Are Newcastle a better team than they were last season?

After much whispering and rumours, the transfer window closed with Newcastle failing to add a striker to squad as promised. The failure to sign anyone on the final day of transfer dealings was far too predictable for many, mirroring the failed attempts to bring in a replacement for Andy Carroll on the final day of the January transfer window. The lack of incoming striker has tainted what was otherwise a relatively good window for the North East club. Although losing key team members such as Nolan, Barton and Enrique, the Newcastle hierarchy managed to add the likes of Cabaye and Obertan, with left back Davide Santon the latest player to sign for the Toon as a much needed replacement for the departed Enrique. After having 7 months to plan possible signings, it is disappointing that no striker could be brought in to alleviate the concerns of the Geordie faithful, and also to fulfill the promises made by manager, Alan Pardew. I feel genuinely sorry for the former Southampton man, as he has repeatedly stated since the arrival of Sylvain Marveaux that he would recruit 2 further players; a Left Back and a Striker. Less than 2 weeks ago he stated 'We’re trying to make sure this club is stronger than it was last year, as it stands, when we started the season, I’d say we’re not at in position yet. But hopefully we will be.' I understand that Pardew was trying to excite the fans in his statement, but surely he must have been aware that saying the team is not better than last season, after having 3 months to strengthen, is a high risk strategy should the club have failed to get any further players through the door. As it turned out, he managed only one further addition in left back Davide Santon. So if we are to believe what Pardew said, then that means we are still worse than last season? I must say, I believe we are a much stronger team, and the lack of striker is not as big a problem as some people say.


Since June, Newcastle have been linked with an array of strikers, from English talent such as Jermaine Defoe, to relatively unheard of foreign forwards like Brest forward, Nolan Roux. I liked the way that we had gone about recruiting our other targets. We seemingly had a list of potential buys that had been identified, and we managed to sign up some very promising talent. However, when it came to finding a striker the cool and calm recruitment that had led to the signatures of Cabaye, Marveaux and Ba seemed to go out of the window. It seemed, especially towards the end of the window that we were just desperate to recruit anyone who would cost around £10m. When we were linked with an offer for Fulham target Bryan Ruiz in the final hours, it felt very much as though we were just desperate. I am glad Ruiz headed for Fulham. When David Craig appeared on Sky Sports News telling the nation that we had a helicopter ready to bring Ruiz to the north east, I must admit I got rather excited, especially after watching videos of him on Youtube. I'm glad we didn't sign him though, as he was a player, that until that final hours of the window has not been linked with Newcastle, and I feel that it is a more sensible policy to wait, before spending an over inflated price for a striker who has excelled in a pool dutch league. Remember Afonso Alves?

I sometimes feel that British fans are quite gullible when it comes to foreign talent. For example, we were linked with Modibo Maiga, a Malian international playing for Sochaux. The french league is a league much worse than the premier league, yet 23 year old Maiga has only scored 14 goals in his 36 appearances for the club. Compare this to 24 year old Irishman Leon Best, who has scored 8 goals in 15 premier league matches. the same could be said for Kevin Gameiro, who we were linked with earlier in the transfer window. He had a record of around 1 goal in 2 for Lorient, again in the poor French league. He signed for PSG for around £10m. Best, who has a similar scoring record in a far superior league, yet he was linked with a £3m move to championship side Birmingham over the summer. I understand that his scoring record is only across a small number of games, and is therefore not perhaps as accurate, but surely at only 24 he is worth retaining and given the role as our main striker? He did very well last season following the sale of Andy Carroll, when Newcastle were tipped to struggle.

Maiga- an improvement on what we have?

If we look at the stats, it shows that goals were no more hard to come by in the second half of the season following Andy Carroll's departure, than they were in the first half. In the first 19 games- up to Carroll's final game against Tottenham on the 28th December, we scored 28 goals. If the loss of Carroll is to be believed as being so catastrophic as some say then you would think that we scored much less in the second 19 games of the season. From Carroll's last game on the 28th December, until the end of the season we scored 28 goals- exactly the same number as with Carroll.


So then, the lack of Andy Carroll is perhaps not as important as you might think. When you also consider that Kevin Nolan scored only 2 of his 12 goals following the Gateshead born striker's departure, then you start to think that perhaps  the Newcastle strike force was more balanced without Carroll, as Leon Best, Peter Lovenkrands and Shola Ameobi stepped up to fill the void.


Moving away from the failure to recruit a striker, I also feel that the team are stronger in midfield. Previously we were playing Joey Barton as a makeshift right midfielder. Over the summer we have signed Sylvain Marveaux; who can play at a number of positions across the midfield; and Gabriel Obertan, an out and out right winger.


Centrally, we lost Kevin Nolan, due to the refusal to give him a long deal. At the time people saw it as a major error by the board, as he was at many times last year, our best player. Following watching Yohan Cabaye for the first few games of the season however, any worries have quickly evaporated. Cabaye looks like a very good player. He is younger than Nolan, more mobile and seems a bargain for his £4.3m price tag.


Defensively, Jose Enrique left to Liverpool, after one of the most protracted deals of the summer came to an end in August. Similarly to the vacant striker's position, a host of names were linked, including PSV's Erik Pieters and Aly Cissokho, however Newcastle eventually plumped for Inter full back, Davide Santon. Descrobed as the next Paolo Maldini by Jose Mourinho, he is an exciting prospect and at only 20, has his career ahead of him. Although perhaps not at the standard of Enrique yet, he definitely has potential to grow into a player surpassing the quality of the Spaniard.

So to answer the question, as to whether Newcastle a better team than they were last season, it seems only fair to compare the teams. If we count Andy Carroll as a major loss, then we should perhaps assess the recovery of the side following his departure. The squad for the first game after his move to Liverpool; a 1-0 defeat to Fulham, was as follows:

Harper, Coloccini, Enrique, Williamson, Simpson, Nolan, Barton,Guthrie, Gutierrez, Best, Ameobi

Subs: Krul, Campbell, Perch, Ferguson, Lovenkrands, Ranger, Richardson

Compare this with our team in our 2-1 victory Fulham last week:

Krul, Coloccini, Simpson, R. Taylor, S. Taylor, Cabaye, Gutierrez, Tiote, Lovenkrands, Best, Obertan

Subs: Soderberg, Smith, Marveaux, Vuckic, Ferguson, Ba, Sammy Ameobi

Consider that to add to that team is Santon and Ben Arfa, as well as Shola Ameobi, Harper, Gosling, then I believe that considering we have lost possibly our four best players, in Carroll, Enrique, Nolan and Barton, we have done remarkably well to retain the core of the team, whilst also making additions that show progression from an aging team, into one full of youth and potential. The failure to add a new striker is a source of frustration, but with the likes of Krul, Cabaye and Ben Arfa our team has very exciting young players, and with the momentum created from our first 3 results, Newcastle have a very good chance of improving on the 12th place finish of last year. HWTL