5 Reasons For Newcastle Fans To Be Cheerful (And 5 To Be Fearful) After Opening Day

By Matt Smith /

... And The 5 Reasons To Be Fearful...

5. Vurnon Anita Is Too Wasteful Playing Holding-Midfield

Vurnon Anita has earned himself a spot alongside Jack Colback in Newcastle United's central-midfield after a string of fine pre-season performances. Yet, the hype surrounding the Dutchman seems to be slightly deluded as his touch, positioning and passing ability is nowhere near the standard that a Premier League anchorman should have - although his impressive man-marking of Sadio Mane cannot go unnoticed. Anita would possibly fit into a formation where his role is not so crucial to the shape of team, but on several occasions he played a seemingly easy five-yard pass to the opposition. His relationship with Colback looked dis-jointed and as the pair possess very similar strengths. Put simply, there isn't enough creativity coming from the deeper areas of the Newcastle midfield.