All of the Newcastle United players in order of importance – Now looking back on my list… | OneFootball

Back in late May 2024, following the completion of the 2023/24 Premier League season, I asked myself the question – Who are the most important Newcastle United players?

Then I attempted to answer it.

When it came to buying and selling last summer, who could (should?) Eddie Howe have been trading?

Inevitably, some Newcastle United players would leave, which is normal for any club every summer, to make room for and help allow new signings to come in, as well as assist this happening when it comes to finances…

So I have now revisited my article from 28 May 2024 to see in which order I listed our various members of the squad, in terms of how invaluable (or not…) they are/were. In my opinion…

With the benefit of these past nine months, how are things looking for NUFC?

This is how I saw it back on 28 May 2024, all of the (then) current Newcastle United players in order of importance, ahead of the 2024/25 season:

Alexander Isak

Bruno Guimaraes

Anthony Gordon

Sandro Tonali

Joelinton

Nick Pope

Sven Botman

Joe Willock

Lewis Hall

Tino Livramento

Harvey Barnes

Elliot Anderson

Fabian Schar

Kieran Trippier

Dan Burn

Callum Wilson

Sean Longstaff

Miguel Almiron

Lewis Miley

Yankuba Minteh

Jacob Murphy

Jamaal Lascelles

Martin Dubravka

Matt Targett

Emil Krafth

Harrison Ashby

Bottom nine

Jamal Lewis

Garang Kuol

Matt Ritchie

Paul Dummett

Loris Karius

Ryan Fraser

Isaac Hayden

Jeff Hendrick

Always interesting to check back on what you thought/said/wrote in the past and none of these players who have left, were in my top eleven that I thought needed to be kept nine months ago.

However, Elliot Anderson was 12th on my list and Yankuba Minteh 20th.

Then we also saw Harrison Ashby (26th) leave on loan, Jamal Lewis (27th) also out on loan and will be out of contract in June, Matt Ritchie (29th on my list), Paul Dummett (30th), Loris Karius (31st), Ryan Fraser (33rd), Isaac Hayden (34th) out on loan and Jeff Hendrick (35th) leave.

I think a case of keeping things in perspective.

As we all know, the short-term PSR issue forced the sales of Anderson and Minteh, not ideal but not a disaster.

Which to me would have been the case if one of Newcastle’s very best key players, a Bruno, a Gordon, a Joelinton, or an Isak etc, had been sacrificed to solve that PSR problem.

Sometimes, transfer windows are at least as much about keeping your very best players as they are about adding other quality.

Speaking of which…

There has been the usual way over the top negativity from a very vocal minority of Newcastle United fans, following the defeat at Liverpool. That is of course away at Liverpool who have lost one Premier League match these past ten and a half months, who are 13 points clear at the top, who are favourites to win the Champions League, plus of course, favourites to win the Carabao Cup…

What stands out for me, is that when Newcastle United are playing the best (opposition), we need our best players on the pitch.

If you look at my list of best Newcastle United players from nine months ago, these six were my most essential half dozen outfield players – Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes, Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali, Joelinton and Sven Botman.

Three of those six were absent against Liverpool on Wednesday, making a very difficult game, all but impossible. In my opinion.

Eddie Howe doesn’t have the kind of squad where there is much room for making changes for the most difficult of games, away from his best eleven.

Especially so when you are talking about the very top of my (and everybody’s!) list, Alexander Isak, He has caused Liverpool all kinds of problems pretty much every time he has played against them. I also think that when it comes to these matches against the very top opposition, you can’t underestimate just how much of a positive it is when the likes of Joelinton and Sven Botman are starting.

That stellar win down at Arsenal that effectively sent us to Wembley, no surprise that Isak, Joelinton and Botman all started.

In the second leg, Isak and Botman key once again, though Joelinton injured for that Arsenal game.

That 3-3 against Liverpool in December, Isak and Joelinton massive players in that performance and result, Botman out injured then.

If you look at my list of best Newcastle United players from nine months ago, these were my eleven most important – Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes, Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali, Joelinton, Nick Pope, Sven Botman, Joe Willock, Lewis Hall, Tino Livramento, Harvey Barnes.

Looking ahead to Wembley, I think for sure that if we can keep our existing fit players available AND add Isak, Joelinton and Botman, Then Newcastle United are well capable of giving Liverpool a far better game, at a neutral venue, than we saw on Wednesday night.

Barnes has had injury issues but now back on the bench, whilst Willock is showing encouraging signs in some big games that he could be back to somewhere near his best

I think the criticism by some of Nick Pope has also been way over the top. He was excellent on his return at Birmingham, he and Murphy at fault for the first against Forest but I don’t think the other two goals were down to him. Whilst on Wednesday, no chance with the second goal and Tonali most at fault for the first when standing off his man, the shot going through his and Burn’s legs in from of Pope and taking a slight deflection off the centre-back. My personal belief is that Pope is easily our best keeper and I’m pleased he is back in for the Premier League run-in and Wembley.

Nine months ago I saw Hall and Livramento amongst our most important Newcastle United players and they have certainly lived up to that.

Liverpool have had extraordinary luck with (no) injuries to their very best players so far, Van Dijk and Salah starting every single Premier League match and Alexander-Arnold only unavailable for one of the 28.

Maybe about time that their luck ran out a bit for this Wembley final AND at the same time Newcastle United able to put all of their best players on the pitch, including Botman, Isak and Joelinton.