I am not going to lie, this took way longer to type up then I thought it would. They cannot say I do nothing though can they? On we go!
Miggy Almiron
I know he is playing as an attacking midfielder now but I think, as he has spent most of his time on the wing this season, he falls into this category.
I think he has had an amazing season, including the times when he was not scoring goals. Prior to his first goal, I said on the channel that we should persevere with him and that his effort will get him there. Fast forward a few months and, not only he did he get that elusive first goal, he is now our top goalscorer this season. Regarding his performances, the work ethic is always there, always creating space and well worth the £20million.
I have heard him being called "just a runner" on the channel. Although I respect the opinion of everyone who goes on NFTV, I highly disagree with that statement.
One of our best players this season and it feels that he will only going to get better now that he is in that number 10 role.
Best moment: The winner against Palace in December - his first goal!
Rating: 9/10
Christian Atsu
Atsu is probably the one that will cause the most discussion on our wingers out of the rest. Most may think he should have went out on loan in January when he was linked to a move away on deadline day.
That being said though, he did have a really good start to the season. He picked up three assists in the first 10 games. For someone of Atsu's quality, that was not bad going and provided Joelinton's only league goal for the club.
There are the positives out of the way. Other than that, he has been incredibly frustrating to watch. Consistently loses the ball with little end product it seems.
On the wing, he fails to link up with the striker or midfield. It's like he's a drifter. In the past year, he has one good month and then poor for the other 11 months. It is a great shame too because he does have the talent but we rarely see it.
I think he should be sold in the summer. I would rather see either Tom Allen, Rolando Aarons or Jacob Murphy go ahead of Atsu in the pecking order. I feel one of those players will offer something a little more.
Best moment: the assist for Joelinton's goal at Spurs
Rating: 2/10
Matt Ritchie Rather difficult to sum up, Ritchie, as he has been injured for half of the season due to that horror tackle from Leicester City's Hamza Choudhury. With Ritchie, you always get a passionate workhorse of performance out of him. It is wonderful to see the club giving him a new deal, something he totally deserves. To judge him on this season, I still think we are going to see the best of him. He has been pushed up the field and is slowly turning into the utility player that every club needs. I am going to give him a lower mark but I feel unfair in doing so. His performance in the last match against Southampton last month knocked it down just a notch but, by the end of the season, I am sure I will be prepared to give the hard worker a higher mark for sure. Best moment: kicking the corner flag into a poor fan's gonads Rating: 5/10 Allan Saint-Maximin Since ASM signed in the summer, he has been a class act. His presence on social media, his aura, how down to earth and humble he is. These are hallmarks of a great character. He has struck up an amazing relationship with the Newcastle fans. For me personally, I love him to bits. Everything about his style of play and his flair on the pitch. I love seeing that in a Newcastle player. Long after he leaves
, we will be talking about the mad fast Frenchman with the headband. Similar to Dubravka, Saint-Maximin has been vital to us this season. Our record in matches that he has not featured speaks for itself and I would happily challenge anyone to find a better summer signing than the club buying the man we affectionately call ASM. Best moment: The winner against Oxford in the FA Cup. The Penicopter was born. Rating: 9/10 That rounds up the wingers! I'll sum up the strikers in the last part! I hope you're enjoying these.