Mainz 2 Newcastle 1 – Saturday 29 July 3pm (UK time)
THE MAG gives a run down on Toon players who played in Germany on Saturday.
Darlow 6 – Did ok, but with Elliott out feeling ill I can’t help but feel Darlow was just slotting in and still has no future under Rafa.
Yedlin 6 – Showed some early promise going forward but was replaced after only half an hour.
Clark 6 – Steady as you go, although did look nervous at times and out of position on a few occasions if I’m being picky!
Lejeune 7 – Another confident performance, was tested more from Mainz than Bradford but seemed to do ok defensively. Looks very good on the ball.
Dummett 6 – A poor first 45 minutes. I would say he must improve but with no other viable left-backs at the moment it’s no wonder his performances might drop.
Diame 5 – To put it bluntly, he’s just big and useless. Hope he is a different player from the one we saw last season and in this pre-season. Perhaps he will be stronger in a counter-attacking team in the PL where his pace and strength can be better utilised.
Colback 6 – Typical Colback display, a lot of running around but not enough to show for his performance. Could drop down to fourth or even fifth choice centre midfielder?
Murphy 6 – Was always going to have a different game having scored two and impressing at Bradford.
Ritchie 7 – Looked lively and seemed to put to doubt any worries that I had regarding his fitness. Should be in line to start against Spurs.
De Jong 6 – Didn’t do enough once again for me, doesn’t get on the ball enough, lacks strength and pace. A shadow of the player I once watched for Ajax against Manchester City in the Champions League.
Mitrovic 4 – Rubbish, no point in beating around the bush. Must improve and must do it quickly. Whether it’s a pre-season friendly or a competitive league game, he consistently doesn’t do enough.
Manquillo 6 – Similar to Bradford, didn’t do much and didn’t offer anything going forward.
Gamez 6 – Scored a goal! Would you believe it, although it was helped via a deflection.
Mbemba 6 – Looks like being relegated to 4th choice centre half at the moment. With Grant Hanley still on the books, Mbebma may leave if funds are needed.
Aarons 6 – Just like Murphy he was a lot quieter than the previous game at Bradford but only had 30 minutes, which wasn’t enough.
Woodman 6 – Steady performance again from the young keeper, maybe worth sticking around for cup games??
Shelvey 6 – Tried to get things going but had a quiet game as the last half an hour really was an exhibition match.
Hayden 6 – Similar to Shelvey he didn’t do much at all when introduced.
Perez 6 – Looked bright but did miss a good chance near the end of the game. I’d be edging towards Perez over De Jong and Diame at the moment.
Atsu 5 – Another one who although only played for the last 30 minutes, already needs to buck his ideas up ahead of the new season.
Gayle 6 – Doesn’t have to do a lot to better than Mitrovic. At least Gayle always offers you that pace, or outlet over the top, or down the channels.
Merino – (Not on long enough to judge) Came on for the last few minutes of the game at centre-back, physically doesn’t look like a centre-half. Think he’ll need a month or so before we see him in the PL.