Nothing but doom and gloom so far for the Toon faithful in the Transfer Tavern as their season doesn’t look like it could get much worse.
Only one win in their first 11 games including another defeat to North East rivals, Sunderland, recently has left Newcastle fans with a sinking feeling, dragged in even deeper towards an inevitable relegation struggle.
A team of individuals failing to perform to the standard that they’re expected, Newcastle boss, Steve McClaren, is struggling to field a team capable of getting the results that they so desperately need.
As they sit in 18th in the Premier League, a lot of people are underestimating the talent that some of the Newcastle squad possess.
Click below to see five underrated players in the Newcastle squad.
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Fabricio Coloccini
The veteran Newcastle United skipper has always been one of the most consistent players in the squad. Since joining the North East side in 2008, Fabricio Coloccini has went from strength to strength at the Toon, becoming a mainstay in the Newcastle defence.
Despite the Argentine’s ever increasing age, his ability to read the game and react to situations has never faltered. Regardless of the result that Newcastle get on a match-day, it’s almost guaranteed that Coloccini will have been amongst the top performers on the pitch.
A quality defender who gives his all on the pitch, Coloccini can definitely go down as one of Newcastle’s most underrated players when many of the football community have never seen the man in action.
Georginio Wijnaldum
If many people hadn’t already heard about Georginio Wijnaldum, they definitely will have by now as he has hit the ground running in his debut season in the Premier League.
Making nine appearances for the Toon so far, the Dutchman has managed an impressive 6 goals to become the leading goalscorer in the squad, which is always impressive for a midfielder!
Only 24-years-old, Wijnaldum shows signs of potential and could be a key figure to lead Newcastle away from the relegation zone. The only thing that Steve McClaren now needs to ensure is that Wijnaldum stays in black and white for the forseeable future.
Ayoze Perez
Although the performances this season have divided Newcastle United fans, one thing that they can all agree on is that Ayoze Perez is one of the hottest prospects at the club right now.
At only 22-years-old, Perez has already managed to make 43 appearances for the Toon Army since arriving at the club in June 2014. In his time at the club, he has managed 9 goals, admittedly not a good return for a forward but definitely promising signs based on the potential shown.
If this youngster manages to find his feet in the Premier League and manages to maintain a run of form, there’s no telling just how good the Spanish starlet can be.
Aleksandar Mitrovic
Another one of Newcastle’s attacking players that isn’t getting as much credit as he deserves, Aleksandar Mitrovic could be a regular performer in the Premier League as long as he is given a fair opportunity.
Since making the move to the North East at the start of the season for a reported £13m, Mitrovic has made 9 appearances so far in the Toon’s underwhelming campaign, managing only 2 goals; his first goal coming against Premier League giants, Manchester City, in a 6-1 thrashing.
At the age of 18, Mitrovic was named among the top ten talents under the age of 19 in Europe by UEFA. Although Mitrovic has been pressured with a substantial price tag, he has so far kept a cool head and could go on to be worth every penny.
Rolando Aarons
Last but not least on this list of underrated players is another youngster in the shape of Rolando Aarons. The England U20 international has all of the qualities required to set the Premier League on fire; pace, power and a desire to better himself as a footballer.
After signing his professional contract with Newcastle in 2014, Aarons had an impressive pre-season prior to his opening Premier League season. However, a recurring hamstring injury could be the only thing dousing this starlets potential but all Newcastle fans will be hoping that it’s just a run of bad luck and not a sign of an injury-prone player.
Under the guidance of Steve McClaren, Aarons could go on to be one of the Premier League’s biggest names in the future and is definitely one to keep an eye on.
