Quinny's assessment of the squad

[Zippity]

...pretty accurate, I reckon.

Martin Dubravka
The goalkeeper is one of the few I think is genuine Premier League quality. A solid shot-stopper, excellent with his feet - and a brilliant find by the recruitment team.

Ciaran Clark
He is a Championship player for me. He gave everything to get Newcastle back to the top flight and is committed to the last, but he is extremely lucky to still be playing in the Premier League. For me, he shows the lack of depth.

Fabian Schar
I haven't seen enough of him to really judge, but neither have Newcastle fans. The fact he isn't considered first-team ready is concerning in itself.

Jamaal Lascelles
For me, Lascelles is an excellent player - and someone who will only get better. He could go on to great things, but he can't carry the team by himself.

Federico Fernandez
Has looked solid so far and he will provide decent cover until Florian Lejeune returns from injury. A reasonable summer addition

DeAndre Yedlin
The American can get forward and provide dangerous crosses into the box, but he is weak physically. Can be a Premier League player, but his positional sense is poor.

Paul Dummett
You know exactly what you are going to get with Dummett, but I'm not convinced he should be an automatic starter at left-back in the Premier League. A top-flight squad member, definitely, but perhaps more as cover for left-back and centre-half.

Javier Manquillo
I've watched him for Liverpool, Sunderland and now Newcastle - and he just isn't good enough. Is it any wonder the Magpies are struggling when he is just one injury away from a start?

Ki Sung-yueng
He looks neat and tidy in possession, but lacks legs. It always concerns me when you sign players from sides who have just been relegated, too.

Mo Diame
Gets around the pitch and disrupts, but lacks quality on the ball. A powerful presence in the middle, but needs greater competition for a starting place.

Isaac Hayden
Another one who should count himself lucky to be a Premier League player. I don't think he has progressed in the past 18 months.

Jonjo Shelvey
Is one of the few Newcastle players who can win a game for them due to his creativity. His inconsistency is frustrating, but is someone who could turn Newcastle's season around.

Matt Ritchie
His intensity and desire is great to see, and he can contribute goals and assists - but doesn't do it often enough. Needs to rediscover his best form, and quickly.

Kenedy
A shadow of the player we saw during the second half of last season. Has quality in spades, but there's a reason why none of the top sides made a move for him in the summer. Needs to get his finger out and start performing again, because he can be a match-winner.

Jacob Murphy
He's still raw, and that concerns me. Murphy has been at Newcastle for more than a season now, and is he any better than he was a year ago? Can cross the ball and shoot, but doesn't do it often enough - he still looks too weak to me.

Christian Atsu
Another flair player who doesn't do it often enough. Atsu has tricks and the ability to provide goals, but he disappears out of games too. Falls to the ground far too easily as well.

Ayoze Perez
Like Murphy, Atsu and Yedlin, Perez has quality - but he is just too lightweight. I always worry that if there's a strong gust of wind, Perez might just get blown away. He goes through purple patches when he shows how good a finisher he can be, but lacks consistency - and that is frustrating.

Yoshinori Muto
Newcastle's most-expensive summer signing simply hasn't played enough football yet. Has shown a few glimpses, but needs to start forcing his way into the starting XI. An unknown quantity - which could be a good, or a bad, thing.

Salomon Rondon
I like Rondon, but we haven't seen the best of him yet - and his fitness problems do worry me. If Newcastle can get him up to speed though, he will score 10-plus goals a season, and he will terrorise opposition defences. Getting him fit could be key to Newcastle's success or otherwise.

Joselu
Works his socks off and is a likeable character, but he is a lucky lad to be leading the line for Newcastle. His failure to take a shot on when through on goal at the weekend reminded me of a tentative schoolboy being too shy to speak up to their teacher. He is never going to score double figures in a Premier League season - which is not good enough for a club like Newcastle.

I think he's undersold Fernandez and over-rated Rondon but, otherwise, I think I generally agree with the rest. He's harsh on Dummett, too as he's improved an awful lot to be fair.

Thoughts?

[HughieG]

Yes, very accurate. Some good points there. I agree that a player like Murphy hasn't truly shown any improvement, but I do think Rafa should've played him more over the past year, especially over someone like Atsu which is the one description above I disagree with the most; I simply don't think he has any real qualities for this level.

The fact that Muto is our most expensive signing this season says it all. I'd like to see him start ahead of Joselu.

BTW - did anybody see that Sørensen scored a hattrick for the U23's? I think he should get some Prem game time soon. At 19, he should get some cameos this season.

[TheOtherTerryMac]

It’s just what everyone knew anyway

We had a Championship Squad last year and were 5th bottom in January after a couple of signings we strung a few results together but 19th was a false position for me.

Every true fan knew that we were going to struggle this year with basically a weaker squad than last season

[Geordie_Jacko]

Decent assessment really although the bit about Atsu being a flair player made me laugh. The lad is pure garbage. Also like someone else said how's Murphy really going to improve without the game time. Rafa really needs to sort that out for the lad as I think he could be really good. I wouldn't mind if the wingers starting had been in fantastic form but they haven't and then when he does pull one off the pitch he brings on Fu(king Atsu to replace them which just leaves me baffled. He also HAS TO start Muto whilst Rondon is injured instead of Fu(king Joselu what's the worst that can happen? Joselu offers nothing and defenders must love playing against him.

[ex_pat_magpie]

It's a pretty accurate assessment from someone who knows the game in depth and can look at our squad without emotion and not like a fan would do with favourites and non favourites in mind.

Is it significant that he has only considered one goalkeeper and perhaps finds the others apart from Woody, not worthy of report.

That does say something.

[Jammy89]

I think all of that is a fair assessment.

Almost sadly as it shows how weak we are.

[Zippity]

I obviously hadn't even read it properly myself!

Flair player??? Atsu is absolute gash.