Newcastle have still got a lot of work to do with the squad before they travel to Craven Cottage to kick off our Championship campaign – both in terms of incomings and outgoings. One man that all supporters are hoping to see involved is Adam Armstrong, after an excellent loan spell at Coventry City last season. He is a Geordie, coming from Newcastle and has the potential to be the best player to come through our youth academy since Andy Carroll, who of course made a name for himself the last time we were in the Championship. There are rumours that he could be shipped out on another loan move, with Championship and SPL clubs interested.
Personally, I feel the possibility of an Armstrong and Mitrovic partnership is exciting, with the latter bullying defenders in the air, and Armstrong buzzing around behind him. Many feel his long-term future is in a withdrawn role behind the striker, and Mitrovic could provide the perfect compliment to him. Last season, we lacked players with a creative spark and those that can make something happen from nothing. Armstrong certainly possesses both.
He is keen to try and break into our first eleven next season, judging from his comments in the local media. I personally feel he is ready and has something to offer. However, he does have to prove himself to Benitez, who won’t give him minutes purely because he is an academy graduate, like Alan Pardew and John Carver did. He made his debut at Craven Cottage in March 2014, so it will be interesting to see if he returns to the ground in August as a member of our first team. I hope he does.