9 Newcastle Players Who Are Fighting For Their Toon Futures

5) Gabriel Obertan

Since arriving from Manchester United, Obertan has shown only the odd flash to indicate that he was worth the £3 million fee. If his brain was as quick as his legs, the Frenchman could be a solid player but his inability to pick a pass and his struggles when he has time on the ball have caused much consternation with the club's support. Appearances have been limited over the past two seasons and his introduction from the bench has not typically been greeted with rapturous applause. Despite his perceived lack of technical skill, his willingness to work hard and track back at least showed some effort in a team that was plagued with players providing precious little last season. His supposed transfer-listing will cause few fans to shed any tears but with a dearth of natural options down the right wing, Obertan might get one more chance. Current likelihood of coming back: 3/10Recommendation: At the moment, there are few options open to McClaren down the right-wing unless someone is played out of position so Obertan needs to make the most of the pre-season before any new recruits arrive. Whether his footballing brain will improve is difficult to answer but, when given a job, he at least tries to execute to the best of his ability (albeit with varying degrees of success). A replacement-level player at present, Obertan needs to prove he is more than just a runner and develop a killer final ball. His pace can cause defenders problems and, at 26 and with two quality coaches in the dugout, there is still hope that Obertan can improve his ball skills. Simply put, there must be a reason Sir Alex Ferguson signed him at Manchester United and, with Ian Cathro's reputation for developing technique, this is the best chance he will have to fix the flaws in his game.