IT’S NOT HOW YOU START, IT’S HOW YOU FINISH
WHERE ARE TOON’S FULHAM STARTING XI NOW?
THE 25-year-old arrived on Tyneside for £6.5m last summer and was immediately installed as the Magpies’ No 1. However, after struggling to adapt to the flurry of high balls in English football, he was dropped after nine league games and has already headed back to his native Belgium this summer on a season-long loan to Ajax.
THE Dutch international started Newcastle’s first two Championship matches before accepting a £7.5m move to Watford last summer. The 28-year-old made 27 Premier League appearances for the Hornets, scoring twice, during a mixed debut season at Vicarage Road. HAVING joined Newcastle for £5.5m from Blackburn Rovers last summer, the Scotland international was expected to feature regularly for United. However, just five league starts arrived and the 25-year-old is available for transfer. HIS debut match as captain may not have gone according to plan with that defeat at Craven Cottage, but the 23-year-old eventually skippered the Magpies to promotion and the title. Currently nursing a knee injury, he will feature regularly in the top flight once he fully recovers. THE 25-year-old continues to progress THE England Under-21 international joined United from Arsenal last summer and impressed during his first season on Tyneside. Merino’s arrival means Hayden will likely be rotated in holding-midfield, but is a player Benitez rates highly. THE 27-year-old midfielder solid if unspectacular for the Magpies last term, doing the dirty work and regularly rotating with Hayden for a starting slot alongside Shelvey. Merino’s arrival means game time this season could be restricted, however. THE 28-yearold may have featured on the wing for the first two matches of the Championship season, but he spent the was Jonjo Shelvey was on the bench against Fulham AFTER a quiet start to the campaign, the 24-year-old forward really came into form during the latter end of the season. He finished last season with nine goals and six assists, and looks set to fight for that No.10 berth with Siem de Jong and Mo Diame this term.
NEWCASTLE paid £12m to sign Ritchie from AFC Bournemouth last summer, and the player Benitez was determined to recruit certainly delivered. A return of 12 goals and seven assists in the league helped propel United to the second-tier title and the 27-year-old winger remains one of the Magpies’ key players. THE 27-year-old scored 23 goals during a fantastic debut campaign at St James’ Park and he was crucial to Newcastle’s ultimate promotion. Although Benitez has been targeting a new forward all summer, none are yet to arrive so Gayle looks almost certain to start the campaign as United’s main striker. LAST term was supposed to be the campaign in which Aarons really established himself in the first team, but once again injury robbed him of most of the season. The 21-year-old winger has been afforded plenty of opportunities during pre-season, however, and he will compete with Jacob Murphy and Christian Atsu for a starting berth. THE 20-year-old Academy product came off the bench in a couple of matches early last season before heading out on loan to Barnsley, where he netted six times in 34 games. Benitez has once again determined that the forward needs greater game time, so the England Under-20 World Cup winner has joined Bolton Wanderers on a half-season loan and he will hope to really impress in the Championship this term. IT seems almost inconceivable a year on, but Shelvey did not start last season as a first-choice midfielder for United. Yet, over the course of the rest of last season, Shelvey became arguably the key cog in the Newcastle side, providing eight assists, scoring five times and really making the Magpies tick. He began his pre-season training this summer and claims to be the fittest he has even been. The 25-year-old will start the campaign as one of Newcastle’s most important players and will look to really establish himself as a consistent top-flight performer.