Newcastle v Spurs - preview from the Press Box
Fri 10 August 2018, 13:00|
Tottenham Hotspur
Introducing an all-new match preview for the 2018/19 season where we'll tap into 'Fleet Street's' finest for their thoughts and insight - first up, the big kick-off against Newcastle United on Saturday.
George Caulkin...
A doyen of football in the North East and Patron of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, George is Northern Sports Correspondent for The Times.
The game…
"The one thing that you can say about Newcastle is they are a very good ‘team’. That’s not to say they’ve got lots of world-class players who can hurt the opposition, but they are a very good unit and they work for each other. If they play in the manner they finished last season and they can get a foothold in the game, perhaps go ahead, they will make it very difficult for Spurs. On the other hand, if Spurs take the lead, we could be looking at the same problems for Newcastle which is a lack of individual quality."
Newcastle’s key man…
"I would say Jonjo Shelvey. In the second half last season, he was really good. He tends to be the player who assists the assister as opposed to scoring goals or assisting himself but he’s very influential. Give him time on the ball and he has a range of passing that no-one else has."
Key area…
"Newcastle’s final third. They’ve lost Florian Lejeune through injury, which is an issue although they’ve brought in Fabian Schar (Swiss international defender). There are questions at full-back as well and Newcastle’s options look limited. Spurs obviously have a threat in attacking areas, so that could be key."
Prediction…
"I’m going to sit on the fence slightly, I think it will be a draw - I’ll say 1-1."
