As the transfer window comes to a close, Alan Pardew is due to turn his and the club’s attention to current United players whose contracts are due for renewal.
The manager;
“We haven’t broken down with anybody. We are just waiting for the window to shut, really, before we focus on the guys whose contracts we need to really analyse.
There are a couple out of contract and a couple the year after, so we need to keep an eye on that”.
The main attention no doubt will focus on Guthrie, Simpson and of course, Fabricio Coloccini.
Coloccini must be a no-brainer to try and sort out, 18 moths left on his contract and he has been simply fabulous, especially this season where he has also proved an excellent captain. Obviously we wouldn’t expect, or want, the club to make this a money no object deal but when you look at what the expense would be to replace him (with no guarantee of a decent one coming in), surely a deal can be done to suit all parties.
As with Colo there is also 18 moths left on Simpson’s contract, I put him in the category of having to play at his best every week to deserve a place at Newcastle United, To be fair to Simpson, he has played at pretty much his best week-in week-out. I think if he’s willing to sign a ‘fair’ deal then I’d like him to stay but if this team is going to move forward I don’t think it should be on the understanding he will always be first choice at right-back. He’s a very reliable performer but this could be a position with room for improvement, though Simpson would be a great asset who would settle for moving between being in the first eighteen as well as featuring in the team.
As for Guthrie, I do think some fans get carried away when players who have largely disappointed, then put together a few decent performances. Danny has been here three and a half years and has made 84 league starts and scored 7 goals. At the age of 24 he could still improve and I do think he has ability but…he has struggled to show any consistency, is regularly injured and for me lacks mobility to compete at the upper end of the Premier League.
The very fact Guthrie’s contract has been allowed to get to this point of only a few months left, tells you that his overall time at the club hasn’t justified a new deal. The compromise for me would be ideally another year to prove himself, with a two year offer at the very most.
So Coloccini a massive priority, Simpson hopefully agrees to stay on Newcastle’s terms and short-term deal for Guthrie to prove himself.
