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KENEDY AND DUBRAVKA DEALS GREAT FOR TOON

SO two of United’s 2018 heroes have returned for another tilt at Premier League over-achieving.

Martin Dubravka has been joined by Kenedy this week as Rafa Benitez desperately tries to juggle severely limited financial resources to get the best for his club. Both arrived on loan last January to help spark an incredible turnaround in Newcastle’s fortunes. Dubravka is now here for good, which I thoroughly applaud, and Kenedy for a full season on loan. Great. I really mean that.

However it leaves Rafa exactly where he was when the last campaign closed apart from the free signing of Ki.

Considering that United punched well above their weight during 2018 it means the pressure is on Rafa and the team to do exactly the same again.

I’m afraid they won’t unless a goalscorer is bought and I beg the owner to reward his manager with one big, major marquee signing this summer. Rafa has earned that right so reward him.

It took a victory in the last match of last season against Chelsea for a Newcastle player to reach double figures in the scoring charts, Ayoze Perez thankfully making it.

However, the bottom line is that isn’t good enough for United’s top scorer in a long campaign. It cannot be repeated.

What is really annoying is that I’d feel very optimistic about my old club if only Mike Ashley would give Rafa half a chance. It wouldn’t take much to turn the Magpies into a top-half team.

The fans are delighted to have Kenedy back and I can understand why. When the young Brazilian first arrived in Newcastle I was electrified by his performances. He has so much natural talent. His form tapered a little as weeks became months so I’ll be looking for him to kick on again in the 201819 campaign. Rafa has said he wants more goals from him and I agree. Like us all I was devastated by England’s World Cup semi-final defeat in midweek, going ahead in the first five minutes to send hopes soaring – only to be beaten 2-1 in extra time. It reminded me of a legendary story in the Arsenal dressing-room when I first signed for the Gunners from Newcastle. The previous season Richie ‘Tubby’ Powling had been handed his debut in an away game. He scored with his very first touch in the blink of an eye but for the rest of the first half Arsenal were battered. At half time Tubby was feeling pretty pleased with himself – until manager Bertie Mee gave him a right rollicking! Mee’s reasoning was that Powling’s goal had completely changed the attitude of the home side who, one down very early doors, had to commit themselves to adventure and attack for the bulk of the game instead of being more cautious. They had 89 minutes to really go at Arsenal who, at 0-0, could have controlled the match more easily. The Gunners scored too early for their own good! If you do that you must get a second pretty quickly to kill off any comeback. England didn’t of course. They squandered their chances and from half-time onwards Croatia grew stronger and there looked to be only one winner. However, a young side has done us proud in Russia. They and manager Gareth Southgate can hold their heads high. A nation is proud of them.