Gordon’s Push by Scotland
The Scottish FA is looking for new players and has discovered Newcastle United as a potential gold mine for players on the verge of joining Gareth Southgate’s England setup.
Former Magpies manager John Carver has made no secret of his desire to see more English talent pledge their allegiance north of the border as a Tartan Army assistant. The coach has recently taken to the airwaves to discuss the possibility of luring some unconvinced international stars, particularly from his beloved club.
“If someone has a Scottish relative, we have to look into it.” It’s then up to him, but we’re aware that these are important decisions about their future,” Carver said this week. “It’s no secret that Newcastle is my favorite team, and I watch them more than anyone else.” We are aware that they have a number of outstanding players who have never been capped by England at senior level who are eligible for Scotland.”
But who are the four Newcastle players being pursued, and what are the chances of convincing them to leave?
Tonali alternatives
While Sandro Tonali can continue to train with the Magpies first-team squad during his suspension, Newcastle still needs to fill the void in their midfield. Kalvin Phillips and Ruben Neves have been mentioned as possible replacements, but with Premier League clubs set to vote on loans between clubs owned by the same person, that option appears to be closed for the Portuguese midfielder.
Pep Guardiola recently stated that he would not stand in Phillips’ way if he wanted to join the Magpies, with a loan move likely to be the best option for all parties. The England international, on the other hand, would not be a like-for-like replacement.
Using different metrics, we were able to identify three lesser-known alternatives that could help fill the void left by Tonali’s absence. The offensive and defensive impacts are calculated using the player’s isolated expected goals for and expected goals against per 90, while controlling for teammates, opposing players, managers, score, situation, and so on, and scaled relative to Europe’s top five leagues.
Bout’s record
Dutch scout Marcel Bout will soon join Newcastle United, tasked with targeting younger players who can one day knock on Eddie Howe’s first-team door at St James’ Park. “I don’t think it will necessarily impact first team recruitment, I think it is more on the younger side. It is certainly a welcome addition to the football club,” the Newcastle boss told reporters last week.
But who is Marcel Bout, and what is his track record for spotting talent in recent years? Between 2016 and 2022, he was Manchester United’s chief global scout, overseeing the arrival of some huge stars for exorbitant fees.
Clearly, blaming Bout for a poor period of spending in the red half of Manchester would be foolish… but how did the 23 signings fare while Newcastle’s new manager was in charge? Railston renders his decision.
Keane’s namecheck
Roy Keane believes that maintaining a lead over Newcastle United rather than closing the gap on Manchester City could be a real ‘worry’ for Arsenal and Manchester United. Following their defeat to Bournemouth, the Magpies are now seventh in the table, with injuries and suspensions severely limiting Eddie Howe’s options.
Manchester City remain top of the Premier League despite being held to an eight-goal thriller at Chelsea, with Arsenal, Liverpool, and Tottenham hot on their tails. Manchester United climbed to sixth place after back-to-back victories and Newcastle’s defeat to the Cherries.
The odds are still stacked against any club preventing Pep Guardiola’s team from winning a fifth title in six seasons, though Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has maintained his prediction that Arsenal would win the title this season. However, Neville’s former Manchester United teammate believes the Gunners and Manchester United must also concentrate on avoiding other rivals such as Newcastle.
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