Following some breathtaking marks, there is no question who the St. James’ Park fans value.
Many supporters interpreted Paul Mitchell’s explosive statement in an interview last autumn that he felt some of Newcastle United’s transfer deadlings had not been ‘fit for purpose’ as a sign that the club had overspent on a number of big acquisitions, but by September 2024, when those remarks were made, it had been a year since United had paid a significant sum for any player.
It was assumed that the soon-to-be former sporting director was referring to the £75 million spent on two promising but unproven fullbacks, Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall. When you add in the £60 million paid to AC Milan for Sandro Tonali, it was a substantial sum of money for three players, only one of whom had a significant impact in the 2023–24 season for various reasons.
Tonali’s 10-month ban ended his season in October, while Hall was a bit-part player during that first year on Tyneside, when on loan from Chelsea. Even though Livramento demonstrated enough to be Kieran Trippier’s heir apparent, the seasoned right-back was still preferred.
The impact that a year may have. With Tonali, Livramento, and Hall praised as three of the most influential players in a team full of quality, Newcastle concluded the 2024–25 season—one of their best in living memory.
While Hall and Livramento have established themselves as possibly the league’s most exciting full-back duo, Italian midfielder Tonali stormed back from his suspension, finding his niche in the middle of the park for United and turning the tide of the season just when it seemed like it would stop sparking. The left-back suffered a devastating setback when his season ended in February due to a foot injury. He had the world at his feet and earned his first England caps at the age of 20. He has to return in preseason as soon as possible.
To cover for his England teammate, Livramento moved to the left flank. If anything, he enhanced his already outstanding season by assisting United in winning the Carabao Cup and securing a Champions League berth. If the evidence on the field isn’t enough to convince you, check out our season-long fan player ratings below. After reviewing Lee Ryder’s 2024–25 season ratings, we asked you to assign a score of 10 to each United player from the recently concluded campaign. The findings were emphatic.
Tonali, a Geordie defender who simply seems to be getting better with age, led the way with an incredible average score of 9.4, just ahead of another dominant player, Dan Burn (9.3). His headed opening against Liverpool at Wembley was one of the many highlights of a fantastic campaign.
Naturally, goal machine Alexander Isak has been outstanding throughout, averaging nine goals, better than United’s youthful fullbacks Livramento and Hall. Ten players, including the always reliable Jacob Murphy and the Brazilian midfield duo of Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes, scored an average score above eight. At the other end, some lower scores suggest some significant transfer decisions. While Sven Botman and Lewis Miley were not given the opportunity to shine, Callum Wilson, Sean Longstaff, and Joe Willock disappointed supporters.
With the window now open, the futures of all three are still up in the air, but some important decisions will need to be taken in light of PSR.
Newcastle United 2024–25 season ratings for supporters
- Sandro Tonali 9.4
- Dan Burn 9.3
- Alexander Isak 9.0
- Tino Livramento 8.8
- Lewis Hall 8.6
- Joelinton 8.5
- Bruno Guimaraes 8.5
- Jacob Murphy 8.4
- Fabian Schar 8.0
- Harvey Barnes 8.0
- Kieran Trippier 7.8
- Martin Dubravka 7.7
- Anthony Gordon 7.6
- Nick Pope 7.5
- Lewis Miley 7.0
- Sven Botman 6.9
- William Osula 6.8
- Emil Krafth 6.8
- Joe Willock 6.0
- Sean Longstaff 5.7
- Matt Targett 5.5
- Callum Wilson 5.4
- Miguel Almiron 5.1
READ MORE: sportchannel.co.uk
Leave a Reply