Newcastle reported back to pre-season on Friday, with the majority of players back on Tyneside. There will be incomings and outgoings this summer, but it appears that Rafa Benitez wants to keep the spine of the squad together from last season.
Although many have disappointed in a Newcastle shirt, there is no doubting that all of them possess talent. They wouldn’t be where they are if they didn’t. It is the application and suitability to the English game that is in question.
The Championship is a tough league, which will separate men from boys. It has to be remembered that Jonas Gutierrez, Jose Enrique and Fabricio Coloccini were all written off before the 2009/10 season, but the trio ended up having successful careers on Tyneside after impressing in the Championship. We need to use this season as the first step in our recovery and give the entire squad a fresh start.
Here are five players I think need to have a good pre-season and impress Rafa: