Newcastle United: Will Too Many Cooks Spoil Their Season?

2012/2013: 16th

Transfer(s) In: Loic Remy (QPR, Loan)

Transfer(s) Out: James Perch (QPR, Undisc), Steve Harper (Hull, Free), Shane Ferguson (Birmingham, Loan), Danny Simpson (Released)

Transfers Review:

                                             Not much activity at St James Park this season. Despite the well publicised return of Joe Kinnear, with the promise of incomings, only Loic Remy to show for his efforts. All his return has seemed to do is create tensions and cracks between the management and the boadroom. With Alan Pardew having 6 years of an 8 year contract left to run, he isn't going anywhere. Therefore, bringing an ex-manager that criticises most of what the current man does into the club seems a poor idea. Remy looks a fantastic signing for Newcastle though, as his pace and skill put QPR back in with a shout of staving off relegation, and he will do similar things with Newcastle, just firther up the table.

                                               The one benefit of this transfer window for Newcastle is the fact that they have managed to keep all of their star players from the previous seasons. For them to have kept players like Yohan Cabaye, Moussa Sissoko and Papiss Cisse is impressive, and they stand a good chance of a top 10 finish this season.

Pre-Season:

                                                  Newcastle's pre-season has been similarly anonymous, with only two pre-season matches of note. As we came into August, Newcastle took part in two games, against Rangers and Braga. Both games finished 1-1, giving us no real insight into the form or ability of this Newcastle side. Mostly, pre-season has been dominated by the inter-management squabbles, preventing Pardew from doing his job properly. This, along with the problem about Papiss Cisse, who refused to wear the club's sponsor, Wonga.com on their shirts, means that Newcastle's season has been rather turbulent, even before the actual league has begun.

Key Players:

                                                   If Newcastle are to have a successful season, then the midfield duo of Moussa Sissoko and Yohan Cabaye will have to contribute significantly. Sissoko, after he burst onto the Geordie scene with those two goals to win the home game against Chelsea in February, has looked an inspired signing for Alan Pardew. His pace, creativity and goalscoring ability means that he is the perfect person to push forward and support Cisse and Remy up front.

                                                    Cabaye, on the other hand, will provide the defensive work that Sissoko lacks, breaking up attacks and setting Newcastle away on forward bursts. His free-kicks are often exceptional, creating goals from corners as well, and his range and accuracy of passing means that he can often be as deadly from the half way line as Sissoko will be on the edge of the 18 year area. That partnership in the middle of the park could make or break Newcastle's season.

Key Fixture Dates:

24/08/2013: Newcastle vs West Ham United
31/08/2013: Newcastle vs Fulham
14/09/2013: Aston Villa vs Newcastle
27/10/2013: Sunderland vs Newcastle
14/12/2013: Newcastle vs Southampton
18/01/2014: West Ham United vs Newcastle
01/02/2014: Newcastle vs Sunderland
22/02/2014: Newcastle vs Aston Villa
15/03/2014: Fulham vs Newcastle
29/03/2014: Southampton vs Newcastle

Top Goalscorer:

                                                     Whilst Loic Remy is a good signing, and will score goals for his new club, I'm going to go with Papiss Cisse. If the Senegalese striker can reclaim some of the form that saw him score an average of nearly a goal a game in the 2011/2012 season, since joining from Freiburg in the January, I think that the Geordie contingent will be on for another memorable season.

Prediction:

                                                       Unfortunately for Newcastle, the 5th place finish a year ago has meant that expectations were unfairly raised for the next campaign, meaning that the relegation battle that they fell into was a much bigger shock than it needed to be. For me, with all the off-field distractions, I think that Newcastle will return to the position that their squad suggests: mid-table. They should be comfortable this year, without being spectacular, and I do believe that a solid season this time around could lay the foundations for a push up the table next time around.

Newcastle United 2013/2014: 10th