So the football season is nearly over, and the time is approaching where clubs announce their "retained" list. Basically this is a fancy way of a club saying who gets to keep their job for next season. As a football fan, I usually find this an exciting time as I start fantasizing about all the possible signings my teams (Newcastle and Stevenage) can make ahead of the new pre-season campaign. However, this year things are completely different.
Let's start with Newcastle, a woeful season that is slowly turning into a death march. At the turn of the year, they were mid-table with a decent run of results and a manager who could turn things round. In Pardew, Newcastle had a form of stability that no other team could boast, a manager who was never in danger of losing his job regardless of performance. It was a working formula, even though the team had very briefly flirted with relegation over the last two years. The players respected the manager, and the manager respected his players. All deadwood (ben Arfa I'm looking at you) had been disposed of, and the team showed real potential. But the "Pardew Out" brigade continued to protest and Pardew jumped at the first possible chance, the first plane to London and straight to Selhurst Park, the stability was lost.
Enter John Carver, Pardew's number two. A man all Toon fans believed could keep up the performances and ultimately cement a mid-table place at minimum. Oh boy how wrong we were... As I'm writing this right now, Newcastle are battling West Brom for the valuable 3 points both teams need to survive, and until just a couple of minutes ago Newcastle were in the bottom three. 8 straight defeats including a humiliating 3-0 defeat to Leicester last week (38 seconds they lasted before conceding) have left a very sickening feeling. This isn't a new feeling, the rawness of 2009 still sits within my mind. Yet another season that started with promise then capitulated into disaster with a Geordie at the helm. Could history repeat itself?
Regardless of whether or not Newcastle stay up, I have compiled a list of all the players I want to leave St. James' Park this summer. To say I've been disappointed by certain players' performances is a huge understatement. Some of the displays can be put down to poor management, but the vast majority have been a direct result of players giving up. This list isn't to name and shame people, it's to put across my opinion as to who needs to leave Newcastle so that my team never has to go through this again.
So here's the list, starting from the back and working to the front:
Defence
Mike Williamson - Do I really need to explain this one? His sending off against Leicester last week is hopefully the last time we see Williamson in a Newcastle shirt. A player who looked promising when first signing from Portsmouth in January 2010, but even a defender should score more goals than 1 in 144 appearances. His lackluster defending tactics, combined with his inability to actually win any headers, is the main reason I want to see Williamson leave the club. It's a valid argument that the only reason Williamson still plays for Newcastle is because of the absences of the injury prone Steven Taylor (we will come to him shortly). To sum up, Williamson is the first player I would put on the transfer list at the end of the season.
Steven Taylor - The man who would put his body on the line for his boyhood team. Taylor has played for Newcastle his entire career. He cried on the pitch at Villa Park in 2009 and he shed tears of joy on the St. James' Park pitch 12 months later. My problem with "Saylor" is his injuries. As mentioned above, Taylor is very injury prone, his Achilles being the latest in a long, long, long line of injuries that have haunted him over the last few years. When fit, Taylor gives it his all. The way he plays proves that he would do anything to help the Toon win, and that is very rare in modern day football. It is a shame that I have to put Steven on this list, but I don't believe his injury jinx will ever disappear and for that reason alone Newcastle need to cash in now before it's too late.
Fabricio Coloccini - The Captain. Coloccini's letter last week pretty much sums up why I believe it is time for the Argentine to go. I strongly disliked the way Coloccini publicly announced his desire to return to Argentina, and I am definitely not convinced by his claims recently that he is happy to remain in the North-East. A captain that once upon a time wanted to leave, in my mind, can not possibly inspire a team to victory. I do like Coloccini's playing style, the maverick method of defending, I just don't believe his heart is in it anymore and it is time for Fabricio to head back home.
The rest of the Newcastle defence can stay in my opinion. Massadio Haidara is young and can vastly improve, Paul Dummett is versatile and can become a very good CB and Daryl Janmaat has had a marginally impressive debut season in the BPL. When/if Davide Santon returns from his loan spell in Italy, I think he should be given a second chance as in the past he has been a stand out player for me.
Midfield
Cheick Tiote - Became a hero after his last gasp volley against Arsenal, but his overall midfield performances have been less than impressive this season. Considering he hasn't even played since the end of the African Nations Cup, it could be argued that the team would play much better with him present. But last season he was in the team and the performances were less than enjoyable then too. So in all honesty, it is time to say goodbye to the Ivorian battler, with one of the worst disciplinary records I have ever seen.
Ryan Taylor - Rightly received a warm reception on his return from two serious ACL injuries, but the best days are behind Ryan "Over The Wall" Taylor. The best he can hope for next season would surely be cameo appearances in the last few minutes of matches. A member of the last Newcastle team to be relegated, he could be a valuable asset this season, motivating the squad to ensure the same doesn't happen again. But come July, it should be time for Ryan to move on.
Gabriel Obertan - For his own sake it's time to go. Has great pace and a decent cross on him, but his first touch is always a lottery. A good signing at the time, but his year of failure in Manchester showed each time the ball came to him. A player with no confidence left, he should move on to a team that can revitalize the wicked winger.
Apart from these three, the rest of the Newcastle midfield can form an unstoppable force. Played in a line of 4 rather than a combination of 3's or 2's can exploit the strengths of Jack Colback, Moussa Sissoko and Medhi Abeid. Even if formed into a diamond, with Remy Cabella as the spearhead, the performances will be a lot more positive than the current hybrid midfield setup.
Forwards
Papiss Cisse - As much as I like Cisse, he will never recapture the form that he showed when he first signed from Freiburg. A "Goal Of The Season" winner for his wonder volley against Chelsea, Cisse lost his form with the departure of countryman Demba Ba to Chelsea. Only a miracle can help Cisse become the goal machine he once was, and with age now against him, Cisse should move back to mainland Europe to a team where he can form a solid partnership, something he will never have with Newcastle.
Yoan Gouffran - Incredibly disappointing this season. I have never been able to tell Gouffran's natural position due to the fact he is always switched around the midfield and attacking lines. The left flank has been his most chosen position, but to me he has been very ineffective even when cutting onto his stronger right foot. He did have a spell of scoring goals (5 goals in 5 consecutive home games) but that has never turned into a solid run of good performances. Brought in under the radar from Bordeaux, it is time for Yoan to slip back to France.
Emmaneul Reviere could do with a second season in England as he is still young and learning, Ayoze Perez has been the best player of the season if I were to choose, and Adam Armstrong has shown very good potential. With Siem de Jong yet to return to full fitness, the correct signings over the summer can turn a mediocre attacking line into one of the best strikeforces in England.
So that's my list, do you agree? Feel free to drop a comment below with your thoughts and opinions as to who should stay and who should go. Until then guys thanks for reading and until next time I will see you soon!
