For summer recruitment of Newcastle United signings these Belgian stars are highly recommended | OneFootball

We thought this would be a good time to ask a few questions once again of Newcastle United fans, some of those who are regular / irregular contributors to The Mag.

We are set to head out of this international break and the final eight weeks of the 2022/23 Premier League season lie ahead, 12 matches that will decide our fate.

Next up answering some questions is The Belgian Geordie.

Okay. I am going to go all Belgian (I am currently living in Belgium, just in case of any doubt) here.

Charles De Ketelaere is having a stinking first season at AC Milan.

Is he a playmaker or a forward, no one seems to know, I would have preferred him to Anthony Gordon in the January transfer window but maybe there’s a deal to be done in the summer. He has not stopped being a good player and I am sure that Eddie Howe could get him firing on all cylinders.

If Everton go down then I would hope that we would make a strong bid for Amadou Onana as he would strongly complement our midfield.

While I know we don’t need another centre back at the moment, Zeno Debast would be a good understudy for Schar and certainly strengthen our squad for the rigours of Champions League football.

However, I would equally be happy if they made moves for Openda, Lavia, Mangala or Lukebakio, as they all have the potential to bolster our squad.

Aside from them all being good players, having Belgians in the squad increases the chance of my Cable TV provider showing the match!

When NUFC matches chosen for TV, your marks out of ten on each option – Friday night, 12,30pm Saturday, 5.30pm Saturday, 2pm Sunday, 4.30pm Sunday, Monday night?

As a TV viewer I have to say that this is based on my convenience and not any matchday related rituals, meeting up with mates in the Toon, or anything else… so maybe take this with a pinch of salt.

Friday night 7/10

12.30pm Saturday 5/10

5.30pm Saturday 7/10

2pm Sunday 8/10

4.30pm Sunday 7/10

Monday night 0/10

Who are the three most improved players (in order) that Eddie Howe inherited, when he came in?

If anyone had asked me this earlier in the season I would have said Joelinton, Miggy and Schar.

Now it is more difficult as the renaissance of Willock and the man whose number coming up on the assistant referee’s board used to bring a collective sigh in our household, have complicated things.

It used to be a sign of desperation bringing Murphy on. It meant that we had absolutely no other options on the bench and a fresh pair of legs were needed, or that we simply needed to run down the clock. I think that Eddie Howe has actually finally found the player in Jacob Murphy that he can be.

Other than the Newcastle United purple patch before he signed a permanent deal, Willock has never hit those highs again. Until now.

Good coaching and a rigorous training regime are bringing out the sparks of brilliance that he had previously only hinted at.

However, let’s be honest, we never doubted he had it in him, same with Sean Longstaff… but could they bring it week in week out.

Same with Schar.

Most of us, despite our love of for the players’ efforts and willingness to run themselves into the ground for the team: no one would have thought pre-takeover that Joelinton would have become the midfield beast that he has become. Miggy was 100% a team player and as much as my daughter loved him, I was always unhappy with his inability to produce an end product.

Eddie has changed that. So that’s still Big Joe and Miggy at 1 and 2 but number 3 is really tough.

As much as Willock has improved under Eddie, you looked at him and you thought: on a good day he could have a good game.

I never thought that about Jacob Murphy. Until now.

They say form is temporary and class is permanent and it’s too early on Jacob Murphy’s road to redemption to say which of the two it is.However, for me his current form pips Willock, Schar and Longstaff for number 3.

Predict the Premier League top six in order at the end of this season.

This is more difficult than it looks as the top two will not really be decided until they play each other and the wind is taken out of one or the other’s sails. I stick with my early season prediction that it will be:

1 Man City

2 Arsenal

Much as I hate to admit it, despite totally indifferent form at times, Man U remain so lucky and with compliant refereeing decisions, I still think that they may finish above us.

I would love, as someone else suggested, to see Manure spread all over the turf at St James’ Park. We owe them that, for all of the years of hurt and disappointment.

However, I still see them by hook and by crook, whatever the coming weekend’s result is, finishing above us.

3 Man U

Tottenham: well what can I say. Conte applied for his P45, and got it, but will his outburst galvanise them or break them.

I reckon they will falter under the interim manager and someone will steady the ship but that it will be too late. Paratici being banned worldwide for his role in the Juve scandal will also potentially further destabilise Spurs. Let’s hope so!

4 Newcastle

5 Brighton

6 Liverpool

7 Tottenham

Predict the Eddie Howe starting 11 v Man U (assuming Krafth and Almiron the only ones missing).

Pope

Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn

Willock, Bruno, Joelinton

Miggy, Isak, Anderson

Your thoughts looking back on the Carabao Cup final (team selection, ticketing, your experience going to it/watching from home, how they played, anything you want to talk about)?

Football is a game which combines luck and skill in varying measures and the fine margins which separate victory from defeat can make or spoil your day.

I am yet to watch us play in a cup final where my day has not been spoiled.

This will change. We will win.

To be fair, as with all of the games we lost during our ‘downturn in form’, we didn’t play badly.

For the next competition run; my preference is the FA Cup, but that’s a story for another day.