Dean Saunders questions Newcastle trio who aren't quite 'top shelf' right now
Newcastle United are back into action this weekend with the toughest of fixtures as they travel to Manchester City.
Fresh off the back of a humbling at the hands of Manchester United in the EFL Cup Final last week, Newcastle now face one of the toughest asks in the Premier League.
Newcastle took night on 100,000 fans to London for the final. But in the end, it proved in vain as the Magpies failed to really produce on the pitch. Man United’s experience told, and in the end, Newcastle had little to offer in the final third to trouble the Red Devils.
And speaking on TalkSPORT just now live on air, former Liverpool striker Dean Saunders believes Callum Wilson, Allan Saint-Maximin, and Miguel Almiron might not be good enough to take Newcastle to the next level.
“I really like all three of them, Almiron, Saint-Maximin and Wilson. But I was looking at them thinking they’ve got to produce. I’m just not sure they’re quite top shelf players to get Newcastle to where they need to be,” Saunders said
Newcastle have trundled along nicely this season. A Champions League place remains very much on but a stuttering run of late threatens to halt that charge.
TBR’s View: Newcastle will keep improving like Man City did
We saw this right back when Manchester City were taken over. They signed players and then over the time they gradually improved on those players.
The likes of Almiron, Wilson and Saint-Maximin have done well this season. Saunders’ comments do come across a bit harsh but there is an element of truth to them.
On Sunday, the likes of Rashford, Antony and Fernandes made the difference. Newcastle didn’t quite have that, even though did have £63m Alexander Isak on the bench.
It will be interesting to see what Newcastle do in the summer. But improvements are needed, and it will be a tricky task for Eddie Howe to navigate.
