Positive signs for Newcastle despite City defeat

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew will be encouraged by his sides performance in the 2-0 defeat against Manchester City

Newcastle opened their Premier League campaign with a 2-0 defeat at home to champions Manchester City.

Despite the defeat there were positives for the Magpies, as they started the game with four of their summer signings.

Professional

City are champions for a reason and that reason is the quality of players at the club. That was on display yesterday, as they were clinical in front of goal and took their chances.

A number of City’s players were not fully-fit, but they ground out a win.

Positives

Newcastle’s all round performance was a decent one and fans will have certainly gone home with more of a positive feeling than a negative one.

Their team with the four new players looked up for the game and the performance was in stark contrast to the some of their displays last season.

The debutants showed flashes of their ability. Playmaker Remy Cabella’s style of play looked like it could be just as flamboyant as his hairstyle once he is on the same wavelength as the rest of his teammates.

He produced some key passes and connected well with lone striker Emmanuel Riviere.  At one point Cabella endeared himself to the crowd by appearing to ask them for their support when taking a corner.

The Frenchman looks like he has all the making of a Newcastle cult hero. He is the sort of player that should excite Magpies fans this season.

His compatriot and fellow new signing Emmanuel Riviere made a decent start, but looked nervous and seemed to be trying too hard at times. However, he did show that he has pace and strength. Hopefully when he is more accustomed to the Premier League he will less nervous and be more composed on the ball.

Riviere was understandably nervous making his debut in front of so many people in the Premier League. At his former club Monaco they do not get big crowds, as the Stade Louis has a capacity of just over 18,000, which is less than half the amount of people who packed into St James yesterday.

He wanted to impress on the big stage at his new club. From his display there are signs that he could prove to be a shrewd signing.

Midfielder Jack Colback had a solid debut, with his set-pieces looking dangerous. No doubt the former-Sunderland star will prove to be solid addition to the Magpies squad, especially on a free transfer.

Youngsters

The introduction of youngsters Rolando Aarons and Spaniard Ayoze Perez in particular was also encouraging for the Magpies. Perez produced a lively cameo and but for a challenge from City midfielder Fernando could have scored on his debut.

Former-Liverpool legend and Newcastle boss Graeme Souness praised the youngster’s courage and stated that he believes there is quality in the Newcastle squad.

Missing

Newcastle have been busy in the transfer market this summer, but two of their summer attacking additions Siem de Jong and Facundo Ferreyra were missing for this clash.

De Jong is an exciting addition. The Holland international has the vision and football brain to combine well with the likes of Cabella and Riviere this season. De Jong was highly-rated at former-club Ajax and could turn out to be a good signing for Newcastle, once fit of course.

Ferreyra is on a season-long loan from Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk, after impressing in his homeland with the likes of Banfield and Velez Sarsfield. Ferreyra is likely to be a handy alternative to have to the likes of Riviere and Papis Cisse up front.

Easier

Newcastle will no doubt face easier tasks ahead in the coming season. This team does look like they could record some big victories this season. The end to last season was a poor one for the Magpies and everybody at the club will be looking to improve upon it this season.

They have now got one of their toughest games of the season out the way and can look ahead to future games. If the team carries on knitting together like they did in the opening game then the Magpies are likely to have a far more enjoyable campaign this time around.

The Magpies are 12/1 to finish in the top six of the Premier League this season, but with a bit of luck the side from the north east could very well prove to be this season’s surprise package.

Were you encouraged by Newcastle’s opening game performance?