I Wish I Was A Geordie - The Blog of Newcastle United in the US

On The Air: So Much For Optimism

For those of you who weren't down with the sunny tone of our preseason podcasts, this latest radio-like offering will be right up your Toon alley. The IWIWAG Trio dissect Newcastle United's sham-a-ganza at Manchester City, sparing (almost) no one their due verbal roasting, from Mathieu "Who Just Ran Past Me?" Debuchy, to Mapou "Tracking Is For Sissies" Yanga-Mbiwa, to Steven "Roundhouse Red" Taylor, to Papiss "Where's Waldo?" Cissé. We also eye Cabaye, make use-a Moussa and drum it for Dummett. Plus: What's hotter, a firepit on the Equator or Alan Pardew's chair? Click below to listen, or visit our iTunes page for a computer- and (we hope) mobile-friendly download.

 

I Wish I Was A Geordie 2014-3

 

Who To Buy In France? We Discuss

If there's any shred of positivity to take away from Monday's embarrassing drubbing in Manchester, it's this: If Mike Ashley and Joe Kinnear needed a firm kick to the backside to improve Newcastle United's roster, they got one.

In the wake of wantaway midfielder Yohan Cabaye's withdrawal and the subsequent beatdown at the Etihad Stadium, news has begun to bubble up that Newcastle's front office is working to add reinforcements — first with a short blurb on NUFC.com and then with photos on Twitter showing Kinnear, manager Alan Pardew, chief scout Graham Carr and club secretary Lee Charnley at an airport purported to be in Nice, France.

Big shock: Need players? Go to France. But I'll put aside my ever-increasing rage at Newcastle's unimaginative one-stop shopping transfer policy for a moment. Whom might Newcastle be able to sign from its favorite tri-colored supermarket?

Al Jazeera's beIN Sport — a channel that's not available through my television provider (and I know I’m not alone in that regard) — holds the American broadcast rights for Ligue 1, meaning my knowledge of the French league and its players has taken a nosedive over the past couple of seasons. So I pestered co-blogger Matt and Twitter pal @Sholazo — both dedicated followers of Ligue 1 — about potential Newcastle targets.

We're not claiming to have insider knowledge here. This is merely a conversation about players Newcastle might — or should — be after.

(Tom): OK guys. Joe Kinnear and Co. were allegedly in France. I think we can fairly assume they were there to negotiate some transfer deals. We all know Newcastle needs a striker first and foremost. Who are the likely options?

 

(@Sholazo): Given that Kinnear and Co. were in Nice, not many. Looking at the teams in the surrounding area, the only standout name is Marseille’s André-Pierre Gignac, who has already publicly stated he has no intention of moving to Newcastle. Nice’s Dario Cvitanich is nearing 30, while Monaco’s Emmanuel Riviere has a dubious goal-scoring history at best, despite having scored four goals in Monaco’s opening two matches this season.

In the context of Ligue 1 as a whole, things don’t get much better in terms of realistic targets left on the market. With Bafetimbi Gomis looking more and more likely to sign a new deal at Lyon, Bordeaux’s Cheick Diabate, whom Newcastle has been linked to numerous times in the past few years, and Toulouse’s Wissam Ben Yedder (pictured) would seem to be the best of the few possible targets left. Lille’s Nolan Roux could also potentially be available reasonably cheap, but he’s yet to live up to the potential he showed in his early days at Brest. None of the three would offer Newcastle a world class talent, though Ben Yedder has the potential to grow into a very good striker.

(Matt): Gomis is still the primary option at this point, given his stated desire to play for Newcastle. Since Lyon isn't that close to Nice, and Gomis doesn't need to be sold on the club, the obvious conclusion is that Kinnear and Pardew were there for someone else. If it's a striker, Cvitanich would be the first guess, but would the club change its transfer policy to sign a 29-year-old who just had his breakout season? Seems like a bit of a stretch.

Ben Yedder would be my pick among reasonable Ligue 1 strikers. He's like a trickier Yoan Gouffran, who uses his pace and off-the-ball movement to find himself open space, but also can free himself for a shot with his footwork. Sadly, I can't see Pardew wanting to experiment with the fluid, pivot-less front line that would be required to accommodate Ben Yedder and any of Newcastle's other strikers.

I'm of the opinion that the missing ingredient up top is a physical brute of a striker more so than a polished finisher. Who in Ligue 1 would fit that description? Anyone?

 

Probably Diabate (pictured battling with former Newcastle Swiss knife James Perch). I’m not a huge fan of him, nor does he have the best record when it comes to scoring goals, but at 6-foot-4 he’s a big, strong, physical target up top. There are very few other big men in France, let alone of Premiership quality in my opinion. Newcastle were linked to Lille’s Brazilian striker Tulio De Melo last summer, but he’s at best a fourth choice striker, while St. Etienne’s 6-foot-2 striker Brandao clocks in at 33 years old, meaning Newcastle would need to bend massively on its transfer policy to sign him.

Most Ligue 1 clubs now prefer mobile strikers who drag defenders around the formation, meaning there aren't many options as far as target men go. Diabate hit a bit of a hot streak toward the end of last season, so he's not entirely hopeless as a finisher. He'd be a decent Plan B, but certainly not a player to build a system around.

 

Left winger is another area of need. There's just no out-and-out left winger on the roster (despite what some fans think about Sylvain Marveaux, he isn't one). Give me a realistic option or two from France.

 

Newcastle has been linked repeatedly to Lille’s Florian Thauvin over the past nine months, and while I think he would be a fantastic signing, he’s not the only option. I know Matt is a huge fan of Rennes’ Romain Alessandrini, and I certainly agree that he would perfect for Newcastle, but the club would have to be prepared to play the waiting game on him as he recovers from a knee injury, and I’m not sure they’re in a position to. Nice winger Eric Bauthéac may be a relatively cheap and effective option, while the club could show real ambition by targeting Marseille’s André Ayew — though I’d be surprised if he cost less than £10 million. Montpellier’s Anthony Mounier may also be available at a knockdown price, following a poor first season at the club.

I'll contrast Thauvin and Alessandrini (pictured) to explain why I prefer the latter as a left winger, despite the knee injury. While both are left-footed players, Thauvin is more of a Hatem Ben Arfa type, who excels as a number 10 or inverted right winger. Moving him to the left side of the field limits him as a player, in my opinion. Alessandrini also roams all over the field, but he appears more content to stick to the sideline and fire in crosses, if that's what's required of him in a given match. Alessandrini was training with Rennes this summer, though he has not yet appeared in a match this season, so don't expect his injury to keep him out much longer.

I thought Ayew might have been a bit too pricey for Newcastle to consider, but he's been linked today in Le10Sport, a rumor which actually makes a lot of sense. He'd definitely be a big enough name to warrant a Pardew/Kinnear visit, and Marseille's proximity to Nice means there's a good chance he's the player they were talking to. Ayew's left-footed and typically starts on the left wing, but he does a little bit of everything. He's a great dribbler, has plenty of speed, and loves to make himself available in the box for a cross from the right wing. It would be quite the coup if Newcastle could convince him to come.

Cabaye is clearly on his way out. I actually think Newcastle would be better served to replace him with more of an attacking midfielder rather than a clone who sits deeper. I liked Marvin Martin when he was making a name for himself at Sochaux. Yoann Gourcuff's name has been tossed out as well. Who would you replace Cabaye with?

I agree that Newcastle should replace Cabaye with a more positionally advanced player, given that Moussa Sissoko would then be able to fall back to his more natural position in the center of the park. This is a position where Newcastle would have no shortage of targets and, depending on how much the club is willing to spend, the likes of Martin or Rémy Cabella could be brought in, while it’s unlikely that the club would spend the money to bring in Marseille’s Mathieu Valbuena.

With Newcastle likely to stick to a strict budget however, I think Sochaux’s Ryad Boudebouz (pictured) is the most likely target. Boudebouz is in the final year of his contract, and given that he’s been repeatedly linked to Newcastle in recent seasons, it’s not unrealistic to think he could be available for around £3 million. My personal choice (assuming Newcastle aren’t willing to spend too much) would be Bastia’s Wahbi Khazri. Nice’s Valentin Eysseric or Lorient’s Alain Traoré could also be available at the right price.

Because of his contractual situation, Boudebouz is the most likely link, and he'd be a great fit in a number 10 role. Newcastle may try to get by with Marveaux in this position, but his injury history strongly suggests this would be a mistake. Since Boudebouz would be available for a reasonable price, why not add him to the mix? Eysseric is another inexpensive option who is almost certainly on the club's radar. In January, he was key to a Nice attack which tore apart Valenciennes 5-0, overwhelming then-transfer targets Nicolas Isimat-Mirin and Gaetan Bong.

If Mike Ashley decides to open his wallet a bit more, I would love to see Thauvin as an option in this role. If nothing else, watching he and Ben Arfa try to one-up each other with their dribbling skills would be an awfully entertaining show.

NUFC's Outlook Without Cabaye

Even though his 2012-13 season was uneven, I love Yohan Cabaye as a player. I even own a French away jersey of his from Euro 2012. So it truly does pain me to write this post. But after Cabaye sat out yesterday's match against Manchester City because his "head was turned" by bids from Arsenal and possibly PSG, he has to go. Though Newcastle will miss the ability he can bring on his best days, there is no room at the club for someone who so obviously wants to be elsewhere. I don't know how he can come back and play again given what's happened. Assuming he is gone for good, how can Newcastle move forward?

In some respects, sorting out the Cabaye situation will bring clarity to a midfield that simply hasn't functioned in the formation Alan Pardew prefers to use. Of all the things that fans wrongly blame Pardew for, the midfield situation is entirely his fault. He's continued to employ a setup that fails to take advantage of the players he has. But without Cabaye, some 4-2-3-1 combinations begin to make more sense.

I'll talk about this more in my West Ham preview on Friday, but the primary option should be Cheick Tioté or Vurnon Anita (depending on the opponent) and Moussa Sissoko in the deeper roles, with Sylvain Marveaux in front of them. Pardew was too generous to Newcastle's first-half attack in yesterday's press conference. But watch the half again, if you can bear it, and you'll see a team trying to play on the ground more, trying to press a bit in the midfield and chase after loose balls. Those are steps in the right direction, but it was clearly not enough against a superior opponent.

The main thing missing was the additional incisiveness around the penalty area that Marveaux brings. Despite limited playing time, he led the team in assists last season. He also created chances at a higher rate than anyone in the squad, even outdoing Cabaye on the creativity front. Newcastle may not be able to depend on him for 30-plus starts a season, but as long as he is healthy, Pardew should make the most of his skills. Cabaye's impending departure opens the door for that to happen.

However, the loss of Cabaye will complicate Newcastle's transfer strategy, as if it hadn't become complicated enough. It means that the club will be forced to expand its list of targets beyond Ligue 1. Besides close friend Mathieu Debuchy, Cabaye also crossed paths with Sissoko and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa with the French national team and in league play. I suspect his recruitment influence was vital to bringing those players in. My co-bloggers have been banging the drum for a less French-focused approach for a while, so selling Cabaye obviously helps on that front.

But what would that leave in terms of an approach to recruitment? You can knock the emphasis on young French players, but at least it's a strategy. Now, what sort of players could Newcastle hope to bring in, whether in the last two weeks of the window or beyond? It fights tooth and nail on transfer fees and wages, doesn't play any identifiable style or system to draw players in, and has a manager who may not see out the month of September. That's not even mentioning the influence of Joe Kinnear!

It has become apparent in recent weeks that the club suspected that someone would make a tempting enough offer for Cabaye in the relatively near future. Unfortunately, as we have seen too many times of late, it didn't appear to plan for what would happen next. Positive results in the next few weeks may ease the immediate pressure, but someone needs to be developing a longer-term vision for success. If such a vision is in place, it's certainly not obvious to me.

Three Points: Man City Debacle

Three mercifully short and decidedly un-sweet takeaways from Manchester City's 4-0 whipping of Newcastle United on Monday, in the form of possible excuses for the performance and their debunking.

Excuse #1 - Newcastle were always going to lose. Not this way. Never mind the 63-37 percent possession deficit, or being outshot 20-5. Those numbers can lie. What we wanted out of this first match was some ray of hope, however peephole-like, that last year's relegation battle was an anomaly in the distant rear view of this new club. No matter the opposition or venue, that ray could've come in the form of fighting spirit against whatever adversity might be dealt. Instead we got too much fighting and almost no spirit. From manner of play to facial expression to body language you could group the Newcastle players into two categories: reckless and invisible. It won't do, and from Alan Pardew's dire visage for virtually the entire match, he knows it.

Excuse #2 - The bid for Yohan Cabaye and his subsequent absence torpedoed the match. See "against whatever adversity" above. I don't approve of Arsenal's timing any more than Pardew does. But players and clubs at this level must be resistant to stronger winds than that. If Cabaye can't enter the pitch in game shape after a bid from another club, I would value his dedication to Newcastle United and his overall professionalism at significantly less than £10 million. The same goes for his teammates.

Excuse #3 - That was never a red card. See "against whatever adversity" above. I didn't agree with Steven Taylor's essentially match-ending red in first-half extra time, his post-game apology notwithstanding. Players have escaped yellow for worse. But the petulance being shown by too many Magpies in the first half made that card due to someone in black stripes; mere seconds before it happened, the more plastic of the two Man City supporters in our pub said, "Someone on Newcastle is getting a red tonight." Taylor's teammates didn't seem interested in venting any indignance through their play the rest of the evening, either.

All in all, the best that can be said about Monday's match is, it's over. A home fixture against less monumental opposition awaits. It's early in the season for a crucial match, but a turnaround is almost mandatory to cool the temperature of Pardew's bench seat. 

Lineups Vs. City: Who Should Pardew Pick?

Without a doubt, Manchester City is Alan Pardew's bête noire. His constant references to "sovereign states" in the transfer market are obviously directed at City's Abu Dhabi-based ownership, and Newcastle has lost all 5 times it's faced the Citizens under Pardew. Monday's season debut will certainly be a challenging one for the Toon.

To help the manager in his pre-match preparations, I've put together my very own starting XI for him. This is based on my personal opinion about the relevant matchups and best use of the squad, which probably differs sharply from Pardew's own thoughts. At the end of the post, I'll also predict the actual starting lineup that we'll see on Monday.

Back five: Tim Krul; Mathieu Debuchy, Steven Taylor, Fabricio Coloccini, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa

There has been some doubt about Tim Krul's injury status. He dislocated his shoulder in April's derby, requiring season-ending surgery, and has played the equivalent of one full match in the preseason. Though Pardew has said he's prepared to go with Rob Elliot in goal if necessary, Krul told the Shields Gazette that he's both mentally and physically prepared to play. Good enough for me.

When I originally wrote this post, I didn't have Steven Taylor in my starting lineup. His lack of positional awareness can be deadly against a club like City. Besides, it's time to see what Yanga-Mbiwa can do next to Coloccini. However, the late injury to Davide Santon puts that idea on hold. Yanga-Mbiwa looked good at left back at the end of last season, and will hopefully keep City's right side of Jesús Navas and Pablo Zabaleta in check to some degree. Coloccini's organizational skills will be in high demand tomorrow afternoon.

Midfield: Yohan Cabaye, Cheick Tioté, Moussa Sissoko

Earlier this summer, I discussed the mismatched nature of Newcastle's midfield. It's the deepest area of the squad, but the players on hand don't fit Pardew's preferred 4-2-3-1 formation very well. The shape I'm suggesting puts more players in their best positions. Against weaker opposition, Vurnon Anita should start in place of Tioté. Hopefully, restricting the Ivorian's role to protecting the back four will limit his mistakes.

Cabaye and Sissoko would have to be extremely active in three directions: out to the sideline if necessary, as well as forward and back. Cabaye in particular was hamstrung by fatigue and injury last season, and hopefully Newcastle's extensive fitness work over the summer will pay off. Of the two, Sissoko should look to surge into the box more, while Cabaye can sit back slightly, using his passing and long-range shooting ability to unsettle City's defense.

When defending, both Cabaye and Sissoko will hopefully employ some more pressure on the ball than we saw last season. The passive midfield was another casualty of poor fitness, and sitting back against City is virtually guaranteeing a heavy loss.

Number 10: Hatem Ben Arfa

It has never quite worked for him, but Ben Arfa deserves a chance to see if his shirt number truly suits him. Part of the problem was that he typically played behind a lone striker, with a very static midfield in support. Here, he'll have two strikers to occupy the defense, as well as midfielders and fullbacks picking their spots to get forward themselves. His mission is simple: find space and make something happen. He may float to the left and look for a cross, or use his dribbling ability to find space to shoot. Ben Arfa's unpredictability is his greatest asset in a free role. Should he tire late in the match, Sylvain Marveaux is a fantastic option in reserve.

Strikers: Yoan Gouffran, Papiss Cissé

Gouffran has done more than enough to earn a chance to play up front. Against Arsenal in the season-ending match, he demonstrated his ability to move without the ball, a frustratingly rare ability in the squad as a whole. His movement will free up Cissé to make his trademark runs off the last defender. Newcastle will be in for a far better season than expected if he converts chances at the Premier League average. For a striker who doesn't offer much besides finishing, it should be the bare minimum expected.

Why would I go with two strikers and a number 10, rather than the wide front three we usually see? First, the flat midfield I prefer, paired with wide forwards, can lead to a large gap between the two lines. Putting Ben Arfa in that space helps promote more of a quick passing approach. Also, the movement between three players in relative proximity makes it difficult for a defense to track runs. The pace of Ben Arfa and Gouffran, and (hopefully) the timing of Cissé, should mean a few open looks at goal. It's better than relying on wide forwards who don't cross and a main striker whose aerial ability isn't his primary strength.

Who Pardew will pick: Krul; Debuchy, Taylor, Coloccini, Yanga-Mbiwa; Cabaye, Tioté; Ben Arfa, Sissoko, Gouffran; Cissé

Six Questions That Will Determine Newcastle's Season

(Today I Wish I Was A Geordie looks ahead to the coming season - for more coverage check out this morning's podcast.)

The last two seasons at Newcastle United tell remarkably distinct stories.

The first was a tale of a club on the rise, armed with a shrewd new business plan, a reliable manager and a collection of players whose talent exceeded their market value.

The second, of course, wasn't nearly as enjoyable. It was the story of a miserly front office, an overwhelmed and undermanned manager and a brittle batch of players who struggled to coalesce on the field (and, according to one infamous newspaper report, in the locker room).

The direction of this season's plot should give us a more accurate reading on the state of the club seven seasons into owner Mike Ashley’s reign.

The smart money is on a narrative that falls somewhere in the middle. Look up and down Newcastle's roster and you'll see more than a few highly-thought-of players with, in theory, their best years ahead of them. You'll also see a handful of holes. It has the look of a mid-table Premier League team. Should fate break Newcastle's way, the club could once again qualify for Europe. On the flip side, if injuries expose a lack of depth or Ashley makes a drastic move (like, say, reinstall Joe Kinnear as manager), then Newcastle could find itself in a similar position to last season.

More than likely, though, this is a team destined to finish somewhere between seventh and 14th.

But what specifically will shape the story of Newcastle's 2013-14 season? Assuming the club doesn’t part with any of its stars over the next two-plus weeks, the answers to these six questions:

6. Will any youngsters break through?
Ashley has never really articulated his vision for the club, but it’s been fairly widely reported that Newcastle’s academy is a considerable part of his plan. Year after year, we hear about money being pumped into the academy, so one would assume that at some point, that investment will yield results.

The front office had hoped that last season would show the first glimpses of progress, with the likes of Haris Vuckic, Sammy Ameobi, Shane Ferguson and James Tavernier providing the necessary depth to cover for the club’s lack of investment in the first team. Alas, the plan didn’t pan out: Vuckic suffered yet another injury, Ameobi was inconsistent when given opportunities, Ferguson faded badly and Tavernier just didn’t look like a Premier League player.

Still, there are a handful of youngsters who could provide an unexpected boost this season. Imagine, for instance, if either Paul Dummett (pictured) — who, by all accounts, has been one of the bright spots of the preseason — or Massadio Haidara (not an academy product, but still a developmental prospect) could break through as a regular option at left back. That could allow manager Alan Pardew to experiment with Davide Santon in a more advanced role where the Italian could utilize his attacking instincts.

Or if Ameobi proves sturdy enough for an extended stretch in the Premier League. Pardew badly needs options on the wings, and the spindly 21-year-old could be an intriguing one. Vuckic is still a manchild with the potential to fill a central attacking midfield role if he ever manages to stay healthy, although he seems fairly certain to be sent out on loan to a Championship club to start the season.

Club academies are supposed to churn out at least a couple of useful players every few years. I’d say Newcastle is about due.

5 & 4. Where does Moussa Sissoko play? And in what formation?
Sissoko was the headliner of the January signings, and he didn’t wait long to demonstrate why. He was the star of back-to-back wins over Aston Villa and Chelsea in his first two games, with his performance in the latter victory serving as arguably the highlight of Newcastle’s dreary season. Pardew surprised everyone by using Sissoko in the hole behind lone striker Papiss Cisse, and the move looked ingenious.

As the season wore on, though, Sissoko’s effectiveness waned, and Newcastle struggled to create scoring chances. Fans called for Pardew to drop Sissoko deeper in the midfield, where he had predominantly played at previous club Toulouse (although, in Pardew’s defense, he wasn’t flush with attacking options).

So where should Sissoko be deployed in the new season? The answer to that question will likely also determine what formation Pardew utilizes.

If Pardew sticks with the 4-2-3-1 alignment he preferred for most of last season, then dropping Sissoko deeper would mean he’d operate in more of a holding role. This creates two problems: Cheick Tiote and Yohan Cabaye are also best suited for the two anchor spots in that formation, and Sissoko might not be able to burst forward as often from that position.

Sissoko can also play as a wide forward — something he did at Toulouse and in stretches last season — but the position doesn’t take advantage of his ball-winning ability and he isn’t likely to trick his way past too many fullbacks.

Based on his skillset, Sissoko looks like a pure box-to-box midfielder to me. To use the powerful Frenchman in that role, though, Pardew may need to tweak his setup either to a more traditional 4-4-2 (with Cabaye sitting deeper like he prefers and Tiote on the bench) or a 4-3-3 (with Tiote, Cabaye and Sissoko all in flexible positions across the midfield).

3. Can Hatem Ben Arfa finally stay healthy?
The tricks, the dribbling, the highlight-reel goals are all wonderful. But how about just staying healthy for a full season?

In three seasons since forcing his way to Newcastle, Ben Arfa has managed only 35 Premier League starts, with 14 appearances off the bench. To be fair, his first season was destroyed by a Nigel de Jong tackle, as opposed to some sort of nagging injury or poor fitness. At this point, though, it’s fair to wonder if Ben Arfa will ever get through a season without having to return to France to rehab.

The French winger (I probably should have used the term “mercurial” there — isn’t that a mandate when discussing Ben Arfa?) creates an interesting dilemma for Newcastle. He’s clearly the most gifted player on the roster, and one of the few game changers at Pardew’s disposal. But how can you build around a player who has yet to start more than 16 Premier League games in a season?

Ben Arfa isn’t the sort of player you can just plug into a lineup, either. He brings another dimension, no doubt, but he also requires shifting to cover defensively (tracking back is not exactly his forte) and he’s prone to over dribbling, which makes timing runs all the more difficult.

Familiarity can ease those issues, though, which why an extended run in the team for Ben Arfa remains such a tantalizing thought. Newcastle showed during the first half of the 2011-12 season that it can win without Ben Arfa, but he has the potential to take the team up another level when he’s on the field.

2. Who starts at center back?
If you look at each of the central defenders on the roster in isolation, two jump to the front of the pack: Fabricio Coloccini and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa.

Coloccini has been Newcastle’s best player since the club returned to the Premier League in 2010. Yanga-Mbiwa arrived at the club in January after an impressive rise with Montpellier in France’s Ligue 1. They’re clearly the two most talented center backs on the roster, particularly when it comes to playing with the ball at their feet.

But how would they function as a partnership? We don’t really know, considering they’ve played next to each other in the middle a grand total of once (the 1-0 win over Metalist Kharkiv in the Europa League’s round of 32).

Pardew was understandably hesitant to toss Yanga-Mbiwa straight into the lineup, so Steven Taylor filled the spot next to Coloccini until a back injury (on the heels of his failed attempt to wrangle loose of his Newcastle contract to return to Argentina) kept the club captain out until the season’s final three games. Yanga-Mbiwa stepped in, but he and Taylor never seemed to mesh — despite the fact that their skillsets seem to match up well. Thankfully, Coloccini returned in time to help Newcastle pull itself away from relegation, with two steady performances at West Ham (alongside Taylor) and Queens Park Rangers (next to oft-derided Mike Williamson).

Pardew is a fan of Taylor, but he has to be tempted to pair Coloccini with Yanga-Mbiwa. The concern is whether a Coloccini-Yanga-Mbiwa partnership can cope in the air (both are 6 feet tall, which isn’t exactly towering for a center back) and whether Yanga-Mbiwa will handle the physicality of the English game, something he clearly struggled with last season.

For all of the focus about Newcastle’s (bumbling) search for strikers this summer, it’s worth remembering the club allowed 68 goals in Premier League play last season. Only youthful Aston Villa (69) and the relegated duo of Wigan (73) and Reading (73) conceded more. Scoring more goals won’t do much good if Newcastle can’t tighten up defensively, and that starts with a solid central partnership.

1. Will Papiss Cisse have any help up front?
We’ve rehashed Cisse’s precipitous drop enough times. Based on his track record, he’s due to bounce back from last season’s woeful 11 percent chance conversion rate, even if he never again approaches the mind-boggling 37 percent figure he produced in 2011-12. A confident Cisse — or at least a version that doesn’t look as lost as he did at times last season — can score on chances that don’t even appear to exist.

But even if Cisse rebounds with, say, a 15-goal season, he’ll hit his share of droughts. And there will be matches where Pardew simply needs a more physical presence up top. Newcastle flat out needs more options at forward.

Summer loan signing — ahem, THE summer signing — Loic Remy provides one, although his calf injury and legal situation aren’t great omens for the season ahead. Two seasons ago, Shola Ameobi gave Pardew an effective battering ram, but the cult hero struggled with injuries and poor form throughout last season. January signing Yoan Gouffran hasn’t gotten much of a chance in a central role and, while he diligently covers plenty of ground, he doesn’t have much of a track record as a goal scorer.

Whatever happens in the final two weeks of the transfer window — and at this point, Newcastle fans shouldn’t hold their breath — Pardew needs to find the parts to churn out more high-quality scoring chances. Maybe it’s putting Cisse next to another striker. Or playing Ben Arfa or fellow fragile Frenchman Sylvain Marveaux underneath him. Or finding a second dangerous winger to complement Ben Arfa. Either way, Cisse — red hot or misfiring — can’t be as isolated as he was for much of last season.

On The Air: Let's Get Ready To Rumble

Here it is, the show you've been waiting for, or at least semi-consciously aware might pop up at some point: I Wish I Was A Geordie's preseason prediction podcast. Thrill to the sound of the IWIWAG Trio and podcast contributor Phil Lavanco (now @Lavanglish - don't ask) peering into their legendarily smudged crystal balls (we know, that just shouldn't be plural) and proclaiming their views of Newcastle United's fast-approaching future. Will Papiss stand out? Will Yohan stand around? Will Pards stand his ground? Plus: Is that Hatem Ben Arfa, or Phil after his Freshman 50? Click below to listen, or visit our iTunes page to download your own copy in a new format we hope will be more friendly to mobile devices - try it out on your smartphone or tablet and let us know.

 

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On The Air: Burning Questions, Chilling Answers

It's the first IWIWAG podcast for 2013-'14, and to celebrate (?) the blogsters bring in always-special guest Phil Lavanco (@De_Facto_Phil) to help stamp out a host of questions still burning as the season approaches. Who will surprise? Who will disappoint? Who will survive? Including a post-Remy shopping list with one transfer roundly pooh-poohed by Alan Pardew before the audio was cold. As if he has a say! Plus: Where the hell did Matt just go? Click below to listen, or visit our iTunes page to vacuum up a copy of your very own. Howay the coming campaign!

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Loic Remy: A Good Yet Underwhelming Signing

Loic Remy is a quality player, the type that nearly every team in the Premier League would be happy to add.

He also has a potential rape charge hanging over him, a medical scare in his past and a burgeoning reputation as a mercenary — which is why I couldn't bring myself to jump on Twitter and excitedly hammer out a message of jubilation congratulating Joe Kinnear on getting Remy "over the line."

Look, I get why Newcastle signed Remy. By only taking him on loan — even for a fairly pricy £2 million fee — the club is protecing itself against Remy's legal situation, while also positioning itself to sign him permanently next summer should he perform as expected. Mark Douglas of The Journal reports that the deal includes an option to buy Remy outright for £7 million next summer.

Remy should add some much-needed punch to Newcastle's attack while immediately enhancing Alan Pardew's tactical options. The 26-year-old can play as a wide forward, a lead striker or a withdrawn attacker, and has scored everywhere he's been since first getting regular starts with Nice in 2008. QPR was terrible last season and Remy still managed to score six goals and generally look dangerous. Based on his on-field production, it's a no-doubt-about-it signing.

But then there are the off-the-field issues, starting with a rape accusation that led to his arrest in London in May. We have to be careful not to prematurely convict Remy, who could be charged next month but has denied any wrongdoing. Still, it's not exactly an ideal situation for your first major signing of the summer.

Remy also opted to bail on a trip to Newcastle to sign for QPR in January, choosing to join a surefire relegated club in a blatant money grab. Yes, it's a business and players want and need to get paid. But Remy can't expect to be viewed as a player whose top priority is team success. Call me old-fashioned or naive, but that bothers me.

In the end, Remy may very well turn out to be a great signing for Newcastle. The rape charge might never materialize. He could have the sort of season that locks up a spot in France's World Cup squad. He could find that he's content in Newcastle's ever-increasingly French team and decide not to jump for a bigger payday at the first opportunity.

Until that happens, though, I don't plan on celebrating his signing.

A Suddenly Shrewd Transfer Strategy

During transfer season, a week can change everything. Newcastle looked to head into the new season with only Yoan Gouffran and Shola Ameobi to lead the line. But after Papiss Cissé sorted out his Wonga-related dispute, and Bafétimbi Gomis and Loïc Rémy apparently on their way to St. James' Park as we speak, the striker situation now looks shockingly deep. Credit a player acquisition process that most fans had mocked for the last 12 months.

As supporters, sitting far from the boardroom and negotiating table, it's easy to exhort Mike Ashley and company to stop haggling and pay the sticker price for players. But in the case of Gomis, taking a hard line was the right strategy. Gomis was determined to leave Lyon, and for whatever reason, seemed to have his sights set on Newcastle. His contract was up next year, so Lyon faced the possibility of getting nothing for him. And given the club's perilous financial situation, that's not something Jean-Michel Aulas was willing to accept. So despite the posturing, he gave in, agreeing to the previously unacceptable €8 million offer.

While the €2 million savings doesn't seem extravagant, it's almost exactly the reported loan fee that Newcastle is paying QPR for Rémy. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but maybe it isn't. I'm personally torn about signing a player with rape charges hanging over him, but there's no debate about Rémy's talent. The only question now is finding a way to keep the various forward options happy, as they can't all start together every week.

Patience is difficult for fans to cultivate. After a dour, disappointing season, a methodical summer can feel like slow torture. But when thinking about the players that have joined the club in the last two seasons, it's foolish to say that Ashley won't, or can't, bring in the needed talent. Similarly, Alan Pardew's emphasis on player fitness shows that he recognizes one of last year's most glaring flaws. Many of us have spent the summer dreading what would happen when the Premier League started again in August. Now, honestly, I can't wait.