjective methodological approach was needed. Now they have it, they must continue to harvest it. The connotations held when a Cockney took the helm in the shape of Pardew and how they feel for him now is a ringing endorsement to the footballing cliche: “its the results that matter.”
However, to secure another finish befitting of the city, Newcastle must continue to reap the fruits of consistency. The answer is found in the maths. Pardew was extremely consistent in delivering results. They finished 5th in the table: 6th in the home table and 5th in the away table. Their end of season form was entirely representative of this furthermore: their last six home games saw them as the fifth best side in the form tables, as did their last six away games. One undying, almost inherent Newcastle trait that seemingly outlives any manager’s tenure, however, was their love of goals – at both ends: over half of Newcastle’s games ended with 3 0r more goals being scored. It’s what the fans want.
Yet, it will be hard to replicate. For Newcastle to have finished 5th last season they needed both Liverpool and Chelsea to have had a bad season. With Tottenham almost now an ever-present in and around the top four and Chelsea having had the summer to spend over £60m on reinforcements, finishing as high will prove hard. With a European schedule to tussle with too Alan Pardew will do well to achieve a back-to-back Europa League spot. A prediction of seventh place, nestling just outside of the Champions League with the teams from Merseyside should see realistic Magpies happy.
Prediction: 7th
Written by Jordan Florit for www.maycauseoffence.com/ For more articles visit my website or my Twitter @JordanFlorit
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