Strengths:
Creativity - Remy Cabella is a wonderful footballer who can create and score goals with his pace and skill. Not only that, but Moussa Sissoko is a very underrated creator, having created the fifth most chances in the league. He usually plays out wide, however Newcastle don't seem to have another winger unless Cabella plays out wide in a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2, as it seems that Ben Arfa won't play much part.
Unpredictability - Most teams won't know quite how Newcastle are going to play and what their new players are capable of. Riviere and De Jong haven't played in the Premier League before so defences may not be prepared for them. De Jong appears to be similar to Berbatov - a player who plays at a slower pace but with a lot of technical ability - whereas Riviere is a pacier player who looks to get in behind defences. I'm not really sure about Perez, but I'd guess he's more of a Riviere-type as he can play out wide too.
Weaknesses:
Slow at the Back - Williamson is very good in the air but struggles against players who run at him due to his pace. Coloccini is a good player but isn't the quickest either, which may leave Newcastle exposed.
Possession - Newcastle may struggle to keep the ball if they pass out from midfield, as whilst I rate Tiote as a holding midfielder he isn't the best passer in the world. Anita is a better passer as is Colback, but neither are ideal for a possession game, so Newcastle may be forced to play direct football.
Signings:
Emmanuel Riviere - Newcastle needed a forward and Remy had done very well for them, so Riviere made perfect sense, being a similar player. He's extremely fast and loves to run in behind, so he should grab some goals for Newcastle if they can find his runs in behind.
Remy Cabella - A superb footballer who many were surprised to see go to Newcastle, as he is extremely talented. Many thought he was destined for a top European team, so if Newcastle can get the best out of him they have a real player on their hands. For £8m he could be one of the best buys of the summer.
Ayoze Perez - Again, a player I don't know much about but one who has a good record and has been linked with some big teams. A young striker who is one for the future it seems, but should excite Newcastle fans.
Siem De Jong - Newcastle will hope he will have more of an impact than fellow Dutch De Jong, Luuk. Siem De Jong is a player who Pardew rates as a very technically gifted player in the mould of Teddy Sheringham. At just 25 years old, De Jong is actually very experienced for a young player, having played 168 games for Ajax.
Facundo Ferreyra - A young forward on loan from Shakhtar who has never really settled in Ukraine, so Newcastle will be hoping that he can settle in the North East and show his goalscoring talent, as his record is very good for a young striker.
Daryl Janmaat - A very good right back who played at the world cup, Janmaat is fast, strong and loves to go forward. He is aggressive and very good on the ball in terms of passing, so he should be a natural replacement for Debuchy.
Jack Colback - In an unpopular move for Sunderland fans, boyhood Toon fan Colback left on a free to join Newcastle. Colback is a tireless midfielder who is a solid passer and very good defensively, but isn't hugely creative going forward. Colback should help out the defence with his energy and defensive ability.
Who They Should Sign:
A Centre-Back - Newcastle need a centre half to really compete in the top half, as they seem weak there at the moment. However, every team seems to need a central defender at current, so finding a good one for a good price is very difficult.
Final Thoughts:
Newcastle are an unpredictable team, so trying to guess how their season will go is difficult. However they have recruited well and identified their weakness, forward, and signed players to try and rectify the problem, so in theory they should do well.
If Newcastle are to succeed, they need their new signings to gel quickly. Cabella, De Jong and Riviere could be an extremely dangerous unit if they click and work together. Newcastle have a very strong starting line-up and some good back-ups, but they need a bit of luck regarding injuries and suspensions.
Newcastle should finish in the top 10 again, as long as their signings bed in fairly quickly. They shouldn't be anywhere near the relegation zone but you never know - but the same could be said about the top 6.
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