Very interesting results after asked fans which Newcastle players should keep for 2021/22 season?
The question we were asking fans on Thursday was: ‘Which 8 key Newcastle United players should be kept for the 2021/22 season?’
The season may have just ended but there are only five weeks now before the NUFC first team squad is back to start preparing for the 2021/22 campaign.
Once they get back to the training ground on Monday 5 July, less than six weeks then before the new season will kick off (weekend of Saturday 14 August).
Nobody quite sure how it happened but Steve Bruce managed to stagger to 45 points and twelfth place in the table.
Albeit that ten and fourteen points separated Newcastle from 11th and 10th places respectively, whilst only six point was the difference from Newcastle United in 12th and Burnley in 17th.
So, which Newcastle United players did fans see as the core that should be kept, to build on next season?
We asked fans to name their eight choices from the 32 listed below (including players who have been out on loan such as Florian Lejeune and Joe Willock who was at Newcastle for the final four months of the season).
Here are those 32 Newcastle United players and what percentage of the NUFC fans voting, selected them as one of their eight choices:
96% Callum Wilson
92% Martin Dubravka
85% Joe Willock
80% Miguel Almiron
44% Jacob Murphy
41% Isaac Hayden
40% Matt Ritchie
35% Federico Fernandez
34% Fabian Schar
32% Jamaal Lascelles
27% Paul Dummett
21% Florian Lejeune
17% Elliot Anderson
14% Freddie Woodman
12% Jonjo Shelvey
12% Sean Longstaff
10% Matty Longstaff
9% Ciaran Clark
8% Ryan Fraser
7% Jamal Lewis
7% Karl Darlow
5% Javier Manquillo
2% Emil Krafth
2% Joelinton
0% Andy Carroll
0% Yoshinori Muto
0% Christian Atsu
0% Jeff Hendrick
0% Henri Saivet
0% Mark Gillespie
0% Dwight Gayle
Obviously, if we had allowed fans to pick eleven players, then we’d have had a fair few more players with a significantly higher percentage.
However, if it was say eleven selections allowed, supporters would pretty much end up picking their best NUFC Team from the list.
Instead we wanted the players who are the small number of stand out ones, who fans definitely see as key players.
From the results above, there are a very very clear five top choices, who all get 80% or more backing, at least four in every five who voted picking ASM, Wilson, Dubravka, Willock and Almiron.
A very clear message that everything possible has to be done to buy Joe Willock AND ensure that the other four named there, are convinced to stay on. Something which is far easier to do if the likes of Joe Willock is secured on a permanent deal…
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