Here are your Newcastle United evening headlines for Saturday, July 9.
Magpies cruise to 5-1 win
Newcastle kicked off their pre-season with a commanding 5-1 win this afternoon, beating Gateshead in a behind-closed-doors friendly underneath the sunshine. A brace from Miguel Almiron plus goals from Matt Ritchie, Sean Longstaff and Joelinton put the National League side to the sword and started the summer’s preparations in the best possible way.
Magpies boss Eddie Howe played two different lineups either side of half-time, with only Kell Watts featuring for the full 90 minutes. New signing Sven Botman did not feature, but teenage star Elliott Anderson came on at half-time, with Howe keeping true to his promise that the teenager will get his chance.
The club will head to Austria following today's win, where they face 1860 Munich on Friday, July 15 before playing Mainz the following Monday. Further games against Benfica, Atalanta and Athletic Bilbao will follow before the 2022/2023 Premier League season kicks off in August.
Rafa dispels defensive claims
Ex-Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez rebuked claims that he is a defensive manager in a fascinating interview with the Coaches Voice , citing his time at St James’ Park as proof of his expansive philosophy.
The Spaniard was keen to dispel any rhetoric that he deploys defensive formations and tactics, explaining that he deployed an aggressive 3-4-3 for the Magpies instead of the widely reported 5-4-1.
Benitez also speaks in the interviews about his time at Liverpool and Valencia, and the downfall at his most recent club, Everton.
Read the full story, here.
Broja omitted from Blues squad
Armando Broja has been left out of Chelsea’s squad for their pre-season trip to the United States amid intensifying interest from a host of Premier League clubs including Newcastle. The 20-year-old impressed on loan at Southampton last season, scoring six goals in 32 league games, and is now looking for a permanent move away from Stamford Bridge.
A new striker remains a priority for Eddie Howe and Dan Ashworth, with Albanian forward Broja eyed as a potential option, but Chelsea’s £30million valuation remains oddly high. Thomas Tuchel's decision to leave the striker in the UK, however, is the biggest hint yet that he will leave Chelsea - whether that be for Newcastle remains to be seen.
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