SUPER MAC Benitez’s defence will grow with best keeper since Given
IN securing the permanent signing of Martin Dubravka, Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez has moved his defence onto another level.
Because not only is Dubravka a top keeper, he has significantly improved the performance of central defenders Florian Lejeune and Jamaal Lascelles.
Think of Lejeune in the first half of the season before Dubravka arrived and think of him since January. What a difference.
Even Lascelles, already an athlete and a natural leader, improved.
Why? Because central defenders like nothing better than knowing they have the protection of theirg oalkeeper - knowing he will come to take crosses and will command his box, not dither or stay at home. That uncertainty turns defenders to jelly.
Lascelles is growing and getting better all the time. I was disappointed Gareth Southgate did not pick him for the World Cup because the lad is a future England player and the experience would have done him good. If he had been called on he would have done a job as well. United have a history of slight goalkeepers. Think of Ronnie Simpson, Willie McFaul and Shay Given. However, this lad is a giant and therefore makes life that much easier. Until Dubravka arrived, United had not had a topclass keeper since Shay Given but they are very different. Given was a shot-stopper who did not come off his line too much, whereas Dubravka does. A lot of fans thought Newcastle were OK with Rob Elliot and Karl Darlow but now they know what Malcolm Macdonald Rafa Benitez was looking for in his goalkeeper. The other two are predominantly liners.
United now need to restructure their goalkeeping philosophy because they need stoppers like Dubravka rather than what they had before. Maybe Freddie Woodman can develop along the right lines - but what of the other back-up?
I feel happy with Martin through the door but of course others must follow.
What will really make my summer, however, is my old club Fulham coming and putting decent money down for Alexsandar Mitrovic after his goalscoring exploits in helping them to promotion. I honestly feel Mitrovic’s natural level is the Championship not the Premier League. He will have two or three good games at the top level but not be consistently a scoring threat. Benitez is right about him and will not change his mind because of personal success a division down. Nobody was a better goalscorer than Dwight Gayle at that level. The money United get for Mitro will help fund the signing of a quality centre-forward, which is the main improvement United have to make this summer. They really do need a regular goals man. He will be difficult to find and expensive...but then United’s scouting system found Dubravka! Former Newcastle United stopper Shay Given