I was asked for 3 Newcastle United players we need to stay fit for rest of the season – Here are 4 | OneFootball

The Qatar World Cup break interrupting this Newcastle United season.

An ideal time to get a snapshot of views from NUFC fans on how they think things are going.

So we sent out various questions to a number of regular / irregular contributors to The Mag.

Next up we have Billy Miller:

What are your thoughts on the job the Newcastle United owners have done since the takeover in October 2021?

Spectacular.

Can’t say anything bad about what they have achieved so far. Complete facelift of a crumbling entity.

In love again.

There have been some bitter years but I have remembered what it is like to enjoy supporting my football club again.

The sleeping giant has unleashed a massive yawn and is clambering to its feet.

If you could guarantee three NUFC players to go through rest of season available for every match, who would they be and in what order?

Bruno, Trippier, ASM.

Bruno is the magic man in the middle and makes us tick.

Trippier is twice as good as any other option in his position and an irreplaceable leader.

ASM is probably the contentious one here and it was a toss up between him and Wilson.

I just think ASM is such an unbelievable player on his day. If he could stay fit for the next six months, working with Howe, training all the time and playing every game, I would be intrigued to see if he could fulfil his potential.

Can I sneak a 4th? I’ve always said a fit Wilson would be a 20 goal striker. I’d like him to have the chance to prove me right.

Goal of the season (top choice and then second and third)?

Anyone who hasn’t said Almiron’s unfathomable volley against Fulham needs committing. It’s got to be a serious contender for goal of the season. For technique and mind-bending quality it’s got to be close to Cisse’s famous goal against Chelsea.

Trippier against Man City was a phenomenal free kick.

Third, I’m going to give it to Willock for his goal against Chelsea. There have been better goals but I think the importance of that goal was massive. We were in brilliant form and to sign off the World Cup by beating one of our Champions League rivals (that’s right, Champions League rivals!) was special. It was a decent strike too.

A must win game and the whole squad fit and available, which 11 would you select?

Pope, Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn, Willock, Bruno, Joelinton, Almiron, Wilson, ASM

Eddie Howe signings (Botman, Bruno, Burn, Isak, Pope, Targett, Trippier, Wood) best to least best and explain why?

Trippier, Bruno, Botman, Pope, Burn, Isak, Targett, Wood.

I’ve written a whole article on the importance of Trippier signing. He was a statement of intent and choosing to swap the Champions League for a relegation battle was both bold and inspirational. Before his injury last season, he scored two vital goals to help drive our excellent run of victories. Injured or not he has led this team and lived every result. I’ve supported this team for over 25 years but he’s already becoming one of my all-time favourites and easily the best right back I’ve seen at this club.

Isak is low because we haven’t seen enough of him yet but what I have seen I’m excited about.

Targett would be higher if he had played more this season.

Has to be Brentford.

I got to be there and I felt emotional seeing the Wor Flags display. That game was the embodiment of how far we’d come. Eleven months previously, Eddie Howe had missed his debut in charge against the same opponents due to Covid and we drew 3-3.

Eleven months later and the same amount of goals were shared but with Newcastle scoring five of them.

World Cup break – Has it come at a bad time (breaks momentum potentially etc) or a good time (players needed break, injuries clear up etc etc)?

It came at a bad time for us as fans, as it was riveting watching us before the break.

We were charging at full tilt in every game though and we may not have been able to sustain that energy.

Now we have the opportunity to recuperate and get more players fit and back into the main group. Hopefully we will pick up where we left off when Bournemouth come to town in a couple of weeks.

Has the ‘big six’ already become a ‘big seven’?

I would say so.

We should definitely finish in the top seven and we have the financial power to mix it with those other six.

Give us a few years to fully upgrade our facilities, improve our squad further and increase our commercial revenues and we’ll be regularly in the top four (if we aren’t straight away).

If the new NUFC owners had decided to stick with Steve Bruce come what may, what do you predict would have happened these past 13 months and where would Newcastle United now be at?

Was never going to happen.

These are intelligent, ambitious people running our club now.

Your choice – England win World Cup or Newcastle win League Cup?

Next silly question.

I would take Newcastle to qualify for Europe or win any trophy over England winning the World Cup.

I’m a firm supporter of England (see next answer) but Newcastle is my one true love and their success is far more important to me.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how interested are you in this Qatar World Cup?

I am an England fan. I went to the last Euros and I am likely to go to the next Euros and World Cup.

I didn’t attend this World Cup for many reasons but I’m still watching most games. Although I think the tournament itself is and has been a farce, some of the matches have been excellent.

Three words to describe Newcastle United now?

Energetic, exciting, evolving.

In the next five years, who are going to be the most dominant four clubs in the Premier League?

Really tough one to predict.

Man City will be there and I’m sure we will be.

Arsenal have got such a quality group of young players. If they keep all of them together, they’ve got every chance of being up there.

Liverpool seem to be fading but still have an outstanding team and could be under new ownership soon.

I don’t want Man Utd to ever get back to their best so I’ll use the power of affirmation to keep them out of this.

Chelsea are in the infancy of their new ownership and it could go either way for them.

Tottenham, I can’t ever see getting beyond us after a couple more years of investment.

I’m going to go for us, Man City, Arsenal and Chelsea.

Maddison all day for me.

Longstaff and Willock have improved hugely but I think Maddison is another level to either of them and would complete our midfield nicely.

Watching this World Cup, one of the standout players for me has been Jamal Musiala. His end product needs work and his team are already out but his technical ability at 19 is breath-taking. Could be the latest of many Chelsea players that have been let go as youngsters who went on to become world class players elsewhere. He’s not someone we’d be anywhere near signing in January but who knows in three or four years’ time. It’s crazy to think that he’s the type of buy we could be looking at in the new future. Frustrating that Germany lured him into their national set up after he played for England 19 times through various age groups.